Fully Alive in God

  When Humanity Shines with Glory Epiphany 2C, Isaiah 62, John 2, 1 Cor. 12   St Paul’s Emmanuel, Santa Paula, and All Santos, Oxnard The Revs. Alene and Melissa Campbell-Langdell   Our passage from Isaiah today is one that captures our imaginations.   One only has to enter the first 3 words, “For Zion’s Sake” into a music search bar to be almost overwhelmed by the number of times these words have been set to music.   All of which got me to wondering this week what it is about this passage that draws us in so deeply?   As I sat with various versions of this song, one lyric in particular stood out.   In Juliet Spitzer’s 2003 paraphrased lyric she writes, “For America’s sake I will not hold back my wailing, until the vindication of humanity goes forth as brightness.”   Now there are all sorts of theological problems with equating America and Zion, so catch me after church if you want to talk about that; however, I think Spitzer captures so...

  Cuando la humanidad brilla con la gloria Epifanía 2C, Isaías 62, Juan 2, 1 Corintios 12   St Paul’s Emmanuel, Santa Paula and All Santos, Oxnard Las Reverendas Alene y Melissa Campbell-Langdell   Nuestro pasaje de Isaías de hoy es uno que captura a nuestras imaginaciones. Si solo busque “por amor a ti o Sion” en las canciones que están en la red social, encuentre que hay muchas canciones sobre el amor de Sion y más. ¿Que tiene este mensaje que conectamos tan profundamente? Buscando en ingles “for Zion’s sake,” encontramos una canción de Juliet Spitzer que dice que por amor de América no va detener su mando “hasta que la vindicación de la humanidad brille” (parafraseado del inglés) (Juliet Spitzer, 2003). Ahora hay problemas sobre pensar sobre América y Sion como la misma cosa, y de esto hablamos después si les gustan, pero creo que Spitzer expresa algo del anhelo que nos atrae a este pasaje. Me hace recordar del pasaje en Genesis en que Dios vea la humanid...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Isaiah 43:1–7; Ps. 29; Acts 8:14–17; St. Luke 3:15–17, 21–22)   Veni Sancte Spiritus… Veni Sancte Spiritus… Come, Holy Spirit… I remember the echo of these haunting words moving through my body, vibrating through the wood near the altar of the cathedral, on which I was lying prostrate. Although my posture and that of my peers was one of great humility, a recognition of the wondrous and fearful action that was about to occur, our ordination into the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, to be honest in that moment I felt an almost mystical sense of being held in the Spirit. I felt that mass of worshippers chanting, invoking the Spirit’s presence, beseeching that same Spirit to bless our ministries, to work in and through us as priests. I could have stayed there forever, but instead I stood up, those fifteen years ago, because there was something to be done, and it has been an amazing journey ever since, and even before. This is...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Isaías 43:1–7; Salmo 29; Hechos 8:14–17; San Lucas 3:15–17, 21–22)   Veni Sancte Spiritus… Veni Sancte Spiritus… Ven, Espíritu Santo… Recuerdo como estas palabras en latín resonaban y vibraban en mi cuerpo mientras me postraba en el piso de madera cerca del altar de la catedral. Aunque mi postura y la de mis colegas fue uno de gran humildad, un reconocimiento de la acción asombrosa y temerosa que iba a ocurrir, nuestra ordenación al sacerdocio de la Iglesia Episcopal, para ser bien honesta en ese instante sentí más un sentido casi místico de estar mantenido en oración en el Espíritu.  In that moment of my ordination, lying face down on the floor of the cathedral, I felt more awe than humility, although sometimes they are the same thing.  Sentí como la muchedumbre cantaba, y como invocaba la presencia del Espíritu, suplicando que ese mismo Espíritu bendijera a nuestros ministerios. Que trabajara en nosotros como sa...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos Oxnard (Isaías 60:1–6; Salmo 72:1–7, 10–14; Efesios 3:1–12; San Mateo 2:1–12) Local author Vanesa Chua wrote a delightful little book, some copies of which she donated to the church, called Driftwood Lanterns about a boy whose mother sadly passes away during the COVID pandemic and who is sent to live in a boat in the Channel Islands Harbor with his mother’s best friend from college. Despite many tragic events, the two find a family together. And throughout the book, they are both guided in their dreams, encouraged in their journey of building a new family together. Autora local Vanesa Chua escribió un muy lindo librito llamado Driftwood Lanterns sobre un niño quien pierde su mama a COVID, solo para mudar hasta Oxnard y vivir con el mejor amigo de su mama en su barca. Tras el libro, Dios los guie por medio de sus sueños. Ella don ó algunas copias a la iglesia en ingles. In the same way, God speaks to the magi, or wise men, via a dream i...