General Convention - Day Four

A quick addition to yesterday – favorite quote from the floor came during the discussion about selling the building at 815 Second Ave in NY (which is where the Church Center is).  Noting that the building represents a remnant of the historic understanding of church as a center of temporal power the speaker said,

                “Constantine has left the building.  It also seems that Constantine has left the building”

A brilliant summation I thought.

Lots of walking today too.  Final count - 14,318.  It dropped off today because I spent most of the evening sitting outside a committee meeting while one of our youth did their work.  Some quality reading time though!

Having grumbled about worship yesterday I need to note that today was better.   We had music before  and after (and a bit at Communion) from a steel drum band from a parish in Brooklyn.  The rest of the music was largely from Wonder, Love and Praise and Lift Every Voice which was fine.  The real high point however was the sermon by Bishop Michael Curry from North Carolina.  If you’ve ever seen Bishop  Curry preach you know that he rocks!  And he did it again today.  Calling us all to be Crazy Christians he had the hall enthralled.  I hope that his sermon is/will be available online.  Take the time and see it.

The OYP got a real close look at what the legislation process can look like.  A resolution that included some wording affecting how future OYPs would be chosen came up and went through some major wrangling.  Amendments and amendments to amendments and procedural points and the whole thing being interrupted in the middle of the process for other items.  At the end of about an hour’s worth of work the whole thing was sent back to committee to be fixed.  It can be incredibly frustrating but it is part of the whole process of how we govern ourselves.

Meals for a group this are a challenge.  We have to get out meals out in the public just like all the other folks here.  Which means places get full fast and they don’t necessarily want to see a group of 30 folks walk through the door!  Kudos to the folks at Panera Bread and Buco di Beppo who handled it beautifully. Dinner was pizza with the folks from the Young Adult Festival.

Got a chance to wander through the Exhibition Hall some more.  Ran into a youth group from the Diocese of New Jersey led by their diocesan staff person Deacon Debi Clark.  Also saw a former GCOYP member Rich Hogue who is working at the Episcopal Service Corps table.  Spoke with Tracey Herzer the boss lady at Leader Resources (she sent me away with a new idea for formation and ministry with young people in smaller congregations or even at the Deanery level.  Don’t let me forget that I have that to share when I get back!)  So a pretty typical day.  Lots of friends and acquaintances floating around.

Will tell you this - we are all, youth and adult, very tired.  Lots of punchy giggling going on.  Fortunately  Sunday is a slower day on the schedule.