He is therefore happy
July 27, 2018
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Stories by Joseph O'Brien
A strong stirred direct cocktail
If your tongue is quiet enough, it can taste the whisper of Japanese whisky folded gently into the other spirits that Herb & Wood’s cocktail curator Meghan Balser puts into her Vodka & Lavender. “I …
July 26, 2018
Pushed out to the margins
Grace Presbyterian Church Contact: 1450 E. Vista Way, Vista 760-724-0077 www.gpcvista.org Membership: 200 Pastor: Mike Wallman Age: 66 Born: Burbank Formation: Santa Monica College; California State University-Northridge; Fuller Seminary, Pasadena; Dubuque Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA …
July 20, 2018
Nighttime spreads its cloak
The Cloak & Petal’s bar manager Faisal Asseri explains that the name for Little Italy’s Japanese-inspired restaurant blends opposites to form a new whole. “Cloak” communicates mystery and intrigue, and “Petal” is a rough English …
July 3, 2018
Was I losing my marbles?
Foundations of Praise Contact: P.O. Box 2518, Escondido, CA 92033 760-741-2755 www.foundationofpraise.org Mailing List Members: 30,000 Founder: Merlin Carothers (1924-2013) Born: Coal Country in Pennsylvania Formation: Marion College, Marion, IN; Asbury Seminary, Wilmore, KY Years …
July 3, 2018
A mystical approach to Christianity
Unity San Diego Contact: 3770 Altadena Avenue, City Heights, 619-280-2501 www.unitysandiego.org Membership: 300 Pastor: Blair Tabor Age: 66 Born: Minneapolis, MN Formation: University of California San Diego; Unity Institute & Seminary, Kansas City, MO Years …
June 22, 2018
Shorn of dogma and dualism
Membership: 165 Pastor: Patti Paris Age: 61 Born: New York City, NY Formation: City University, New York City; Holmes Institute, Encinitas Years Ordained: 7 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend preparing your talks? …
June 8, 2018
God's not going to force himself on you
Membership: 150 Pastor: Erik Borlaug Age: 29 Born: Forrest Lake, MN Formation: Winona State University, Winona, MN Years Ordained: 7 San Diego Reader: What’s your main concern as a member of the clergy? Pastor Erik …
May 25, 2018
That call was always there
Membership: 150 (Attendance: 80). Pastor: Guy Williams Age: 64 Born: Cornell, CA Formation: San Diego State University; Holmes Institute, Golden, CO Years Ordained: 10 San Diego Reader: What’s your favorite subject on which to preach? …
May 11, 2018
Working his way through the Good Book
Membership: 60 Pastor: Jeff Apsley Age: 61 Born: Batesville, Indiana Formation: Baptist Bible College, San Dimas (Now Springfield, MO); Moody Bible Institute, Chicago; Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada Years Ordained: 37 San Diego Reader: …
April 27, 2018
Coming up next
Membership: 170 Pastor: Sharon Graff Age: 62 Born: Hemet Formation: Northwest Christian College, Eugene, OR; Claremont School of Theology, Claremont; San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Francisco Years Ordained: 33 San Diego Reader: What’s your favorite …
April 11, 2018
Bishop Richard Challoner — mental prayer is easy
The devil, who very well knows that such souls as apply themselves seriously to mental prayer will be none of his, makes all possible efforts to divert Christians from this application by a thousand impostures; …
April 6, 2018
A warm greeting in a glass
Say “Sawatdi!” to the Sawadee! “Sawatdi” is a common Thai greeting (like Hawaii’s “Aloha!”) and the Sawadee (same word respelled for the American palate) is one of the newest inspirations from Prohibition mix-master Heath Wetherbee. …
April 5, 2018
Finding God in a shack
Membership: 750 Pastor: John Shaver Age: 47 Born: Dayton, OH Formation: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC; Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA; Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.; University of Pittsburgh Years Ordained: 19 San Diego …
March 29, 2018
Giuseppe Garibaldi speaks against the Pope
I am a Christian and I speak to Christians—I am a good Christian and speak to good Christians. I love and venerate the religion of Christ because Christ came into the world to deliver humanity …
March 22, 2018
The call came while in Mexican orphanage
Membership: 1,300 families registered (3,000 attendance per weekend) Pastor: John Auther, SJ Age: 60 Born: Phoenix, AZ Formation: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles; Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, Spain; Jesuit School of Theology-Santa Clara University, Berkeley …
