General Convention
In Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's sermon during the Opening Eucharist, he shared with us "The Way of Love - Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life". His message encourages us to:
Please follow The Way of Love link where there is an entire resource section to help us live into Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life! You can expect to hear more about this in the future!
Presiding Bishop Curry
Today is the Official Opening of General Convention. (Side note from Alternate Deputy Michelle ... what were the last 2 days then?) Anyway, here are some events to consider tuning in for today.
From Tuesday:
Enjoy your day.
So many questions ... this smiling roaming helper is there to answer them. My question: "May I take your picture?" Her response: "Of course. And if you have any questions, look for our hats. We're happy to help". Why yes, indeed she was!
Thursday's reflection from (Deputation Co-Chair) - Dean Brian Grantz
Good Morning, Team EDNIN!
Here we go: the first *official* day of the 79th General Convention. Psalm 133 (optional this morning) opens with a beautiful, hopeful word of encouragement, "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!" The Psalmist is describing, I think, one of those fleeting moments in life when all seems right with the world; little epiphanies about God's reign of peace that was and is to come.
Such is the wedding feast for which the doors have been flung open and the invitation spread far and wide in Jesus' parable of God's reign. What's left is for us to answer the invitation and our desire to be in relationship with the host. We are part of the Jesus Movement, Bishop Curry reminds us, and it is Jesus who calls us in and clothes us in peace and unity. Watch and wait for those moments today and throughout the Convention; those little epiphanies in the midst of everything else that are a sure and certain sign of Christ's presence. How very good and pleasant it is... and will be.
Written by the Rev. Canon Terri Bays, July 4, 2018
As a new deputy, I wasn't assigned to a particular committee. That left me free to choose what committee hearing I was going to sit in on, so I spent my morning in a hearing for Committee 3—Racial Justice and Reconciliation. We were considering a funding request for an extension of training and capacity building over the next three years, so that people in all dioceses might have access to the kinds of training the canons require. Questions focused on how such funding might be most effectively spent for the greatest impact.
We were also considering resolutions that focus on the importance of naming and another resolution that begins the work of clarifying some of the mandates around Racial Justice and Reconciliation. One part of this is a call for credentialing individuals at a variety of levels. The committee will discuss credentialing questions in more detail tomorrow!
After that (and a lovely lunch with my fellow delegates) it was off to the Floor of the House of Deputies for a joint Session of the House of Bishops and House of Deputies (Do we make the bishops come to us, since we're the senior house, or just because we have more chairs?). The Presiding Bishop gave a rousing "non-sermon" urging us to help the world find its soul again. The President of the House of Deputies followed up with a reminder that, as deputies, we can choose how we inhabit the legislative process. What an amazing way to prepare us for the busy weeks ahead!
And then, after some logistical orientation sessions in separate houses, we came back together for a deeply moving Liturgy of Listening. Prepared by the House of Bishops as a response to the #MeToo movement, this litugy engaged us in collective lament—songs, prayers, readings—as we heard testimonies of different forms of sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment. These testimonies were read by the bishops, with other bishops standing by their sides, without the names or other identifying features attached. The hope was not to take us deeply into the pain of any one experience, but "to open [ourselves] to the idea that sexual harassment and exploitation happen 'because we aren’t seeing the image of Christ in one another.'” In that sense, the liturgy was highly effective, and it was a more somber group of people who flowed out into the night. May this first step lead us to a safer and more loving church.
The Rev. Stephanie Spellers addresses a question from Committee 3—Racial Justice and Reconciliation
Committee Member Dr. Anita George asks a question about the development of Racial Justice programs in various contexts with and without external funding.
Bishops read testimonies from survivors of sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment in the church at a Liturgy of Listening.
It may be the 4th of July, but work continues for #GC79 here in Austin. A few events for the day are listed below. Several of them will be available via livestream at the Media Hub if you'd like to participate from afar.
Below the Austin picture (a decoration in our hotel) is a reflection from (Deputation Co-Chair) - Dean Brian Grantz. Wishing you a happy and safe 4th of July!
Good morning, Team EDNIN!
Freedom in Christ is the ability to speak God's truth, to choose what is just and merciful and right and good, to walk in love as Christ loved us. Freedom in Christ is the abiding knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of God; that we, with Jesus, belong in God's oikos, God's household.
The speaking of God's truth to power features prominently in the Office readings this morning: Balaam, a prophet hired to curse Israel, nevertheless speaks God's word of blessing (much to Balak's "What-are-we-paying-you-for?" consternation). Jesus lobs out the parable of the wicked vine-grower's in the presence of those who have turned religion into something more self-interested than God-honoring. Their stunning boldness and willingness to speak freely is rooted in the blessed assurance of God.
So let's celebrate freedom today: Freedom to love what God commands. Freedom to keep building God's household, the Church. Freedom to strive in the ways that Love leads us. Have a bold and blessed day!
- Dean Brian Grantz
Our deputation from Northern Indiana has arrived safely in Austin. For some, work began today. For the rest, it begins tomorrow. #GC79 begins. Come Holy Spirit!
