I Am Your Child While I Run This Race (until 1:30am!!!)

At the start of day by my calculation, we were at least 4 hours behind docket.  With 11 of the 19 committees yet to report, it appeared from the get-go that this day would never end.  Of course, we spent 30 precious minutes debating how we might streamline our work.  Sigh!

So after a short night’s rest, we began where we left off – the Middle East and Peacemaking Report had been left unfinished.  The front page of the local Pittsburgh Post-Gazette declared, “Presbyterian Church USA Turns Down Divestment by 2 Votes”.  The article included, “The Rev. Sam Picard of Gennesee (sic) Valley Presbytery told the assembly that the occupation was ‘unjust’ and ‘corrosive to Israel’s democracy.’  He had feared damaging relationships with Jews, but conversations with Jewish supporters of divestment during the week had showed him that ‘that consensus is not true.  The Jewish community is diverse.’”   A motion to reconsider divestment was brought forward, discussed again and eventually defeated again.  It took all morning to finish the remainder of the Middle East items.

 Did you catch the misspelling of “Gennesee”?!  Doesn’t anyone around here drink Genny beer??  Or maybe they do (which may be why they insist on the extra “n”).

With still 10 reports to hear – including Civil Unions – PGV commissioners guessed on the time of the evening’s recess.  The earliest guess was 11pm; the latest 1:30am.  Who will be right?  Thankfully our opening song today reminded us that we ALL are children of God while we run this race.  But let’s be clear – this race was a marathon.

At 1:50pm, the order of the day finally was upon us.  From the Assembly Committee on Civil Union and Marriage Issues, the proposed change:  “Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family. Marriage is a civil contract covenant between a woman and a man two people, and according to the laws of the state also constitutes a civil contract. For Christians marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman two people are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian marriage, two people make a lifelong commitment is made by a woman and a man to each other, publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith.”  The motion to make these changes failed 303-338-2.  After more than six hours, the Committee on Civil Unions completed its report with the approval of a two-year study on marriage, and disapproval of an authoritative interpretation to ensure pastoral discretion, brought by Genesee Valley (spelled correctly).

There was still so much more to do.  What can I say – free coffee service kept us going as well as frequent-to-the-microphone commissioner Ed Norris (St. Augustine Presbytery) repeatedly calling the question with the refrain, “MRA!!” (Moving Right Along)  Ed gained near super-hero status by the end of the long night.  The Immigration Report began at 10:40pm; Mission Coordination at 11:10pm.  At that report’s conclusion at 12:35am, well I gave up (with four more committees to report) and made the long walk back to the hotel.  Does listening to the live stream until 1:30am count as attendance??

I am simply too tired to write anymore.  Tomorrow morning will be here soon (technically, it already is) and there is packing and checking out to do, finishing business, closing worship and a journey home.  I look forward to sharing more about our experiences here with you.  Come visit me in Resource Center in the near future!

P.S.  Deepest thanks to Linda Badger Becker for providing the photos earlier this week, and my apologies for not having my camera batteries charged today.

“NO ONE KNOWS WHAT JESUS LOOKED LIKE—AND THAT’S GREAT!”

written by “guest” bloggist, Rev. Val Fowler, Stated Clerk

This was the title of this morning’s sermon offered by James Kim, pastor of The Little Church On the Prairie, Lakewood, Washington.  In his unpacking of the text of the week—Mark 2:1-12—Rev. Kim noted that nowhere in the gospel is Jesus described . . . except by his words and his actions.

I took away from his observation the message: As is true with Jesus of Nazareth, so it is true of the body of Christ. Christ’s body is known by word and by deed.

General Assembly meetings are tedious. I’m writing this at 11:35 p.m., having just returned to my room from a meeting that lasted until 10:50 p.m.  Part of the tedium is the genuine desire of Presbyterians to “get it right.” Personal passions are strong; along with those personal passions is the sense that the world—if not the people back home—are watching.

The body of Christ is known by word and deed.

Tonight the Assembly debated the recommendation that the Assembly divest from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions. A debate that began at roughly 7:30 p.m. continued to 10:50 p.m. A minority report recommended an alternative to divestment: to invest in businesses and development in Palestinian territories. In response to the question, Shall the minority report become the main motion, the Assembly approved the minority report by a vote of 333 yes, 331 no, abstaining 2. This is how close the vote was (had the two abstainers voted no, the minority report would have failed). This is how divided the Assembly was. Having become the main motion, the minority report was approved by a vote of 369 to 290 (with 8 abstentions).

