And so I'm back home after my long journey. I took the train again and it was a much more solitary trip then the trip out, which I think is what I needed.
Some personal highlights of Synod for me were as follows:
*Time spent with my sister and her friends "just hanging out"
*Time spent with my sister, her friends, and my friends in the Minnesota Conference talking about options for the future a.k.a. ministry, or laity?
*The moderators! We had some very nice moderators, including the one from Hawaii who was very nice and funny when I spoke with her on an escalator, and the one who asked us funny questions when we were sitting in plenary (who would you sit down with? John the Baptist or Judas?)
And absolutely above all else, UNANIMOUSLY passing the Right of LGBT Persons to Adopt resolution. Isn't it amazing how far we have come since 2003's Marriage Equality vote in Minneapolis? I had a testimony prepared in case there was opposition, but when only affirmatives came up, I didn't feel I needed to. But my feeling boiled down to a paraphrase of Steve Simon's quote:
"How many Gay parents does God need to create before we accept that God wants them to be parents?"
I hope my blog gave you some idea of what this Synod was like. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them in a post! Thanks for reading!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Frequency of Synod
Yesterday was rough, I won't lie. It felt disjointed, it felt awkward, and it felt, well, not very Christ like. Whichever way you or I may feel or have felt about the Unified Governance proposal, feelings were hurt, and we should all be saddened by that.
Today's morning Plenary session included a prayer at the Point of Privilege mic by a very well spoken young man (so nice to see one up there for something other than calling the question!!) that spoke to the healing this group will need.
Sigh. Whoever said being church was easy probably never was.
Now we are discussing the matter of how frequently Synod will meet - continuing with every 2 years, or switching to every 3 or 4?
This is very hard and I personally feel there are totally valid points on both sides.
and we're voting...
It didn't pass. We will be sticking to the 2 year schedule for the foreseeable future.
(written on July 5th at approx. 9am)
Today's morning Plenary session included a prayer at the Point of Privilege mic by a very well spoken young man (so nice to see one up there for something other than calling the question!!) that spoke to the healing this group will need.
Sigh. Whoever said being church was easy probably never was.
Now we are discussing the matter of how frequently Synod will meet - continuing with every 2 years, or switching to every 3 or 4?
This is very hard and I personally feel there are totally valid points on both sides.
and we're voting...
It didn't pass. We will be sticking to the 2 year schedule for the foreseeable future.
(written on July 5th at approx. 9am)
Passing Resolution #8
Yay!! The resolution to Reflect and Advocate on behalf of the Democratic Republic of the Congo passed!!
I don't know what this will mean for everyone, but I hope that in the church's I am a part of it will mean observing Congo Week in October, when we raise awareness in our church, communities, and government about the DRC.
This resolution was also the first we've had with NO OPPOSITION!! It feels good to know that, as a Mercy with Justice church, we can stand together, undivided on something so important.
(written at 10:10am, Tuesday, July 5th.)
I don't know what this will mean for everyone, but I hope that in the church's I am a part of it will mean observing Congo Week in October, when we raise awareness in our church, communities, and government about the DRC.
This resolution was also the first we've had with NO OPPOSITION!! It feels good to know that, as a Mercy with Justice church, we can stand together, undivided on something so important.
(written at 10:10am, Tuesday, July 5th.)
Unified Governance
(Written on July 4th at 3pm)
One of the biggest issues at this Synod is the change to our Constitution and Bylaws regarding the structure of governance.
This is a very complicated issue that I am going to give you a horribly simple description of.
We have five boards who run the various ministries of the National UCC - that's over 300 members combined. We are (considering) having only one board to combine these Ministries. I believe, if I understand correctly, that some of the goals of this change will be: saving money, more unified infrastructure, and "so that all may be one."
A lot of the dissent surrounding this proposal has to do with the diversity - or perceived lack there of - of this unified board. We had a wonderful speaker at our conference caucus this morning who explained things very well... but I don't want to out words in her mouth when I may not have understood her correctly.
