Approximately one hour ago, the 76th General Convention came to a close. In truth, it was much less contentious than recent similar gatherings of the Episcopal Church. At least in the House of Bishop's, I can attest to you that there was grace filled listening and mutual respect in ways that I must confess have not always been as obviously the case. We did not agree on everything, but we did good and faithful work together.
I cited in an earlier blog the "opinion journal" offered by the Diocese of Virginia, "Center Aisle" found at www.centeraisle.net. In their final issue this morning, an editorial referenced the time we have spent together under the title "Glorious Messiness." I commend it to you.
I have never held out a lot of hope that an "Anglican Covenant" would ever be developed that the entire body of the Anglican Communion's constituent members could all agree to embrace. However, now that this Church has spoken through this convention to the Communion, the Communion decision makers now have more information with which to make their proposals. To this end, I suggest that we must not act precipitously to move beyond the space of self-defining we have made. Rather, we would be better served to now wait a bit longer as the official Instruments of the Anglican Communion respond to what they have heard us say.
To speak our truth takes courage. To listen also takes courage. In fact, to listen takes courage, patience and humility. To assist the Archbishop of Canterbury and others understand what we meant by the actions we have taken is important work. We cannot let others interpret and spin their meaning for us. As with all situations that have the complexity of a "glorious messiness," we need to name what we meant even if we do not always agree about it ourselves. To this end, a letter was composed and provided over the signatures of our Presiding Bishop and of the President of the House of Deputies to Archbishop Rowan Williams and to others in decision making positions that need to hear with clarity what we did while gathered in Convention. By now, it is inevitably on "the web," but in case you have had trouble finding it, I will provide a copy in a later post before the weekend is over.
Now it is time to pack our bags, get some supper and look forward to returning home. Jeannie and I have missed being with you all. But I hope that our contact through the postings of our various deputies and those that I have offered have helped give you a bit of a sense of what we have been doing in this time of shared discernment.
I thank your Deputation for their faithful work on behalf of our diocese. You made great choices in selecting and sending each one of them. They will have stories to share when we all return. Until then, know that we hold each of you in our thoughts and prayers even as we look forward to returning home tomorrow.
Jeannie and I will be taking a week of vacation next week, be back in the office, and squeeze in another week of vacation following that so that I might back in time to attend the Laymen's Conference. Then it is back to the office and the anticipation of many opportunities to speak and listen to one another as we take the next steps together along the journey of life we share. Know you are loved. +Don
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Truth telling as a way of being in relationship
I apologize for being out of touch with you for the last few days. I have two reasons for this blogging absence. First, I have a new responsibility in this convention that I have not had in the past. I read and certify the minutes of each day’s proceedings for the next publication of the Convention Journal. It is not particularly hard to do, but it is demanding in terms of precision and time. For example, today I reviewed in tedious detail over two hundred pages of minutes from the previous two days of legislative action. I am actually very good at this task, but this late night review coupled with my responsibilities as the vice-chair of the Dispatch of Business for the convention has left me much more focused on when and exactingly how we are making decisions rather than on the nuanced substance of all the decisions we are making.
As with most legislative processes involving many people with positions on issues, hopes and concerns to address, the decisions we make in Convention often look quite different in the context of the many final resolutions as “perfected” than the ones we were sent to study before arriving on site. This is the point at which the oft-cited mantra that we are “deputies” and not “delegates” comes into play. We vote on the motion before us and we do so depending on the study, debate and concerns presented to one another within the context of hope. That hope is that the Holy Spirit is leading us in this Convention into all truth. Therefore, I have come to see that the decisions we make here are more a snap shots of the proverbial “bird in flight” than the descent of Moses from the Mt. Sinai carrying two neatly chiseled tablets of the Law of God. The decision one must make individually is whether our “bird in flight” is the Holy Spirit dove or just a pigeon in the parks of our minds. (By this, I mean no disrespect to pigeons.)
My role on Dispatch of Business involves deciding how and when various legislative actions will be considered by the House of Bishops. This is mostly done behind the scenes before or after the upcoming legislative sessions. In addition to this, I have had the privilege and responsibility to be “in the chair” on behalf of Dispatch during the legislative sessions on all but two days thus far. Once again, this work tends to focus my attention on the process of “dispatching” the business of the House of Bishops rather than on the debate. But I listen intently to this debate, and more often than not, this is what informs my voting decisions. This is where I watch for the Holy Spirit to fly through our House with signs of God’s love revealed.
