re St. John Fisher Church in Palos Verdes..for a while I was exploring the PV area..and attending the various churches ..and Fisher church is way up at the very top of the hill...some good hiking trails not far away..as well as a beautiful view over the ocean towards Catalina Island...i've spent some time hiking rattlesnake trail and other areas as well...part of my ministry philosophy is that you need to know "the ground" around you when you do missions or ministry..get a feel of the "hood" (neighborhood) by walking around, exploring, reading local material, etc before you pronounce judgment. Jesus was "peripatetic" as well (meaning he moved around)... anyways..during my peripatetic time in palos verdes I periodically dropped in for mass services at John Fisher where Fr. Sork is the administrating pastor, and often presiding in the pulpit. At the time I first wandered in there, there was also a Fr. Zak (who moved on to Incarnation in Glendale, ironically..another church I often attended frequently for a while..now a little less frequent but still can be found there from time-to-time) ..and this was before they built the new church..I watched the progress of that building for many months.The only problem I have with St. John fisher is that I never felt completely comfortable there..I always felt as if I was being looked upon with suspicion even though I wasn't doing anything wrong...nor on the run from the law..not a criminal..not a pedophile..just a decent person..yes a sinner but still decent and growing in Christ..in fact sometimes more than decent but positively good and commendable..a good citizen...even Anglo for that matter.. a white boy done good...and a person who spent diligent time and work studying for two bachelor's degrees as well as a masters in divinity.. I don't deserve to be treated as if I am a suspicious person...anyways.. because of this "chilly" atmosphere (by just a few, but it only takes a few ...as they say) I started attending less and less frequently..and after the new church was built and attending a few times I finally decided enough was enough..I just never could break thru the ice there.. maybe some of it has to do with supercilliousness of the neighborhood...sort of a real estate thing..you either live there or you don't...it's not for low-income people..at least not owning a house..but there are also apartments in the area..somebody has to work at the grocery stores & gas stations..don't they go to church too? I don't fit in either category..not a working class person nor interested in a home with a view...my only interest is to keep doing God's will and telling the Good News..my education alone gives me credentials to be a church pastor...even a priest..but I'm doing ministry in a different way for the time being..there's nothing wrong with that is there? I pray for the Lord's hand to be upon me as well.
and so I just leave it up to the Lord according to His Will for St. John Fisher and the parishioners and the priests..for the Holy Spirit to be present at the church..HEAR MY PRAYER LORD !