However, the feeling I came away with is that we as a church still have a ways to go in gaining and giving trust to one another. As a young, white woman, I have to trust that a middle-age Black man can, and, more importantly, WILL, speak for me in a just and faithful way. The problem of course, is that I, because of my privilege, am able to give that trust more freely and easily than a person who, historically, does has not had such privilege.
whew. At the time of this typing (3:40pm), we are currently in a quasi committee and asking questions to gain more understanding of this issue.
One of the biggest issues at this Synod is the change to our Constitution and Bylaws regarding the structure of governance.
This is a very complicated issue that I am going to give you a horribly simple description of.
We have five boards who run the various ministries of the National UCC - that's over 300 members combined. We are (considering) having only one board to combine these Ministries. I believe, if I understand correctly, that some of the goals of this change will be: saving money, more unified infrastructure, and "so that all may be one."
A lot of the dissent surrounding this proposal has to do with the diversity - or perceived lack there of - of this unified board. We had a wonderful speaker at our conference caucus this morning who explained things very well... but I don't want to out words in her mouth when I may not have understood her correctly.
However, the feeling I came away with is that we as a church still have a ways to go in gaining and giving trust to one another. As a young, white woman, I have to trust that a middle-age Black man can, and, more importantly, WILL, speak for me in a just and faithful way. The problem of course, is that I, because of my privilege, am able to give that trust more freely and easily than a person who, historically, does has not had such privilege.
whew. At the time of this typing (3:40pm), we are currently in a quasi committee and asking questions to gain more understanding of this issue.
On To Plenary!
(Written on July 1st at 6:06pm)
Did you watch it streaming?! You can you know! Just head over to ucc.org - see if you can spot me in the delegates section (today we were sitting near the front, and I saw myself on the big screen at least twice, but I think both times I may have looked not-to-excited... allergies will do that to you, though!)
We saw people representing all the new church starts there have been in the last 2 years - actually, we've had the most new churches in a 5 year period since the first decade of the UCC! WOW!! One of the church's I spotted was called "Not Yo Mama's Church" I am so gonna look that one up on the web! If you want to see more about UCC Church Starts, head to ucc.org/stillrocking
We had a bit of a shocking moment, when one of the wonderfully exuberant participants in the church start parade was injured at the back of the stage. I am hoping they'll give us an update when we reconvene, but in the meantime, will you keep her in your prayers? Thanks.
BTW, I want to be Edith Guffey when I grow up. Just sayin'.
What can I say about the speech by the speech by Rev. J. Bennett Guess, nominee for Officer of the United Church of Christ and Executive Minister for Local Church Ministries? I am guessing you can watch it online, again on ucc.org. I really liked his speech, and him.
I will say, it's interesting to me when people say things like, "Like many of you, I came to this church hurt..." or similar, referring to the many people in our denomination who come to us after leaving other denominations. The thing is, I didn't. Like I said, I was baptized into a UCC church and don't know what it's like to not feel welcomed by your own faith community - at least not as a whole, as so many LGBT people have felt. I wonder if the UCC will ever become a church where there are more people born into it then re-born into it, if you'll allow me to use such a term. Just something his speech got me thinking about.
Well, it's off to find some dinner (and a place to connect to wifi to post this... that you're reading... woah. I feel like I'm in "Back to the Future IV: General Synod")
Did you watch it streaming?! You can you know! Just head over to ucc.org - see if you can spot me in the delegates section (today we were sitting near the front, and I saw myself on the big screen at least twice, but I think both times I may have looked not-to-excited... allergies will do that to you, though!)
We saw people representing all the new church starts there have been in the last 2 years - actually, we've had the most new churches in a 5 year period since the first decade of the UCC! WOW!! One of the church's I spotted was called "Not Yo Mama's Church" I am so gonna look that one up on the web! If you want to see more about UCC Church Starts, head to ucc.org/stillrocking
We had a bit of a shocking moment, when one of the wonderfully exuberant participants in the church start parade was injured at the back of the stage. I am hoping they'll give us an update when we reconvene, but in the meantime, will you keep her in your prayers? Thanks.