Second, I have not been on the blog site regarding a couple of the more hot button issues because I wanted to reflect with you (1) how I voted; (2) the reason I voted the way I did which will inevitably surprise, please or distress some of you; and (3) the fact that my decision was not made in isolation from the context of this convention and the other resolutions that are still coming before us for consideration. In passing, I have already contextualized how I perceive the way in which I see God working among us when we gather as Christ’s body in Convention. Having observed that, I have waited at times to respond publicly about decisions the House of Bishops has made until the other “House” has acted. Given our polity, an action of General Convention does not become an official action of this Church unless and until both Houses (Deputies and Bishops) have voted to concur word for word on any piece of legislation that comes our way. This is to say that legislatively, we as bishops or as lay and clergy deputies cannot act on our own. This creates a conservative process of decision making, and when we concur it is because both Houses have been moved to move together in that direction. I see this as the way we have decided to reveal where we are at our highest corporate level of decision making and thereby give that snap shot of who we are as The Episcopal Church today.
Noting this about the way we make decisions in Convention as the body of Christ constituted from across the entire Episcopal Church, I come to a conclusion that I think each one of us must wrestle with individually. The reason I voted the way I did on some of the more controversial resolutions can be summed up in two words: truth telling.
I have come to believe that the trajectory that we as a Church have chosen to embrace is described in many of the resolutions we have put forward by this General Convention. The one that has gotten the most press to date is D025 (click here to view the final version of D025). Some see it as overturning action at the last General Convention that expressed a willingness to show great restraint in going forward with the ordination of persons whose lifestyle might be seen to cause a problem for others in the Anglican Communion. Those of you who follow church politics will immediately recognize this “code language” as being a reference for homosexual persons.
Others do not see the resolution as explicitly overturning this “moratorium” but, in their more candid moments, would probably say that it has maintained the moratorium until someone ignores it. I am holding out for restraint, but I am pragmatic enough to own that people will do what they will do. In fact, this has been the case for the last three years as well, but the issue comes back with new strength at this convention. I think we are therefore in a wait-and-see place in this matter. (Click here to read some of the mixed responses)
Regarding the passage of D025, I am not totally happy with some of the ways in which it describes what I have come to believe is what much of The Episcopal Church would affirm. I am not alone in this observation. People on many sides of the various issues this resolution addresses would like it to say much more or much less than it does. However, it did pass by a two to one vote, and such strong support is not to be ignored. Therefore, to tell the truth, I think it does fairly offer a description of and anticipates the general direction in which our Church is heading. To this end, I again say that what commends this document to me is that it is true. And truth matters even when it is not what I anticipated.
The really important element in our telling the truth of who we are should not be overlooked. We say we want to continue to be in full communion with the Anglican Communion. To do so is to present ourselves as who we are, and then we have an opportunity for the “Communion” to respond by either drawing closer in relationship or not. Whatever the outcome of this truth telling, at least the relationship is based on honesty and transparency. If the Communion can find a gracious space to allow The Episcopal Church to be who we broadly say we are and to allow us to bring what many in The Episcopal Church claim to be the gifts of God’s all-embracing love to the world in the name of Christ, shouldn’t we be honest about it? Shouldn’t we be willing to say, “This is who we are, and we do seek to be who we are as an expression of our discipleship to Jesus Christ”?
Much work is being done right now on “Episcopal identity.” At the heart of that study is that The Episcopal Church is “Christ centered.” The way we have chosen as a denomination to express this Christ centeredness in practical terms is to take a radical reading of the baptismal covenant in our Prayer Book. We claim that all people are, through their belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord, God’s children. If we claim this as truth and if we identify what this will look like for us as Episcopalians in the way we order, bless and celebrate with child-like confidence our membership in God’s family (without regard for our differences), we offer ourselves as a denomination of Christians who make a radical claim on God’s love and acceptance as members of God’s family. It is a radical claim. But I think this General Convention has claimed this perspective by our actions that are descriptive of such a desired reality. I think the claim needs to be offered to the world in Christ’s name to see whether or not, in the long run, it rings true in the hearts of that same broken and alienated world.
