The General Convention from a Distance

I listened intently yesterday afternoon to the live streaming from the General Convention meeting taking place this week and next in Indianapolis.  I encourage all my readers who are Episcopalians to take some time and learn more about your Church by listening in on the meetings taking place in both the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. The morning worship service is also being streamed live each morning at around 9:45 am. Some initial reactions:

House of Deputies

Episcopal News Service

Very orderly! With a sense of purpose. The resolution that drew the most conversation during the afternoon legislative session concerned Deputies addressing the Convention and announcing how much money their Diocese gives to the National Church. In other words, if you wanted to address the House of Deputies, you would say something along the lines of: “I am Deputy So-and-So from the Diocese of Ohio and we give 18% to the National Church.” Why is this important? What has it got to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Gratefully, the resolution was soundly defeated.

I really like the three minute clock that is on view when a Deputy rises to speak. This should be available at every Diocesan Convention across our Church. In addition, it was great to see friends serving as Deputies from across the country – old friends and new. Good stuff and thanks for your service.

Term Limits – at the end of the business session, The President of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson, called by name the Deputies that have served at least seven or more General Conventions. It was quite a lengthy list. But, this is why the Church is still living in the past. We need new faces, ideas, conversations, and challenge. I have always been opposed to the way Deputies are elected to General Convention. It is, like most elections, a popularity contest with little or no thought given to what are the gifts that person has to serve the larger Church. I believe the more democratic way would be for term limits. Once you had served three General Conventions, you would rotate off and allow others the opportunity to be a part of the "Councils of the Church." Like most Dioceses, the same people get elected again and again which means that many of the same ideas and philosophies are being “rehashed” over and over and over again. I am confident that we, as the Body of Christ, can do better.

An excellent post from a younger Deputy appeared on the Internet last night. I encourage you to read it by clicking here.

House of Bishops

The question I have for this group is – where is the transparency that many of you want from all of us? I click on the HOB link and am immediately instructed that there is a “Private Conversation” taking place. Why is that conversation not up for a public hearing? Seems secretive with a sense of entitlement. Are the House of Bishops’ conversations more important than the House of Deputies?

I volunteer at a local cable television station so I am sensitive to what is on the television screen at any given time. Why only one camera in the House of Bishops? This camera is in the back of the room on a wide angle shot making it impossible to identify speakers and individuals. Why aren’t there more cameras in the HOB’s as there are in the HOD’s? I sense a “control” issue that bothers me as it should others.

Episcopal News Service

Finally, at the end of the HOB’s session, one prelate asked the Presiding Bishop why there was no offering taken at the morning Eucharist. Good question…. I thought. The answer had something to do with a concern about time – not enough time in the schedule to gather a collection in thanksgiving to God for our many blessings. The scrambling by many of our “leaders” to offer an answer to their peer was amusing and reflects the overall nonsense which from time to time is the Church. If there is time for Deputies to come to a mike and tell you how much money their Diocese supports the National Church, there is plenty of time to take an offering. C’mon friends.

Media Center

At the General Convention Media Center, this article below appeared earlier in the day. While I admire the “intent” of the resolution and the need to be ever mindful of the poor, this is a classic example of one of those “feel good” resolutions that will probably be passed by both Houses and then nothing will come of it. Are there not more concrete ways to serve the poor in Jesus’ Name? What if the General Convention this weekend, instead of worshipping on Sunday morning, gathered in front of the Convention Center, said a prayer, and then took to the streets and assisted the poor of Indianapolis? What if the Bishops led the way and went and washed the feet of the poor, and the rest of us followed their example by feeding and clothing them? What miracles would come of such an action? Untold…. I imagine. What an offering to God that would be!

"Resolution B008, which calls on Episcopalians to start all meetings in 2013 by asking how that meeting affects or involves people living in poverty, is still under consideration by Social and Urban Affairs. The editorial in the July 6 print edition incorrectly stated that the resolution had “emerged unscathed” from that committee. We believe the question at the heart of B008 would encourage us to be more intentional about mission.

"Full Editorial:

"What if every meeting, whether at the parish, diocesan or church-wide level, and no matter what the purpose, began with this agenda item: “How will what we are doing here affect or involve people living in poverty?”

"That’s the proposal for 2013 you’ll find in Resolution B008, submitted by the Rt. Rev. J. Michael Garrison, assisting bishop, Southwest Florida, and endorsed by the board of directors (on which Bishop Garrison serves) and staff of the Association for Episcopal Deacons.

"B008 will be considered by the Committee on Social and Urban Affairs. As it proceeds through the process, a few eyes will undoubtedly roll. A reference or two to naiveté will emerge. After all, one well-meaning resolution won’t necessarily change the way we go about our routine business. It’s hard to imagine a parish task force on Sunday-morning parking spending time with a question about poverty as the first order of business.

"But the proposal backed by the deacons should not be lightly brushed off. It goes to the heart of who we are as Christians. It addresses, quite literally, the priorities of our community of faith. It tests us on the question of how forcefully we are following Jesus’ call to help “the least of these.” It encourages us to be intentional about mission. Already the Dioceses of Indianapolis and Atlanta have adopted proposals similar to B008.

"Economic justice is a pervasive theme at this General Convention. From guidelines for tipping hotel room attendants to a re commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, our Church is applying its spiritual principles to the dollars and cents of how resources are distributed and shared.

"Indeed, mission has been the high ground claimed by competing proposals for the triennial budget. But for all our talk about the importance of mission, it may take something like B008 to bring this issue of mission home to our everyday lives.

"Should we follow the guidance of this proposal, how often will we be able to come up with a satisfactory answer to the question at its heart? If the answer is, “only when we’re meeting as an outreach commission,” then we’re falling far short of our job description as Christians.

"Vocational deacons are enjoying a renaissance in many parts of our Church. The Diocese of Virginia began ordaining such deacons in 2011 for the first time in its history. Perhaps it’s the diaconate that will help our Church raise the issue of economic justice to the level it deserves. After all, deacons focus on connecting the church to the broader community, especially the needy and poor.

"B008 raises issues not only about the poor, but also about us: When we conduct our church business, is poverty a priority or an afterthought? That’s a question that’s potentially uncomfortable, which is why it’s so important." (Episcopal News Service)

And so it goes…. Tomorrow the Weekly Round-Up.

Love One Another - Brian