The Rev. John Talbird

Yesterday I took the day off.  I slept in until 6 AM.  This was the first day (other than last Sunday) that we on the World Mission Committee did not have a 7:30 AM hour and a half committee meeting, preceding the two hour legislative session.  I did exercise which I have done all but one day to keep my heart going and my heart and head in the long discussions and parliamentary maneuverings. 

Our committee (World Mission) got one final resolution on the floor on Wednesday.  It was rewritten by the House of Bishops and brought back to the floor on Thursday and was adopted.  D075 was a resolution that a deputy from Southern Virginia and I worked on late Tuesday night.  Since our committee had dealt with some 42 resolutions, we felt like the one which we wrote and then argued through committee was an important piece to sum up the overall tenor of this convention: The “theme” was not sex, as it has seemed in the past, but mission.   Resolution, D075, is titled, Mission: the Heartbeat of the Church.  We used a phrase the Presiding Bishop had used in a sermon.

As missioner for ECSET, I am excited and heartened by her statements on mission, the overall tenor of the convention, and a spirit of collegiality even in disagreement.  All of this was done in the face of a greatly reduced budget.  The budget we passed is not focused on business as usual, but on mission.  The MDG’s were put back in as budget items.  Increases were made for the 75 missionaries of the Episcopal Church including those serving in the Youth Corps.  Mission is not the same as outreach.  Nor is it anything the church is doing. Mission is the crossing of boundaries; especially the boundaries of our own comfort zones.  Mission is stretching beyond ourselves for the sake of Christ.

In her sermon at the opening Eucharist, the Presiding Bishop preached on the text from Ezekiel:  “a new heart and a new spirit.”  She said, “(This) is still our mission work – taking good news and rebirth and offering heart transplants to the languishing.  The heart of this church will slowly turn to stone if we think our primary mission work is to those already in the pews inside our beautiful churches, or to those at other altars.  We are in cardiac crisis if we think we can close the doors, swing our incense and sing our hymns, and all will be right with the world.  The heart of this body is mission – domestic and foreign mission …” She concluded her sermon with these words, “So, how will this heart push more lifeblood out into a languishing world?  Can you hear the heartbeat?  Mission, Mission, Mission …”

As one who is engaged in mission both in Haiti and with young adults in Chattanooga who are doing exciting and creative things trying to make a difference in the world, but not particularly engaged in the church, I leave this General Convention with a new heart and a new spirit.  I have a new heart because I don’t think we are leaving angry with one another.  There was plenty to disagree upon, but the spirit was not a mean spirit.  It may not have been a “sweet spirit,”  but it was also not a mean spirit. 

I was one of the “coaches” for the public narrative project.  We were helping people tell their own stories that had called them into passion and action in the church; tell how they were connected to one another; and say what the urgent call was at the present.  I was assigned a table from a diocese that didn’t agree with almost anything that went on in the legislation.  We found ourselves agreeing on very little other than the fact that we all felt a passionate call into the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ.  We developed a mutual respect for one another and agreed that we needed each other.  Our church would be less without all our passionate opinions and actions.  Today as we left, I saw most of the group I had served as coach. We hugged one another and wished God’s blessing upon one another.  To know we need each other is the spirit of Ubuntu.  That is enough for me to take away from Anaheim.

The Rev. Peter Keese

These may be connected, or they may be disconnected random thoughts:

I walk each morning; today I walked through some neighborhoods near to the convention center here in Anaheim (and contiguous Garden Grove, Calif.). What struck me is how very close the houses are to each other – almost no lawn and the back yards seem to be small and crowded next to one another. It may be that the ubiquitous fences mean that everyone keeps to herself, but I suspect that, in time, neighbors do come to interact with one another one way or another. And so, I think they have to learn to live with one another in some sort of peace, even if they disagree about almost everything. And I think most neighborhoods are like that – close – not in agreement, but living together in peace.

I continue to hope that in our global neighborhood – which is growing ever closer – we may take a lesson from the neighborhoods here – and allow each other to be.

The Committee on Canons – which I’ve been monitoring for the last nine days – had its last meeting this morning. I hope my earlier remarks about lawyers were taken in the light vein in which I intended to speak them. This group (mostly lawyers and clergy) became good neighbors – the fences did not keep them from connecting deeply with one another. Differences were heard and respected. The “right” and the “left” were both clearly represented. But the neighbors were able to cooperate and come to a remarkable degree of consensus. Can you say “Holy Spirit?”

Belton Zeigler, Chancellor from Upper South Carolina reminded the Canons Committee that lawyers – good lawyers – have a duty that is spiritual; he suggests that lawyers are like unto the paraclete – the Holy Spirit – they are advocates – they go with.