Having said this, it is also true that I and others are very mindful that not everyone is in agreement with this trajectory of God-intended inclusiveness as the best, most accurate or most effective way to express this “truth” of God’s love. Even if one agrees with the claim, the same person may not agree with the timeframe by which we as a Christian denomination should move in a united way toward this vision. Therefore, I have tried to modify my descriptive voting on the “truth” of who we are with the modifying votes that leave room for those who are not ready to move into this vision or at least to not move there yet.
Telling this truth is not to be feared. In fact, I think the time for truth telling is overdue. If The Episcopal Church has any gift to offer the larger Anglican Communion, it is only made available to the Communion if we are honest and say the truth of our own identity as we perceive it to be.
We have no guarantee that the Anglican Communion will want to embrace us for the gifts we offer, but we can do nothing less than tell the truth about ourselves in the hopes that this perspective on God’s truth will either be affirmed by the Communion or cause us to hear the Communion’s many voices telling us that we should reconsider the flight pattern we have chosen to traverse.
In the end, we have chosen a theological path to follow that makes sense when viewed through the lens of salvation as inclusion in God's family. Let me be clear. I did not say that this is the only theological lens we could or should have in making our decisions as a Church. However, it appears to me to be descriptive of where The Episcopal Church is today. If one is “with God” in baptism, one is with God forever. In its most radical form, I find this to be an expression of the baptismal covenant espoused and often cited by The Episcopal Church. Now it is up the Communion in its own way and in its own timeframe to decide whether or not it will, to use a technical term, “receive” the teaching we offer as our rationale for acting in faith as our faith directs. .
I have no fear of saying “this is who we are.” For this reason, I imagine that some will see some of my votes as surprising, disappointing or affirming of their own preconceived notions. I have focused on how I voted and not on how our deputation voted. I have stayed away from this last piece, our deputations’ respective votes, because I believe this is best left up to them to discuss with you in their own way and time. However, know this to be true. When I have been asked to vote on each of these significant matters that have come before the Convention, I have done so prayerfully. I believe the same is true of our deputation.
When my vote is recorded in a roll call vote as a bishop of this Church, I have done so with the leading of the Holy Spirit as best as I can discern. I believe that the same is true of our deputation as well. For this reason, I have no fear to report back to you that we are trying to discern the truth as it becomes unveiled before us and to seek the most pastorally responsive means to meet the various and often conflicting demands that such discernment requires.
I stand behind my votes, not because they are mine but because I believe that God has led me to this place of conversion. Telling the truth in love, I claim that we as a Church are seeking the mind of Christ, the will of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I am confident that your deputation has done no less.
Now it is late, and I am ready for bed. I rest in peace, and I pray that you will do the same. Blessings, +Don
As with most legislative processes involving many people with positions on issues, hopes and concerns to address, the decisions we make in Convention often look quite different in the context of the many final resolutions as “perfected” than the ones we were sent to study before arriving on site. This is the point at which the oft-cited mantra that we are “deputies” and not “delegates” comes into play. We vote on the motion before us and we do so depending on the study, debate and concerns presented to one another within the context of hope. That hope is that the Holy Spirit is leading us in this Convention into all truth. Therefore, I have come to see that the decisions we make here are more a snap shots of the proverbial “bird in flight” than the descent of Moses from the Mt. Sinai carrying two neatly chiseled tablets of the Law of God. The decision one must make individually is whether our “bird in flight” is the Holy Spirit dove or just a pigeon in the parks of our minds. (By this, I mean no disrespect to pigeons.)
My role on Dispatch of Business involves deciding how and when various legislative actions will be considered by the House of Bishops. This is mostly done behind the scenes before or after the upcoming legislative sessions. In addition to this, I have had the privilege and responsibility to be “in the chair” on behalf of Dispatch during the legislative sessions on all but two days thus far. Once again, this work tends to focus my attention on the process of “dispatching” the business of the House of Bishops rather than on the debate. But I listen intently to this debate, and more often than not, this is what informs my voting decisions. This is where I watch for the Holy Spirit to fly through our House with signs of God’s love revealed.
