Home for the holidays

One of my best clergy buddies is fond of saying, “All church is local.” That is, Christ is most present in small communities of faith that share their lives together. Two events in the past 24 hours reminded me of this truism.

The first was yesterday’s email from Episcopal News Service announcing that it would cease publication of its two remaining printed newspapers at the end of the month. I wasn’t surprised; a similar attempt had been made about a year ago, but the decision was deferred over protests from a number of dioceses.

However electronically interconnected many of us have become, print remains the best way to reach a significant number of the significantly graying population of Episcopalians. And while we can live with not learning where the PB went last month, parishioners will be much the poorer for not being able to read and see what other congregations around the country have been up to. Sure, you can find it on the web—if you know where to look—if you remember to look. That’s not the same as having it dropped at your doorstep.

The second reminder came in a Christmas card that arrived today—a letter written by the husband of one of my cousins. He’s pastor of a Covenant (Swedish Reformed) congregation in southern California. He wrote:

I’m convinced more than ever that the local church is God’s “Plan A” for the world. It’s here in small local settings where hope is made tangible and where love breaks down barriers. Here is where grace extends across the divides of age and income, ethnicity and education. Here is where the Gospel happens or doesn’t, and I’m thankful to be part of that.

Amen; blessed Advent and a joyous Christmas.

More Thought; Less Shouting

Interesting ideas tend to show up in odd clusters. I’ve recently encountered two unrelated items, each of which gives the other a little more weight. The first comes from UCC minister Tony Robinson, writing in Call & Response - a blog run by the Divinity School at Duke University. In a post entitled “David Brooks as Public Theologian,” Robinson comments on the current lack of great theological leaders whose influence extends beyond theology and into the worlds of politicians and civic leaders. He asks the rhetorical question, “Where have all the Niebuhrs gone?” You can read it here.

The second item is an op-ed from the New York Times by Timothy Egan entitled, “Building a nation of Know-Nothings.” It’s a lament about the ability of certain “media” figures to perpetuate utter falsehoods merely by use of innuendo and repetition. He points out that, however incredible it sounds, huge numbers of people believe this stuff just because they keep hearing it. You can read the sordid details here.

So where is the church in all this? It’s not an easy question, because Christ’s call to love all people by definition includes some unsavory characters. But that need not leave us fumbling. First off, we have an obligation to speak the truth, to advocate that others must do the same, and to call them on it when they do not. That’s a role that theological leaders have often filled in the past; today... not so much.

Second, we need to realize that neither religion nor politics is a zero-sum game. It’s not about who wins; it’s about the greater good. In the case of the church, this means building God’s kingdom for all people. In politics, it means focusing not on who’s to blame for a problem, or why you should fear it, but on how to fix the problem. In both cases, it’s about getting things done and persuading people that having their own way isn’t always in their best interest.

Leadership is about motivation, to be sure. But more importantly, it’s about getting people to focus on what’s really, truly important, then motivating them to work on that. Everything else is just a seductive diversion.

Godly Play to the Max

It's great news to hear that attendance at next week's Godly Play Core Training will be full to overflowing. Those attending are in for a treat. There's more available about the weekend-long event here.

Kudos to the organizers for what promises to be a great experience for all.

Say What?!?!

Many things I find out on the web about religion and the Episcopal Church prompt me to comment - and I frequently do so here. Occasionally, however, something comes up that pretty much speaks for itself.

This morning’s New York Times carries a story about the Vatican’s recently released rules regarding sex abuse. Here’s the first paragraph:

“The Vatican issued revisions to its internal laws on Thursday making it easier to discipline sex-abuser priests, but caused confusion by also stating that ordaining women as priests was as grave an offense as pedophilia.”

Well, they certainly made their position clear. I guess Catholics in the pews will draw their own conclusions... as will the rest of us. You can read the rest of the article here.

Finding God

Each morning when I open up my Google News page, I see a daily culling of stories from the media that involve the Episcopal Church in one way or another. These stories typically fall into two piles. First, there are stories that show the church in action. These include things like a church in Boston holding a prayer service to bring calm to a gang-ridden neighborhood; a group in Minneapolis translating the Prayer Book into Hmong; a mission trip; a refugee settlement; or a group of cyclists raising money for a water project in the Sudan.

The other pile contains things like who has sued whom, what this court said about who owns which church’s property, and--perhaps most strangely--where and when the P.B. can wear her hat. The writers of this stuff usually take strong, polar positions on what, at least to them, are issues central to the faith. In a recent post on her blog, Diana Butler Bass has interesting things to say about this lot. You can read it here.

If you want to learn what the Episcopal Church is all about, I beseech you not to try to find out by reading about it. Instead, take a month and visit a different Episcopal Church in your area each Sunday. I suspect that each of the four will be different. You’ll probably like one better than the others. But if you take a look at each of them, you’ll find Christ present in what’s going on there. It won’t be earth-shaking; it won’t change the world. But it will be real, it will be relevant, and it will be helping to build God’s kingdom on earth. Those are the folks to whom I’ll tip my hat.