At this point, no one knows exactly how the minority report will be enacted. There are some interesting possibilities to contemplate. Imagine that the Presbytery of Genesee Valley gets excited about engaging  (even hands-on) in a development project in the West Bank. Imagine that the project takes off and becomes even moderately successful. Imagine then, that we get news that: the licensing for the project has been removed . . . or . . . that the business itself was bulldozed (ironically, by a Caterpillar bulldozer) . . . or . . . that the owners/managers of the business have been arrested.  In the strange way that God’s Spirit works, people in our denomination may have an opportunity to learn more directly and with greater impact just what our Palestinian sisters, brothers, and children live with. There’s no way to know for sure, of course, but I couldn’t help but think about this possibility.

Assembly commissioners tend to think in terms of the particular Assembly. Truth is, a particular Assembly occurs within the larger realm of God’s work in this world. The effects of Assembly actions may not be fully known for years, and some of those effects may be completely unexpected. That, I think, is why we pray that we may discern God’s will, and that we may be open to learning how God is working through the best efforts we bring.

One more thing: A wonderful reality of a General Assembly is connecting and re-connecting. Today, I connected with a member of the college group from Doylestown, PA with whom I worked in 1974/75. We picked up right where we left off. Yesterday, I had lunch with Brian Wallace—a former candidate of our presbytery who is associate pastor at Hampton Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. He took me to lunch at a little restaurant created by his college roommate in a back room of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on 6^th Avenue. I had the best hot dog I’ve ever eaten (a “buffalo wing style hot dog”) at FRANKTUARY. The tag line is “Franks be to God!” A rather large percentage of the restaurant’s earnings go to a food ministry of Trinity Church.

I close with a portion of a prayer written by Karl Barth: But now we all stand before you: in all our inequality equal in this, that we are all in the wrong before you and among each other; that we all must die some day; that we all would be lost without your grace; but also in that your grace is promised to and turned toward all of us through your beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are here together in order to praise you by allowing you to speak to us. We ask that this might happen in this hour in the name of your Son, our Lord. Amen.

 Not a bad prayer for a General Assembly and its commissioners; for a body of Christ which is known by its words and deeds; and for each of us.

 

 

 

 

Yesterday’s 4^th of July faith affirmation: FRANKS BE TO GOD.

Yesterday, I joined a colleague to celebrate the 4^th with a good old American hot dog. The Rev. Brian Wallace is associate pastor at Hampton Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, and was a candidate from our presbytery. He invited me to visit a little place owned by his college roommate. So we went to Franktuary.

Franktuary is located in the back part of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. A portion of the receipts goes to food and homeless ministries of Trinity Church. The tag-line theme of the business is “Franks be to God.”

 

We will work with each other; we will work side by side (P.S. Happy 4th of July!!)

I seem to have a theme going here, choosing a phrase from a hymn sung during General Assembly worship as the theme of the day.  These familiar words were the “prelude” to the reconvening of plenary this afternoon.  Our voices sure sounded beautiful but the words were bittersweet as the first action taken after opening prayer was the resignation of Tara Spuhler McCabe as vice moderator.  With tears in her eyes, she described a venomous and divisive response to her election.  Rev. McCabe’s signing of a marriage license for two women was noted in Neil Presa’s moderatorial speech on Saturday.  Since then, cyberspace has not been kind and in Tara’s words, “I care too much about this church and this assembly to let this situation continue.”  Moderator Presa accepted the resignation with regret and tears of his own, charging an “even more steely determination to work towards the bonds of peace.”  Rev. Tom Trinidad was approved as vice moderator after a brief attempt to open the floor for discussion regarding Rev. McCabe’s resignation.  The motion for a 20 minute discussion period was defeated by one vote – ONE VOTE!  A lesson – even in a room of 688, every vote really does count.

With committees finishing up their work this morning, the GA business finally began.  We heard reports and conducted business with Assembly Committees (#9) Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, (#3) General Assembly Procedures, (#18) Confessions of the Church and (#17) Theological Issues.  After a substitute motion that was declined, we disapproved G-3.0106 Allowing Presbyteries to Forward Only Per Capita Funds Received to Their Synods and the General Assembly (from the Presbytery of Detroit).  The recommendation (again) to include in The Book of Confessions the Confession of Belhar created discussion, eventually passing 395-264-6.