I haven’t been able to watch the hearings about Sotomayor; but I think I can safely say there has been a lot of political theater – that is, the hearings provide a time for the various “actors” to make statements for their “publics.” There is a good bit of that in our deliberations in the House of Deputies. Our rules limit speaking time so significantly that there is not real debate – and perhaps there cannot be real debate in a house with over 800 deputies. So statements for the public are made, and then we vote. Even so – in this neighborhood, we learn to get along with one another – we disagree, we vote, and then we move on to the next matter to be considered.

You are no doubt seeing reports. We are making good progress, I think, on some very important matters for the life of our Church.

More later.

The Rt. Rev. Charles vonRosenberg

Yesterday’s Convention actions will result in significant consequences, but it is important for us to realize what was done and what was not done.

The proposed budget is nothing less than revolutionary. Amendments to the enabling resolution will probably be attempted in today’s legislative sessions. In any event, however, the end result will indicate some profound changes. For instance, there will be a step-down process, beginning in 2011, for the percentage askings from dioceses to support the General Church budget. I spoke last evening with a member of the Church staff who has some pastoral responsibility for contacting 35 – 40 staff members who will lose their jobs. Committees responsible for planning General Convention have been tasked with a shorter time frame for the 2012 event. Committees, Commissions, Agencies, and Boards will see funding for their interim meetings cut dramatically. And the list goes on. In fact, we will be living into a very different financial reality in the months and years to come, and I believe that our proposed budget presents a responsible picture for that reality.

Resolution C056, substitute, will go to the House of Deputies today for concurrence. This resolution, about which you may have read, involves same-gender blessings. A rite for such blessings was not passed. Rather, this resolution recognizes several factors: that some states have laws which authorize same-gender unions; that clergy in such places encounter significant pastoral challenges as a result of discrepancies between those laws and church policy; that there are liturgies for blessings in existence (but not authorized); and that significant differences of opinion on such matters exist in our church and in the Anglican Communion.

With those realities in place, therefore, this resolution does a couple of things (in addition to acknowledging the realities). It calls for a collection and development of “theological and liturgical resources,” which will be considered at the next General Convention. It requests further conversation in our church and throughout the Communion. And, it identifies the need for “generous pastoral response” on the part of clergy in dioceses whose state laws permit civil unions.

I believe this resolution to be an accurate depiction of the reality of our circumstances, as well as a way to move forward in the engagement of those realities. There certainly are differences of opinion about timing for such steps. However, the process as outlined is deliberate, and it allows for dioceses and churches to make plans for appropriate responses, in the variety of contexts in which we live and worship. Indeed, we have begun to do just that in East Tennessee, with the meeting of our “Bishop’s Committee for Pastoral Care of Gay and Lesbian People.” There is much study to accomplish, much conversation to have, and much prayer to offer, as we engage one another as people of God and as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. I call us all to faithfulness in those tasks.

The Rev. Maggie Zeller

The House of Deputies is staring at the end of our time together with way too much left to do. Every day, we get a calendar for the day, a consent calendar for the next day and then one, two or three supplemental calendars! Now that wouldn’t be so bad if we actually did all of that stuff on the day it gets on the calendar. But we just got to day six today even though this is day eight! So we are probably going to have a session tomorrow night in addition to the morning and afternoon sessions.

My committee, Prayer Book Liturgy and Music, is still meeting. We have what we hope will be our final meeting in the morning. We have had quick meetings at the end of the afternoon legislative sessions yesterday and today. But we expect to finish up tomorrow, prioritizing the resolutions that are most important and putting whatever we can on the consent calendar.

Today was the introduction of the final budget. There are many deep cuts but I don’t think any of them are unjustifiable. We have added back support for the MDGs, reduced money for interim meetings and reduced diocesan asking for the second two years of the triennium. Should anyone wish to add money back to a line, they must also propose where to take it from. My guess is that it will pass with no problems.

We will also have a chance to concur with the House of Bishops on a resolution about same gender blessings (C056).

So don’t think things are winding down. You might even say they are winding up! Stayed tuned….

Herb Berl

Bonjour Tout Le Monde – Happy Bastille Day!

I must tell you that I am so impressed by my fellow deputies.

Bob Strimer shepherded our diocesan resolution “Health Care Coverage for all” through the legislative process. Our resolution was approved by both the House of Bishops and the House.

Lynn Schmissrauter, as chair of the Committee on Consecration of Bishops, displayed compassion add the patience of Job as she led the HOB through the displayed compassion end the patience of Job through the complex circumstances surrounding the selection of the person to be Bishop of the Diocese of Ecuador Central. The candidate was given consent by the HOD. Ecuador Central has been without its own elected bishop since 2005.

Today, the House of Deputies (HOD) two lay persons and two priests to serve as judges for the Court for a Trial of a Bishop. This is the first time in the history of The Episcopal Church that someone other than a bishop can preside at a trial of a bishop. The two elected priests are from the Diocese of Washington. Francis Wade is the chaplain of the House of Deputies this year. His daily mediations have been thought provoking and graceful.

