Day 6

The day began with a Eucharist enlivened by wonderful, uplifting music by the St. Augustine's choir. Made all of us North Carolinians so proud.

I spent the afternoon back  in the House of Bishops.  Much of their work time was on elections to many boards like the Trustees of General Seminary.  But they did Have an extensive  debate about a resolution to establish a task force to study more in depth the issue of "open Communion"," or the issue of whether Communion can only be given to those who are baptized, which is what the Canons and the rubrics say are the standard.  I would have loved to have had this study group established so we might continue the debate, even though I am fairly confident of where I stand on this issue.  However, the bishops, by only a two vote margin, defeated this resolution that had already been passed by the House of Deputies.
Much legislative work still to be completed by this General Convention!

I did have a lovely evening with colleagues from Virginia Seminary.  I was seated at a table with three bishops, including the retired bishop of Western NC, Bob Johnson.  A lovely evening although I had worn heels for what turned out to be a LONG  four block walk back to my hotel.   About hallway back to my hotel I had to take off those heels and walk back barefooted, Alabama style.  The warm sidewalk felt wonderful.

More adventures tomorrow!

Miriam+

Day 5

The worship this morning was again wonderful.  I went to the service with two of our clergy Deputies, Sarah Ball-Damberg and Kevin Matthews, and we met up with Bishop Hodges-Copple.  We somehow ended up taking empty seats on the front middle row where we could see eveything so easily.  It was great to sing next to our Bishop Suffragan as she has a wonderful voice!  We shared the peace with Presiding Bishop Katherine, who was sitting behind us.  And Sarah, Bishop Anne and I got pulled at the last moment to serve the bread and wine at the station in front of us because the Deacon realized she did not have enough servers for her station.  An unexpected series of fun things.  And the preacher, although not dynamic, was a bishop from the Armenian Church who added comments about how wonderful our new Presiding Bishop Elect is and how he looks forward to working with him.  Every where we NC folks turn, we hear people praising our bishop!

I was to be in the House of Bishops all afternoon but was not needed until 3:30 because the bishops were totally alone to have a private discussion about some matter.  But when I was eventually in the HoB they discussed the resolutions about marriage equality and I was so impressed with how amazingly civil they are to each other.  They all have strong, and often conflicting, views on this issue but they listen to each other and are respectful and loving in their intense debates.  How I wish more of us could act that way when we talk about controversial topics that we take sides on!

Blessings,
Miriam+

A long day without too much of interest to share except for an amazing event this morning called the bishops' walk against gun violence.  At 7:15 this morning about 80 bishops dressed in rockets and chimeras lead a walk down the streets of Salt Lake City, joined by many clergy and lay people.  It was so impressive and a great visual statement about wanting to end gun violence.  There were also some moving testimonials about suffering from gun violence, including the Bishop of Utah's story about when he was 19 and was shot in a store robbery and spent the next two months in the hospital struggling to survive.  There was also a horrid story from a woman who was shot in a random gun shooting in a mall and her two year old daughter was killed.  And of course our bishop gave a rousing speech about violence in our midst, which you can see on You Tube.

Miss you all.  I am really tired but experiencing many moments and stories of God's grace and am amazed by the power of our Episcopal church as a witness to God's love and redeeming grace.

Election Day!

This has been an emotional, grace-filled day!  My heart is filled with both joy and grief that our bishop has been elected the next Presiding Bishop.  He will be a gift to our national church and will lead us more fully into living out the Gospel and teaching others about God's abiding love and God's dream for us all.  Everyone here at General Convention is so happy.

The vote was historic.  The House of Bishops elected him on the first ballot, with a vote of 121.  The other three nominees got 19, 13, and 21 votes each.  Then the House of Deputies confirmed the election by a vote of 800 to 12.  The applause was deafening and long when the election was confirmed.  And then even louder when Bishop Curry and his family and our NC delegation came into the hall where the House of Deputies sits.

But I already felt that this would be a grace-filled day because the worship service this morning was full of grace and power.  Episcopalian members of the Navaho nation led the music.  I was a volunteer for this service and just by chance I got placed as an usher at the very front of the hall so I was right beside the musicians.  About 8 men were seated around a very large drum and the drumming was wonderful. Then during Communion there was a beautiful flute solo.  Deeply spiritual music, even at the end when the drummers also sang Amazing Grave in Navaho.  At the end of the service everyone was instructed to remain in place while the bishops filed out to go to St. Mark's  Cathedral for the vote.  The Holy Spirit was in that place as the bishops filed out in silenced.

Truly a day to remember.  Thanks be to God.

General Convention Day2

Once again the morning Eucharist was wonderful, using hymns that we don't use often and are from Wonder, Love and Praise, and the music was provided by a wonderful jazz group.
It is great to be with Bishop Gary and Judy Gloster, and when I told Bishop Gary that I am at St. Andrews, Haw River, he immediately remembered and said he and Judy have been telling the parishioners at St. Mary's in Boone (where they now worship) about the wonderful outreach we are doing with our neighbors, hoping they will do the same type of hospitality.

Part of my afternoon was in the House of Bishops as a page.  The bishops did 2 hours of work in one hour, and they welcomed about 30 international visitors who are here to observe.

So tomorrow is the big day!  I will post as soon as I can, and will certainly email the news as soon as I hear it.  Keep Bishop Curry and Sharon and Elizabeth Curry in your prayers as they wait the decision.

Almost Time to Go to Salt Lake City!

I won't really begin posting things until I get to Utah next Wednesday and General Convention starts.  But look for (almost) daily posts about Convention happenings and my own experiences of working as a volunteer.

The Rev. Miriam Saxon, Vicar
St. Andrew's, Haw River, NC