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And the dolphins were watching…

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No Wipeout, instead a perfect day

On Sunday, October 12th we had our annual beach Eucharist. We met at Beasley Park, a public beach with a nice pavilion and restrooms on Okaloosa Island between Ft. Walton Beach and Destin. We set up near the water and this year made an altar out of a cross we use on Good Friday set on some saw horses (not seahorses). Last year I baptized two amazing teenagers in the Gulf, full immersion as you know. This year I had an adult lined up for baptism, she has been attending for over a year and really wanted to be baptized in the Gulf but had a family emergency and was out of town this weekend. In the last several weeks I had a new adult visiting by herself who came up to me and said she felt moved to be baptized at this service. We had a nice talk about it, some pre-baptism instructions, and I agreed to proceed. Let’s call her Sally (not her real name). She is a very sweet person who has been through a LOT, seems to me Jesus would have gone through with this also. That was my prayer, anyway..

Soooo we gather on the beach for our 10am service, with baptism as the program and IN the program, but no Sally. So, I just decided to proceed and renew vows and see if anyone wanted to be dunked as a symbol of their renewal of vows (what can it hurt, I am clear this is not a re-baptism, but it can be meaningful). Just as I was about to begin my off the cuff sermon, I saw Sally coming down the steps from the pavilion, dressed in a wedding gown, train and all! I sent the person who volunteered to be her sponsor (she knows her well) to sit with her and make sure all was well and help her during the service (and help me in the water – with my recent shoulder surgery I was a little concerned about dunking someone and not being able to lift them up after!). We had a large turnout for the service, and there were a good many people around us just enjoying a day at the beach, the water was amazingly beautiful and during the entire service, there were dolphins playing in the water directly behind where we set up!

Sally and her sponsor joined me in the water. My wife, Jennifer, suggested I invite everyone to come stand right on the shoreline to better see and hear (her suggestions are usually really good ones, this one for sure!). Before walking into the gulf, I asked Sally if she was ok getting this wedding gown wet or would she prefer I just pour some water on her head. She immediately responded, “oh yes, I WANT to get this wet, I have good reason!”. So, she was baptized, fully immersed in the sparkling clear waters, and came up crying and thrilled. Our people were very gracious welcoming her into the family of God, bridal gown and all! And everyone kept commenting that a pod of dolphins were playing in the Gulf the entire service! I think they knew something was up!

We then prepared for communion, and I invited any of the beach goers nearby to join us if they wanted to. Well…someone did. I didn’t see all this going on but one of my parishioners spotted a woman standing in the back, crying, and knew something was going on with her spiritually. She made sure the woman knew she was welcome to receive communion. She got in line and as I gave her the body of Christ, she was crying big tears. I didn’t have a clue who she was, having never laid eyes on her before. After receiving she walked over to the side and another parishioner went to hug her and thank her for joining us. The new person (let’s call her Kathy), asked my parishioner if she could be baptized, too! She had watched Sally’s baptism, and she felt drawn by something she could not explain to ask that question, crying and shaking all over. The parishioner asked me, and I said, sounds like the story in Acts when Philip was teaching the Eunuch the meaning of the Isaiah passage he was reading, and the Eunuch said, “here is water, why can’t I be baptized?”. How could I and why would I say no? We said the post communion prayer and then everyone made their way back to the shoreline as Kathy and I and my helper waded in the water (yes we sang that old gospel song as we did so – cause God’s gonna trouble the water!). We promised to take good care of her, and then she was also baptized in the Gulf. My people responded with applause and cheers as we made our way out of the water for the chrism oil and a final blessing.

We found out later Kathy had just moved to the area, lived alone, and was hoping to find a church. She happened to come to the public beach where we were for the only time all year, intending to just enjoy a lovely beach day, when the Holy Spirit showed up and took care of the rest. Sometimes folks, we must let the Spirit have her way. The whole day was amazing and Spirit filled, and people were SO full of  joy! I expect to see Sally and Kathy this coming Sunday, ready to join this happy and grace filled body of Christ in real ways. What a day. YAY JESUS!