Will the real Christians please stand up

The New York Times has carried two stories recently that give hope to the idea that thoughtful commentary on thing religious still exists. The first was an article about Krista Tippit’s NPR program Speaking of Faith, recalling how a remarkable woman has managed to blend, “the child of small-town church comfortable in the pews; the product of Yale Divinity School able to parse text in Greek and theology in German; and, perhaps most of all, the diplomat seeking to resolve social divisions.” In doing so, she attracts a sizable regular following. You can read the whole story here.

The second article was an Op Ed by the Dalai Lama in which he challenges the premise that the world’s religions have nothing to learn from one another. He recounts his early meetings with Thomas Merton, and their discussions about how one can learn from one religion while remaining faithful to another. He goes on to say, “I’m a firm believer in the power of personal contact to bridge differences, so I’ve long been drawn to dialogues with people of other religious outlooks. The focus on compassion that Merton and I observed in our two religions strikes me as a strong unifying thread among all the major faiths. And these days we need to highlight what unifies us.” The entire story is here.

The Episcopal Church is full of examples of this sort of productive, inspiring contact with other denominations and faiths. We will do a much better job of spreading the Gospel—in whatever form—by reaching outward, focusing on these commonalities and ignoring those who would chastise us for the ways in which we are different from them—and therefore, presumably, somehow less Christian.

How's Your Glass?

Diocesan Convention resolutions typically come in two flavors: things we deal with because the lawyers or the church hierarchy tell us we must, and things we deal with because someone is upset about something. This June’s convention will include both flavors. However, there are also one or two resolutions that, if folks are paying attention, ought to spark some really meaningful discussion.

Most prominent among these is a resolution from the Very Rev. Churchill Pinder, Chair of the Standing Committee, entitled, A resolution to implement a process of Holy Conversations within the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. The proposition is simple: that over the next three years the Diocese engage in a structured process of discussion centered around three questions:

Who are we as the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania?
What has God called us to do or be?
Who is our neighbor?

I would suspect that this effort is an outgrowth of the strategic planning process in which the Bishop and the Standing Committee have been involved over the past year. But the questions the resolution asks offer a real opportunity because they can serve as a monitor of our attitudes about our church.

If the church is a place where attendance keeps falling, where the same people get elected to the vestry year after year, where balancing the budget means further depleting the endowment each year, and where you can count the young families on the fingers of one hand, then your glass probably looks half empty.

On the other hand, if the church is a place where attendance is at least stable, if there are new ideas for ministry and outreach (and if a few of them work), if there are kids around and they’re involved in the congregation, if the vestry and clergy are more inclined to say, “Why not!” than, “Why should we?” then your glass probably looks half full.

All congregations have challenges, and when the economy is down, everyone’s challenges are larger. But if congregations fail, it is because leadership, both lay and clerical, fails. Ultimately, we have no one but ourselves to blame. Neither the diocese, nor the national church, nor the economy, nor unpopular causes will cause your parish to founder. Your parish will succeed only when you overcome your fear and focus on showing God’s love to the world around you. This diocese has an abundance of stories that will back this up, and they come from congregations both large and small, that are willing to do the hard work that is required. Size is no determinant. But until you’re no longer afraid, your head and your heart just won’t be in the right place.

Whose problem is it?

Over the weekend, the Washington Post featured an op-ed from bishop Gene Robinson framed as a letter to the pope about the current abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. While Bishop Robinson is careful first to debunk the myth that homosexuals are any more likely to be abusers than the general population, he spends most of his ink describing the detailed process by which his diocese and the rest of the Episcopal Church seek to prevent abuse and to deal with it when it happens. You can read the entire piece here.

Taking ownership of a problem is usually the best way to ensure that it receives proper attention. We share the prayers of many Catholic faithful that the Catholic hierarchy will finally find effective ways to do just that.

The Web We Weave

The fifty or so wardens and other lay leaders who attended last month’s wardens’ conference got a real treat. The afternoon speaker was Patrick Herold, president of Digital Faith, Inc., the firm with which the Diocese has contracted for a new web site that will involve both the diocese and as many of its parishes as are interested in participating. Pat is an interesting fellow; he’s patented several powerful communication technologies, and he got into working with Episcopal Churches during time in Atlanta with the Episcopal Media Center.

The luncheon presentation was nothing less than a capsule history of human communication over the past 10,000 years or so. Think of stories around the campfire – stone tablets – the printing press – telegraph – telephone – the web. That was the substance, but his version was both more eloquent and more humorous.

But as he began digging into what the Diocese is trying to do on the web, Herold made a very important point. “Munch of what folks are trying to do with religion on the web,” he said, “is really very thin. I can put up my sermon or my comment, and folks can comment on what I’m doing. You can call that a community, but it really isn’t.”

And that, of course, is just the point. Pat went on to describe what we’re trying to do with the new diocesan web site. This is not an effort to create a new online community. Instead, it’s an effort to provide a set of tools and information that folks who are already a part of our diocesan community can use to strengthen their relationships with one another. We will do it by sharing, by commenting, and I suspect, by realizing that the joys, challenges, and struggles that we feel locally exist elsewhere as well.

No one congregation has either all the problems or all the talent and solutions. We hope our new site will provide a platform that will help both people and parishes do better in their mission. The new site should be on line in the next week or two. We hope you’ll drop by and participate.

