I have oft said in this adventure, that I never aspired to serve the church on the General Assembly level. Let me repeat – I never aspired to be a commissioner to the General Assembly. But here I am. And tonight, a friend said to me – Thank you for your service to the Larger Church. This wasn’t a “wise-cracker” comment, or sucking up to me, but rather a genuine expression of appreciation about the work, the service, which I, and so many others are engaged in.
Saturday night we elected the new Moderator, and then on Sunday we began our committee work. Sunday afternoon, all day (and until 10 p.m.) Monday and Tuesday until about 4:00 we continued in committee work. I served the church on the Polity Committee, and have cracked that I know more about AI (Authoritative Interpretation) in 36 hours of Polity Committee than I have known in 22 years of ordained ministry. But I must admit, that while we were discussing with one another, I often wondered if we were making any real difference.
And this afternoon, we returned to the body of the whole – the Assembly reconvened. There we were. . .sitting in the VERY COLD hall, praying with people we know and people we don’t know, laughing some (“make sure your voting device is turned on”), and being the Body of Christ – not always agreeing with one another, but staying engaged with one another.
My hope for the future of the church?
That we continue to be the body of Christ for one another.
That we continue to welcome those who have faith
and those who don’t have faith into our midst.
That we would seek out the best the Spirit has to offer us.
That we would use the brains God gave us to think creatively about what it means
to be the church in this time and place,
and not rest on the facade of some church we knew in the past.
Now is the time to engage our hearts and minds and spirits in bringing a cup of cold water and a word of peace. Now is the acceptable time. . . .
May our service to the Larger Church be just such a prophetic word.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Discernment
Do you remember the Saturday Night Live sketch. . .the one with Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd?
The one where they would do that “Point/Counterpoint” news piece?
The one where Aykroyd would proclaim, “Jane, you ignorant. . . .”?
Well, the Polity Committee of GA is nothing like that. Honest.
But it is forty-plus elders and ministers from all over the states – representing all of the different political, cultural, theological, sociological, age, and economic demographics you can imagine. And throw in TSADs (Theological Student Advisory Delegates) and YAADS (Young Adult Advisory Delegates), our moderator and vice-moderator – and the host of folks aiding in parliamentary procedure, advising and the like. . .and the room is quite full. Not to mention the couple hand-fulls of people who sat in on our committee today (they actually chose to be there for the day) and all of a sudden polity – or at least the committee begins to take on a life of its own!
We hit the first break already behind. . .and things did not improve. We Presbyterians believe – and act on – the notion that all together, the body is best at the discernment process. So we speak and listen. . .we amend and substitute. . .we vote up and we vote down – all relying on the presence and direction of God’s Holy Spirit. And we do that a lot. . . all day. . . and into the night. Do we always get it right? Hardly. (Ask me sometime about the item we moved to disapprove, failed to pass; moved to approve, failed to pass; amended, failed to pass; and ultimately moved to disapprove, and passed) But we keep at it. . .cutting dinner short, and going an hour late.
Tomorrow we start with a clean slate, exactly where we are suppose to be on the agenda. And we pray for the Spirit to guide us – this crazy group of people who find themselves thrown together to be at work in the governing of the church. God help us. . .as we seek the mind of Christ!
The one where they would do that “Point/Counterpoint” news piece?
The one where Aykroyd would proclaim, “Jane, you ignorant. . . .”?
Well, the Polity Committee of GA is nothing like that. Honest.
But it is forty-plus elders and ministers from all over the states – representing all of the different political, cultural, theological, sociological, age, and economic demographics you can imagine. And throw in TSADs (Theological Student Advisory Delegates) and YAADS (Young Adult Advisory Delegates), our moderator and vice-moderator – and the host of folks aiding in parliamentary procedure, advising and the like. . .and the room is quite full. Not to mention the couple hand-fulls of people who sat in on our committee today (they actually chose to be there for the day) and all of a sudden polity – or at least the committee begins to take on a life of its own!