Yesterday, I testified before the Stewardship and Development Committee. I shared with them the parable of Hannah and the Fireflies which I will be happy to share with you when I see you at the post-convention meetings which will be held later this summer.

The Rev. John Talbird

The Theme of this year’s General Convention is Ubuntu. Why would a theme be chosen that is not readily understandable?  It was done for good reasons.  First Ubuntu is an African word showing our interdependent connections.  That’s important for two reasons. One is our Anglican Communion is now made up mostly of people of color, and to use an African word shows that we are committed to a continuing relationship with our Anglican brothers and sisters.  Second and most importantly it challenges our American and western view of personhood.  There are other ways of seeing ourselves as human beings. 

Ubuntu means “I in you and you in me.”  The reason this may not catch our imagination at first, is because of our western/American view of who we are as persons.  We see ourselves as individuals who choose to connect to one another thereby forming community. Ubuntu on the other hand, assumes that community is where we find our fundamental identity. 

I realized this as I came across the county to attend General Convention.  My perception was that “I flew to California,” because that is the way we usually say it. Nothing could be further from the truth.  I was one person among many sitting on a plane which was being flown by a professional crew whose jobs were just one piece of a large network of persons preparing and maintaining airplanes on which people fly. There are air traffic controllers, airport personnel, people who set up programs so tickets can be purchased on line, and so on and so on.  Each of these persons is connected to a network of families, organizations, institutions, each having their own story, but each connected to a larger story. 

We discover who we are only in relationship to others.  It not only takes a village to raise a child, as the African proverb says, but it takes a village to make a person into the one he or she is becoming.  The deeper I go into relationship with my wife, my parents, or my children, the fuller I become a whole and complete person.  “I am because they (you) are,” is another way of saying this. 

This is the spirit of this convention.  We are all connected to one another. One might add, whether we like it or not.  We are all connected because we are all children of God and therefore brothers and sisters in Christ of God’s large family.  One of the beautiful and spiritual moments brought this home to me on Tuesday when our Ecumenical visitors were presented to the House of Deputies.  At the conclusion of their introductions a Christian, a Jewish and a Muslim singer (the three religions having Abraham as their common ancestor) sang prayers and then joined their voices together into what was called a “sung blessing to this house.”  As their voices soared and blended with each other, I felt I was being anointed with a rich oil of blessing. Togetherness, unity, and beauty washed over the house.  It was a moment of Ubuntu.

The Rev. Kay Reynolds

At home it is possible to avoid or to be unaware of the larger picture of our Episcopal Church identity. Here at General Convention it is clear that we are many and varied. Our visitors from Europe, Africa and New Zealand speak to us and help us to see ourselves as others see us. We’ve learned that Anglicans in other places know little of our polity – just as we are unaware of theirs. Many in Africa, for example, were unaware that our church decisions are made by a house of deputies made of both clergy and laity, and by a house of bishops. Our decisions must be approved by both houses. In other countries, the archbishop makes decisions. Our Presiding Bishop cannot arbitrarily make choices for the whole church.

Our daily worship reflects the variety of cultures represented here. We’ve sung hymns from many traditions, including Appalachian folk hymns, Taize chants, Black and white gospel, African call and response songs, sometimes with drums, native American and Hawaiian songs, to say nothing of 1982 Hymnal favorites. Spanish speakers are urging the church to see evangelism among the Spanish speakers in our communities as the next great possibility for church growth and one not to be missed.

 What we see here is that all of us must learn more of other cultures in order to work together as The Episcopal Church, and to work with our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion. Learning to listen and to speak clearly about who we are continues to be critical.

 We are here reflecting on many issues, such as health care, saving money, going as green as possible, showing compassion in concrete ways to the poor in our land and throughout the world, and how best to use our new technological skills. In the midst of differing opinions on many things we are making decisions together to promote the work of God in our world. Today we voted to have comprehensive health care coverage through the Medical Trust, so that we can have more clout as a larger group of clients. In addition, lay employees will be covered. Pray for us as we continue to deal with important issues.

The Rev. Cal Calhoun, ET Deputation Chair

We have had a few very busy legislative days as the pace necessarily heats up. In the House of Deputies, we dealt with D025 again. The House of Bishops passed the resolution with amendment so we had to pass it again.

D025 states that we will not discriminate on the basis of race, color … sexual orientation in terms of access to discernment for ordination (at all levels) and it points out that this does nothing more than restate what is already in our Constitution.