The Post-Colonial Thing

Youth can sometimes bring a certain innocence to complex issues. So I was intrigued to read a short explication of the trials facing global Anglicanism this morning written by a staffer for, would you believe, the Yale Daily News.

I found this student’s words merely charming until I realized that the writer—female, I think—appeared to be Chinese, and because of her heritage, she had a very particular view of the British. To wit: “If you grew up in America reading about the exploits of Paul Revere, you thought of the British as the redcoats. But since I grew up in China, I thought of them as top hat-wearing drug dealers who peddled yapian by the boatload.”

Well… OK, then.

Despite past quarrels, Americans have always had a sort of affection for all things English. The same, apparently, is not true in other former colonies. I suspect that one form of this post-colonial lashing out is the glee with which the provinces of the southern hemisphere thumb their noses at the Church of England, Rowan Williams, and worst of all, the Americans. At at least one level, this is an argument more about power than theology. You messed with us; now we’ll mess with you.

Now, with that all said, our young Chinese reporter goes on to provide a succinct summary of why the Anglican Communion may shortly be neither Anglican nor a communion. You can read it all here.

Vacation Days

Earlier this week, the vacationing rector of a parish in the diocese received a phone call from the parish office. They had received a call from an area funeral director about scheduling a funeral for a quite elderly woman who had not darkened the door of the church in years. She and her husband—who was hospitalized, recovering from pneumonia—had been married in that church, and he had particularly requested that the funeral be held there on Friday.

Friday was apparently important. Saturday would not do. Not wanting to shorten a planned vacation, the rector arranged for a deacon to officiate.

Two days later, the husband, still hospitalized, took a sudden turn for the worse. He died the next morning. He and his wife had been married just over seventy years.

Early Friday morning, the rector drove back to the church, where the family gathered for a rare double funeral. Commenting on the situation, the rector said, “It was the only thing to do.”

God works in mysterious ways, and he cares for all the sheep, no matter how often they talk with him. We should, too.

Where is Church??

I've just finished reading Phyllis Tickle's popular book, The Great Emergence. It's a real stew, involving of a lot of complex technology, sociology, and theological development. I spend the bulk of my life working the twin frontiers of emerging communication technology and the ways to infuse that technology into education—at all levels. So I was struck by the way the author touches on—but does not fully explore—the ways the Internet has amplified the emergence she describes.

The emerging Christianity Tickle describes is very much parallel to what, in computing jargon, is called a distributed network. In such a system, if I choose to send a piece of information from Point A to Point B, it will always get there, but the route that it takes will almost certainly be different each time. In fact, the network will likely break that information into separate packets, any one of which may take a different route. Yet, they all arrive, and the message remains intact. We oversimplify the impact of this communication revolution—or Tickle's succession of diagrams of emergent Christianity—at our peril. Each affects us on more levels than we probably recognize.

The “unhinging” that Tickle describes centers on the diminution of families (and mothers and grandmothers in particular) as the arbiters of cultural norms. They didn't do this intentionally; they simply got too busy, or too distracted, or separated by too great distances to pay attention to it. The certainty—and the locus—of authority suffers as a result.

Unlike education, Christianity defines itself in communities, and geography has always been the delimiter of those communities. But what happens if I can do Bible study on a wiki, with participants from around the world? Does the German Reformed churchman from Zurich read St. Luke with the same nuance as mine? Will a young Irish Catholic blanch at my comment about Paul's letters? But isn't this a community of faith also? But now, the community now emerges on new terms.

One of Ms. Tickle's most interesting points is that the movement of emergent forces toward some new state usually engenders a counter-reaction. (Think of the few dioceses that have left the Episcopal Church.) To these folks she attributes surprising importance, noting that their presence acts as ballast, keeping things from rolling too far in any one direction.

Throughout her text, Tickle notes that these changes are, in and of themselves, neither good nor bad. “They just are,” she writes. Gee, thanks; now what do we do?

These phenomena are larger than any of us, or our congregation, or our diocese, or even our church. The riddle lies in how we navigate them from here. I'll to explore the potential of these new media connections—for the better or the less better—in upcoming posts.

DAY 10: Thursday, July 16

From Kate Harrigan (Deputation Chair): “On Beyond Zebra” or On Beyond D025

Much attention has been focused on the passage here of Resolution D025, which reaffirmed The Episcopal Church’s commitment to equal access for all to the process of discernment toward ordered ministry. But a great deal more has been happening here in Anaheim, and over the last few General Conventions, and I have find myself compelled to bring attention to the incredibly compassionate and faithful work of each convention.

Some items the public is not hearing about:

We restored funding to the Millennium Development Goals. These address the needs of people around the globe. While the funding had originally been removed, the church decided that these goals were important enough to “put our money where our mouth is”, even with a tight and sacrificial budget.

We passed legislation that advocates for

• indigenous peoples who live in the poorest areas of our country;
• lay employees in the church through pension and health plans;
• fair labor laws in the United States;
• equal education for all children;
• protection for victims of domestic violence.

These are just a few of the resolutions we passed so that the church may speak and act with a voice of justice for those who have no voice.

