General Convention Monday June 29

June 29, 2015 kanite

“Talitha cum. GET UP GIRL!”

Many of us began yesterday morning joining with Bishops Against Gun Violence in a peaceful march from the convention center to a park about a mile away. Over 1500 Episcopalians along with some local groups were led by about 60 Episcopal bishops. We sang along the way. At the park we heard some statistics: 82% of gun owners and 74% of NRA members support criminal background checks before allowing a gun purchase. 62% of online gun sellers told callers, who were posing as buyers and admitted they would probably fail a federal background check, that they would sell to them anyway.

We need to close those loopholes.

We heard from a former police officer who is a bishop and former cop who is a deacon with powerful testimony. Then we heard from a victim of a mass shooting here in Utah 8 years ago. She was severely wounded and her young daughter killed, she saw the killer put the gun to her daughters head to finish her off. Her courageous story was shocking and inspiring. She said what many of us have said – we do not want to take your guns, we just want you to help be part of the solution where we can prevent SOME of the gun violence that is epidemic in our nation. When Conneticutt passed strict gun laws, the gun violence rate dropped 25%. When Missouri repealed the same type of laws, gun violence there rose 40%. Just facts. And prayers.

The UTO ingathering Sunday Eucharist was wonderful. The Presiding Bishop preached, opening with these words: “Talitha, cum.” Get up, girl, you’re not dead yet. Jesus might just as well be speaking to this church. ”

Well said. It was a great sermon. GET UP CHURCH.

With that in our hearts the legislative day began. I was not on the floor for this day. I went to the House of Bishops as they were due to consider the marriage resolutions. I kept up on Twitter with the House of Deputies who got bogged down and got very little done, according to those I follow. We are getting way behind people!

The Bishops began to examine the two marriage resolutions – one that changes the marriage canon to be gender neutral (and raises the bar on the declaration of intent signed by the couple as to the purposes of marriage – good stuff), and the other to consider trial rites that also use gender neutral language. The resolutions include the right of bishops to not allow these in their diocese, and to protect clergy from any ramifiications of refusing to perfom same sex marriages. This conscience clause regarding marriages has been part of our canons for a long time but many wanted to reiterate it again in light of these proposals.

Unfortunately time ran out on the bishops before they could debate. I am going to hang out in the HoB today when they return to these resolutions first thing.

Let us Pray

Prayer – Sunday, June 28, 2015

June 28, 2015 kanite

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer –

Sunday – Clergy, Staff, Wardens and Vestry and the Rector Search (click HERE to read the Rector Search prayer)

(as always you can click “Prayer Instructions” for online resources to help with praying the Daily Office)

The Sunday of General Convention (GC) is always the United Thank Offering (UTO) ingathering, where the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) representatives present the UTO gifts from their respective dioceses. Today they presented checks totaling over 4 million dollars – all of which goes back into local communities in the form of grants for outreach projects.

This Eucharist is extremely well attended and always wonderful. So I will reflect on that today, rather than on Morning Prayer.

Psalm 30 appointed for today includes this verse: “You have turned my wailing into dancing;* you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.”

The Psalms contain every possible expression of emotions of the people of God – joy, despair, hate, love, blessing, confusion, fear, weeping, dancing and wailing included. This image of God turning our wailing into dancing and clothing us with joy is breath taking. Perhaps you can relate to this in your own life?

No matter what you believe about the movement in our society and our church to allow same sex marriages, I can tell you on Friday when the SCOTUS decision was announced, I literally saw with my own eyes so many couples dancing, who had been wailing for so long. They felt the power of this Psalm in a deep and personal way. They were clothed in joy.

It’s a good feeling. If you are in a wailing place in your life, may God clothe you with joy. Let this be our prayer.

My Main Blog

General Convention Sunday June 28

June 28, 2015 kanite 7 Comments

Yesterday was such an amazing day. I am so blessed. First some back story:

This is my fourth time to be part of the deputation from MIssissippi (2006, 2009, 2012, 2015). I am so very grateful to be here and I am loving spending time with these amazing people on our MS deputation.

Before I had even left for Salt Lake City, the chair of our deputation, Canon David Johnson, asked me to take his spot on the floor for Saturday. Deputies can exchange with alternates for any legislative session. David knew Saturday was when the Presiding Bishop election would take place, yet gave that up for me. He thought his wife was arriving mid day so he wanted to be available for that. Saturday morning her flight was delayed until around 8 at night, so he could have easily served on the floor and been available when she arrived. I offered to let him retract his offer to swap with him and let me have another day, and David graciously refused. Due to the kindness of Edward O’Connor (who graciously gave up his place on the deputation) and David Johnson, and the willingness of Bishop Seage and the Executive Committee to allow me on the team, I was on the floor when we confirmed the election of the Right Reverend Michael Curry, Bishop of North Carolina, as our new Presiding Bishop. Bishop Curry is a dynamite preacher, great evangelist, wonderful teacher, excellent administrator and a man that loves Jesus and the church. If you haven’t heard him preach, google him, he is so gifted. The electricity on the floor of the House of Deputies once we heard he had won was amazing. He won on the first ballot (the House of Bishops elect the PB, they were sequestered at the Episcopal cathedral in Salt Lake City for the voting. They prayed and sang and prayed some more before casting ballots). There have only been two PBs elected on first ballot, and Bishop Curry had 47 more votes than he needed for a majority on ballot one. Slam dunk.