Second, I have not been on the blog site regarding a couple of the more hot button issues because I wanted to reflect with you (1) how I voted; (2) the reason I voted the way I did which will inevitably surprise, please or distress some of you; and (3) the fact that my decision was not made in isolation from the context of this convention and the other resolutions that are still coming before us for consideration. In passing, I have already contextualized how I perceive the way in which I see God working among us when we gather as Christ’s body in Convention. Having observed that, I have waited at times to respond publicly about decisions the House of Bishops has made until the other “House” has acted. Given our polity, an action of General Convention does not become an official action of this Church unless and until both Houses (Deputies and Bishops) have voted to concur word for word on any piece of legislation that comes our way. This is to say that legislatively, we as bishops or as lay and clergy deputies cannot act on our own. This creates a conservative process of decision making, and when we concur it is because both Houses have been moved to move together in that direction. I see this as the way we have decided to reveal where we are at our highest corporate level of decision making and thereby give that snap shot of who we are as The Episcopal Church today.
Noting this about the way we make decisions in Convention as the body of Christ constituted from across the entire Episcopal Church, I come to a conclusion that I think each one of us must wrestle with individually. The reason I voted the way I did on some of the more controversial resolutions can be summed up in two words: truth telling.
I have come to believe that the trajectory that we as a Church have chosen to embrace is described in many of the resolutions we have put forward by this General Convention. The one that has gotten the most press to date is D025 (click here to view the final version of D025). Some see it as overturning action at the last General Convention that expressed a willingness to show great restraint in going forward with the ordination of persons whose lifestyle might be seen to cause a problem for others in the Anglican Communion. Those of you who follow church politics will immediately recognize this “code language” as being a reference for homosexual persons.
Others do not see the resolution as explicitly overturning this “moratorium” but, in their more candid moments, would probably say that it has maintained the moratorium until someone ignores it. I am holding out for restraint, but I am pragmatic enough to own that people will do what they will do. In fact, this has been the case for the last three years as well, but the issue comes back with new strength at this convention. I think we are therefore in a wait-and-see place in this matter. (Click here to read some of the mixed responses)
Regarding the passage of D025, I am not totally happy with some of the ways in which it describes what I have come to believe is what much of The Episcopal Church would affirm. I am not alone in this observation. People on many sides of the various issues this resolution addresses would like it to say much more or much less than it does. However, it did pass by a two to one vote, and such strong support is not to be ignored. Therefore, to tell the truth, I think it does fairly offer a description of and anticipates the general direction in which our Church is heading. To this end, I again say that what commends this document to me is that it is true. And truth matters even when it is not what I anticipated.
The really important element in our telling the truth of who we are should not be overlooked. We say we want to continue to be in full communion with the Anglican Communion. To do so is to present ourselves as who we are, and then we have an opportunity for the “Communion” to respond by either drawing closer in relationship or not. Whatever the outcome of this truth telling, at least the relationship is based on honesty and transparency. If the Communion can find a gracious space to allow The Episcopal Church to be who we broadly say we are and to allow us to bring what many in The Episcopal Church claim to be the gifts of God’s all-embracing love to the world in the name of Christ, shouldn’t we be honest about it? Shouldn’t we be willing to say, “This is who we are, and we do seek to be who we are as an expression of our discipleship to Jesus Christ”?
Much work is being done right now on “Episcopal identity.” At the heart of that study is that The Episcopal Church is “Christ centered.” The way we have chosen as a denomination to express this Christ centeredness in practical terms is to take a radical reading of the baptismal covenant in our Prayer Book. We claim that all people are, through their belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord, God’s children. If we claim this as truth and if we identify what this will look like for us as Episcopalians in the way we order, bless and celebrate with child-like confidence our membership in God’s family (without regard for our differences), we offer ourselves as a denomination of Christians who make a radical claim on God’s love and acceptance as members of God’s family. It is a radical claim. But I think this General Convention has claimed this perspective by our actions that are descriptive of such a desired reality. I think the claim needs to be offered to the world in Christ’s name to see whether or not, in the long run, it rings true in the hearts of that same broken and alienated world.
Having said this, it is also true that I and others are very mindful that not everyone is in agreement with this trajectory of God-intended inclusiveness as the best, most accurate or most effective way to express this “truth” of God’s love. Even if one agrees with the claim, the same person may not agree with the timeframe by which we as a Christian denomination should move in a united way toward this vision. Therefore, I have tried to modify my descriptive voting on the “truth” of who we are with the modifying votes that leave room for those who are not ready to move into this vision or at least to not move there yet.