We are also passing legislation that broadens the boundaries of our church so that we may share the goodness of God with our brothers and sisters in Christ from the Moravian, the Methodist, and the Presbyterian traditions.

And we are passing legislation that begs us to pay attention to our care of creation to reverse damage to the environment.

The overwhelming voice and work of this convention, and of our Episcopal Church, is the voice and work of inclusion and advocacy – for The LGBT community, for the Latino/Hispanic community, for the indigenous people of our world, for the poor among us, for our brothers and sisters in Christ from other traditions and for God’s earth.

In his meditation today, the Rev. Frank Wade, our chaplain, helped us to understand that evangelism really means telling our story. The evangelist is the story teller. We are telling our story here, a powerful story of inclusion and advocacy, a powerful story of faithfulness to the Gospel – the Good News – of Christ.

From Patrick Strohl:

Well, we have a budget for The Episcopal Church for the 2010-2012 triennium. After holding two hearings last week, the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance presented a budget reflecting cuts totaling over $23 million from the proposed budget drafted earlier this year. The Convention adopted a $141 million budget, which reflects a reduction of $10.45 per Episcopalian per year.

On the income side, in response to dioceses’ requests, asking will be calculated at 21% of each diocese's operating income for 2010; 20% for 2011 and 19% for 2012. Our Diocese of Central PA was one of only 27 dioceses that met the 21% asking in 2008.

On the expense side, many national programs will be cut, meaning that dioceses and parishes will need to undertake more mission work themselves. Up to 37 out of 180 staff members employed at the New York and regional offices will lose their jobs. Many were told in meetings at convention that their jobs were being eliminated. The House of Deputies halted business after the budget was adopted to pray for those affected by the cuts.

In another cost cutting move, the 77th General Convention to be held in Indianapolis in 2012 has been shortened from ten days to eight. The budget for Episcopal Life was cut from $9.5 million to $3 million, to reflect an eventual move from ten newspaper-style issues a year to a quarterly magazine-type publication, with other media picking up the task of providing timely “news”. Dioceses like ours, who wrap their diocesan newspapers around Episcopal Life, will need to adjust communications strategies.

We are being forced to become leaner, more efficient and more focused. God grant us grace to see and name the abundance that God offers, as we work through the pain of this process.


From Rayelenn Casey, Sign Language Interpreter:

(Editor’s Note: Rayelenn has traveled to Anaheim this convention with her husband, Stephen, who is a clergy delegate, and daughter, Emily, who is a volunteer.)

This is my fifth consecutive General Convention working as a sign language interpreter. I don’t know how many of you are aware of the existence of the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf, a body in the national church that supports ministry with Deaf people, providing, as they say at their popular booth in the Exhibit Hall, “faith experiences for Deaf people in their own language.”

The ECD has no central office or location; instead, it is made up of priests, deacons, and lay people in parishes all over the country from Boston to San Diego, from Alabama and North Carolina, to St. Louis to Upstate New York. The ECD is made up of several fully Deaf parishes as well as “hearing” parishes that offer sign language interpretation. So – the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf has a very strong and very visible presence at General Convention, and it is my honour and privilege to be one of the three interpreters providing interpretation at daily worship services, at committee meetings, in the House of Deputies and even the House of Bishops, in addition to special events.

The ECD’s booth in the exhibit hall is, as I say, popular – it seems everyone loves to learn sign language, so there is always an interpreter stationed there to facilitate conversation between the Deaf people at the booth and passers-by. Deaf people have also testified at committee hearings and served as Eucharistic ministers at worship.

On a personal note, it was for me a pleasure and a sacred responsibility to interpret for Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in his address on the global economy last week, and to share the peace with him at worship the next morning. Interpreting liturgy has always been a particular joy for me – and so I am having a wonderful time doing just that at General Convention.

...and Still Friends

Some of the more interesting writing coming out of the General Convention this week has been by Daniel Burke, who writes for Religion News Service, and whose spouse is the religion reporter for the York Daily Record here in our diocese. In a report published on BeliefNet recently, he describes two deputies from Virginia who, having voted in opposite ways for D025, remain longstanding friends.

Interestingly, sexuality had little to do with the calculus for the gentleman who voted against the resolution. He has been active in helping the church in Sudan, and he was concerned that the actions of the Convention could further alienate provinces in Africa, thereby endangering a valuable and much-needed partnership. He may have a point.

So, while our collective journey continues, one can only hope that in the long run the Convention's recent actions will strengthen—not weaken—the church's capacity for mission. You can read the entire piece here.

Day 9, Wednesday, July 15

From Brian Amato

Fifty (50) resolutions! That’s how many the Committee on National and International Concerns has had to deal with during this General Convention. These resolutions are attempts to set the church’s policy on a wide range of issues, or change existing policy. They are important because (1) they tell the world where we stand on these issues, and (2) more practically, they set limits on what our Government Relations Office in Washington, DC can advocate for. The Government Relations Office is well-respected and very effective, but it is only allowed to advocate for policies that have been approved by General Convention or, in some cases, by the Executive Council, the body which runs the church between general conventions.