By the way he is our first African American Presiding Bishop.

This week has been unreal. After preaching on the Charleston murders Sunday, including a lot of words on racism and gun violence, coming here and continuing the work of the marriage task force as we strive for full access to the rite of Holy Matrimony for all, then the SCOTUS decision coupled with the hard-to-believe movement to remove the Confederate Battle Flag, and then today being present RIGHT THERE ON THE FLOOR of the House when history was made and the best Episcopal preacher I have ever heard was selected to lead our church, it is really almost impossible to believe.

What a week! I am so blessed to be part of all this movement of the Holy Spirit.

This morning I will join with the Bishops Against Gun Violence and many others participants of General Convention for a march here in Salt Lake City, calling for reasonable conversation on guns. Later in the moring the United Thank Offering Eucharist will be celebrated, then the business of GC kicks back into high gear in the afternoon. Our marriage resolutions have been sent by the legislative committee to the House of Bishops for deliberation. Should be an exciting next 6 days of convention.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for your prayers. Thanks be to God.

Let us Pray

Prayer – Saturday June 27, 2015

June 27, 2015 kanite 1 Comment

St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer – Saturday – for the Green Team and for all Creation, for our ministries to Seniors, and for all on our Parish prayer list.

The Mission St. Clare version of Morning Prayer today includes this Opening Sentence:

You shall receive power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and you shall be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

It shouldn’t be surprising to me how the Holy Spirit, through Scripture reading, study, and prayer, so often reminds us, grounds us, brings us back to keeping the main thing, the main thing. Right off the bat this morning, the first words of Morning Prayer for me speak to me right what I need to hear. In the midst of the legislative process, rules of order, debates over punctuation, and also some really, really important conversations and debate, to be reminded of the power given us by the Holy Spirit and the Great Commandment from Matthew 28 which is echoed here in the Acts passage – go and be witnesses for Jesus to all the ends of the earth. You have the power to be a witness. In all the mish-mash and muddling and disagreement, we have Jesus, right in the center, known to us in the breaking of the bread, calling us to be witnesses, to feed the poor and clothe the naked and provide water for the thirsty and to visit the sick and those in prison, to wash each other’s feet and to love one another, neighbor and even enemy, the way He loves us. He first loved us. He first loved us. He first loved us. And then, sent us to go and do likewise.

Amen.

My Main Blog

General Convention June 27

June 27, 2015 kanite 1 Comment

Yesterday was pretty wild around here with the early morning news of the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality. The committee on marriage was told the news and decided to ajourn so members and visitors could have time to receive it and communicate with others.

The President of the House of Deputies, the Reverend Gay Jennings, preached a wonderful sermon at daily Eucharist. We were also led in worship by Theodicy Jazz Collective, which includes Ann Phelps of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Jackson, MS. Ann’s voice led us beautifully and the music was stirring.

Legislative sessions today dealt with some easy resolutions and defeated a resolution to adopt the Donor’s Bill of Rights. Canon David Johnson of Mississippi was a principle speaker against the resolution with some very wise words.

Last night the marriage committee held hearings on the four marriage liturgies submitted by the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music. It was interesting to note how lightly attended the hearing was. Almost all those testifying were in favor, with one opposed and one bishop wanting to make sure they had discretion to not use these in their diocese. These rites will most likely be proposed as “trial rites” which moves them closer to prayer book revision, which could possibly take place in 2018. The rites offer four ways to “do” marriages and / or blessing liturgies, with gender neutral language. One of them is from the 1928 prayer book! Trial use would provide feedback to the SCLM for GC in 2018.

This morning I am attending marriage committee meetings where the committee debates the resolutions after the hearings. Marriage hearings are over with so now the committee gets into the sausage making. I will be on the floor for legislative sessions today, which will include the House of Deputies receiving and concurring on the election of a new Presiding Bishop. The House of Bishops will meet at St. Mark’s Cathedral to elect the PB. Will there be purple smoke?

Some important legislation should show up today at the House of Deputies, including A037 which extends the work of the marriage task force, adds members to it, and requires more cultural and theological diversity. While I would love to continue on the task force, odds are most of the members will be new. The bishops passed A037 without dissent.

As always you can go to generalconvention.org and actually check on resolutions, and go to the media hub for live streaming of worship and other activities.

An Itinerant Priest