Loading...We're going full speed in Indianapolis.
And we're off! It's a good thing I went to that baseball game when I had the chance, because the pace has definitely picked up since then. The work of my committee is now layered on to full legislative days on the floor of the House of Deputies. The morning starts with a granola bar in my room so that I can be at my committee meeting by 7:30. Then morning Eucharist, which is good for my spirit. A couple of hours of legislative fun, a quick lunch with our people from East Tennessee catching each other up on the work of various committees, then back to our assigned committees followed by more legislative work. It's a long intense day with some remarkable highlights. More on those later.
Here's a little about how committees work with an open process of preparing resolutions to be presented to convention:
Most all committee meetings are open. Anyone can walk in and listen. Committees schedule hearings so that people may go and speak to the committee before its members debate and nuance resolutions that will go to the floor. People not assigned to committees can sit in on the work of any committee that interests them. You can sit in on one thing then leave and walk in on another. It's all very informal but with form and structure.
Tonight I've come back to my room with homework from my Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music. We divided up some of the proposed new liturgies that have been developed since last convention three years ago so that we can proof them one more time and hope to send them to convention free from any errors and other elements that might be problematic. The folks who've been working on these things are happy to have fresh eyes look over them one more time. So I am reading and editing prayers for the burial of a pet. Though it might seem frivilous to some, the prayers and readings are pretty nice. They've done a good job, and I only have a few questions.
Tomorrow evening is our open hearing on the proposed rite for blessing same gender unions. This is the hot topic of convention. We will probably have a room full of over 300 people with about that many views on what we should do with this proposal. We're sure to make the news at some point. Pray for the committee. Pray for Convention. Pray for the Church. And please pray for my energy level to last a few more days.
QUOTE OF THE DAY.
"Moral courage defines us at our core and inspires us to act, in spite of our fear."
Spoken by Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies in her sermon at today\'s Eucharist
on the day commemorating John Hus, Czech priest and martyr of the Reformation.