March 15, 2018
"The Lorica" by Saint Patrick
I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In the obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, …
March 14, 2018
Asanga's path to perfection
What is a person who has only a single interval? It is a person who is a once-returner who reaches the end of suffering by living only among the gods. What is a person who …
March 7, 2018
We at Kaleo see ourselves as being called out of darkness
Kaleo Church Membership: 100 Pastor: Tim Cain Age: 40 Born: Wheaton, IL Formation: Moody Bible Institute, Chicago; Westminster Seminary West, Escondido Years Ordained: 14 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? …
February 28, 2018
Like a beast’s pelt: oaks hunched like sleeping bear
March’s Lovely Asymptotes The property line melts into forest, its late winter browns Like a beast’s pelt; oaks hunched like sleeping bear; Beech and birch extend into ugly candid possum hair, And elms and maples …
February 28, 2018
Immigrants welcomed at Ascension Lutheran Church
Membership: 70 Pastor: Rick Fry Age: 43 Born: Springfield, OH Formation: Wittenberg University, Springfield OH; Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Hyde Park Years Ordained: 6 San Diego Reader: What’s your favorite subject on which …
February 14, 2018
Kanada — India's answer to Aristotle
He who of His own will spreads out the production, preservation, and destruction of the universe; He who, even though shining forth in suppression of all these, still is not known by other than wise …
February 7, 2018
Politics should stay out of our pulpits
Membership: 300 Pastor: David Hazel Age: 47 Born: Los Angeles Formation: Point Loma Nazarene University, Point Loma; Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City Years Ordained: 22 San Diego Reader: What’s your favorite subject on which to …
January 31, 2018
Silvester Jenks — fled at the Glorious Revolution
To make it plainly appear that the love of God above all things is the greatest duty of a Christian, one would think it were enough to show that it is a duty which comprises …
January 24, 2018
Not Yo' Mama's gin and tonic
Co-owner of Pillbox Tavern, Ryan Jones has something preposterous. He’s messed with that bit of perfection known as the gin and tonic. And what he’s come up with — well, it’s not your dad’s gin …
January 17, 2018
Astronomy led to Judaism
Membership: 60 Rabbi: Michael Samuel Age: 64 Born: San Francisco Formation: Tomthei Temmimim, Israel; San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo Years Ordained: 41 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? Rabbi …
January 17, 2018
From the Kama Sutra
Pleasures should not be sought for, because they are obstacles to the practice of Dharma and Artha, which are both superior to them, and are also disliked by meritorious persons.... This objection cannot be sustained, …
January 10, 2018
A mojito with grassy flavor
The Gaslamp’s newest Cuban eatery, Havana 1920, seeks to capture the heyday of America’s Playground and its pre-communist jazz-and-limelight nightlife. The restaurant’s beverage director Ryan Andrews says that its owners were inspired to open the …
January 3, 2018
Took AIDS patient for a cigarette
Membership: 200 Pastor: Darrell M. Dunlap Age: 49 Born: Clifton, NJ Formation: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago; Azusa Pacific University, Azusa Years Ordained: 18 San Diego Reader: What’s your favorite …
January 3, 2018
The Province of History by James Garfield
The world’s history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains have been pealing along down the centuries, and though there have …
December 27, 2017
The ice melts slowly and the flavors peel off
As January draws near, Striders general manager Tony Martineau found a way to raise a glass for the old year rounding the last bend even as the new year comes galloping out of the gate. …
December 20, 2017
God goes with submariners
Place: University Lutheran Church Pastor: J.L. Precup Age: 71 Born: Aurora, IL Formation: Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO Years Ordained: 45 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon? Pastor J.L. Precup: …
December 20, 2017
The Tree of Wisdom by Nagarjuna
