—for Poff We settled to great small talk on the back porch Despite green skies and scratchy radio warnings; The beer was cold and the rain came down in sheets To simmer a stew in …
January 19, 2011
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Stories by Joseph O'Brien
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Cataracts and Hurricanoes, by Joseph O'Brien
Harbor Presbyterian Church
Contact: 1055 Hunte Parkway, Chula Vista, 619-851-6465; harborchulavista.com Membership: 80 Pastor: Russ Kapusinski Born: Akron, Ohio Formation: North Park University, Chicago, Illinois; Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida Ordained: 12 years San Diego Reader: How long …
January 12, 2011
Del Cerro Baptist Church
Contact: 5512 Pennsylvania Lane, La Mesa, 91942; 619-460-2210; dcbc.org Membership: 400 Pastor: Mark Milwee Born: Crossville, Alabama Formation: Golden Gate Baptist Seminary, Mill Valley Ordained: 18 years San Diego Reader: Can you think of a …
January 5, 2011
Eastlake Church
Contact: Chula Vista Campus, 2355 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista; South Coast Campus, 2050 Coronado Avenue, San Diego; 619-370-5005; eastlakechurch.com Denomination: Independent Christian Membership: 5500 Pastor: Mike Meeks Age: 55 Born: Coos Bay, Ore. Formation: …
December 29, 2010
Beautiful Saviour Evangelical Lutheran Church
Membership: 250 Pastor: Jeff Enderle Born: Council Bluffs, Iowa Formation: Northwestern College, Watertown, Wisconsin; Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota; Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin Ordained: 8 years San Diego Reader: How long do you …
December 22, 2010
Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Membership: 250 Pastor: Reverend Thomas Anastasi Age: 63 Born: Chattanooga, Tennessee Formation: University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. Starr King School for the Ministry, Berkeley; San Francisco Theological Seminary, Berkeley Years Ordained: 21 San Diego Reader: …
December 15, 2010
Church of the Good Shepherd
Membership: 200 people Pastor: Father George Calvert Age: 54 Born: San Diego Formation: University of California–Berkeley, Berkeley; Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va.; Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena Years Ordained: 24 San Diego Reader: How long do …
December 8, 2010
Bonita Valley Baptist Church
Membership: 200 Pastor: Jim Carpenter Age: 58 Born: Denver, Colorado Formation: University of Denver, Denver, Colorado; Denver Seminary, Littleton, Colorado; Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena Years Ordained: 33 San Diego Reader: Can you think of a …
December 1, 2010
Highland Avenue Baptist Church
Membership: 300 Pastor: Emilio Meza Age: 55 Born: Coahuila, Mexico Formation: Golden State University, California Years Ordained: 15 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? Pastor Emilio Meza: I spend all …
November 23, 2010
Pilgrim Lutheran Church
Pastor: Tim Gerdes Age: 37 Born: Flint, Michigan Formation: Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri Years Ordained: 11 San Diego Reader: Can you think of a time when you gave a sermon that completely flopped? Pastor …
November 17, 2010
Unification Church of San Diego
Membership: 100 Pastor: Walter Frank Born: San Diego Formation: Pastoral training in Korea Ordained: 14 years San Diego Reader: Can you think of a sermon that flopped? PF: It was July about two years ago…. …
November 10, 2010
Ramona Lutheran Church
Membership: 200 Pastor: David Keil Age: 61 Born: Los Angeles Formation: California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks; Concordia Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana Years Ordained: 35 San Diego Reader: Can you think of a time when you …
November 3, 2010
Harith al-Muhasibi
God has appointed self-mortification for the seekers, for the training of the soul. Men are ignorant of the high station of that one who is preoccupied with his Lord, who is seen to be thinking …
October 27, 2010
Ibrahim Bin Adham
My father was one of the princes of Khurasan, and I was a youth and rode to the chase. I went out one day on a horse of mine, with my dog along, and raised …
October 27, 2010
Ohr Shalom Synagogue
Membership: 350 families Rabbi: Scott Meltzer Age: 41 Born: Akron, Ohio Formation: Harvard University, Mass.; Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem, L.A., N.Y. Years Ordained: 14 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? …
October 27, 2010
Church of the Nativity
Membership: 1000 families Pastor: Monsignor Lawrence Purcell Age: 70 Born: Indio, California Formation: University of San Diego–St. Francis Seminary, San Diego; Pontifical North American College, Rome, Italy Years Ordained: 45 San Diego Reader: How long …
October 20, 2010
Excerpt from Literary and Historical Miscellanies by George Bancroft
For the regeneration of the world it was requisite that the Divine Being should enter the abodes and hearts of men and dwell there; that a belief in Him should be received which would include …
October 13, 2010
Islamic Center of San Diego
Congregants: daily, 100–150; Friday weekly prayer service, 1200 Weekly Services: 12:15 & 1:15 p.m., Fridays Imam: Taha Hassane Age: 41 Born: Tenes, Algeria Formation: University of Algiers-Institute of Islamic Sciences, Algiers, Algeria; Graduate Theological Foundation, …
October 13, 2010
Excerpt from the Epistle to Diognetus
