i LOVE the vigil! it is the coolest service ever! an hour with just candles. i was the master of the readings...guiding the readers and the hearers. i got to hand a book of readings to each reader like the wise woman of the family. it was so cool to do, while the candles were held in the sanctuary.
but...
before we processed into the building we lit a fire outside and lit the paschal candle. because i was the preacher, guess what i got to wear...a cope! the big fancy cape! it was gold and floor length. it had all sorts of embroidery! the episcopal priest brought it for me to wear! it was crazy. i was looking at it wondering who would wear it, and suddenly i hear that i get to! it was pretty wild! i secretly liked it.
i was lame and did not get a photo...crap.
in the middle of the service we went outside to invite the world in for easter. we chanted the names of the beloved dead. some were close. some were a little strange. some were very famous. in the end you smile. my two confirmation boys that were there liked that part. they giggled through it. they liked hearing all the famous people listed.
and then it was easter!! it was bright and golden! we sang the messiah chorus. and then i got to preach. it was scary preaching in front of clergy from three other churches. i think people liked it. it was so much fun to do. and to be so young. i got to do the best sermon while i am still a seminarian.
i think everybody should go to a vigil...it is magical.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
happy fertility celebration!
i love easter! i love easter more than christmas. i think the symbols are WAY more fun!
and we are roaring up on tonight's vigil.
i bribed the congregation with candy. i needed ushers and all sorts of other participants for the crazy vigil service ASAP. so i offerred candy. now, i love easter candy. bunnies, chicks, eggs!!! oh yes! fertility symbols abound. i even found the "hubba bubba clucker", the wonderful, wind-up chicken that poops candy.
i found red peeps!!!!
i said to the gentlemen at the bookstore this morning, "red chicks must come from red eggs. and the symbol for mary magdalene is a red egg. it is just a hop, skip and a jump from red peeps to mary magdalene!" this earned me the quote of the day. glad to provide entertainment on capitol hill, oh, i was wearing my collar, so i am sure it was quite the spectical. they asked me to come back later for more entertainment.
i am preaching tonight at the vigil. it means that i introduce each of the readings. i am to act as the wise, shaman of the community leading the ceremonies. i am not sure how i ended up with this task as the youngest of all the clergy. but, i think it is going to be wonderful.
i have added my intros to the readings and my sermon. enjoy.
introductions to the readings.
Come by the fire and water. Since time began our people have gathered to tell stories. We have gathered by fire and water. There are stories of our beginnings. Stories of our family tricksters. There are stories of joy and sorrow.
Tonight we hear our story. There will be a hero. There will be adventures. There will be weeping. Will we remember the ending?
Genesis 1-2:4
There is always a beginning to any good story. Ours begins with dirt and water. Light and darkness. There are creepy crawly critters and finally, humans. Listen to how we came to be with this Earth.
Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21
How wonderful our creation was and is! God made us and said we are good. God made all of the cosmos and said it is very good. Our beginning was indeed good.
With any story, there is always drama. There is always evil lurking out there. Evil that will attempt to take down the protagonist. We come now to one of the evils in our story. Pharaoh had barely let the Israelites go, when he decided to attack them. God would not let this happen. Listen to the might work of God in preserving the Israelites from evil. Imagine the battle between the God of Israel and Pharaoh.
Isaiah 55:1-11
We leave the celebration by the Red Sea. A celebration of God’s mighty works. A celebration that marks God’s redeeming power.
Our story has many prophets. All good stories have a wise one to warn and advise. We are fortunate to have many. Our prophet Isaiah gives words of mercy. This is a story now of God’s love and mercy.
Ezekiel 36:24-28
From Prophet Isaiah we learned about Mercy. Let us look to another of our prophets. Prophet Ezekiel will teach us about God creating us new. He will teach us about God’s promises. Listen to his lesson.
Daniel 3:1-29
Our prophet taught us to be wary of idols. Ezekiel reminds us that we must stay away from them. It is easy for us to be enticed by other ways.
Listen now to a story of three men that did not get enticed. They trusted God just as their ancestors did. Listen to the lilt of the story. Listen to the poetry of their walk through fire.
sermon John 20:1-18
Alleluia, He is Risen!
Say it with me! Alleluia, He is Risen!
Yes, don’t be shy! He is risen, yes indeed He is risen!
There ARE no more tears!
There ARE no more cries of when?
Christ is risen TODAY!
Peter and the unnamed disciple ran away, too scared of the possibility of life.
Mary Magdalene cried out wondering where her friend was. Then, wonder of wonders! She heard and saw the Good News. The Son of God called her name and with that spoken word she knew that life had returned. Mary knew that God had conquered hell and defeated death.
