Fully Alive in God

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Genesis 45:3–11, 15; Psalm 37:1–11, 39–40; 1 Corinthians 15:35–38, 42–50; St Luke 6:27–38)   “Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." These words of wisdom from Jesus make me think of a popular adult TV character and show, “Ted Lasso.”   In the first episode we are introduced to a man who has coached American Football and has mysteriously been hired by Rebecca, the divorcee owner of a British Football club, to coach her soccer team in the outskirts of London. Little does he know but he is sent in to fail. But he comes in with an engaging personality and a sign that says “Believe”. The jaded Brits wonder if he is for real. He brings biscuits or shortbread cookies to his boss and initiates a morning sharing time. Though at first she is resistant, ...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Génesis 45:3–11, 15; Salmo 37:1–11, 39–40; 1 Corintios 15:35–38, 42–50; San Lucas 6:27–38) “Perdonen, y Dios los perdonará. Den a otros, y Dios les dará a ustedes. Les dará en su bolsa una medida buena, apretada, sacudida y repleta. Con la misma medida con que ustedes den a otros, Dios les devolverá a ustedes.” Estas palabras sabias de Jesús me hacen pensar en un programa de televisión y un carácter muy populares en la programación adulta, “Ted Lasso.” En el primer episodio estamos introducidos a un hombre quien ha entrenado futbol americano al nivel universitario y ahora la jefe de un equipo de futbol regular en Inglaterra lo ha empleado para ser su entrenador de equipo. El no sabe que su jefe quiere que el falle. Ted Lasso does not know he is being set up to fail, and brings a can-do attitude and a big sign saying “Believe!” Él pone un letrero en el vestuario que dice “¡Creen!” Y los británicos insensibles piensan que el es ...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Jeremiah 17:5-10 ; Psalm 1 ; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 ; Luke 6:17-26 )   “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” These words are the beginning of the section of the teachings of Jesus that are called the Beatitudes. And I want to say to begin with, that, taken completely literally, these sayings do not make sense. Celebrating the poor just because they are poor does nothing to alleviate their plight and can actually do harm. The same with raising up the hungry, or those who are in pain or those who feel the hatred of others just because they are in that position. The church has done harm when we romanticize poverty, hunger, and other human pain. “Your prize will be in heaven” has at times been a phrase used to mistreat those in need or fail to do what we can for them. But if we thin...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Jeremías 17:5–10; Salmo 1; 1 Corintios 15:12–20; San Lucas 6:17–26)   «Dichosos ustedes los pobres, pues de ustedes es el reino de Dios.» Dichosos ustedes los que ahora tienen hambre, pues quedarán satisfechos.» Dichosos ustedes los que ahora lloran, pues después reirán. Estas palabras son el inicio de la sección de las enseñanzas de Nuestro Señor Jesús que se llaman las Bienaventuranzas. Y yo quiero decir para iniciar, que, tomado completamente literalmente, estos dichos no hacen sentido. Celebrar a los pobres solo por ser pobre no hace nada para aliviar su situación y de hecho puede hacer daño. Igual con levantar a los hambrientos, o los que están en dolor o los que sienten el odio de los demás solo porque están en esa posición. La iglesia ha hecho daño cuando romantizamos la pobreza, el hambre y otros dolores humanos. “Su premio estará en el cielo” a menudo ha sido una frase usada para maltratar a los en necesidad o falta...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Isaiah 6:1–8, (9–13); Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1–11; St Luke 5:1–11)   In the 2013 movie “The Haum ā na,” we are introduced to a performer who is emceeing a generic “Polynesian” show in Waikiki and has lost his way, drinking heavily every night. When fabulous bartender at his local watering hole tells him that his “auntie” or the teacher who taught him to Hula is dying, he goes to her side and after some resistance is permitted to meet with her. She asks him to promise her to prepare the group of young men from the high school she has been teaching the hula for the Royal Hawaiian Hula Competition. Which he does. But he does not know how to teach, and at first the young men think he is a joke. They smell the alcohol on his breath and offer him gum. They insist that he learns the traditional chant to welcome them to hula class. In the course of their classes, he takes them to the ocean and the forest to connect with the natur...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Isaías 6:1–8, (9–13); Salmo 138; 1 Corintios 15:1–11; San Lucas 5:1–11)   En la película del año 2013 “La Haumāna”, estamos introducidos a un artista quien presenta una obra genérica sobre las islas de Polinesia en Waikiki. El ha perdido el rumbo y é l toma cada noche. La cantinera en su cantina favorita le dice que su favorita maestra de hula, quien le llama “tía” se está muriendo. Aunque enfrente resistencia, el va a su lado y le promete ensenar la hula, el baile tradicional hawaiano, a un grupo de jóvenes de la secundaria que ella ha estado ense ñ ando. Ellos tienen que preparar para un gran festival de Hula, pero él no sabe cómo ense ñ arlos al inicio. Ellos piensan que el es ridículo. Huelen el licor en su aliento y le ofrecen chicle. El ni sabe como hacer el canto especial para invitarles formalmente a la clase de hula. Pero el lo aprenda y los ense ñ a y los lleva al mar y al bosque para conectar con los origines de la ...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Isaiah 43:1-7 ; Psalm 29 ; Acts 8:14-17 ; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 )   Today’s gospel reading brings us to a riverbank, to the baptism of Jesus. Before he is baptized, the people gather around John to hear him preach and to see him baptize people for repentance of sins. There is a tremendous sense of expectation from the people. Richard Swanson describes it this way: A “’multitude of Jews who are all waiting for the promises they heard about from their grandmothers’ in a time when ‘the sense of accumulated wrong is so powerful, the backlog of unkept promises so enormous, that the hopes coalesced into a focused question directed at John: Are you the messiah?’” [1] Wow, does that sound familiar or what? The weight of a lot of unkept promises in the world today, the promises from our grandmothers that a better world can be? Can you feel the similar built up expectations? And of course, John was not the Messiah, but here he comes, ...