This past Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, marked the beginning of our Lenten journey together. Before jumping into a reflection on today’s Gospel, I have three Lenten Frequently Asked Questions to address. The first: Why 40 days? 40 days is a significant number in the Scriptures. In Genesis, the flood which destroyed the earth lasted 40 days […]
How many of you have read that poem called Footprints in the Sand about the fellow who had a dream he was walking along the beach with God (raise hands)? So, I saw this cartoon the other day, the first part of it had God with his arm around the fellow saying, “Where you see […]
I have some pretty shocking news I need to share with you. I know it may be a surprise for some of you, but you are not always right. You and I, we don’t have all the answers. We don’t perfectly see how everything is and ought to be. This is important. It is critical […]
A few years back there was a couple who were planning to get married. They decided to hold their wedding in Santa Barbara. I don’t know how many of you have been there, but it’s a beautiful place for a beautiful, fairly local, wedding escape. Along West Cabrillo Boulevard you will find Harbor View Inn, […]
What’s goin’ on? Those of you who were here last Sunday will recognize the question as one posed by Rev. Katherine in her brilliant sermon. She extended the discussion Fr. Justin started on Martin Luther King Day and showed us that, like Dr. King, Marvin Gaye expressed the hopes and fears of a generation and […]
Two weeks ago, Fr. Justin preached on the Feast of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. He started with one of Dr. King’s famous quotes. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” We are all […]
Last Sunday we commemorated the Feast of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and ever since then I have found myself immersed in Reverend King’s writing. He was quite a moving preacher, gifted in ways I could only aspire. Upon reflecting on today’s lessons– particularly the Epistle and Gospel readings — one quote of […]
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose feast we celebrate today, was an American Baptist minister who led the struggle against racial discrimination in the 60s. He was a provocative preacher, and passionately advocated the principle of non-violent protest, affirming that one’s opponents should be tackled with compassion rather than aggression. He was awarded […]
Merry Christmas! For those of you visiting us for the first time or the first time in a while, I would like to extend an invitation to you to join us on Sundays. We worship in this space every Sunday morning at 8am and 10:15am. I just wanted to extend the welcome, since I see […]
For only the fourth time since 1900, Christmas Eve and the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, fall on the same day. Tonight, we have the unique opportunity to acknowledge our ancestors in faith as well as to celebrate the nativity of Jesus. The eight-day Festival of Lights begins at the same […]