BTW, I want to be Edith Guffey when I grow up. Just sayin'.
What can I say about the speech by the speech by Rev. J. Bennett Guess, nominee for Officer of the United Church of Christ and Executive Minister for Local Church Ministries? I am guessing you can watch it online, again on ucc.org. I really liked his speech, and him.
I will say, it's interesting to me when people say things like, "Like many of you, I came to this church hurt..." or similar, referring to the many people in our denomination who come to us after leaving other denominations. The thing is, I didn't. Like I said, I was baptized into a UCC church and don't know what it's like to not feel welcomed by your own faith community - at least not as a whole, as so many LGBT people have felt. I wonder if the UCC will ever become a church where there are more people born into it then re-born into it, if you'll allow me to use such a term. Just something his speech got me thinking about.
Well, it's off to find some dinner (and a place to connect to wifi to post this... that you're reading... woah. I feel like I'm in "Back to the Future IV: General Synod")
Catching Up 2: Committee Assignment #8
(Written at 5:30 on July 1st, between plenary sessions... this one's going way back... I'm not editing it, because I think I gave some good info here)
Just came out of Plenary, which I'll speak to in a minute, but I want to catch you up a bit on the morning.
As I referenced in my last post, my committee assignment is #8: Reflection and Advocacy on Behalf of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This year, we are trying something new at Synod and starting out by having educational intensives so that all delegates will be prepared with knowledge pertaining to their resolution committee assignments before the discussion and voting begins. My committee will meet on Sunday morning to further discuss the Congo and this resolution and then vote, but for now we are all on the same page as to why this resolution was even created.
Our presenter was Eyambo Bokamba, a professor at the University of Illinois, who was born in the DRC and has continued to be an advocate for the Congolese people after his move to the United States in 1962.
For me, a lot of what Mr. Bokamba spoke about were things I was aware of, if not fully informed on. However, although his lecture was riddled with horrific and sobering facts and information, what it gave me that I didn't have before was hope.
I have a cousin who runs an NGO in the DRC (Working Villages International, if you're interested) and so DRC has been on my radar for a while and I have read a bit more about then perhaps your average American. Because of this, I was already aware of the rich natural resources they have that draw exploitation and violence to the region; and, honestly, I was full of cynicism and skepticism - "How will this resolution change anything? Aren't we just whining without taking any real action?"
But Mr. Bokamba spoke to this fear of inadequacy in pointing out that during Congo Week, in October, a letter writing campaign to our political leaders could have a significant impact - which struck me as true, since it wasn't till I arrived that I remembered how many of us there really are!
So, with that, I now feel prepared to address this committee assignment with an open heart, mind and spirit.
Just came out of Plenary, which I'll speak to in a minute, but I want to catch you up a bit on the morning.
As I referenced in my last post, my committee assignment is #8: Reflection and Advocacy on Behalf of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This year, we are trying something new at Synod and starting out by having educational intensives so that all delegates will be prepared with knowledge pertaining to their resolution committee assignments before the discussion and voting begins. My committee will meet on Sunday morning to further discuss the Congo and this resolution and then vote, but for now we are all on the same page as to why this resolution was even created.
Our presenter was Eyambo Bokamba, a professor at the University of Illinois, who was born in the DRC and has continued to be an advocate for the Congolese people after his move to the United States in 1962.
For me, a lot of what Mr. Bokamba spoke about were things I was aware of, if not fully informed on. However, although his lecture was riddled with horrific and sobering facts and information, what it gave me that I didn't have before was hope.