He who undertakes work which he cannot carry out, Who vies with the multitude and disputes with the powerful, Who lets a woman know his thoughts — The four gods of death sit at his …
December 13, 2017
More chef than mixologist
Reports are rolling in by the basketful: Washington, New York, Wisconsin, Michigan — all the big apple-producing states are enjoying a bumper crop this year. And San Diego can take a bite out of this …
December 13, 2017
Rhyme & Verse — two poems by Jax NTP
let’s make a list of women in power now the trees are so still they are about to catch on fire we wake up for something to do someone to become the difference between aria …
December 13, 2017
Saw suffering Christians in Thailand
Membership: 400 Pastor: Tim Spivey Age: 41 Born: Long Beach Formation: Pepperdine University, Malibu; Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX Years in ministry: 20 San Diego Reader: What is your main concern as a member of …
December 6, 2017
Theodore Frelinghuysen — Bible salesman
The Bible has done it sir! Seal up this one Volume and in a half century all these hopes would wither and these prospects perish forever. These sacred temples would crumble or become the receptacles …
November 29, 2017
El Mezcalito — attempt to bring mescal into the fold
There are as many flavors to mescal as there are Ramirezes or Smiths in the San Diego County phone book — but only Del Maguey Vida Mescal is best suited for Puesto’s mescal cocktail, El …
November 22, 2017
God uses a clay pot such as I am
Membership: 120 Pastor: Ed Gonzalez Age: 40 Born: Bulacan, Philippines Formation: Febias College of Bible, Valenzuela, Philippines; The Master’s Seminary, Los Angeles Years Ordained: 13 San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your …
November 22, 2017
Albert Schweitzer — the mystical Lutheran
Affirmation of the world, which means affirmation of the will-to-live that manifests itself around me, is only possible if I devote myself to other life. From an inner necessity, I exert myself in producing values …
November 15, 2017
"It tastes like when I go surfing"
Located on the 101, within sniffing distance of the shore, Open House features practically every imaginable oceanic edible — including vegetables. So it was that this al fresco eatery’s general manager Matt Handy went deep …
November 8, 2017
Hitler bothers him
Membership: 100 families Pastor: David Madsen Age: 65 Born: La Junta, CO Formation: Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, MI; General Theological Seminary, New York City; New York Theological Seminary, New York City Years ordained: 9 San …
November 8, 2017
Guess who Impeachmint cocktail refers to
Since everything from scoops of ice cream to the NFL has become politicized, it was only a matter of time before San Diego’s cocktail scene stepped into the arena. Thus, Madison on Parks’ Impeachmint. Bar …
November 1, 2017
al-Ghazzali — the most influential Muslim after Muhammad
Now from the sciences I had labored at, and the paths I had traveled in my investigation of the revelational and rational sciences (that is, theology and philosophy), there had come to me a sure …
November 1, 2017
Left six-figure income and pushing paper around
Membership: 110 Pastor: Greg Stenzel Age: 58 Born: San Francisco Bay Area Formation: American Lutheran Theological Seminary, Minneapolis, MN (now at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN) Years Ordained: 14 San Diego Reader: What’s your …
October 25, 2017
Escaped moves by King Charles by fleeing to Paris
This is the principal service of God, there being nothing on earth which represents more perfectly the state of the blessed in Heaven, than to praise him with fervor and cheerfulness. For it is written: …
October 18, 2017
Mineral-driven tequila first, then ginger beer
Green Acre’s director of food and beverage Chris Simmons serves his Mexican Mule the same way as the Moscow Mule — in copper cups. While his variation on the vodka-cum-ginger-cum-lime original is served as cold …
October 11, 2017
Found church while USIU grad student
Point Loma's First Church of the Nazarene bloomed from a tent revival.
October 11, 2017
Shakespeare of the Arabic language
Praise be to Allah, the exalted of names, the praised for His bounties, the abundant in gifts, the called upon for the rescinding of calamity; —king of the nations, restorer of rotten bones, honorer of …
October 4, 2017