VicarDoodle

Lenten Sermons

2008-02-29T11:25:00.000-08:00

The themes and character of Lent always make for a preaching challenge. Here are my offering from the second and third Sunday's of Lent. Rethinking Penance and That Living Water. Let me know what you think.

Light from light

2008-01-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year. May yours be filled with joy and peace - and send a bit of that out into the world. At Faith, our year started out wonderfully, the Feast of the Epiphany was a time of celebration for four of our young people as they made their passage from childhood in their Rite 13 ceremony. For them, the light of adulthood is dawning and so it was a great chance to preach about light. You can read the sermon here.

Advent at Faith

2007-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

And the joint is jumpin'! We now officially have more members than we have chairs in the church. What a lovely problem to have. We are planning our first ever Childrens Christmas Eve service. The Vicar is very happy!

On Sunday afternoon our Christmas pageant was filled with the wonderful moments that only children can bring. The angel Gabriel, played by 3 year old Julia, made the succinct annunciation to Mary "You're going to have a baby!" Mary's expression of surprise, well emoted by 5 year old Sage - complete with wide eyes and hands clapped to her cheeks. The angel then moved over to Joseph, played by 10 year old Hannah in her first trouser role, and told him "Your mother's going to have a baby!" That surprised us all.

Here's some sermon catch up. 2nd Sunday of Advent and 3rd Sunday in Advent.

The Peace Child

2007-12-03T14:03:00.001-08:00

Preaching about peace is occasionally perilous. I've been excoriated any number of times for daring to do so. Well, here's another one. The story of the Peace Child is a powerful witness to the sacrifice necessary to truly seek peace.

Leaving ordinary time

2007-12-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

Catching up a bit, here's the sermon from Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday after Pentecost and before Advent. To read about our transition from ordinary time to extraordinary time, click here.

Avoiding the apocalyspe

2007-11-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

This is always such a fun time of year to preach - all of that fire and brimstone! Here's my take on Malachi and Jesus talking about the end of the world. Click here.

Seeing through the smoke

2007-10-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

I just got a call from an old friend wondering how we were doing out here and it gave the me kick in the pants to post and say that we're ok here - Laguna Niguel has sat safely in the middle of the doughnut - fires all around but none that have reached here. Some of Faith's members are closer and I'm trying to keep tabs on them. The air quality is as bad as you might expect - it hurts your lungs even when you're inside. Max the church dog can't understand why he can't be outside as usual.
There will be lots of talk when these fires are finally out - the Orange County fire has been called arson - something too monstrous to consider. Resources are stretched to keep up. The National Guard has pointed out that a lot of their equipment is in Iraq, fire departments are underfunded despite plans to change that after the 2003 fires. Water is a serious issue and only going to get worse. Development continues despite concerns about how many people Southern California can accomodate. For right now, I'm contemplating how we can express our thanks and support for the Fire Departments. Please pray and thank you for your concern.

Returning to normal

2007-10-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

What can I say about jet-lag? The 9 hour time difference between Europe and California will leave you a little puny. Regardless, it was wonderful to get home, although we got back to find several people in the hospital so there was some pastoral care to catch up on. We also learned that Faith had lost its most senior member, Doris Martin. As per her wishes, we held no special service but celebrated her life in the context of our regular worship - which is really a good way to say good-bye. Click on her name to read the sermon about our quiet oak of righteousness and how she was an example to all of us to stand still and strong in the midst of great change.

Rest in peace, Doris.

Back from Beirut

2007-09-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the silence...the internet was hard to accomplish during our short stay in Beirut. What an amazing place. Needless to say, security was high following the assassination of the MP last week but there were really no difficulties. We did miss a trip out to Jeitha caves because we couldn't get through downtown Beirut on Tuesday when the parliament was meeting but we still found lots to do. The city is an interesting melange of old and new, abandoned and rebuilt, expecting trouble and building for the future. The number of cranes at construction sites is staggering - new hotels and condos going up all over the place.

We visited the American University in Beirut and the International College, which is the school where Peter's father was the president and thus where Peter and his siblings grew up - quite a remarkable place in an exotic setting. No wonder Peter has such a curiosity about the world and a real wanderlust.

We are now in London at the Priory of the Assumption where I will give my talk tomorrow night. We're hearing the sounds of Vespers being sung right now - lovely! Later we'll be off to wander by the Thames and search out some pub time!

Home soon!

What's Scottish for geek?

2007-09-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

because I am one now. I have totally fallen in love with this country and the people. We've been touring around and eating salmon and going "Oooh, look a' tha'!" I now own a beautiful new celtic cross, a scottish knit sweater and a Scotland cap - as I said - I'm a total Scotgeek.

We're in St. Andrews now and Peter is about to play a practice round before the tournament tomorrow - so I'll be the dutiful wife walking along with him, praising every shot, thinking how cute I look in my new sweater.

Adieu, Paris

2007-09-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

Packed up and ready to head to the airport at noon, just one short radio interview to do before the taxi comes. It's a very different feeling leaving Paris this time, no tears or broken heart, just incredible joy and gratitude for all that has happened. I had dinner with Matthieu last night (cute little crèperie) and we reflected on the whole book process and the last two weeks.

There's every indication that there will be favorable articles and reviews starting to come out this week so that's kind of nice. Saw some more old friends yesterday which was great but I'm looking forward to seeing Peter at the airport in Edinburgh this afternoon. He's been cramming in as much golf as possible - five straight days of 36 holes each day - hope that will last him for a while.

I'm not sure how much internet access we'll have for a couple of days but I'll do my best to describe the beauty of Scotland as soon as I can find a connection.

Now off to the land of kilts and single malt scotch!

Places to go...people to see...