Telling this truth is not to be feared. In fact, I think the time for truth telling is overdue. If The Episcopal Church has any gift to offer the larger Anglican Communion, it is only made available to the Communion if we are honest and say the truth of our own identity as we perceive it to be.
We have no guarantee that the Anglican Communion will want to embrace us for the gifts we offer, but we can do nothing less than tell the truth about ourselves in the hopes that this perspective on God’s truth will either be affirmed by the Communion or cause us to hear the Communion’s many voices telling us that we should reconsider the flight pattern we have chosen to traverse.
In the end, we have chosen a theological path to follow that makes sense when viewed through the lens of salvation as inclusion in God's family. Let me be clear. I did not say that this is the only theological lens we could or should have in making our decisions as a Church. However, it appears to me to be descriptive of where The Episcopal Church is today. If one is “with God” in baptism, one is with God forever. In its most radical form, I find this to be an expression of the baptismal covenant espoused and often cited by The Episcopal Church. Now it is up the Communion in its own way and in its own timeframe to decide whether or not it will, to use a technical term, “receive” the teaching we offer as our rationale for acting in faith as our faith directs. .
I have no fear of saying “this is who we are.” For this reason, I imagine that some will see some of my votes as surprising, disappointing or affirming of their own preconceived notions. I have focused on how I voted and not on how our deputation voted. I have stayed away from this last piece, our deputations’ respective votes, because I believe this is best left up to them to discuss with you in their own way and time. However, know this to be true. When I have been asked to vote on each of these significant matters that have come before the Convention, I have done so prayerfully. I believe the same is true of our deputation.
When my vote is recorded in a roll call vote as a bishop of this Church, I have done so with the leading of the Holy Spirit as best as I can discern. I believe that the same is true of our deputation as well. For this reason, I have no fear to report back to you that we are trying to discern the truth as it becomes unveiled before us and to seek the most pastorally responsive means to meet the various and often conflicting demands that such discernment requires.
I stand behind my votes, not because they are mine but because I believe that God has led me to this place of conversion. Telling the truth in love, I claim that we as a Church are seeking the mind of Christ, the will of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I am confident that your deputation has done no less.
Now it is late, and I am ready for bed. I rest in peace, and I pray that you will do the same. Blessings, +Don
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
July 15, 2009 - General Convention
Greetings from Anaheim. Today has been the 8th legislative day, and there are two more to go. But I'm getting ahead of myself because a lot has happened since I last wrote.
Yesterday, the House of Deputies concurred with the Bishops on their amended Resolution D025. A quote from Episcopal Life: "The resolution affirms that ordination is available to anyone in the church through the discernment process outlined in the Constitution and Canons of the Church. It also said that God's call to ordination is a mystery and reaffirmed the Episcopal Church's participation in the Anglican Communion, while noting that the communion is not of one mind on this matter." The resolution passed in a vote by orders. No doubt there has been a lot written about what might be the implications of this vote, and no doubt much more will be written and pondered in the months ahead. But the sense of many of the deputies here is that it is an honest statement about where the Church is now.
This has not been the only legislation that has moved through both houses with adoption on a positive note. We now have new enriching liturgies to test, we have an improved disciplinary process for clergy, we have a strong denominational health plan and an enhanced lay employee pension plan, and we have had the opportunity to share our stories and listen as others have shared theirs.
Also on yesterday's agenda was the election of members to the General Theological Seminary Board and the Executive Council of the Church. I had been slated in a double slate for Executive Council, and I am excited to say I was elected. Executive Council serves as the governing body of the Church between General Conventions -- sort of like the Vestry of your congregation between annual meetings. I am honored and awed by the responsibility this will entail.
Last night the West Tennessee deputation was hosted at dinner by Bishop and Mrs. Johnson. It was a delightful evening to be together and not have to discuss legislation for a change. We were joined by Andy and Sybil MacBeth who were here for Sybil's workshop for the ECW.
