GC July 11

Hello all,
Saturday was a bit easier. Even my knee is cooperating as long as I remember to elevate it as much as possible. We began with a short legislative session and passed some significant resolutions, including a second one on life long Christian formation.
The morning Eucharist began with the singing of "Christ for the World we Sing". The readings were Proverbs 2: 1-9, Psalm1, and the Gospel was Luke 14:27-33.
The sermon was given by Ray Suarez of NPR. It was energetic and passionate. He loves being an Episcopalian! He immediately attacked the old stereotypes "summer used as a verb" Republican party at prayer", and an old joke about what happens when you cross a Southern Baptist and an Episcopalian. It knocks on strangers doors, but does not know what to say when someone answers. He got really burned about that! He spoke with pride about our prayer book " a jewel of the English language" and the Hymnal 1979. He said he was bilingual, speaking English and church. In speaking about struggling churches in decaying urban centers he said the neighborhoods need us and that we need to reclaim our place in the common culture. Many need what we have got, but we don't yet know them. It was a fiery call to evangelism. He spoke with great pride about our decision to ordain women and the struggle for the full welcome of GLBTs.
Spanish is often used interchangeably during the service indicating the growing number of Hispanics among us.
After our lunch break, we returned for a second public narrative session. This one focused relating stories based on our common experiences. We invited a small table to join us. There were two Chaplains on Air force and one army, she was a Kenyan and offered us the African perspective on ubuntu the theme of the convention. For Africans "I" does not exist they speak of everything as "we". She also told us how disappointed she was when first attending church here in the USA because it was so solemn and not exuberant and joyful like at home.
The shorter afternoon session featured addresses by several from Ghana, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa. One of these was Dr Jenny Te Paa, Principal of Te Rau Kahikatea at St Johns College in Auckland , NZ who had give a sermon in Columbus in 2006 She urged us to act without fear and noted how much our participation was valued and needed in the Anglican Communion. I will see if I can find and post a link to her speech which was difficult for us to hear because of bad microphone pickup coupled with her accent.
We voted for people on the court for the trial of a bishop and did a second ballot for the pension fund trustees. The doo hickies worked well this time thank God.
We adjourned and went out for a bit of dinner.

peace
John