2007-09-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Me to talk about...how could I not be having fun. Everyone has been just terrifically nice - the reporters are all considerate of the brain lapses that occur from time to time - hate it when that happens on live TV but...c'est la vie! Gilles Paris, Super-Publicist remarked -after I noted how nice every one was - that if I wanted he could find someone who would be mean to me. And then he and Laurent (who has been my long suffering baby-sitter,who takes me everywhere and keeps me from getting lost, retreived my wallet when I left it in a market -what a dope!) began naming all of those reporters who who could be counted on to be less than sweet - humour Parisian style.

I was in Lyon on Tuesday - beautiful city, birthplace of Antoine de Saint-Exupery and burial place of St. Ireneaus - one of the big names of the early church; yesterday in Brussels - which included a sprint through the train station to catch the TGV home and now back in Paris. Peter is in Scotland - he played well enough to make it into the second round of the tournament at St. Andrew's but alas - is now playing for fun instead of the prize. I'll be joining him on Sunday. Miss you all but the Vicar is having a blast!

Prada - at last!

2007-09-10T02:33:00.000-07:00

On avenue Montaigne - one of the swankiest streets in Paris - I got all of the Prada I could afford. Maybe some day, if the book sells a bazillion copies - I'll go in and buy something!

The Green Wall

2007-09-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

This is the outside of the Musée Branly - the anthropological museum near the Eiffel Tower. The plants - of many sorts live and grow in a mesh on the wall. I'm wondering how that would work in a California courtyard?

Those cute little kids

2007-09-10T02:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad that Peter snapped this one quickly - they were adorable!

Children's day in Paris

2007-09-08T02:07:00.000-07:00

We had the afternoon free before doing a live TV show at 10 pm so Peter and I hopped on the Metro in search of the wonderful new museum Musée Branly - the museum of anthropology. It's right next to the Eiffel Tower so it was also a fun stroll. In the park under the Tower we encountered the most charming scene - dozens of little be-smocked five year olds - the girls in pink and boys in what looked like graduation robes - mini Toulouse Lautrecs running around on the grass. Undoubtedly to protect their school clothes but a delightful sight. Peter managed to snap a photo (soon to put on the blog) before their teacher - aka the warden - shooed us away with a sweep of her hand and a grand cloud of cigarette smoke.

On the way home we fell upon some more charmers - two kids coming home from school on the Metro with their nanny. They were eating the traditional four o'clock snack, baguette with chocolate. The girl had Julia hair - for those of you from Faith who understand the reference. Blond and curly and an attitude that said; "Watch out world, and especially you men; you don't stand a chance!"

The Museum is terrific - a multi-sensory delight - more later... Off to the Musée d'Orsay...un jour totalement libre!

Motorcycle "Mother" Gracen

2007-09-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

Ah, Paris

2007-09-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

We arrived with a minimum of travel troubles - Air New Zealand has great leg room! We started off with a bang - a meeting as soon as we arrived - a team of five working on the publicity which began yesterday with six interviews and filming: The schedule was pretty frantic so at one point I got to go on a motorcycle ride through Paris. There was one moment between a bus and a truck that was scream worthy but it was really a blast! and the fastest way through the traffic here.

I haven`t yet figured out how to get pictures from their various hiding places but I will soon and then you too can see how ridiculous I look in a helmet!

Here's the book cover

2007-08-31T14:45:00.001-07:00

Peter took this photo. Is it any wonder that I love him - no one else can get a good picture of me!

The Vicar is back

2007-08-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a year since I posted but in that year I have had some pretty big things happen. First Peter Schuller and I got married on February 2, 2007. It was a wondrous event - the first wedding to be held at Faith Episcopal. The whole church was in attendance and they put on a beautiful reception.

Second - I have a book that is about to be published in Paris. Le Bon Dieu aussi s'habille en Prada whch means God also wears Prada. It's is primarily about my years in Paris as the only woman priest in town. My time there started at September 11th time and was punctuated by some pretty amazing experiences. On September 2, Peter and I are heading to Paris where I will be doing book promotion for about two weeks. We will also travel to Scotland and Beirut (to visit Peter's Dad) and London where I will be the opening speaker for the annual series put on by the Augustinians of the Assumption. The topic of this year's series is Joy - and I get to kick it off.

I plan to post as regularly as possible to share what's going on. Unfortunately, I have to teach myself to use this thing again! It's good to be back!

The Lake of the Wounded

2006-07-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'm still running about a week behind on posting so this is last week's sermon, but such a beautiful story that it should sound good at any time. The story The Lake of the Wounded is from a book called The Keepers of the Animals, by Michael Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. All by itself, it's worth a read, but go here to read the sermon, too.

Hearing the Lord's Prayer Again

2006-07-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Vicar has been distracted and never got around to posting last week's sermon. So here it is - all about the Lord's Prayer. I've been challenging the congregation to try out the more contemporary language in our prayer book and wanted to share why I think it's a good idea to do so.

Dont expect Warren Buffet to do it all

2006-07-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

I was going to be in summer mode and recycle a sermon for today but then these lessons came up and I couldn't leave them alone. As generous as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are being, the work of creating a balanced and just society is not the work of individuals. Here's a sermon on the generosity that becomes a part of the fabric of our society.

Have a wonderful 4th of July.

It's a girl!

2006-06-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Right Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada and our new PB! God does new things and we are glad!

The Gnostics and Walt Whitman

2006-06-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Gnostics are a hot news item between The DaVinci Code and the Gospel of Judas. This sermon gives some background on them and what we know about their theology. The reading from 2 Corinthians today includes a kind of gnostic thinking that says that being in a human body separates us from God. To that I say hogwash and called on a friend for help - Walt Whitman. We read some of Walt Whitman's I Sing the Body Electric to be a counterpoint to St. Paul's "while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord." Enjoy!