All this in a name. All this in a spoken word. A story that began with God speaking a word and Creation came into being. Now, the story becomes new, amazing, and joyful when the Son of God speaks a new word.
Listen! Listen, for tonight God is calling! Oh, dearly Beloved hear God calling your name and calling you to rise up! Calling you to rise up and celebrate your new life in Christ. God called you in the beginning and said you are good. You are very good. Now God is calling you by name and calling you from your tomb. God is saying have life. Have life, right now, in the eternal reign of God.
And laugh dear ones! Laugh because you are children of the Heavenly Father. A Father that will never turn away from you. A father that will always take you. It is never too late to come to His home for the Easter Feast. It is never too late to come to this Father’s door. Have joy, because you are counted as a Child of God!
The news just gets better and better! Revel in the goodness of the Easter Celebration! There is room for everyone at this dinner table tonight. There is plenty of room and food and EVERYONE is invited. That is the amazing gift of Easter. That is the gift of life from the Cross that we receive tonight. Out of mystery, out of death, we receive joy and life. Join me. Join me in praying, singing and eating. This is for you and for me. There is nothing better! For Alleluia, Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed!
and we are roaring up on tonight's vigil.
i bribed the congregation with candy. i needed ushers and all sorts of other participants for the crazy vigil service ASAP. so i offerred candy. now, i love easter candy. bunnies, chicks, eggs!!! oh yes! fertility symbols abound. i even found the "hubba bubba clucker", the wonderful, wind-up chicken that poops candy.
i found red peeps!!!!
i said to the gentlemen at the bookstore this morning, "red chicks must come from red eggs. and the symbol for mary magdalene is a red egg. it is just a hop, skip and a jump from red peeps to mary magdalene!" this earned me the quote of the day. glad to provide entertainment on capitol hill, oh, i was wearing my collar, so i am sure it was quite the spectical. they asked me to come back later for more entertainment.
i am preaching tonight at the vigil. it means that i introduce each of the readings. i am to act as the wise, shaman of the community leading the ceremonies. i am not sure how i ended up with this task as the youngest of all the clergy. but, i think it is going to be wonderful.
i have added my intros to the readings and my sermon. enjoy.
introductions to the readings.
Come by the fire and water. Since time began our people have gathered to tell stories. We have gathered by fire and water. There are stories of our beginnings. Stories of our family tricksters. There are stories of joy and sorrow.
Tonight we hear our story. There will be a hero. There will be adventures. There will be weeping. Will we remember the ending?
Genesis 1-2:4
There is always a beginning to any good story. Ours begins with dirt and water. Light and darkness. There are creepy crawly critters and finally, humans. Listen to how we came to be with this Earth.
Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21
How wonderful our creation was and is! God made us and said we are good. God made all of the cosmos and said it is very good. Our beginning was indeed good.
With any story, there is always drama. There is always evil lurking out there. Evil that will attempt to take down the protagonist. We come now to one of the evils in our story. Pharaoh had barely let the Israelites go, when he decided to attack them. God would not let this happen. Listen to the might work of God in preserving the Israelites from evil. Imagine the battle between the God of Israel and Pharaoh.
Isaiah 55:1-11
We leave the celebration by the Red Sea. A celebration of God’s mighty works. A celebration that marks God’s redeeming power.
Our story has many prophets. All good stories have a wise one to warn and advise. We are fortunate to have many. Our prophet Isaiah gives words of mercy. This is a story now of God’s love and mercy.
Ezekiel 36:24-28
From Prophet Isaiah we learned about Mercy. Let us look to another of our prophets. Prophet Ezekiel will teach us about God creating us new. He will teach us about God’s promises. Listen to his lesson.
Daniel 3:1-29
Our prophet taught us to be wary of idols. Ezekiel reminds us that we must stay away from them. It is easy for us to be enticed by other ways.
Listen now to a story of three men that did not get enticed. They trusted God just as their ancestors did. Listen to the lilt of the story. Listen to the poetry of their walk through fire.
sermon John 20:1-18
Alleluia, He is Risen!
Say it with me! Alleluia, He is Risen!
Yes, don’t be shy! He is risen, yes indeed He is risen!
There ARE no more tears!
There ARE no more cries of when?
Christ is risen TODAY!
Peter and the unnamed disciple ran away, too scared of the possibility of life.
Mary Magdalene cried out wondering where her friend was. Then, wonder of wonders! She heard and saw the Good News. The Son of God called her name and with that spoken word she knew that life had returned. Mary knew that God had conquered hell and defeated death.
All this in a name. All this in a spoken word. A story that began with God speaking a word and Creation came into being. Now, the story becomes new, amazing, and joyful when the Son of God speaks a new word.