We finished up business tonight at 8:45pm so commissioners could get themselves to the convention center’s rooftop for a prime view of the fireworks.  Oh that’s right – it’s a holiday!!  I ended up on the river’s edge next to PNC Park for the Best.  Fireworks.  Ever!!

 

Sizohamba Naye – We Will Walk With God

These words from morning worship come from the soon-to-be-released new hymnal, Glory to God.  Some fiery preaching from Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer challenged us to do the heavy lifting like the unnamed faithful who brought the paralytic man to Jesus.

And heavy lifting it is.  Some committees finished their work last night; some committees just finished within the last hour (it’s 10:30pm).  Motion to approve divestment; 2-year study on civil unions; new Committee on Synod Boundaries….individually, these are weighty issues.  Taken all together - it feels like a ton.

Each committee has its own character.  Some committees run more smoothly than others depending upon leadership and experience.  I spent most of my day observing Mission Coordination as they wrestled with the Special Offerings Advisory Task Force report.  And I do mean wrestle.  There was a whole lot of motion “perfecting” going on.  General Roberts obviously had a sense of humor!

In the end, the committee approved an alternate resolution that retains the One Great Hour of Sharing as it currently stands and creates a new World Communion Offering that will be designated 50% GAMC (soon to be called Presbyterian Mission Agency), 25% global mission; 20% congregational designation and 5% Presbytery designated.  If approved by General Assembly, Self Development of People will breathe a sigh of relief.  However, receiving 5% instead of 25% of the World Communion Offering could have an impact on how Mission & Advocacy supports People’s Ministry in Christ.  Possibly another heavy load to bear.  But we are a faithful people!

We were able to catch a couple of commissioners in action today.  I’m not sure how often Rev. Sam Picard has had the opportunity to smile on his committee (Middle East), but he did manage one during break.  Rev. Aaron Doll presented a commissioner’s resolution to (#3) General Assembly Procedures.  CLP Cathy Foerster looks deep in thought.  And can you pick out YAD Jeremy Glidden on the River Cruise?

“Think Outside the (Mail)box!!”

These words, spoken by noted author Brian McLaren, began our day at the GA Breakfast.  Brian was like a GA cheerleader, inspiring commissioners in the work that lay before them.  He equated the mainline church to the US Postal Service – how at first they denied the massive cultural change that was upon them, and eventually realized the need to explore new possibilities.  Presbyterians, he encouraged, are “farther along than we realize through the crisis” and that we must continue to “do what is right, even when it is often misunderstood.”  It was a great way to start the day, even it was at the unbearable hour of 7am.  Yikes!

The committees were hard at work all (very long) day.  I sat in on several fascinating conversations.  The Immigration Committee (#12) discussed 12-02, an overture from Grand Canyon to which Genesee Valley concurred.  It was referred to a small group of committee volunteers to perfect and bring back for consideration tomorrow.  It was challenging to find a seat in (#15) Middle East & Peacemaking Issues.  Their open hearings were so popular, Overture Advocates (O.A.) had to meet last night and decide which 24 of the 44 participants would have time on the floor (info shared with me by O.A. Elaine Johnson, Downtown).  And their audience was so large, an additional area with audio was set up in the lobby for those who could not squeeze into the room.  Then I stepped into the (#5) Mid Councils  Review conversation in time to hear the finishing remarks from Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) chair, Rev. John Wilkinson (Third).  Immediately I was struck by how differently this committee was conducting their business.  I appreciated the emphasis on education before deliberation that Mid Council demonstrated.  I spent enough time in (#11) Social Justice Issues to experience the diversity of committee member opinions regarding issues of economic justice.

But now I have to admit, my personal day was not as long as the commissioners’.  This evening, I participated in a fundraiser for the Special Offerings – a night at PNC Park watching the Pirates play the Astros (go Bucs!  I mean, go Special Offerings!)  About 200 people from GA attended this “Presbyterian Community Night”.  Okay so now here’s the really cool part (hopefully you’re still reading this) -  I was one of seven lucky Presbyterians to be recognized on the field prior to the game!  Can you believe that?  The Pirates ended up winning 11-2, even though I didn’t see the end (because I came back to the hotel to write to you!)