Today's big event was the budget presentation. In a joint meeting of both Houses, we received some tough information about programs and personnel that will be cut, about necessary reduced spending for all commissions and committees of the church and about the need to trim budget line items across the board. But there was a strong emphasis on mission and ministry imperatives. The vote will come tomorrow.
Tomorrow promises to be long day. The deputies have already been informed that because of the amount of legislation still to be considered, there will be an evening legislative session in addition to the two sessions during the day. Please hold your deputation in your thoughts and prayers as they grapple with the issues of the next two days.
I suspect I can speak for them all when I say that we are looking forward to returning home on Saturday. Until then, best wishes from all of us and God's peace.
Stephanie
Yesterday, the House of Deputies concurred with the Bishops on their amended Resolution D025. A quote from Episcopal Life: "The resolution affirms that ordination is available to anyone in the church through the discernment process outlined in the Constitution and Canons of the Church. It also said that God's call to ordination is a mystery and reaffirmed the Episcopal Church's participation in the Anglican Communion, while noting that the communion is not of one mind on this matter." The resolution passed in a vote by orders. No doubt there has been a lot written about what might be the implications of this vote, and no doubt much more will be written and pondered in the months ahead. But the sense of many of the deputies here is that it is an honest statement about where the Church is now.
This has not been the only legislation that has moved through both houses with adoption on a positive note. We now have new enriching liturgies to test, we have an improved disciplinary process for clergy, we have a strong denominational health plan and an enhanced lay employee pension plan, and we have had the opportunity to share our stories and listen as others have shared theirs.
Also on yesterday's agenda was the election of members to the General Theological Seminary Board and the Executive Council of the Church. I had been slated in a double slate for Executive Council, and I am excited to say I was elected. Executive Council serves as the governing body of the Church between General Conventions -- sort of like the Vestry of your congregation between annual meetings. I am honored and awed by the responsibility this will entail.
Last night the West Tennessee deputation was hosted at dinner by Bishop and Mrs. Johnson. It was a delightful evening to be together and not have to discuss legislation for a change. We were joined by Andy and Sybil MacBeth who were here for Sybil's workshop for the ECW.
Today's big event was the budget presentation. In a joint meeting of both Houses, we received some tough information about programs and personnel that will be cut, about necessary reduced spending for all commissions and committees of the church and about the need to trim budget line items across the board. But there was a strong emphasis on mission and ministry imperatives. The vote will come tomorrow.
Tomorrow promises to be long day. The deputies have already been informed that because of the amount of legislation still to be considered, there will be an evening legislative session in addition to the two sessions during the day. Please hold your deputation in your thoughts and prayers as they grapple with the issues of the next two days.
I suspect I can speak for them all when I say that we are looking forward to returning home on Saturday. Until then, best wishes from all of us and God's peace.
Stephanie
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, July 13th, General Convention
Good morning from Anaheim. It's about 7 a.m. I've been up since 6 doing laundry. This is a huge hotel, but it only has four washing machines. I suspect they don't have too many guests who stay for two weeks and have need of doing laundry.
Yesterday was a bit of a slower pace. Afterall, even General Convention needs Sabbath time. The day began with Eucharist at 10 a.m. It was a wonderful service. Drummers began the procession, followed by liturgical dancers with flowing satiny banners. Next came all the bishops decked in rochet and chimeres. Bringing up the back of the procession were former presiding bishops Edmund Browning and Frank Griswold and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. This service was the UTO engathering. Representatives from each of the 100+ dioceses were announced as they walked across the chancel area and presented their diocese's offering.
The afternoon legislative session was an important milestone in the Church's life. The House of Deputies debated Resolution D025 which reaffirmed continued participation in the Anglican Communion; encouraged all entities of the Church to participate to the fullest extent possible in the Anglican Communion; reaffirmed our financial commitment to the Anglican Communion; affirmed the value of listening to the experience of homosexual persons and acknowledged that through that process, the Church has come to recognize that the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong commited relationships; recognized that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relatioships have responded to God's call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God's church; affirmed that God has called and may call such individuals to any ordained ministry in the Churdch through discernment processes in accordance with church canons; and acknowledged that members of the church and the Anglican Communion are not of one mind and disagree on some of these matters. This is a paraphrase of the resolution, so be sure to read it for yourself on line. After much political manuevering, the resolution passed in its entirety. It remains to be seen what the House of Bishops will do with this resolution, so stay tuned.