I have a cousin who runs an NGO in the DRC (Working Villages International, if you're interested) and so DRC has been on my radar for a while and I have read a bit more about then perhaps your average American. Because of this, I was already aware of the rich natural resources they have that draw exploitation and violence to the region; and, honestly, I was full of cynicism and skepticism - "How will this resolution change anything? Aren't we just whining without taking any real action?"
But Mr. Bokamba spoke to this fear of inadequacy in pointing out that during Congo Week, in October, a letter writing campaign to our political leaders could have a significant impact - which struck me as true, since it wasn't till I arrived that I remembered how many of us there really are!
So, with that, I now feel prepared to address this committee assignment with an open heart, mind and spirit.
Catching Up
To Anyone who was following this blog and wondered where I went - so sorry!! I had a little, shall we say, mishap with funds going into Synod, so I was unable to purchase the wi-fi access needed to sign on during plenary. That was fine to begin with, because I could easily make time to find free wi-fi access, but as the week wore on, that became impossible. So, the Following posts are ones I wrote while in Plenary, but am only able to post now. I won't edit them to much before posting, so what you're getting is really what I was feeling/thinking at the time.
Thanks for checking back in!
Thanks for checking back in!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Baby You're a Firework!!
Happy 4th, everyone!!! Have you been watching us on ucc.org, live streaming?! We've gotten down to business, had some issues with the voting pads, but in a true Spirit of unity, we're working it out!
Now, more importantly ;) , DID YOU CATCH THE FLASH MOB?!
I hope you did and I hope that you moved along at home however you were able! I know all the Minnesotan delegation was very happy to get up and move!
Now we've seen a new "commercial" about extravegant welcome and the UCC. Check it out online!
Back to the plenary!
Now, more importantly ;) , DID YOU CATCH THE FLASH MOB?!
I hope you did and I hope that you moved along at home however you were able! I know all the Minnesotan delegation was very happy to get up and move!
Now we've seen a new "commercial" about extravegant welcome and the UCC. Check it out online!
Back to the plenary!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Snuggies and Synod
To snuggie or not to snuggie, that is the question...
On the train last week, I was very cold at night - the train is air conditioned, your body temperature drops and on top of that it was raining outside, so I was cold. So I've been thinking about getting a blanket for the trip home.
And then I saw that they have big, red, comma emblazoned snuggies for sale in the exhibition hall. Hmmm...
Now, if you are in the snuggie-yes camp, let me remind you that the ucc e-store is honoring the synod discount on all merchandise at 20%!!! And if you are a snuggie-no reader, well, they have lots of t-shirts and bumperstickers on sale too ;)
So, dear readers, what say you? Should I join the craze and try to evangelize on the train all at the same time?!
On the train last week, I was very cold at night - the train is air conditioned, your body temperature drops and on top of that it was raining outside, so I was cold. So I've been thinking about getting a blanket for the trip home.
And then I saw that they have big, red, comma emblazoned snuggies for sale in the exhibition hall. Hmmm...
Now, if you are in the snuggie-yes camp, let me remind you that the ucc e-store is honoring the synod discount on all merchandise at 20%!!! And if you are a snuggie-no reader, well, they have lots of t-shirts and bumperstickers on sale too ;)
So, dear readers, what say you? Should I join the craze and try to evangelize on the train all at the same time?!
mid meeting update
Well, we're taking a little break after about an hour of discussion. During this discussion, anyone present had voice and could speak for 2 min. After we come back, only those who are delegates (who will vote) or who are designated voice without vote (conference ministers fall under this category) will be able to speak.
As I thought would happen, the only thing resembling "dissent" had to do with the feeling that it's not enough. Well, is it ever? Jesus said there will be poor always when the woman came to annoint him. I read recently about how he was reffering to the Jewish system of charity, which includes as two of the most important kinds of charity as giving to and taking care of the poor and caring for the dead. So Jesus was saying, "look, I'm leaving you soon - there isn't much time left for you to provide this act of charity for me. So let her do this now, and CONTINUE the work of caring for the poor tomorrow. As Christians, I think we sometimes get too hopeful.