Some topics considered at this General Convention include the Palestine/Israeli conflict, recent troubles in Honduras, the Iraq war, the effects of global warming and the recent world-wide economic problems. Closer to home we looked at immigration policy, the rights of Native Americans, employment rights for transgendered people, health-insurance policy and the so-called “defense of marriage” laws.

How it works: Each proposed resolution has to be given a hearing before the full committee and then be worked on by one of the four subcommittees. (I was on the Environmental and Other Concerns subcommittee.) After that, they are brought before the full committee for further discussion and may be sent back for further revision. Once the full committee agrees on a resolution’s language, they may send it to the House of Deputies with a recommendation to pass the final version, reject it, refer it to another committee or church body or “discharge” it (which means to stop further work on it because, for example, another resolution was passed that addresses the same issue.

As of this afternoon, the House of Deputies has passed several committee resolutions, including

· A comprehensive resolution on Israel/Palestine, calling for concessions on both sides.

· A resolution asking for better treatment for illegal immigrants.

· A resolution calling for a reform of our labor laws to restore the balance between unions and management.


From David Lovelace

"I have ten minutes to save the earth," the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston began his sermon at the Wednesday Eucharist with these startling words. Calling on the witness of his Native American ancestors, scientific information and the many voices who have been telling us for thirty years the clock is ticking Bishop Charleston said, "the ticking has stopped and the alarm is sounding." All the issues that we think are so important will amount to nothing if the place we call home becomes a charred ball rotating around the sun. The time is at hand to respond to the alarm least we leave our children no place to call home. He concluded by asking if we would join him in protecting mother earth. A resounding "yes" was followed by a standing ovation.

A Denominational Health Plan for all employees of the church working 1000 or more hours per year was passed by both Houses. Both also concurred on the establishment of a Lay Employee Pension Plan for those who work 1000 hours or more per year. Both plans have been studied during the past three years and were presented as a justice issue for the church. We have a responsibility to take care of those persons who facilitate the ministry we all share. Parishes will have three years to comply with these resolutions. While they raise financial concerns for both large and small parishes, those who work for the church enable us to be about God's work in the world. We have a responsibility to do all we can, to provide for their health care and retirement.

The Triennial Budget comes before us tomorrow (Thursday). Reviewing the documents provided to us ahead of time was daunting. Some concerns seem to have been left out, thereby challenging all of us to provide support for mission and ministry. Determining priorities, what can best be done at a local level and what will need the support of the larger church is not an easy assignment. A budget of $140,854,531 is a lot of money, until you are faced with the difficult decisions of where and how to allocate these funds.

DAY 8: Tuesday, July 14

From Christine Purcell

Not surprisingly, there is a huge amount of hype, anxiety and confusing press around Resolution D025, now passed in amended form by the House of Deputies. Your deputation met on Monday evening to debrief a little with one another and with Bishop Baxter, and what follows is a sense of what we collectively understand it to mean.


The resolution’s purpose was to clarify the stance of The Episcopal Church in light of the Windsor Report and the discussions concerning its place in the larger Anglican Communion, more particularly with respect to GC2006 B033, which was passed in the closing minutes of the General Convention of 2006. You remember that B033 called on Bishops and Standing Committees to exercise restraint in the consent to an election to the episcopate of a candidate “whose manner of life” might cause concern to the rest of the Anglican Communion.

The first four “resolves” of D025 reaffirm the Episcopal Church’s participation in the Anglican Communion, in terms of encouraging participation in the instruments of communion, financial support and the shared listening process to which all committed in the last three Lambeth Conferences.

The fifth and sixth “resolves” address the integral role of gay and lesbian persons in the life of the Church, the Episcopal Church’s understanding that discernment to ordered ministry is a mystery, and that such process is governed for us by our Constitution and Canons.

The final “resolve” acknowledges that, in the light of Holy Scriptures, tradition, and reason, the church is not of one mind in the matters of human sexuality; that “Christians of good conscience disagree about some of these matters.”

Some individuals in both the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops believe that D025 overturns or supersedes B033. The prevailing view among the bishops is that this is not so. That the reaffirmation of non-discrimination can exist side by side with a call to restraint for the sake of the greater good. And that D025, messy as it may seem, truthfully depicts the stance of The Episcopal Church at this particular moment.

Our own Bishop Baxter spoke of the importance of this honesty. In his comments on Monday night, he reflected on the incompatibility of baptism and bondage, referencing older conflict in the church over the full humanity and personhood of slaves, and likening it to the present struggle about the full implications of the baptism of GLBT persons. Now, as then, science changes, and theology grows.

In the days to come the conversation will continue. The Church needs time to assimilate what has happened here in Anaheim and see how it is woven into the larger tapestry of our common life. We urge your thoughtful reflection and faithful prayer for all God’s people as we love one another and work together in God’s unfolding future.

More from Gina Barrett

The House of Deputies experienced a moment of grace yesterday. We were nearing the end of our morning legislative session when a long line of people filed up to the podium. They were our ecumenical visitors, and they were introduced one by one. Rather than a speech (or several), we were treated to something else.

A Jewish cantor stepped up to the microphone and sang in Hebrew. It was a single voice, powerful and haunting, and it filled the entire room. As he finished, the cantor stepped back, and a Muslim stepped forward. His voice was equally powerful and haunting but in quite a different way. When the Muslim finished, an Episcopal priest came forward. He sang in English, and his song was beautiful.

