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")