It does effectively end the moratorium on consenting to the election of a gay or lesbian person as a bishop. Such a moratorium was asked for in the Windsor Report after 2003. In our church the moratorium took the form of B033 from the 2006 General Convention in which we were asked to “use restraint” in elevating a gay or lesbian to the office of bishop. This was in violation of our Constitution and it required our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to take a place of second class Episcopalian by not allowing them access to all the sacraments of the church. B033 was passed to ensure that ++Katherine Jefferts Schori, as the first woman Primate in the Anglican Communion, was not denied a seat at the table at the Primates’ Meeting, and to show our commitment to the Anglican Communion by making this unilateral moratorium.

There were three moratoriums asked for in the Windsor Report. The first I just mentioned, the second was not to approve the blessing of same gender unions and the third was an end to crossing geographical borders by foreign bishops. The Episcopal Church has followed the two moratoria that apply us, but other churches in the communion have continued to enter the United States and make affiliations with Episcopal churches here. I think the sentiment in the House of Deputies was that we will not continue to ask our gay and lesbian Episcopalians to sacrifice for a moratorium that is not honored by much of the rest of the Communion. This resolution does clearly state the importance to us of our membership in the Anglican Communion and our intent to fully participate in the life of the Communion, but that we can no longer take a stance in opposition to our Constitution.

I took yesterday morning off (alternate Kay Reynolds stood in) and visited the House of Bishops. One difference that I noticed immediately was the decorum was much more personal and personable. Of course it is a much smaller body and they meet twice a year and further develop their relationships. The House of Deputies is 830 (this year) and meets only once every three years. While I was in the House of Bishops they were debating a resolution on the blessing of same gender unions. I believe (it still can be changed) that this resolution will ask the Standing Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music to develop rites for same gender blessings. As a result, this would technically fall short of approving the blessing of same gender unions but take a step in that direction. Of course, it should be mentioned that there are dioceses that are presently performing same gender unions.

I write the above because that is what people really seem to want to know about. There is a huge amount of legislation you will likely never hear about: our commitment to the MDGs, our support for the Episcopal Church in the Sudan, our concern for the mentally ill, for universal healthcare, our continued commitment to mission and ministry even if it means shrinking the church “structure,” our move to full communion with the Moravian church, and our continued dialogue with the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church USA. I really look forward to the time in our Church when what we concentrate on and what we hear about are all these other great things and not about human sexuality.

Three more full days to go!

The Rt. Rev. Charles vonRosenberg

D025 is descriptive. That is, the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church, which have not changed, are referenced. What can be done, according to those canons, is described.

D025 also references the Anglican Communion.  That is, we value our participation in this world-wide fellowship, and we commit ourselves to continuing involvement and prayers for the Communion.

D025 indicates an end to the temporary moratorium on consecrations of gay or lesbian bishops, and that is the controversial aspect of it.  That moratorium was one of three by which all Anglican churches, world-wide, were asked to abide for a time.

The Episcopal Church lived into that request through the Lambeth Conference last summer (which was a potential point of crisis).  However, other Provinces in the Communion have not lived into the moratorium, unfortunately.  In fact, an “Anglican bishop” has come into East Tennessee without my permission – and contrary to my request – to perform an ordination.  Such action is in clear violation of one moratorium.  From our own experience in East Tennessee, therefore, the moratoria have not been effective.

The fact of the matter is that D025 itself will not influence to any great extent the life of Episcopal churches in our diocese.  The fact also is that this resolution does not direct us to do anything, except follow our Constitution and Canons.

I call on us all, therefore, to focus on our Lord’s command to love each other and to direct our energy and attention on God’s mission to a world in need.  In spite of numerous distractions, that commandment and mission continue to provide the reasons for our being, as a church and as the people of God.

Text of Resolution D025: http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=986&type=Current

Bob Strimer

I’ve been struck by the wonderful variety of worship here at General Convention. We have a midday Eucharist each day, led by different priests and bishops and complemented by varying choirs leading us in singing diverse music that is inspiring. Attendees, particularly first time deputies such as myself, can be surprised by how differently Episcopalians proclaim their faith in communal worship.

The pace of the convention has definitely increased as the work of the various legislative committees produces resolutions for the entire House of Deputies to debate, ponder and then vote for or against. We still have considerable important topics coming up – the denominational health plan, the lay employee pension plan, the possibilities of moving toward formal blessing of same sex unions – but over the last 36 hours both houses of the convention have passed a resolution that would allow all baptized members of the Episcopal Church to enter discernment/selection processes for all ordained ministries. This resolution would have the effect of ending the church’s voluntary moratorium on electing and consecrating gay or lesbian bishops in committed relationships. The resolution was passed in the House of Deputies on Sunday and then, with amendment, by the House of Bishops Monday. It will return to the House of Deputies this week in its new form for passage. Those interested can find the current form at http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=986&type=Current.

Having worked within the church initially at the parish level and then for some years at the diocesan level, I find being a deputy at General Convention a very new experience – enjoyable and exhilarating in many ways but at times uncomfortable in the sense of tension between the deputies and the bishops. With God’s help we’ll do his work here in Anaheim.