What happened next was truly amazing. While the priest sang, the Muslim came forward and added his voice. Then the cantor joined in. They sang three separate “songs” which didn’t harmonize in a traditional way. And yet there was never any dissonance, any clash of pitch.

The entire House of 1000+ people sat there as chronos became kairos. It was a holy moment like none I’d ever experienced. In those three voices, I heard the voice of God.

DAY 7: Monday, July 13

From Christine Purcell:

This afternoon, the House of Bishops took up Resolution D025, which was passed by a major majority in the House of Deputies yesterday (please see David Lovelace’s thoughtful posting below).

It passed with amendment, which means that it will need to come back to the House of Deputies for final approval. The amendment inserted language into the 6th “resolve”, which addressed the discernment process for the election of bishops in The Episcopal Church. You may read about that language in more detail at http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_112523_ENG_HTM.htm.

The press will, of course, rush to interpret what this means and its implications for our relationship with the Anglican communion. Time will tell. In the meantime, please watch this page for future posting when we all have had a little more time to process and reflect.

On another note, the House of Deputies was treated to a wonderfully encouraging and compelling presentation by two member s of the Youth Deputation to this Convention. Zachary Brown, from the Diocese of Upper South Carolina and head of the Youth deputation, and Carolyn Chou, a very articulate college-bound young woman from the Diocese of Pennsylvania took turns at the microphone telling their stories of involvement in and commitment to the Episcopal Church, and calling for greater openness to their voices in the life and discernment of the church as a whole. They were a living icon, differing in gender, ethnicity and political viewpoint, yet joined in their desire to offer their gifts and share in leadership.

It was a fabulous moment. It reminded me that we are so much more than a single issue church, that our future is filled with Spirit-led and grace-filled possibilities. I pray it won’t be lost or forgotten on a news day that focused elsewhere.

From Stephen Casey:

In the midst of the turmoil surrounding resolutions involving human sexuality, the House of Deputies passed Resolution D038 calling on the church to reach out to Latinos/Hispanics in the coming triennial of 2010-2012.

There are many images that strike the eye when attending General Convention and one in particular is the cultural diversity of the Episcopal Church. Flags from eighteen nations hang on the wall behind the platform on the floor of the House of Deputies, reminding us that The Episcopal Church is a truly international church, unique in the Anglican Communion. In the liturgies at General Convention we have experienced the music and movement of Deaf Episcopalians, African/American, Native American, and Latino and Hispanic cultures and styles of worship. It may seem to some that in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania we are a little removed from such diversity, but this is not so, especially in the south where, in York, Lancaster, for instance, there is a growing Latino/Hispanic community.

In the spirit of Ubuntu (I in you, you in me) this resolution calls us to reach out to these communities.

From Carol Burkey Snell, Volunteer:

Greetings from Anaheim, California!

I have pulled duty in the House of Bishops and the ECW Secretariat. Ever wonder where all of those neatly folded and stapled packets come from or how items get from the third floor to the first floor? Well, there are hundreds, yes hundreds, of volunteers in bright yellow aprons scurrying around "making things happen". What a great time I'm having. Peace and Joy to all!


From Gina Barrett:

Friday night was the Integrity Eucharist at General Convention. I attended this service three years ago, and it changed my life. You’d better believe I was there this year.

The service included the renewal of our baptismal promises. An especially poignant moment was the thanksgiving over the water. The celebrant invited all of us in the congregation to raise our hands toward the font, so we all consecrated the water together.

For the gospel procession, two acolytes carried multi-colored banners. Next came the thurifer. Then a man playing an African drum. He was followed by two torchbearers and a deacon carrying the Gospel Book. Then there were more torchbearers, followed by Bishop Robinson, who asperged us with the newly-consecrated baptismal water. Bringing up the rear were more torchbearers and banners. The procession wound its way around the room while we all sang an African song.

Another highlight was the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris’ sermon. I’ve never heard her preach before, and she did not mince words. She declared that B033 was the ticket to a false peace. She wondered why others in the Anglican Communion have a say in who we elect as bishop when we don’t have a say in who they select as bishop. If we don’t want gay bishops, we shouldn’t ordain them as transitional deacons, she continued. In fact, we shouldn’t even baptize them to begin with. She capped this off with, “How can you initiate someone and then treat them like they’re half-assed baptized?” Strong words, indeed. Whether you agree with her or not, there’s no doubt about where she stands.

She made two other excellent points: first, God has no favorites. Second, in reference to the proposed Anglican Covenant, the baptismal covenant is the only covenant we need, to be faithful to God.

It’s hard to believe that a hotel ballroom could feel like “church.” But that’s what I experienced. And one last thing: the language of the version used for the scripture readings was everyday and easy to understand. I later found out that it was “The Message” by Eugene Peterson. If you’ve ever been confused by the Bible (everyone raise your hands), then you might want to check it out.

From Jennifer Railing:

Greetings to all of you in Central Pennsylvania! Here is a montage of memories from the first week of participating in the 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church (TEC).

