And so it begins...

Worship at General Convention. No bulletins
were printed. Instead, we all used our iPads.

Everything on Tuesday and Wednesday was just prelude. Today the House of Deputies met for the first time to consider and act on resolutions. For those unfamiliar with General Convention, every matter brought to Convention is in the form of a Resolution. Every resolution is considered by one or more appropriate Legislative Committees before being brought into either the House of Bishops or the House of Deputies with a recommendation from a Legislative Committee such as: Pass, Pass as Amended, Do Not Pass, or Forget This One -- We Dealt With This Issue Elsewhere (OK, that last one isn't in the right language, but you get the point.)

The House then debates, perhaps amends, then, if passed, sends the resolution to the other House for its consideration. If a Resolution passes both Houses with identical language, then it becomes binding. Yeah, it's quite a process. A bit ponderous at time (particularly when the amendments start flying!), and made even more so as the House of Deputies includes some 875 members who are all entitled to be heard on any given issue.

Anyway, we finally starting considering resolutions. Our first substantive one was a major revision of the rules that will guide our debates. We spent well over an hour an that one, considering and eventually rejecting a string of attempted amendments. We also unanimously passed a resolution entitled "Letter of Condolence to Emanuel AME Church, Charleston, SC" which you can read here. This will go next to the House of Bishops for their consideration.

The committee on which I serve -- Prayer Book, Liturgy, and Music -- met twice today to receive testimony on a number of resolutions and then to discuss some of them. Our biggest logistical challenge has been to sort out a resolution related to the calendar of those whose lives we commemorate. I could try and describe our discussion, debate, and decision, but the telling of that tale would be quite tedious indeed -- even more so than my rambling description of the legislative process in the first two paragraphs above.

We also heard from a number of witnesses on a resolution whose title references the centrality of Holy Eucharist and seeks to allow bishops to license lay persons to distribute previously consecrated bread and wine in congregations without access to ordained clergy. The concern is genuine; too many small and/or remove congregations go weeks and even months without receiving Holy Eucharist. Is this, however, the best solution? What real questions does this resolution raise, and are we seeking the right answers? While we've received testimony, we haven't yet discussed this in committee. I'm eager to hear what the lay deputies, clergy deputies, and the bishops on the committee have to say.

Thanks for reading, and please keep the Bishops and Deputies gathered here in Salt Lake City in your prayers that we may be guided by the Father's creativity, the Son's love, and the Holy Spirit's wisdom.