Today was a bit slow, but the beginning of all the legislative processes takes time – excruciatingly long time. There were two legislative sessions, that didn’t do much, and 3 sessions of committee hearings and meetings, where the real work gets done of preparing resolutions, hearing testimony, etc. before the resolutions get to the floor.
The Mississippi deputation is in the 2nd to the last row from the back – LONG way from the dais and all the “power” players. On the same row we can lean over and throw things at the Rev. Cal Calhoun, who is from Mississippi but now serves in East Tennessee. HEY CAL!
General Convention is huge. There were 812 deputies on the floor for the first session (1/2 clergy, 1/2 laity), and I think over 200 bishops in their house. The enormity is one of the problems with getting folks focused on MISSION and the gospel and Jesus…which brings me to the Presiding Bishop.
She preached a wonderful sermon at Eucharist today. Eucharist is amazing at GC, fun music, great singing, and pretty fast communion distributed to well over 1000 people. Bishop Jefferts Schori preached about the heart beat of God, the heart beat Ezekiel heard. “A new heart results in renewed creation – that reconciling mission we’re so fond of talking about….Hearts renewed stay that way, living flesh not hardening into stone, when they continue to share that new life – the exercise of pumping keeps a heart healthy.”
She ended equating that heartbeat to a simple word, whispered, hopefully burned into our hearts as well – “mission….mission….mission….” she whispered, and then left the pulpit.
Good stuff.
Legislative committees worked until 9:00 or so tonight, and we start back at 7:00 am. Unfortunately we have set aside an hour tomorrow and another Friday to discuss 2006 resolution B033 as a “Committee of the Whole” – the entire House of Deputies taking part (with the select few allowed to speak chosen by lots). B033, if you don’t know, was the compromise resolution passed at the end of GC 2006 where we promised not to consecrate any more bishops whose “manner of life” was a problem for the Anglican Communion. There are numerous resolutions filed to “repeal” B033, so the President of the House of Deputies (PHoD) Bonnie Anderson proposed we set aside legislative session time to discuss it. However, the Presiding Bishop has said she prefers we not go back and repeal legislation from previous GCs, rather we should focus forward on mission.
I wish Ms. Anderson agreed…..but she was pretty clear today in her opening remarks that she doesn’t care too much for bishops, or find them very necessary. It’s an interesting dynamic, and a little confusing to watch it play out.
I would MUCH prefer we take some time – probably MORE than two hours – looking at how to turn around our dismal numbers. The State of the Church report is gruesome – we are losing members in distressing numbers. We need a focus and a real plan on growth, on reaching youth and young adults, on being relevant, on learning how to share this gift we offer as the Anglican church that can and is a unique and special way to bring people to Christ, to have their heartbeats changed, to learn to serve in Christ’s name – WHY CAN’T WE SPEND SOME EXTRA TIME ON THAT?
Thank goodness there are some pretty cool resolutions talking about some real money for church starts and growth, and a strategic plan initiative to help us chart a better way forward. I just hope and pray it doesn’t all get lost in the debates over sexuality issues.
More tomorrow…..
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GC Begins – Rough start for me
Well I finally made it! I think I am the last of our deputation to arrive, most came Sunday and Monday to Anaheim. I arrived at the Gulfport airport at 5:15 Tuesday morning (3:15 California time) for a 6:15 flight. Boarded and pulled from the gate, headed to the runway……..and then we stopped. Bad weather in Houston, had to sit awhile….and sit and sit and sit and sit. 2 hours later we rolled back to the gate and were allowed to de-plane. Another hour goes by, then we reboard….roll to the end of the runway….and sit and sit and sit and sit. We finally take off, landing in Houston at 12:30 (vs. original time of 7:30!). 5 hours late, I of course missed my connection.
The airport in Houston was slammed with people, all trying to do what I was doing – find another way to our destination. Fortunately Continental had several L.A. bound flights, and on the 3rd attempt I was able to fly standby.
Things began to look up when I actually 1) got an aisle seat and 2) my luggage was actually there waiting on me at LAX. Took the rush-hour shuttle to the hotel in Anaheim, and here I am.
I was too late to go to the convention center and register (it’s an impressive building from the outside, but was locked up when I tried to check it out last night). So I went walking around the area. The Hilton is across the street from a back gate to Disneyland, but you can’t see much of it. Some of the roller coasters are within “screaming” distance. The quaint motels around the park are interesting – with names like “Candy Cane Inn”, “Jolly Roger”, and “Castle Court”, I imagine they are some of the first “motor hotels”. I found a place to eat, then wandered back, buying some breakfast food on the way (hotel breakfast is way to expensive).
This morning I actually went and worked out – the fitness center at the hotel is WAY NICE. Saw lots of Episcopal friends in there.
Time to start the first full day – more later. You can leave comments, if you behave, and I will try to respond to questions.
CAMP!
This is what happens when you have your birthday at camp! Especially when your entire family is there with you.