Daily Eucharists offered midmorning in English, Spanish and sign language (often our own Rayelenn Casey from St. Edward’s, Lancaster signing) with wonderful music and choirs (our own Mary Ellen Baxter singing her heart out) --

Discussing giving vote to the Youth representation (who sit in the House of Deputies with voice only) --

Elizabeth Von Trapp freely giving a beautiful concert while the offering that was taken up was given for the Jericho Road project in New Orleans --

The Archbishop of Canterbury giving the meditation at one Eucharist service and leading a panel discussion that evening under the title “Building an Ethical Economy: Theology and the Marketplace” --

Hearing how many deputies feel the structure of our church is burdened with committees, task forces, etc. and suggesting we take a step back for three years and see if all this is necessary?

Tomorrow we shall receive the proposed budget for the next three years (2010, 11, 12) --

And a final thought: the weather that God gives to Southern California is gorgeous (warm no humidity, blue sky) while humankind sets the thermostat inside the cavernous Anaheim Convention Center at what seems an Arctic (pre-global warming) temperature that makes many of us wish we’d packed our sweaters and longjohns…ah well…you are all in my thoughts and prayers, and again I thank you for voting me to be one of our lay deputies from Central PA.

DAY 6: Sunday, July 12, 2009

From David Lovelace:

Children led the procession into Sunday worship, accompanied by dancers with flags and streamers. In her sermon, our Presiding Bishop challenged us to think about what it means for us to be sent as Jesus sent his disciples: to travel light, accept and extend hospitality and proclaim God's kingdom now. At the offertory, representatives of every diocese came forward to present the United Thank Offering. Outward signs that God's kingdom is now working through these gifts to reach out in love around the world. Elizabeth Von Trapp performed her original anthem entitled “Peace”. Who could share in this incredible experience of being lifted into the loving arms of God and not be inspired to go share the good news?


Today was the day in the House of Deputies – the day when we would debate and vote on a resolution that would say who we are as the Episcopal Church in relationship to others. Resolution D025 affirmed our participation in and support of the Anglican Communion. It affirmed the value of the careful listening processes of the 1978, 1988 and 1998 Lambeth Conferences, which has affirmed for us the fact that the Episcopal Church is very diverse including same gender couples living in loving committed relationships. The resolution goes on to affirm that our Constitution and Canons clearly state we do not discriminate against anyone in the discernment process for ministry for any reason.

I was impressed by the generosity of spirit that prevailed in the House as people on both sides of this issue spoke to the resolution. When the vote by orders was taken, the major majority of both clergy and lay deputies voted in favor of this resolution. The resolution now goes to the House of Bishops.

I have to admit a sense of relief that the issue that seemed to underlie this Convention had now made it to the floor of both Houses. I am deeply touched by the respect and honesty we heard expressed today in the House of Deputies. I believe the Presiding Bishop is correct: God is working to affirm for us that the kingdom is now.


From Sam Ward, Lay Alternate

The Standing Committee on Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations has approved a resolution providing for full communion with the Moravian Church. This means that while remaining distinct, the two denominations share beliefs sufficiently that their ministries are interchangeable. A resolution supporting dialogue with the United Methodist Church was broadened to include the African Methodist Episcopal Church and similar faiths. Other resolutions supporting dialogue with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Church of Sweden were also approved.

The Committee spent much of its time working on a statement that hopefully will serve as an invitation to dialogue with other faiths around the globe and here at home. It sets forth our beliefs in terms intended to seek some common understanding and seeks to have others share their beliefs with us, so that we all may be enriched.

DAY 5: Saturday, June 11, 2009

Editor’s Note:

The volume of news continues to build. Here are some highlights reported from Saturday’s session.

From Christine Purcell:

Each day here brings so many memorable moments: for me, yesterday’s (Saturday July 11) was the address by Jenny Te Paa, the "ahorangi" or dean of Te Rau Kahikatea (College of St. John the Evangelist) in Auckland, New Zealand.

Dr. Te Paa was one of five international guests invited by Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies, to observe our 76th General Convention. The other four were from Brazil, South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya – the “true global south”, she said!

Dr. Te Paa spoke, softly and thoughtfully, words of embrace, affirmation, exhortation and gentle advice. You can read them in full at http://ecusa.anglican.org/79901_112408_ENG_HTM.htm, and I strongly encourage you to do so, to gain a sense of how others see us.

One of the great gifts of the way we do business here in the The Episcopal Church is that our process manages to be both egalitarian and transparent. Sure, politics are politics. But there are so many checks and balances – among them our bicameral structure, our strict adherence to Robert’s Rules, our overall commitment to civil discourse, consistently applied. Whatever is decided here, every attempt will have been made to hear all voices with loving respect, trusting that our fidelity to be gracious and generous will, in turn, enable the Holy Spirit’s grace and generosity to cover us all.

From Gina Barrett:

The Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music is considering several resolutions to do with same-gender blessings. There are two ways the commission can handle this: (1) to change the marriage canons so that marriage becomes a union between two adults rather than between a man and a woman; or (2) to develop a rite blessing same-gender unions. The challenge is to craft a resolution that both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies will pass because, as you know, a resolution has to pass both in order to be enacted. In testimony two days ago, the majority of people spoke in favor of same-gender blessings. None of the resolutions have come out of committee yet.