Listen! Listen, for tonight God is calling! Oh, dearly Beloved hear God calling your name and calling you to rise up! Calling you to rise up and celebrate your new life in Christ. God called you in the beginning and said you are good. You are very good. Now God is calling you by name and calling you from your tomb. God is saying have life. Have life, right now, in the eternal reign of God.
And laugh dear ones! Laugh because you are children of the Heavenly Father. A Father that will never turn away from you. A father that will always take you. It is never too late to come to His home for the Easter Feast. It is never too late to come to this Father’s door. Have joy, because you are counted as a Child of God!
The news just gets better and better! Revel in the goodness of the Easter Celebration! There is room for everyone at this dinner table tonight. There is plenty of room and food and EVERYONE is invited. That is the amazing gift of Easter. That is the gift of life from the Cross that we receive tonight. Out of mystery, out of death, we receive joy and life. Join me. Join me in praying, singing and eating. This is for you and for me. There is nothing better! For Alleluia, Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
five years in iraq...viewed from DC.
i have walked past this man a few times. i have seen him on the "house" side of the hill. he is always silent. with a sandwich board that has pictures of dead in iraq. he is one the protesters that i think is actually helpful. his silence and presence makes everyone uncomfortable. whereas the folks that yell and look ridiculous get ignored and made fun of by everyone that walks by. i even get annoyed with them, and i am sympathetic to their organizations.
Friday, March 14, 2008
hi.
for all sorts of reasons my world is really zooey right now.
so just a few notes from the zoo.
it is budget season in congress and the lobbiests are out in droves. the hill is nuts. more than usual. everyone and their dog wants a bill signed. so...it is crowded.
the other night i was having a late dinner with a friend. we were looking a some pictures of politicians in the restaurant. we were giggling a little about the mismatch between dennis kucinich and his wife. we meander down the street and comment on the short man with ears in front of us...yup. i saw dennis kucinich on monday. kind of exciting.
today i was off. weekdays are good days to hit the museums. so, i went to the planetarium at one of the smithsonian museums. there are SO many school groups running around!!! it was nuts. i had to elbow through pubescent middle schoolers to watch cosmic collisions.
the cherry blossoms are just starting to peek out...in another week or two they will be all over. right now all the daffodils are in bloom.
holy week is fast approaching. it feels crazy. in part because my supervisor is sick and we don't know what the pastor situation will be for easter. i was told that i could be leading worship with the bishop for easter! oh boy.
i found out this week that i will be preaching for the easter vigil service, which is an ecumenical service on capitol hill. and i am preaching maundy thursday. it is going to be a hectic week.
so just a few notes from the zoo.
it is budget season in congress and the lobbiests are out in droves. the hill is nuts. more than usual. everyone and their dog wants a bill signed. so...it is crowded.
the other night i was having a late dinner with a friend. we were looking a some pictures of politicians in the restaurant. we were giggling a little about the mismatch between dennis kucinich and his wife. we meander down the street and comment on the short man with ears in front of us...yup. i saw dennis kucinich on monday. kind of exciting.
today i was off. weekdays are good days to hit the museums. so, i went to the planetarium at one of the smithsonian museums. there are SO many school groups running around!!! it was nuts. i had to elbow through pubescent middle schoolers to watch cosmic collisions.
the cherry blossoms are just starting to peek out...in another week or two they will be all over. right now all the daffodils are in bloom.
holy week is fast approaching. it feels crazy. in part because my supervisor is sick and we don't know what the pastor situation will be for easter. i was told that i could be leading worship with the bishop for easter! oh boy.
i found out this week that i will be preaching for the easter vigil service, which is an ecumenical service on capitol hill. and i am preaching maundy thursday. it is going to be a hectic week.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
substance
archbishop flynn of the minneapolis-st. paul archdiocese says, "nothing of substance" will change when an alternative type roman catholic church is forced to do worship according to the roman missal, just like everybody else.
i thought worship was substantive. i thought worship was the time when the people of God gathered to be community. i thought it was the time when the word of God was proclaimed. i thought it was the time when those who don't get to feel accepted elsewhere, get to feel accepted.
but, maybe i was wrong. i just thought it was substantive. i thought giving the body and blood of Christ meant something. oops.
read about it. The push for conformity shoves away parishioners
i thought worship was substantive. i thought worship was the time when the people of God gathered to be community. i thought it was the time when the word of God was proclaimed. i thought it was the time when those who don't get to feel accepted elsewhere, get to feel accepted.
but, maybe i was wrong. i just thought it was substantive. i thought giving the body and blood of Christ meant something. oops.
read about it. The push for conformity shoves away parishioners
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