Did I just say that?
Yup. We think we can fix it all and if we give enough and work hard enough, we can bring a total end to all the violence and pain in the world. But the reality is that we will need to work for the poor and give ourhearts and work to them forever.
But that's just me... what do you think?!
As I thought would happen, the only thing resembling "dissent" had to do with the feeling that it's not enough. Well, is it ever? Jesus said there will be poor always when the woman came to annoint him. I read recently about how he was reffering to the Jewish system of charity, which includes as two of the most important kinds of charity as giving to and taking care of the poor and caring for the dead. So Jesus was saying, "look, I'm leaving you soon - there isn't much time left for you to provide this act of charity for me. So let her do this now, and CONTINUE the work of caring for the poor tomorrow. As Christians, I think we sometimes get too hopeful.
Did I just say that?
Yup. We think we can fix it all and if we give enough and work hard enough, we can bring a total end to all the violence and pain in the world. But the reality is that we will need to work for the poor and give ourhearts and work to them forever.
But that's just me... what do you think?!
A Call for Reflection...
i apologize for not posting yesterday, but i was in need in some time for reflection. i am now sitting in my morning meeting for my committee. i hope to post more at our first break, so please check back later today
Friday, July 1, 2011
That Sneaky Spirit is Still Moving!!
So, on my way to find this wi-fi spot, I was taking an elevator, and who should step on but, Rev. Ken! (Ok, don't kill me, but I can't remember his last name! Maybe AuntieKnickers can help me out?)
Now, Ken was once a minister at Mayflower UCC in South Minneapolis - a neighbor church to my own. Then he went to California, where he is on the staff at First Church of Berkley UCC. While there, my sister, then in seminary, had an internship with that church. When it came time for my sister to graduate from seminary, we needed some help getting me there. She asked the staff of the church if they could think of any ways for me, a financially struggling college student, to get a cheap ticket to California from Minnesota, since I was the only family member with enough flexibility of schedule to go. Well! Ken stepped up and used some of his frequent flyer miles to buy me a ticket!
A lot of people are ashamed of receiving charity, but I try not to be. Instead, I want to be grateful and I want to someday, somehow, show someone the Love of God the way that Ken did for me and my sister (ahem, that now REV. Cordelia, thank you very much!). For me, being with my sister during that time was so special and important. And, although she might not put it in these words, I think she needed me there - someone from our family who could stand up and cheer, who knew what she had gone through to get on that road.
Ken helped me be there for that moment, and seeing him today reminded me of the kind of generosity that is possible when we open our hearts to one another.
1st Plenary
On to Plenary!
Did you watch it streaming?! You can you know! Just head over to ucc.org - see if you can spot me in the delegates section (today we were sitting near the front, and I saw myself on the big screen at least twice, but I think both times I may have looked not-to-excited... allergies will do that to you, though!)
We saw people representing all the new church starts there have been in the last 2 years - actually, we've had the most new churches in a 5 year period since the first decade of the UCC! WOW!! One of the church's I spotted was called "Not Yo Mama's Church" I am so gonna look that one up on the web! If you want to see more about UCC Church Starts, head to ucc.org/stillrocking
We had a bit of a shocking moment, when one of the wonderfully exuberant participants in the church start parade was injured at the back of the stage. I am hoping they'll give us an update when we reconvene, but in the meantime, will you keep her in your prayers? Thanks.
BTW, I want to be Edith Guffey when I grow up. Just sayin'.
What can I say about the speech by the speech by Rev. J. Bennett Guess, nominee for Officer of the United Church of Christ and Executive Minister for Local Church Ministries? I am guessing you can watch it online, again on ucc.org. I really liked his speech, and him.
I will say, it's interesting to me when people say things like, "Like many of you, I came to this church hurt..." or similar, referring to the many people in our denomination who come to us after leaving other denominations. The thing is, I didn't. Like I said, I was baptized into a UCC church and don't know what it's like to not feel welcomed by your own faith community - at least not as a whole, as so many LGBT people have felt. I wonder if the UCC will ever become a church where there are more people born into it then re-born into it, if you'll allow me to use such a term. Just something his speech got me thinking about.