Another set of liturgies under consideration is “Rachel’s Tears, Hannah’s Hopes”, designed to respond to pastoral concerns dealing with reproductive issues. One of these liturgies addresses the loss of children through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, adoption or inability to conceive. There is also a rite of reconciliation and repentance for an abortion. These rites are beautifully written and, if adopted, will be a wonderful resource for pastors and families struggling with life and death issues.

On a lighter note, today the commission heard testimony on two resolutions that would authorize prayers and rites for the loss of a companion animal. Eight people (two accompanied by service dogs) spoke eloquently in support of these resolutions.

In a session I attended a few days ago, members were considering amendments to newly-written collects and prefaces. I was struck by the care and concern given to each word and phrase, both read and chanted. It was painstaking work (some might say nitpicking), but if praying shapes believing, then great care must be taken. After all, this is our theology in liturgical form.

From Kate Harrigan:

In the past two days we passed two important pieces of legislation that will enhance our lives of faith in our diocese and in our congregations. The first is the Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation, a document that points to guide us in our theology and practice around Christian formation for ALL God’s people, cradle-to-grave.

The second is a resolution encouraging dioceses to develop strategies for lifelong formation. This gives “teeth” to the Charter, as it urges implementation. Thus we have both framework and encouragement to continue and broaden work in which we that we are already engaged, within our diocese.

DAY 4: Friday, July 10, 2009

From David Lovelace:

Reflections on B033 Discussion: Today brought the second conversation of the whole for the House of Deputies on the controversy related to this resolution passed by the 2006 General Convention, which called on standing committees and bishops with jurisdiction to "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration to the episcopate of any candidate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and would lead to further strains on communion." The intent of the conversation was so deputies might listen to one another without political maneuvering.

I was struck by the careful and respectful sharing that took place around a very sensitive issue for many people. Some people are feeling frustrated that the Church is not willing to move faster and with prophetic courage. Others urge us to use caution and restraint when it comes to issues related to human sexuality.

What strikes me is that we are on a pilgrimage together to come to a better understanding of how to be loving and welcoming to all God's children. I am not sure legislation is going to solve this issue for the church. I believe the journey continues and we must be willing to listen carefully to one another. Perhaps the public narrative workshops at General Convention will assist us to hear one another's stories and to engage in a mission of providing justice for all people. Maybe those of us who are engaged in this process can return to our home dioceses to help all of us listen and engage in finding ways to be loving to all our neighbors.

From Legislative Aide Mary Amato

Editor’s Note: Mary has traveled with the deputation to Anaheim to participate in a vital way in this Convention – as one of the hundreds of volunteers who enable the wheels of process to turn smoothly.

You may nor may not be aware that General Convention is the largest bicameral body in the world. It functions the same as our own government does. Likewise, my Legislative Aide position is the same as it would be in our Congress. As a committee meets, the Legislative Aide assists in variety of ways as a support person. But my most important responsibility is to allow the committee to focus on their work and not on the tedious jobs of submitting the necessary paperwork for meeting postings, committee reports etc. As an aide, I have been asked to do such things as type meeting minutes, and follow-up on committee reports and responses back from the House of Bishops. I work closely with the officers of the committee.

This is my third convention serving in this capacity. Beyond enjoying the work as a Legislative Aide, I have learned much from the committee I am serving, Church In Small Communities. I have heard some powerful stories about the struggles, successes, and ongoing ministry in small churches throughout our own Episcopal Church.

From Diocesan ECW President Amy Swiernik:

Barbara Brinton, Bonnie Chambers and I have made it to California and have been busy the last few days.

The ECW Opening Celebration took place Wednesday afternoon, with President Kay Meyer officially opening the meeting for the 88 dioceses represented, with a total of 284 voting delegates present. The Presiding Bishop spoke to encourage and thank the women of the church for their integral part in the Anglican communion. The ECW welcoming dinner in the evening was highlighted with a wonderful play on the history of the ECW. We will be bringing home copies of the play that can be shared with the entire Diocese.

On Thursday, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams addressed the ECW, and he further emphasized the importance of the work being done around the world by the Women of the communion. After the Archbishop spoke, the representative of the Anglican Communion to the United Nations, Helen Wandusa spoke about the wonderful work that has been done, but also reminded us of the long road still have to go in just meeting the basic needs of many women around the world. We spent the afternoon in plenary session voting on By-Laws and listening to reports of the Nominating Committee, Resolutions Committee and President's message.

The meditations and sermons of the Rev. Dr. Ellen Sloan, ECW Chaplain, are being posted on the national ECW website. There is an ECW section in the Daily Episcopal Life that is being distributed here daily. It can be accessed at www.episcopalchurch.org

The honored woman ceremony took place Friday afternoon with Bishop Baxter and I escorting our own Barbara Brinton through the ceremony. It was a thrill to honor her. The official Youth Presence also addressed the ECW. They were very well spoken and full of hope for our church. UTO sharing dinner takes place this evening.

I am able to access email here if anyone would like to ask questions or has any comments. My address is amyecwcpa@comcast.net.

Have a fabulous day and blessings!