Christians are not distinguished from the rest of mankind by either country, speech or customs; the fact is, they nowhere settle in cities of their own; they use no peculiar language; they cultivate no eccentric …
October 13, 2010
Icon Church
Membership: 100 Pastor: Will Carreras (of a three-member pastor team) Age: 47 Born: Ramey Air Force Base, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Formation: Azusa Pacific University, Azusa Years ordained: 2 SDR: What is the most prevalent sin …
October 6, 2010
Epistles to the Philippians by St. Polycarp
Being assured, therefore, that God is not mocked, we are obliged to live in a manner befitting His commandment and glory. Deacons, likewise, must be blameless when judged by His rule of rectitude. They are …
October 6, 2010
“The Songs of Milarepa” by Jetsun Milarepa
At Gun Tan Castle, some men were building a house and Milarepa approached them for alms. Saying that they had no time and were busy while he appeared to be idle, they invited him to …
October 6, 2010
Faith Bible Fellowship
Membership: 400 Pastor: Gene Beezer Born: Punxsutawney, PA Formation: Bachelor’s, Houghton College, NY Ordained: 48 Years San Diego Reader: Can you think of a time when you gave a sermon which flopped? Pastor Beezer: I …
September 29, 2010
The Fields: A Church without Walls
Contact: PO Box 131131, Carlsbad, 92013; 760-602-0722; thefieldschurch.org Membership: 300 Pastor: David Fandey Age: 46 Born: Torrance Formation: California Polytechnic State University, San Louis Obispo; Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, La Mirada. Ordained: …
September 22, 2010
Daybreak Church
Weekly Attendance: 1200 Pastor: Jason Graves Age: 36 Born: Van Nuys Formation: Life Pacific College Ordained: 10 years San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermons? Pastor Graves: That can vary greatly, …
September 8, 2010
La Jolla Presbyterian Church
Membership: 1500 Pastor: Paul Cunningham Age: 43 Born: Fresno Formation: Santa Clara University, Santa Clara; Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ; Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, FL Years Ordained: 16 years San Diego Reader: Can you think …
September 1, 2010
Abiding Place Ministries
Membership: 300 individuals (average 150 for fellowship) Pastor: Mark Spitsbergen Age: 51 Born: Revival meeting camp, Caney, Kansas Formation: Point Loma Nazarene University (undergrad); University of California-San Diego. Ordained: 1982 San Diego Reader: Why did …
August 25, 2010
East Clairemont Southern Baptist Church
Membership: 85–100 Pastor: Christopher Clark Age: 50 Born: Long Beach, Calif. Formation: Occidental College, Los Angeles; California Baptist University, Riverside; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Forth Worth, Texas Years Ordained: Licensed 31 years; ordained 22 years …
August 18, 2010
La Jolla Lutheran Church
Membership: 70 individuals Pastor: Mark Dahle Age: 54 Born: Seattle, Wash. Formation: Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, Ill.; Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. Years ordained: 15 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing …
August 11, 2010
If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans!
Membership: 400 individuals Pastor: Tim Tiffany Age: 64 Born: Kansas City, Kansas Formation: University of California Los Angeles; Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana Years Ordained: 30 years San Diego Reader: Can you think of a …
August 4, 2010
St. James By the Sea Episcopal Church
Membership: 1200 individuals. Pastor: Randal Gardner (Rector) Age: 57 Born: Denver, Colorado Formation: Seattle Pacific University; Church Divinity School of the Pacific-Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Years Ordained: 25 San Diego Reader: How long do you …
July 28, 2010
Torrey Pines Christian Church
Membership: 600 individuals Pastor: Michael Spitters Age: 48 Born: St. Joseph, Michigan Formation: Hope College, Holland, MI.; Texas Christian University-Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, TX.; Chicago Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL.; missionary work in Taiwan Years …
July 14, 2010
Self-Realization Fellowship, Encinitas Temple
Contact: 939 Second Street, Encinitas; 760-436-7220; encinitastemple.org Membership: 1000 individuals Leader: Brother Pranavananda Age: 59 Born: Alberta, Canada Formation: University of Alberta, Canada (degrees in physics and philosophy); monastic formation through Self-Realization Fellowship Years of …
July 7, 2010
First United Methodist Church
Membership: 3000 individuals Pastor: Jim Standiford Age: 62 Born: West Virginia Formation: University of Redlands, Redlands, CA; Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA Years Ordained: 40 San Diego Reader: How long do you usually spend …
June 30, 2010
St. Gregory of Nyssa Greek Orthodox Church
Membership: 80 Families Pastor: Father Simeon Corona Age: 45 Born: Los Angeles Formation: Lutheran Bible Institute, Seattle, WA; Concordia College, St. Paul, MN; Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA; Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, …
June 23, 2010
La Mesa First United Methodist
Pastor Randa D’Aoust Church: La Mesa First United Methodist Address: 4690 Palm Avenue, La Mesa Phone: 619-466-4163 Web: lamesaumc.com/ Membership: 220 individual Pastor’s age: 61 Born: Decatur, Ill. Formation: University of Illinois-Urbana, Urbana, Ill.: bachelor’s …
June 9, 2010
How Prop 215 on medical marijuana affects San Diego
Maybe lawmakers should get smart, smoke a little bud.
November 19, 2008