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1st Legislative Day GC77

I know all my loyal fans are wondering “where are David’s blog updates?”. Sorry to be late starting but didn’t have much to say yet.
Arrived in Indy the evening of July 3. On the 4th we could register and start attending committee meetings. I am not assigned to a committee so I am “monitoring” several, including Structure, Social and Urban, and Prayer Book and Liturgy. More on all those below.
Most of our deputation arrived on the 3rd and we began our daily lunch meetings where we discuss legislation and make plans for the next 24 hours. Ed Sisson serves on World Mission, Anita George is Vice-Chair of Education, David Johnson is on Structure, and Kathryn McCormick is on Church Pension Fund. They all have some pretty crucial stuff to look at.
On the afternoon of the 3rd we had opening remarks from the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies. The speeches could not have been more different. The PB did her usual mission stuff but in an engaging way and a way that pointed to our efforts to restructure. The President of the House of Deputies (PHOD), Bonnie Anderson, has a nice delivery and presence, but her message was so confusing (at least to me). She talks about change and restructure and how that’s good, then reminds us that by God our polity was established around the time of the Constitution and how dare we change anything. She even (seemed to me) compared the “change agents” (my words not hers) as the Israelites who wanted to go back to Egypt to die, HUH? Later today at the Structure hearings on changing structure of GC and 815 et al, one speaker put it right – we’ve been stuck in Egypt mode too long, it took 40 years for the Israelites to shake it off, now is the time for us to do so.
Early today I was privileged to speak to the Social and Urban Committee concerning resolutions A125 and A127 about Anti Racism. As a recent appointee to the Anti Racism Committee of the Executive Council I thought it important to be there. Then Anita George, member of the Mississippi deputation and long time chair of that same committee, asked me to speak on behalf of the resolutions. Both Anita and I did, and basically we became the “expert witnesses” for questions the committee had about the resolutions (Anita far more than I – she is so beloved by so many for her lifetime of work in racial reconciliation). It was really fun and I think I did a good job with the questions they had.
The first legislative sessions were pretty routine. We did approve reinstituting 300K in the budget for the Episcopal Youth Event. Not only is EYE a great event, restoring this funding makes a statement of our priorities and I hope sends a message to our youth.
Most of the rest was pretty routine.
Tonight was the first really big hearing of GC – the Committee on Structure was holding hearings about all the structural reform resolutions (over 50 of them). I was part of a small working group that met informally on Tuesday night to work on a strategy. Several of us agreed to speak and also to encourage others from all the dioceses who submitted these resolutions. Primarily we are calling for a special task force to be appointed right after GC to put EVERYTHING on the table that has to do with governance, polity, CCABs, General Convention, budget, etc. The idea also includes a call for a special Constitutional Convention to deal with what comes out of that task force, so it doesn’t take the usual 6 years for Constitutional changes to take place. The room was packed and all but one of the 40 speakers spoke in favor of reform. I had my two minutes and I think it went well. The committee was initially reluctant, we think, to act on these proposals. They should have no reservation now of the will of the people for major changes. It’s very exciting!
Well it’s really late here and the day starts quite early. More later.

Remember you can track legislation in real time at http://generalconvention.org .

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Late night at Camp Bratton-Green

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I type this having just completed “post-curfew” run number one. It’s Tuesday night, late. We have just finished our first full day of camp (campers arrived Monday at 2, staff Sunday at noon). So far we are off to an amazing start! Our theme is “The Hunger Games” and these 5th and 6th graders, as well as the staff, are pumped up about it.
But before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, we are certainly down playing the violent aspect of the book/movie (as much as you can when 99% of these kids know the story, having already read it or seen it ). With the help of a very useful book by Julie Clawson, “The Hunger Games and the Gospel , Bread, Circuses, and the Kingdom of God”, we are focusing on the good news in the actions of the characters and trying to relate those to both the teachings of Jesus and our own lives as children of God. So far it’s gone fabulously well. My co-director, Andrew McLarty, has written, directed, and performed in some great skits that set the stage not only for some 5th-6th grade level reflections from me, but also to wrap around other camp activities. It’s been really fun. The Permanent Staff this summer is fantastic (aren’t they always – but all in their unique ways) and have eaten this theme up! Breath taking talent in these young adults.
Many, many people connected to our diocese can vouch for the magic that is Camp Bratton-Green. I was an old man before I got to experience it and I am so grateful my kids grew up going to camp here, and now all my family is on staff with me. My entire adult staff is tremendous and fun, and the counselors are working really hard and laughing a lot. It’s instant community, and it’s gospel, and it’s summer, and it’s love and it’s challenging and it’s just simply beautiful. I wonder if I am getting too old (for late night curfew checks for one thing!) and then I see these campers come alive, gleefully giving me high fives, sweetly grabbing an extra roll for me at dinner without me even asking, delighting in me getting pelted with ice water and nasty food at lunch when I “mistakenly” say “Announcements” – well, if that doesn’t keep you young, what will?
I know I need to write about my beginning time at St. James as Interim Rector – I am having a great time! And I also know that General Convention 2012 is around the corner. I have some thoughts about our pre-GC Synod in Kanuga and some pre-GC comments to add soon enough. But not too soon – right now I am at camp and I really don’t want to be anywhere else, for this one, magical, Jesus-filled-in-every-way week.
Oh, Come Away, come away….

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