“News from our Delegates”

Okay, this blog is advertised as “news from our delegates” but alas, it’s just me, your Presbyter for Mission & Education!  Truth is, your delegates have such an aggressive schedule, it would be practically abusive to ask them to write a blog at the end of a long (although – I’m certain- fruitful) day.  I’ll do the best I can to give you a GA overview from the perspective of an observer.  As a first time GA-er, I am absorbing as much as I can.

The day began with worship in local congregations.  Delegates pre-registered, and were bussed to, one of 29 participating congregations in the local Pittsburgh area.  I went to the Community of Reconciliation, an intentionally inclusive congregation that claims to be, “a witness that the human race is one family created by God and redeemed by Christ.”  Inspiring worship was followed by a delicious lunch as once again we were embraced by the hospitality of the Pittsburgh Presbytery.

During the afternoon plenary, we elected the Vice Moderator and the Stated Clerk and listened to a host of reports both interesting and…..well let’s just say, I realized, gosh – this is an exhausting process.  And it’s only Day 2!  Moderator Neil Presa hosted a reception that boasted tasty treats and the chance to have your photo taken with him.  Honestly, it was a LONG line and I decided to go to the Overture Advocate training instead.  Fascinating!  I’m looking forward to seeing the process in action tomorrow.

The committees began their work this evening, mostly in worship, community building and orientation.  These meetings were, for the most part, in executive session which meant observers – folk like me – were not included.  No matter!  A nice walk on the city streets was in order and an earlier night to bed.  The festivities begin at 7am tomorrow, so rest is in order!

Please hold your commissioners – and the committees in which they serve – in prayer:  Rev. Aaron Doll (Peacemaking & International Issues); CLP Cathy Foerster (Social Justice Issues); YAD Jeremy Glidden (Confessions of the Church); Rev. Sam Picard (Middle East & Peacemaking Issues); CLP Rutha Williams (Church Orders & Ministry).  And our Presbytery Leader, Rev. Amy Williams Fowler as Committee Assistant to the Board of Pensions, Foundation and Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.

Walk, Run, Soar – the 220th GA Convenes

“Let the amen sound from his people again!”  We have all sung these words a zillion times in our lives.  But have you ever sung them in a crowd of over a thousand, with a massive choir, brass quintet and a booming organ?  Gulp!  It was the first of many times that tears sprang into my eyes during the opening worship.

It is officially Day 1 of the 220th General Assembly, and we began – as we should  - in worship.  Many of us arrived yesterday and I’m surprised (and grateful!) for all the familiar faces I’ve seen.  Our commissioners are hard at work already, of course.  Rev. Sam Picard, CLP Rutha Williams, Rev. Aaron Doll, CLP Cathy Foerster and our YAD Jeremy Glidden – their amazing dedication and witness on our behalf is inspiring.  Please continue to hold them in prayer.

I enjoyed dinner at Market Square with two car-loads of Presbyterians from Covington.  I ran into friends from Third, Webster, Batavia, Western New York Presbytery, former pastors from PGV….it’s like one big family!!!

How proud were we of Jeremy, the first YAD to speak at the microphone, asking a question to our moderatorial candidates?  And Aaron Doll was quoted in PC(USA) News too, regarding outgoing moderator Cynthia Bolbach’s sermon:  Commissioner Aaron Doll (Genessee Valley) said afterwards, “I noted her change of thought that we are the friends and bystanders lowering others and thus taking risks. As we face very controversial issues this week, we see that it’s risky either way. There will be people unhapp yand outright hurt either way we go. We are at a point where we can’t   help but take risks. I’m ready to jump into that with both feet. I came ready to do that. Her words reaffirmed that for me.”

Why can’t people figure out how to spell “Genesee”???

And when it was all said and done, after four rounds of voting, our moderator was elected – Rev. Neil Presa.  When his 7-year-old son lifted him up in prayer, asking for his daddy to be safe and wise, I gulped back the tears again.

Words from our recessional hymn:

God, bless your church with hope!  Despite chaotic days,  May we in chaos shine to light a pathway through life’s maze.  May justice be our aim, and kindness ours to share, In humbleness O may we walk, assured our God is there!