(L-R) Bishop Doug Sparks, Pamela Harris, Ted Kimball (Deputation Co-Chair), Tim Skimina, Christopher Hillak, Rev. Michelle Walker (Alternate), Rev. Terri Bays, Rev. Brian Grantz (Deputation Co-Chair), Rev. Susan Haynes, and Rev. Matthew Cowden
(Not pictured: Bishop Ed Little, who was in a meeting.)
A reflection/word of encouragement from (Deputation Co-Chair) - Dean Brian Grantz
Good Morning, Team EDNIN! Today we will all be in Austin at long last with the entirety of the 79th General Convention still before us in the sometimes anxious, sometimes exciting realms of potential and possibility.
This morning Balaam reminds us to watch and listen for God, who may act and speak in unusual ways to get our attention. Jesus makes a similar point, telling us that the faith of tax collectors and prostitutes is more genuine than the religious leaders who don't recognize the Word and will of God right before their eyes.
One of my old mentors, Churchill Pinder, was fond of saying "God is a surprise!" How, when, where will God show up in surprising ways in Austin? Let's find out!
Video update from Clergy Deputies Dean Brian Grantz and Father Matthew Cowden - on their way to Austin.
General Convention—the triennial gathering of the Episcopal Church for common worship and governance—is coming up this July 5th-13th in Austin, Texas. This will be the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the 40th General Convention to which the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana has sent deputies. Our representatives in the House of Deputies for the 79th General Convention are:
We will also be represented in the House of Bishops by:
The General Convention Website is the official place to go for documents, schedules, and webcasts. In addition, we will be sending you reflections from our own deputation as convention goes forward and directing you to sites where you can receive interesting commentary from around the church. Stay tuned!
Dear brothers and sisters,
God came among us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to change the world, to change it from the nightmare it often can be into the dream that God intends. He came to change the world, and we have been baptized into the Triune God and summoned to be disciples and followers of this Jesus and to participate in God’s work, God’s mission of changing and transforming this world. . . . We are part of the Jesus Movement, and he has summoned us to make disciples and followers of all nations and transform this world by the power of the Good News, the gospel of Jesus.
- The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop-elect
On June 27, the House of Bishops elected Bishop Curry as the 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, a first-ballot election that captured the deep affection and respect that the bishops feel for this godly Christian leader. Bishop Curry is profoundly Christ-centered, a spell-binding preacher, and a bridge-builder whose wide embrace embodies St. Paul’s reminder that we are to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-4). You can find a video link to Bishop Curry’s sermon on the final day of General Convention, quoted above, here.
While the election of our next Presiding Bishop added drama and excitement to the work of General Convention, many other issues also drew the attention of bishops and deputies. We passed, quite literally, hundreds of resolutions, covering topics as diverse as church governance, marriage, liturgical matters, evangelism, and issues of peace and justice. These reflections, necessarily, cannot detail all that Convention did during eleven days of work. I will simply highlight a few items of particular importance.
For three years, in response to a call from the 77th General Convention in 2012, the Episcopal Church has been discussing “structure,” the governing bodies that include the Episcopal Church Center in New York City, various boards and agencies, and General Convention itself, both its size and scope. The idea behind these conversations has been to create a leaner and more “nimble” structure, for the sake of mission. The 78th General Convention took a fairly modest approach. The relationship between Executive Council (the body that governs the church between Conventions) and the staff of the Episcopal Church was clarified, especially in matters of hiring and supervision; and the number of Standing Commissions (groups that study issues and propose resolutions to General Convention) was reduced to two (Constitution and Canons; Liturgy and Music). There was little energy for reducing the size, scope, and frequency of General Convention. Much work, I think, still needs to be done in order to fashion a more mission-driven church structure. That will be left to a future General Convention.
General Convention passed resolutions to begin the process of revising both the Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal 1982. The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music has been directed to devise a “plan” for revision, and to present that plan to the 79th General Convention in 2018. The Constitution of the Episcopal church requires two successive meetings of General Conventions to revise the Prayer Book. Since the plan for revision won’t be presented until 2018 – with a first “reading” of the new Prayer Book three years later, in 2021 - the new versions cannot be approved until 2024 at the soonest. I voted against the proposals, for a couple of reasons. First, we are still internalizing the changes that the 1979 Book of Common Prayer brought to the church, particularly regarding the centrality of baptism as the fount of the Christian life and the Eucharist as the primary act of Christian worship. It takes generations for texts (and the practices connected with those texts) to find their way into our hearts and minds. Second, I am concerned that current theological trends, and especially a tendency to eliminate male-oriented language for God, will lead us to a Prayer Book where words like “Father” and “Lord” will be rare. It is better, I think, to allow these trends to marinate for a few decades and to see if they hold up to long-term theological and spiritual reflection. My reservations, however, did not carry the day, and the process for Prayer Book and Hymnal revision is now set in motion.