The day ended for the Cheney's with a lovely dinner with Ron DelBene who was in town to conduct a workshop for the ECW, and Dr. Fredricka Thompsett, who was with us at Diocesan Convention last March. All in all, a momentous day.
I must be off to laundry land right now then on to my volunteer job in print distribution. So fo now, I wish all of you in West Tennessee a good day.
Stephanie
Yesterday was a bit of a slower pace. Afterall, even General Convention needs Sabbath time. The day began with Eucharist at 10 a.m. It was a wonderful service. Drummers began the procession, followed by liturgical dancers with flowing satiny banners. Next came all the bishops decked in rochet and chimeres. Bringing up the back of the procession were former presiding bishops Edmund Browning and Frank Griswold and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. This service was the UTO engathering. Representatives from each of the 100+ dioceses were announced as they walked across the chancel area and presented their diocese's offering.
The afternoon legislative session was an important milestone in the Church's life. The House of Deputies debated Resolution D025 which reaffirmed continued participation in the Anglican Communion; encouraged all entities of the Church to participate to the fullest extent possible in the Anglican Communion; reaffirmed our financial commitment to the Anglican Communion; affirmed the value of listening to the experience of homosexual persons and acknowledged that through that process, the Church has come to recognize that the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong commited relationships; recognized that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relatioships have responded to God's call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God's church; affirmed that God has called and may call such individuals to any ordained ministry in the Churdch through discernment processes in accordance with church canons; and acknowledged that members of the church and the Anglican Communion are not of one mind and disagree on some of these matters. This is a paraphrase of the resolution, so be sure to read it for yourself on line. After much political manuevering, the resolution passed in its entirety. It remains to be seen what the House of Bishops will do with this resolution, so stay tuned.
The day ended for the Cheney's with a lovely dinner with Ron DelBene who was in town to conduct a workshop for the ECW, and Dr. Fredricka Thompsett, who was with us at Diocesan Convention last March. All in all, a momentous day.
I must be off to laundry land right now then on to my volunteer job in print distribution. So fo now, I wish all of you in West Tennessee a good day.
Stephanie
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Saturday, July 11th from General Convention
Greetings to each of you in West Tennessee. Once again I have written a long blog over the course of the day and have tried to paste it in to this blog, but to no avail. Suffice it to say, I've been off duty visiting with my son Brian and his girlfriend Susan who live about one hour north of here and have come down to spend a couple of days. We went to San Juan Capistrano today, a place I have heard about all my life and am glad to have had the opportunity to visit. It was the first of about 25 missions built up the coast of California in the late 1700s. It was a fascinating look into another point in history and a wonderful day with my son and his girlfriend. I hadn't seen them in 18 months, so it has been a real gift to me.
I'll be back on duty tomorrow and will try to bring you up to date on legislative activity. Until then, God's peace and have a wonderful rest of the weekend. With best wishes from all your deputation who are beingf far more diligent than I have been for the last 24 hours.
Stephanie
I'll be back on duty tomorrow and will try to bring you up to date on legislative activity. Until then, God's peace and have a wonderful rest of the weekend. With best wishes from all your deputation who are beingf far more diligent than I have been for the last 24 hours.
Stephanie
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Legislative Day Two - Thursday, July 9th
Greetings to everyone in The Diocese of West Tennessee. I did a rather long blog this morning about the events of the day yesterday - only to lose my connection and everything I had written. It was all about the legislative process and what took place in the House of Deputies having to do with organizing for the rest of Convention. It may have only been interesting to those of you who love the legislative process, so probably pretty boring.
Suffice it to say, both Houses did get organized, and resolutions began flowing.
The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke last night. Be sure to go to the diocesan website to read about that and also the Presiding Bishop's sermon from yesterday -- both very powerful.
The day was a long one, and the deputation didn't even get a chance to meet last night because of all the legislative committees that were working late into the day. We hope to meet tonight.
The next session of both houses is about to begin, and I understand the Bishops have been invited to be a part of this meeting where the House of Deputies has decided to operate as a committee of the whole to discuss B033. You can also access information about that on the web site, but I'll try to fill you in later. Until then, all the best from Anaheim.
Stephanie
Suffice it to say, both Houses did get organized, and resolutions began flowing.
