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Susan Buchanan shares her reflections on General Convention
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Jun 20, 2006, 08:42

Tuesday, June 13:

What a whirlwind this General Convention stuff is!  I am so glad that I have at least been to two of them before so that the entire experience wasn't new . . . but I'm still struggling to figure out how to know what is coming next – where should I be, what do I need to have looked over before then, what are the special events/speakers I don't want to miss, what papers do I need to have with me/in front of me, how do I manage to have time to eat?  (Yep – no dinner last night.)

I'm seeing lots of old friends, but not having any time to spend with them.  There are so many important or interesting speakers and events, but no time to get to all of them (or even a lot of them).  Of course, I've only managed to get through one complete day here (Monday was travel and then a half day of convention), so maybe I'll figure it out by the time we get to next week.

Friday:

Our deputation has discovered that we are from "New Hampshire-oh." Every time someone asks where you are from, and you answer "New Hampshire" they look at you and out of their mouth comes that "Oh!"

I'm hoping that this will be the last General Convention for that to be true.  As we struggle with the issues facing us as a part of the Anglican Communion, I believe that the whole of the Episcopal Church will end up stepping forward and claiming the right to that "Oh!" – claiming the radical edge of the Gospel's call to recognizing God's love and welcome and care of all of God's children, while seeking to extend that love to all.

My heart is sad as I contemplate some of what will still come as we seek to get to that place.  We may lose some of those who have claimed the name "Episcopal" in the past.  We may lose some of the diversity of voice that I particularly treasure about this community of faith of ours.  That diversity of voice is a wonderful gift – it helps remind me that no matter how fervently and faithfully I strive to understand God's call and live into it, I never do have the whole picture.  None of us has a lock on the truth, and having as a part of my community those who disagree with me in the midst of their own efforts to live faithfully, helps keep me a little more humble in my own journey.  I may still feel like I need to step out boldly, but I do it with a little less hubris.

Last night I had the chance for a one-on-one conversation with Canon David Anderson of  the American Anglican Council, one of the leading "conservative" groups in the current battle (I guess that's helpful shorthand as I try to find a few minutes to write something quickly, but I do hate such labels for any of us!).  He was very clear with me that the "divorce" within the Episcopal Church is a done deal, in all but the legal finalities.  I hope I was equally clear with him that I grieve this split.  But I also cannot turn my back on where I truly believe the Gospel and the Holy Spirit have led us.  I believe the Holy Spirit was working in the church as we struggled with thousands of years of church understanding of the "proper" role of women within the community of faith.  And I believe the Holy Spirit has been working as we have struggled now in similar ways with the role of faithful gay and lesbian members of the faith community.  I would never ask a woman to go back to an unchanging abusive relationship simply in order to avoid a divorce, and I will not ask the church to return to a place that I feel is unjust,  unChristlike, unloving, to some of our faithful brothers and sisters.  But I still grieve the split deeply.   I asked Canon Anderson if AFTER the split, might we be able then to join back together in some kind of ministry to the world, to feed those who hunger, both physically and spiritually?  I got no answer, but I believe the Holy Spirit could do this!

Now I need to go join these thousands of people in our daily Eucharist.  It is the highlight of the day as God feeds us in bread and wine and community.

Monday, June 19:

The day after the election of a new Presiding Bishop.  I assume that when you get this you'll already have seen a news report or two.  But in case you haven't: yesterday the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the bishop of Nevada, was elected as the 26th Presiding Bishop.  The first woman Presiding Bishop, and I believe a real surprise to all of us because of that fact.  I must admit that I personally didn't think she had a chance (despite being such an incredible bishop and one of the strongest candidates, gender notwithstanding, in the group).  I didn't think the bishops would send a woman to the Primates' meetings (the gatherings of the leaders of the various provinces in the Anglican Communion) at this point in the history of that Communion. Many of the provinces still do not even recognize the validity of women as priests, much less bishops.

But yet, as the current Presiding Bishop said in his first sermon as we gathered last week: "It is dangerous to invoke the Holy Spirit. What if we're taken seriously??  What then?"  We cannot control where God will lead us.  Where that wild Spirit wind will blow us.  I do believe that God's Spirit has been at work here this past week.  And will continue to  work, now through the incarnation of the voice of new leadership.  I am hopeful.  Joyful.  Still hardly believing it.

But today we wade deeply into the hard work of the resolutions in response to the Windsor Report (the commission report dealing with the fallout around the Anglican  Communion to the election of our Bishop). Please keep us all in your prayers as we seek ways to communicate our desires to stay in fellowship with all those who claim a faith in Christ, and a special fellowship with those whose faith community roots are found in the English Reformation.

And I am out of time to write more . . . the day begins.

Tuesday, June 20

Another morning in Columbus.  After all the rain we saw back in New Hampshire, it has been sunny here the entire time.  Outside, that is.

Inside, it is becoming a bit stormy, although maybe not as stormy as had been predicted (not yet anyway).  I think that having elected Katharine Jefferts Schori as our Presiding Bishop (God certainly had a surprise in store for us on that one!) has lessened the expectations of the "other side" (the group that wants us to put a ban on openly gay bishops).  But we still have much from the Windsor Report to get through.  As well as the budget for the next three years.  And only two more legislative days to do it all in.  I don't know what we'll be able to "communicate" in our resolutions that come as a response to Windsor, but I am joyfully living in the hope of what our new Presiding Bishop (both in our election of her, as well as in her own words in the future) will be able to communicate to the world.

And there is still so much OTHER to deal with – things that are so very important.  Some of my worst fears about this convention are being realized in that way.  We are so focused on "saving the Anglican Communion" (which I'm not sure we have much that we could do to affect that one way or the other anyway, as we aren't going to fire Gene as our bishop) that we're missing out on some of the work I think we're called to do.  We have yet to talk about our relationship with Palestinian Christians.  Our work for interchange in ministry and mission with the Methodists.

But the work and the prayers continue.  Keep us close in your prayers these next few days.  And know that you are in mine.

Blessings,

Susan