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.
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