Well, it's off to find some dinner (and a place to connect to wifi to post this... that you're reading... woah. I feel like I'm in "Back to the Future IV: General Synod")
Committee Assignment #8
(Written at 5:30 on July 1st, between plenary sessions)
Just came out of Plenary, which I'll speak to in a minute, but I want to catch you up a bit on the morning.
As I referenced in my last post, my committee assignment is #8: Reflection and Advocacy on Behalf of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This year, we are trying something new at Synod and starting out by having educational intensives so that all delegates will be prepared with knowledge pertaining to their resolution committee assignments before the discussion and voting begins. My committee will meet on Sunday morning to further discuss the Congo and this resolution and then vote, but for now we are all on the same page as to why this resolution was even created.
Our presenter was Eyambo Bokamba, a professor at the University of Illinois, who was born in the DRC and has continued to be an advocate for the Congolese people after his move to the United States in 1962.
For me, a lot of what Mr. Bokamba spoke about were things I was aware of, if not fully informed on. However, although his lecture was riddled with horrific and sobering facts and information, what it gave me that I didn't have before was hope.
I have a cousin who runs an NGO in the DRC (Working Villages International, if you're interested) and so DRC has been on my radar for a while and I have read a bit more about then perhaps your average American. Because of this, I was already aware of the rich natural resources they have that draw exploitation and violence to the region; and, honestly, I was full of cynicism and skepticism - "How will this resolution change anything? Aren't we just whining without taking any real action?"
But Mr. Bokamba spoke to this fear of inadequacy in pointing out that during Congo Week, in October, a letter writing campaign to our political leaders could have a significant impact - which struck me as true, since it wasn't till I arrived that I remembered how many of us there really are!
So, with that, I now feel prepared to address this committee assignment with an open heart, mind and spirit.
Just came out of Plenary, which I'll speak to in a minute, but I want to catch you up a bit on the morning.
As I referenced in my last post, my committee assignment is #8: Reflection and Advocacy on Behalf of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This year, we are trying something new at Synod and starting out by having educational intensives so that all delegates will be prepared with knowledge pertaining to their resolution committee assignments before the discussion and voting begins. My committee will meet on Sunday morning to further discuss the Congo and this resolution and then vote, but for now we are all on the same page as to why this resolution was even created.
Our presenter was Eyambo Bokamba, a professor at the University of Illinois, who was born in the DRC and has continued to be an advocate for the Congolese people after his move to the United States in 1962.
For me, a lot of what Mr. Bokamba spoke about were things I was aware of, if not fully informed on. However, although his lecture was riddled with horrific and sobering facts and information, what it gave me that I didn't have before was hope.
I have a cousin who runs an NGO in the DRC (Working Villages International, if you're interested) and so DRC has been on my radar for a while and I have read a bit more about then perhaps your average American. Because of this, I was already aware of the rich natural resources they have that draw exploitation and violence to the region; and, honestly, I was full of cynicism and skepticism - "How will this resolution change anything? Aren't we just whining without taking any real action?"
But Mr. Bokamba spoke to this fear of inadequacy in pointing out that during Congo Week, in October, a letter writing campaign to our political leaders could have a significant impact - which struck me as true, since it wasn't till I arrived that I remembered how many of us there really are!
So, with that, I now feel prepared to address this committee assignment with an open heart, mind and spirit.
We're Here!
Opening plenary is begining soon! This afternoon I have already been to a lecture/workshop about the Democratic Republic of the Congo (relating to my committee assignment, which I'll tell you about in a post later today...) and learned a lot. I've settled in to my hotel room and now we are gathering in plenary!
We are about to learn a song to sing together, so I better go!
We are about to learn a song to sing together, so I better go!
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