VIEWPOINT – First, let me digress.  Thanks Drew, I love that line!  I am disappointed in General Convention.  I am disappointed that we are spending so much of our precious time here debating human sexuality.  I believe that if we took a look at God’s Agenda for his church, the issue of human sexuality would not make the top 10.  I am disappointed that we are not spending the vast majority of our time on bringing the Gospel to the World, deepening our own walk with God, and working to wipe out hunger, disease and poverty.  But that’s not where we are.  Where we are is we are.  So back to the debate. 

The 76^th General Convention is working VERY hard to create conversation instead of debate, to create relationship instead of acrimony.   We started the morning with something called, “Public Narrative”.  And it’s working…….sort of.  

Public Narrative basically entails taking 2 minutes (not even close to enough time for me to tell a story!) to tell your story and how that story has called you into your Mission.  I have some issues with the mechanics of the process but I love the idea and the motivation behind the idea.  If you know where someone comes from or what their experience has been, you can be more open to their opinion, their ideas and maybe even where they want to go.  It was a good exercise.  All but 1 of the people at my table were from our diocese and I still learned something new about each one.  For a couple, there was more than a minor shift in my perception.  A good shift.  

The next effort in this vein was this afternoon’s Legislative Session.  Instead of debating specific resolutions regarding same sex blessings and consecrations, we had 30 minutes to have a one on one conversation with someone that we did not know about the issue.  My conversation was with a deputy from Missouri and we were very like-minded.  Some of my colleagues did not have the same experience.  Again, however, I was drawn into and reminded in that conversation of our sameness much more than our differences.  

It seems that when we stay in conversation, we get much closer to being open, to grasping to understand perspective.  But then we go to the public hearings on specific resolutions.  I spent 4 hours listening to people talk, not in conversation but trying to persuade.  There were some compelling stories both for and against the specific issues but in the end, I would doubt that many minds were changed or even moved.  The same people said the same things in different venues.  

So how do we move forward and, at the same time, stay in conversation?  I am reminded of some very wise advice my boss gave me when I first took the family law bench over 14 years ago.  He said, “Often the best and wisest decision in a family law case is to make both sides equally unhappy.”  I’m beginning to think that may apply well here.  If either “side” is a winner of all, there will be no reason to continue in conversation.  If both sides are equally dissatisfied, we must remain in conversation.  And in the end, I personally think that is the key.  We must remain in conversation.  

God’s Peace,

Kelley Kimble
Lay Deputy, St. Philip’s Uvalde

VIEWPOINT – Yesterday was a full day.

Formal Convention activities didn’t begin for me until 9:45a.m., thank heavens, but there was still business to do. As the Canonical Consultant to two Committees, I’m on call. No resolution from either of my Committees can go to GC without my signature confirming that it complies with the Constitution, Canons, Prayer Book, Bylaws of Executive Council and the Rules of Order of the House of Deputies and House of Bishops.

I got a rather alarmed call early from the Custodian of the Prayer Book telling me that I had approved a resolution requiring him to do something that he had no authority to do. I think we are going to get this ironed out but if not and the Prayer Book is ruined, you know who to blame.

We met for the second Mission Conversation from 9:45a.m until 11:15a.m. As you may recall from a prior post, we tell our stories, identify the point of crisis/conflict, articulate our response to the crisis/conflict and connect how that provides the energy for our current mission and then invite others to join in our mission with us. At this Conversation, we each told our personal stories—a powerful experience that would have been much more powerful had we had more time.

We had community worship from 11:30a.m until 12:45p.m. The Archbishop of Canterbury participated and gave what was termed a “Meditation” rather than Sermon. His Meditation was profound and I highly commend it to you. You can listen to it from the website of The Episcopal Church.

He thanked us for continuing to engage in conversation with the worldwide Anglican Communion, acknowledged what it had cost us and apologized for it. He said that he was grateful to us and to God that we had engaged in the conversation. He then said something like “so that we can move on and reflect on the more important things”, he wanted to acknowledge that he came with anxiety because he hopes that GC will not take actions that will impede further conversations. And, he said something like “we have a profound sense of how important The Episcopal Church is to the world.”

He engaged us from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. What stuck with me were his remarks that we have been chosen, we have been made His friend, we have been brought within ear shot of the eternal conversation and that we are to come where Jesus is.

Then, signing off on more resolutions—and lunch with the West Texas deputation. Thank you, Lord, for the West Texas deputation. (And, of course, for food, including cookies!!!!)

I attended, at Committee request, the Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music public hearing from 2pm to 4pm. The hearing, held in a large hotel ball room, was on resolutions proposing same sex liturgies for holy matrimony, holy unions and blessings—eleven resolutions in all. I estimate attendance at somewhere between 150 and 200. Estimating numbers in crowds is not my strong suit so don’t bet any money on this. A total of thirty-six people testified in favor of the various resolutions ten testified against them. Testimony was straightforward and respectful. There was not the anger and acrimony on either side that was present in GC 2006.

The thrust of the proponents was that taking action will liberate the church to move on with mission, the Spirit is once again calling the Church through society as it did with the issues of women and Blacks to full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, the dreadful harm that has been inflicted through exclusion must stop and we need to move beyond the hypocrisy we have engaged in for such a long time.

The opponents had biblical objections, said the theological issues have not yet been worked through, said that same sex is not accepted by the majority in the greater Anglican Community nor with the majority in the U.S., and that we need to listen to the voices of the past and tradition.

Then, another meeting of General Convention from 4:30pm to 6pm, signing off canonically on some more resolutions, a social time with the blessed West Texas deputation and finally—finally—some food for this hobbit.

As for today, I meet with the Prayer Book, Liturgy committee at 7:30am this morning to work on the resolutions discussed at the public hearing yesterday.

Blessings,

Drew Cauthorn
Lay Deputy
St. Mark’s, San Antonio

Day 2, Bishop Lillbridge Click to listen.

Summary:  Bishop Lillibridge recaps day two of the General Convention. He mentions remarks by the Archbishop of Canterbury and his experience of Public Narrative.