It is somewhat ironic that, as I propose a sabbatical, I am reading to my children Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Rushdie writes of a father, a renowned storyteller, whose inspiration has run dry. His son, Haroun, leaves on a quest to re-open his father's mind to the wonder and power of story.

As one of only a handful of women preachers active in regular worship services in the Roman Catholic tradition, I feel an immense responsibility to allow God's Word to pour through my experience as a university chaplain, preacher, musician, wife, and mother of seven children.

My sabbatical would allow me time to read stories, pray, and dream - about God's kingdom and how to bring its message to life. Like Haroun, I would travel on a "quest", to return to the island of Iona, Scotland, where I first heard God's voice calling me to my preaching ministry. By Iona's wild "sea of stories", I would listen anew for that voice, read sacred stories with time to ponder their meaning, and pray for the renewal of wonder and power in my preaching. After restoration, I would attend the Network of Biblical Storytellers Festival Gathering in North Carolina.