7/06/2009

General Convention, Anaheim - winding up for the pitch.

It's Monday, slow and delightfully pleasant here in Anaheim. Signing in this morning I ran into the "youth presence," i.e. a group of some 20 or so young people, quite a few friends and several bloggers, Nick Knisely in particular, President of the House Bonnie Anderson, and several 815 staff. It was too early to get a read of the pulse of things, but that will change quickly.

Episcopal News Service has conveniently spelled out one whole slice of concerns that will take a good bit of our time. The headline proclaims, "Discussion of human sexuality will again occupy debate at General Convention," and so it will. B033 and Anglican Covenant resolutions will be refereed to the World Mission legislative committee, to which I am assigned. It promises to be an energetic discussion.

There are, however, lots of things going on that seem dull by comparison but very very important to the life of the Church.

No one likes budget discussions, but how we treat the budget provides an interesting reflection on the character of our faith. Fiduciary responsibility takes on a different tone when it is the fiduciary responsibility of convinced Christians that is at stake. So there are questions of stepping out in faith, making use of our accumulated wealth, etc.

The matters of a medical plan for all church employees, a new and hopefully more useful set of disciplinary canons, and a whole range of program possibilities all have to be considered.

It is going to be very busy indeed starting tomorrow.

I'm hoping to be able to blog regularly, perhaps short takes with something longer in the evenings. We shall see.

4 comments:

  1. Glad you are there. I pray that the Spirit will inform and enlighten all deliberations. I look forward to reading your reflections.

    Peter Carey+
    http://santospopsicles.blogspot.com

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  2. Por favor, add budget $$$'s to The Executive Committee and subtract from the HOB's general fund (enough to insure the closing down of years long secret sexual discernment committees)

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  3. Mark,

    It will be wonderful to read about your observations, even if you don't have much time to report on them.

    While I don't have faith that a certain "secret" committee will be disbanded, maybe we can get it as a separate line item on the P&L!

    (verification word: "sacri" - may much of the sacri- be with the secular in your journey)

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  4. Mark, I take much comfort knowing you, your heart and brain and soul, are on the World Mission legislative Ctte.

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