We hit the first break already behind. . .and things did not improve. We Presbyterians believe – and act on – the notion that all together, the body is best at the discernment process. So we speak and listen. . .we amend and substitute. . .we vote up and we vote down – all relying on the presence and direction of God’s Holy Spirit. And we do that a lot. . . all day. . . and into the night. Do we always get it right? Hardly. (Ask me sometime about the item we moved to disapprove, failed to pass; moved to approve, failed to pass; amended, failed to pass; and ultimately moved to disapprove, and passed) But we keep at it. . .cutting dinner short, and going an hour late.
Tomorrow we start with a clean slate, exactly where we are suppose to be on the agenda. And we pray for the Spirit to guide us – this crazy group of people who find themselves thrown together to be at work in the governing of the church. God help us. . .as we seek the mind of Christ!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Firsts
First day of High School – September 1974 - I am a geek. I am wearing high-water long pants, white heeled sandals, and a cool cotton top (“cool” as in not hot, not “cool” – remember, I am a geek - and the high-waters are because long pants are not quite long enough). It is where I need to be. . .where I am suppose to be. . .but boy, I am out of place. . .I am a geek. . .and wonder if I will ever fit in.
Fast forward. . .first day of seminary, fall 1984. I have missed the orientation week. I am the Co-Dean of a Junior High Camp on Catalina Island for the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii. I arrive at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary the night before classes begin. My classmates have been told that I was leading a camp off the coast of California – they all translate that to “An Island = Hawaii.” They are impressed, and jealous. I am barely there, and we begin “baby-Theology” and all the rest. I am not ready. What in the world am I doing at Seminary. . .I can’t preach, don’t know Greek and Hebrew, and feel like a fish struggling up-stream. My friends in California remind me that this is why I am going to seminary – to learn to preach, to learn the languages, to swim in the waters of life.
Fast forward, again. July 3, 1988. . .I am ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Tropical Florida Presbytery. I am a minister, called by God to serve the church. I know this at the depth of my soul. . .but I still feel somewhat out of place. . .like a fish swimming up stream. . .but by the grace of God. . .Here I am, Lord.
July 3, 2010 – twenty-two years ago I was ordained. . .where has that time gone. I come today to the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and am commissioned as a delegate to this assembly. I am still a geek, after all these years. I have my shawl with Mickey Mouse on it, was given a Glinda the Good Witch Pez dispenser, and dark chocolate is on the table (thank you, Cindy & Jeff). I still wonder what God has in store for me, and feel like I am still swimming upstream. But God has called, I have answered, the Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois has listened to God’s voice and sent me here, and now I am commissioned to do the work of this Assembly. Humbly I pray, Here I am, Lord, send me.
Fast forward. . .first day of seminary, fall 1984. I have missed the orientation week. I am the Co-Dean of a Junior High Camp on Catalina Island for the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii. I arrive at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary the night before classes begin. My classmates have been told that I was leading a camp off the coast of California – they all translate that to “An Island = Hawaii.” They are impressed, and jealous. I am barely there, and we begin “baby-Theology” and all the rest. I am not ready. What in the world am I doing at Seminary. . .I can’t preach, don’t know Greek and Hebrew, and feel like a fish struggling up-stream. My friends in California remind me that this is why I am going to seminary – to learn to preach, to learn the languages, to swim in the waters of life.
Fast forward, again. July 3, 1988. . .I am ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Tropical Florida Presbytery. I am a minister, called by God to serve the church. I know this at the depth of my soul. . .but I still feel somewhat out of place. . .like a fish swimming up stream. . .but by the grace of God. . .Here I am, Lord.
July 3, 2010 – twenty-two years ago I was ordained. . .where has that time gone. I come today to the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and am commissioned as a delegate to this assembly. I am still a geek, after all these years. I have my shawl with Mickey Mouse on it, was given a Glinda the Good Witch Pez dispenser, and dark chocolate is on the table (thank you, Cindy & Jeff). I still wonder what God has in store for me, and feel like I am still swimming upstream. But God has called, I have answered, the Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois has listened to God’s voice and sent me here, and now I am commissioned to do the work of this Assembly. Humbly I pray, Here I am, Lord, send me.
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