Churchwide Assembly: Day 2: Tuesday, August 18

Today was an interesting day. (How's that for a lame beginning?)

We heard the Presiding Bishop's report which, as expected, was enlightening and inspiring.

We heard a LOT about the Malaria and HIV/AIDS initiatives (Rebecca Coulborn! You shoulda been here - but the docs are online...) It seemed to me as though a remarkable number of people had personal experience with malaria. $10 buys a netting for a bed that's been treated with an insecticide that is not harmful to humans but is to mosquitoes. The Malaria initiative is in conjunction with the LCMS, Lutheran World Relief and a program of the UN that is escaping my brain at the moment...

We heard the Report of the Vice President, Carlos Pena, who was delightful.

We heard from the Task Force on Sexuality and then went into a quasi committee of the whole on the subject. Despite the fact that the proposed sexuality statement is comprehensive and mentions things like developing liturgical rituals for the time of divorce and respecting the value of friendships (!), people seemed preoccupied with homosexuality. At one point, a guy who had driven us nuts last night got up to the microphone and we sort of thought, "oh no," but then he spoke, beginning with the statement, "I am a homophobe." And then he shared a bit of his experience of learning and being changed...It was the most profound statement I heard today.

There are hearings this afternoon and evening regarding the social statements. There has been a concerted effort to undermine the ELCA's Peace Not Walls Middle East Strategy but the fellow behind it is not a voting member, so though he spent a lot on a lunch that was designed to try to undermine the strategy, it appears as though his work will be for naught. When the substitute motion comes to the floor (it was passed by 4 synods), if Chelsea, Al Asfour and Rani Abdulmasih speak, that should take care of things...There are also two other Palestinian American pastors here, one of whom has been in ministry for 40 years. (The other two, Rani and Khader El-Yateeem from New York, are young...)

The cacophony of voices seems to be wearing on me. My introvert needs to crawl into a cave for a while and be still...so many talking heads in rooms that reverberate so...

I guess that's all for tonight. Nothing too exciting...but then, it's a church meeting...you were expecting something else? (Not till Friday, my friends...not till Friday...so please keep those prayers coming!)

Peace, Shalom, Salaam,
Sue