Two important initiatives were added to the Episcopal Church’s budget for the 2015-18 triennium: evangelism and church planting, and racial reconciliation. Both are significant. The best way to reach “unchurched” people is to plant a new church, and there was a good deal of excitement about bold and creative ways to form winsome and engaging new Christian communities. Racial reconciliation, too, was much on the hearts of bishops and deputies, particularly in light of the tragedy in Charleston on June 17. And so General Convention allocated significant funds to assist the church in addressing the sin of racism and seeking ways to foster deep and healing conversation. These initiatives are, I think, positive steps for the church, addressing both the spiritual needs of men and women and the great gulf that continues to plague our nation.
I have attended General Convention since 1991, either as a deputy or a bishop, and every Convention has been dominated by difficult and sometimes painful discussions regarding human sexuality. The underlying question has been: How do we welcome gay and lesbian people into the church, and what is the best way to minister to them? Three years ago, in 2012, General Convention authorized a liturgy for blessing same-sex unions, a liturgy that required the permission of a diocesan bishop in order to be used in that bishop’s jurisdiction. This year, the discussion had moved to marriage itself. A marriage task force, commissioned by the 77th General Convention, recommended a change to the church’s canons (the laws that govern the church) re-defining marriage to include same-sex couples. In addition, the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music submitted a number of liturgies for the solemnization of the marriage of two persons of the same sex. And so the 78th General Convention debated both canon law and liturgical practice. In the background, by accident of timing, on the fourth day of General Convention the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage must be made available in all 50 states.
Debate on both proposals – the change in canons (Resolution A036) and the provision of liturgical forms for same-sex marriage (Resolution A054) – was heartfelt and gracious. The resolution which authorizes liturgical forms includes the following: “Bishops exercising authority or, where appropriate, ecclesiastical supervision will make provision for all couples asking to be married in this Church to have access to these liturgies. Trial use [of these liturgies] is only to be available under the direction and with the permission of the Diocesan Bishop. . . . [T]his convention honor[s] the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality; and . . . no bishop, priest, deacon, or lay person should be coerced or penalized in any manner, nor suffer any canonical disabilities, as a result of his or her objection to or support for the 78th General Convention’s action on this resolution.” Both A036 and A054 passed, with substantial majorities in the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. While I voted no on these resolutions, I am grateful that General Convention recognized the diversity in the church and made explicit place for those who find themselves in a theological minority.
During the debate on liturgical forms I said, “As a matter of Christian conviction, I must vote no. I do not believe that we have the authority to alter the sacrament of holy matrimony. That sacrament is rooted in creation and redemption, and is a sign of God’s good provision for humankind.” But I am well aware that many in the Diocese of Northern Indiana will be distressed that I could support neither the canonical re-definition of marriage nor the liturgies for same-sex marriage. I am committed to them – and, in particular, to the gay and lesbian members of our diocesan family. Jesus has called us together, and it is important that we find ways of caring for one another. People on all sides of these difficult and complex matters are committed to Jesus and to the church, and are seeking to follow our Lord faithfully. Mutual affirmation in the midst of painful disagreement is at the heart of our call to Christian community.
As noted above, the resolution authorizing liturgies for same-sex marriage requires that bishops make provision for couples who wish access to these liturgies. At the same time, the resolution states that in each diocese the use of the liturgies requires the bishop’s direction and permission. To honor both mandates, I am continuing the arrangement that began in 2012, after General Convention authorized a liturgy for blessing same-sex unions. In Northern Indiana, that means: 1) that I cannot, because of conviction and conscience, authorize the use of these liturgies in the diocese; and 2) that if a couple wishes to married under these liturgical provisions (Resolution A054), they and their priest may cross into a neighboring diocese and, under the license of the bishop of that diocese, celebrate the rite. I have spoken with the bishops of Chicago, Western Michigan, Michigan, Ohio, and Indianapolis, and all of them have most graciously agreed to this arrangement. It is not an ideal solution. No compromise is. But, at a minimum, it provides a “container” in which both conscience and pastoral care can be provided for all.
Following the passage of A036 and A054, I joined with a group of bishops in issuing the “Communion Partners Salt Lake City Statement.” We attempted to be at once clear and irenic, affirming both our convictions and our commitment to brothers and sisters with whom we disagree and to whom we are bound indissolubly in baptism. The House of Bishops graciously received this statement, and unanimously passed its own “Mind of the House” resolution, entitled “Communion Across Difference,” for which I am profoundly grateful. This statement serves as a reminder that in a season when the church is not of one mind on a difficult issue, we are one in Jesus. “He is our peace” (Eph. 2:14). Thus our “opponents” are not opponents at all, but fellow disciples – brothers and sisters who love Jesus as we do, and who wish the best for his church.
Several times, over the course of these reflections, I have used the word “gracious.” Even when General Convention was at its most heated, when disagreement was most pronounced, I experienced enormous generosity of spirit. Deputies and bishops stretched out their hands and their hearts to each other across theological divisions. For that generosity I praise God.
Let us now pray for our church; for Katharine, our Presiding Bishop, and for Michael, our Presiding Bishop-elect; for those who will bring the decisions of General Convention back to their dioceses, and for wisdom in communicating this information; and for the whole church, that together we may join in “looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2) and find in him both the source of our unity and the inspiration to bring Good News to the world.
Yours in Christ,
+Ed