We had an amazing camp session, my 1st as a Camp Director. About 100 5th and 6th graders and 30 staff went on a medieval journey, with an underlying message of “Surprising God” – with every connotation of that looked at through skits, games, songs, and messages.
I confess to being a tad nervous before it all began, hoping I had a handle on everything. But the one most important lesson I learned from Tom Slawson, who had directed this session for 18 years, was – GET A GOOD STAFF TOGETHER. And I did. I am so grateful for all their hard work, great attitudes, perseverance (it was SO HOT), and joy. The Permanent Staff was amazing, from the opening night when they had to ad lib some skits/songs, to the end – they worked hard, worked together, and made camp great for those campers – which is what it is all about.
And I turned 51 while there – and of course was treated VERY POORLY during lunch on that day. Sigh. It was a messy, but very happy, birthday.
And now for a non-church related post!
USM USM USM USM USM USM
I am still stunned, shocked, speechless and beyond thrilled that the Southern Miss Golden Eagles are headed to the College World Series in Omaha! The only regional #3 seed to make it to a super regional, the Eagles swept the #8 national seed Florida Gators on the Gator’s home field to advance to the CWS for the first time ever!
Congrats to the team, and especially their coach, my friend Corky Palmer, who announced his retirement a few weeks ago, after which the team caught fire and made their historic run through the post season. Way to go Corky!
I’ve been a Southern Miss sports fan since I was 10 years old (ok – do the math – but it’s a LONG time). This has to be one of the finest hours we’ve ever had. We will be huge underdogs in Omaha (we open vs. Texas, number 1 in the nation), but regardless this team will fight hard and they never give up. Trust me – they never give up.
I am proud to be a fan of this courageous bunch – go Eagles!
Hail Thee FESTIVAL Day!
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then we were like those who dream. Our mouths were filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy.”
WOW! What an amazing day. Sunday, May 31, Pentecost Sunday, our first service in our new home. After 45 months in exile, working and hoping and praying, with God’s help and the help of thousands of people across this country, the amazing people of St. Patrick’s arrived in their new home.
Sunday was tremendous, an overflow crowd, incredible music (our choir has never been better, our congregation sang with gusto), special prayers for the occasion, and many tears of joy, all marked a day we will never forget. Truly it was a mountaintop experience for our church family.
I opened the service reading from Ephesians 2:19-22. As the words began to form, somehow they got stuck in my throat! All the emotions, all the smiling faces, the beauty and wonder of how great everything and everyone looked, it was all too much for me. I wondered in the back of my mind if I would make it through the service, or end up on the floor, blubbering like a baby.
I believe it was my most favorite Sunday as a Priest.
And what a week! With the help of Camp Coast Care volunteers from Indiana and Florida, and a huge group of our folks, on Memorial Day we moved every thing we own from CCC – altar stuff, altar furnishings, all the office furniture, books, files, Christian Ed supplies, nursery – everything we have used to “do church” all this time, we relocated (in the pouring rain) to our new building. Then all week was spent unpacking, cleaning, setting up all of the above. And on Sunday, it looked absolutely incredible – special and holy and …… home!
There is so much more I could say and share with you, but perhaps the images from the day and the audio of my sermon can say it better. Click here for more pictures of the day (photos by Joe Gurneck). You can also go to our website, here, to listen to my sermons from our last Sunday at Camp Coast Care, and our first in our new home.
A special shout out to my wife’s family – almost 20 strong showed up to support us on this special day, and to celebrate her mom’s 80th birthday. It meant a lot to me that they took time out of their own celebration to be part of our big day.
God bless you all for your help and support – and please, come see us!
I opened the service reading from Ephesians 2:19-22. As the words began to form, somehow they got stuck in my throat! All the emotions, all the smiling faces, the beauty and wonder of how great everything and everyone looked, it was all too much for me. I wondered in the back of my mind if I would make it through the service, or end up on the floor, blubbering like a baby.
I believe it was my most favorite Sunday as a Priest.
And what a week! With the help of Camp Coast Care volunteers from Indiana and Florida, and a huge group of our folks, on Memorial Day we moved every thing we own from CCC – altar stuff, altar furnishings, all the office furniture, books, files, Christian Ed supplies, nursery – everything we have used to “do church” all this time, we relocated (in the pouring rain) to our new building. Then all week was spent unpacking, cleaning, setting up all of the above. And on Sunday, it looked absolutely incredible – special and holy and …… home!
There is so much more I could say and share with you, but perhaps the images from the day and the audio of my sermon can say it better. Click here for more pictures of the day (photos by Joe Gurneck). You can also go to our website, here, to listen to my sermons from our last Sunday at Camp Coast Care, and our first in our new home.
A special shout out to my wife’s family – almost 20 strong showed up to support us on this special day, and to celebrate her mom’s 80th birthday. It meant a lot to me that they took time out of their own celebration to be part of our big day.
God bless you all for your help and support – and please, come see us!