The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke last night. Be sure to go to the diocesan website to read about that and also the Presiding Bishop's sermon from yesterday -- both very powerful.
The day was a long one, and the deputation didn't even get a chance to meet last night because of all the legislative committees that were working late into the day. We hope to meet tonight.
The next session of both houses is about to begin, and I understand the Bishops have been invited to be a part of this meeting where the House of Deputies has decided to operate as a committee of the whole to discuss B033. You can also access information about that on the web site, but I'll try to fill you in later. Until then, all the best from Anaheim.
Stephanie
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Next year in Jerusalem...
This day was full. We had our opening Eucharist at which our Presiding Bishop preached. Prior to this, both Houses (Deputies and Bishops) met for our first official legislative sessions. My role is to assist as the Vice-Chair of Dispatch of Business. In this capacity, I have the opportunity to assist the Presiding Bishop and other officers of the House of Bishops in the day in and day out running of the legislative flow of resolutions to be considered before our House. There are three of us on Dispatch. We rotate through each day with one of us serving as the Chair of Dispatch for the day. That will fall to me tomorrow, but I sat today as Bishop Wayne Wright's, Dispatch Chair, as his assistant. Bishop Dan Daniel will assist me in this capacity tomorrow, and the next day, Bishop Daniel will be the Chairperson. While we are just beginning to roll out the legislative responses for the work we have before us, we are finally officially underway.
Following the morning and evening legislative sessions, I attended an open session regarding the economic and environmental issues of the world-wide economy. At this meeting, Bishop Greg Rickels introduced the Presiding Bishop who set the context for the conversation. In turn, she introduced the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who presented a thirty minute presentation on the topic of the need for the Church to tell the truth about the economy in which we are both an observer and a participant. He offered specific recommendations as to the ways in which the Episcopal Church could be faithful in responding to the economic crisis we are all facing. Following his presentation, we heard from three young adults who work for the Church Center Staff. Respectively, their work centered on indigenous people, economic justice and the environment, and on the malaria fighting project, Nets for Life. Coverage in more depth about these various and important issues can be found by checking on our web site for reports related to these topics.
Finally, Jeannie and I were invited by the Rt. Rev. Jon Bruno and his wife, Mary, to join a group supportive of the work of the Friends of Jerusalem. The bishop of Jerusalem and his wife, with whom Jeannie and I had visited two years ago on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land, were present and spoke to the group of one hundred or so people who support the efforts of the Church in that challenging area. We reconnected with many of the friends with whom we had made our pilgrimage, and we are exploring joining a return trip in 2010 to see and learn even more of this most holy area where our Lord walked, healed, taught and was crucified and resurrected.
It was a long and fruitful day. We are ready to call it an evening. I hope you day went well, and Jeannie and I look forward to being in touch tomorrow. Until then, God's blessings, +Don
Following the morning and evening legislative sessions, I attended an open session regarding the economic and environmental issues of the world-wide economy. At this meeting, Bishop Greg Rickels introduced the Presiding Bishop who set the context for the conversation. In turn, she introduced the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who presented a thirty minute presentation on the topic of the need for the Church to tell the truth about the economy in which we are both an observer and a participant. He offered specific recommendations as to the ways in which the Episcopal Church could be faithful in responding to the economic crisis we are all facing. Following his presentation, we heard from three young adults who work for the Church Center Staff. Respectively, their work centered on indigenous people, economic justice and the environment, and on the malaria fighting project, Nets for Life. Coverage in more depth about these various and important issues can be found by checking on our web site for reports related to these topics.
Finally, Jeannie and I were invited by the Rt. Rev. Jon Bruno and his wife, Mary, to join a group supportive of the work of the Friends of Jerusalem. The bishop of Jerusalem and his wife, with whom Jeannie and I had visited two years ago on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land, were present and spoke to the group of one hundred or so people who support the efforts of the Church in that challenging area. We reconnected with many of the friends with whom we had made our pilgrimage, and we are exploring joining a return trip in 2010 to see and learn even more of this most holy area where our Lord walked, healed, taught and was crucified and resurrected.
It was a long and fruitful day. We are ready to call it an evening. I hope you day went well, and Jeannie and I look forward to being in touch tomorrow. Until then, God's blessings, +Don
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