Fully Alive in God

  Last week, I was blessed by the opportunity to take part in an eight-day silent retreat given by Contemplative Outreach at Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino. For the first three days, Alene joined me, which was a blessing. On the last day, she picked me up, and we even got to see the Odyssey with my parents at a movie theatre on the way back!  Every day, we sat for meditation in the morning, ate in silence, and had a teaching session about contemplative practices and Centering Prayer by Fr. Bill Sheehan, an expert on CP who has been practicing since its start in the US in the early 1980's with Fr. Thomas Keating. The sessions were the only times when we could talk. After a daily Eucharist service (serving communion to all who believe in the real presence), we ate lunch in silence, did an optional two-part sit, then had downtime in the afternoon to do crafts/pray/read/walk, and then in the evening we would eat dinner in silence, do a sit and have quiet time to reflect. Thi...

 Sabbatical - thoughts  on sabbathing This has been a more reflective week as I have taken time to do some things around the house that have not been tended to, gotten to try a new flow yoga class and a new juice bar, and visit online with some friends and work on my intercultural ministry class with another friend. I have also been able to step briefly out of sabbatical mode (and then back in!) in order to prepare for a service for Dave Matthews that was preplanned early in my sabbatical to take place right before my vacation time and after my retreat time. I have been thinking a lot about sabbatical time. Coming from the root word, "sabbath," while for academics it means rest and time to dig deep into a project; for clergy it often means to rest, recover and remember who we are during a time set aside from the responsibilities of ministry. We don't cease to be priests in this time, and I have even requested some prayer requests so I can pray for folks, especially as I e...

  (the Episcopal Church, All Souls', and Nippon Sei Ko Kai's seals, stylized) I just spent the last few days in Okinawa, Japan. We flew out of Narita airport in Tokyo, which I admit I would have loved to linger in longer. It was full of wonderful shops, often including a cultural theme, not just your typical airport tchotchkes and snacks. There was a whole store for the fabric that is traditionally used to wrap gifts in Japan. I was grabbing a quick catch-up with Alene (important to catch her midday due to the time difference) as we waited to be able to check in.  Landing in Okinawa, I was first struck by the beautiful orchids everywhere in the airport, and when we ventured out, the heat! As we hailed a taxi and rode the approximately one-hour drive (in traffic) from Naha to Chatan. We drove part of the way along the water, and it was wonderful to connect with a part of the ocean so far away from home. We arrived at All Souls’ Parish Rectory just as the sun was setting. I was ...

  Greetings from Tokyo! Thank you to those who prayed for safe travels for my goddaughter and me as we flew to Japan - everything went very smoothly, including a smooth immigration and customs experience. I am grateful!  When we arrived to Tokyo and connected with my good friend Joanna, we headed to a Konbini (Convenience store) to get some snacks and grabbed the train to Tokyo proper (since Narita airport is in the outskirts). As we passed rice fields and saw some traditional looking Japanese buildings, I was entranced and could not help but think of the Miyazaki movies. We went through some more suburban neighborhoods and arrived right into downtown Tokyo. The Tokyo subway is impressive. So many people but also so orderly. It was a bit challenging navigating it with suitcases (for the way back we took a ride share).  The rental home is Magic themed, with strong influences from the Harry Potter franchise. While I do not support JK Rowling's point of view, I had to admit ...

Dear Friends, This week has been a helpful decompression time. I have been saddened by the loss of a long-time parishioner and also grateful that I was able to connect with his family before heading overseas. I have also been treasuring the memories of our conversations and gathering prayers for others and for them to carry with me as I journey next week. I have been focused on cleaning, packing and final trip planning all week. We took Zip, our dog, for a vet appointment and thankfully she is just fine. On Thursday, Alene and I got to go on a whale watching trip with Island Packers. This was especially fun, as her birthday whale watching trip was cancelled. We saw a Minky Whale, a sunfish (a bit hidden under the water), and several humpback whales, including one that was identified by a repeat whale watcher as one that had been seen by themselves before as a young whale! We also learned about several birds and saw many common dolphins frolicking with some sea lions, as well as a pod o...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39 )   Good morning! From today’s gospel reading: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it (Matthew 10:38-39).” Ah, Jesus. I thought following you was just about the peaceful life? Sometimes we wonder when we see passages like this one. Sometimes Jesus gets a bit punk rock, but it is mixed in with tenderness. In a few lines, we hear about Beelzebul, a demonic figure whom Jesus was compared to by those who misunderstood his ministry. Still, then we have the consolation that the hairs of our head are counted and that we are of more value than many sparrows, and then we hear him pulling out the meta...