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.

Healthy Eating at Synod

Today I am hanging out with a friend of mine who lives on a eco-farm near Tampa before we begin the work of Synod tomorrow.

Being on an eco-farm where much of the food we are eating comes from the fruits of my hosts' labor at every step of the way, and from the bounty of God's creation, brought to mind one of the resolutions we will be voting on: the Resolution for Mindful and Faithful Eating.

This is not "my" resolution, so I will not be discussing it in my committee, but it will be going to a committee and getting a chance to be voted on.

I was interested from the start in this resolution because I believe that people's lives can be better when they eat mindfully, but I am also "body-positive" - meaning that I, as a fat woman, see much of the negativity around body weight and size and shape as a tool of oppression. Further more, it means that I believe God loves each one of us mind, body and spirit, no matter how current ideology views us physically. So just the title made me nervous because I didn't know which direction this would be taken.

So it was with a mixture of confusion and relief that I realized the resolution has much more to do with how we treat God's creation - the earth and animals as well as ourselves.

Here's a link to the UCC website where you can read this resolution, or any resolution, as a pdf - General Synod 28th Resolution

Part of me thinks this resolution should really be called "Resolution for Mindful and Faithful Consumption." What do you think? I will say I like this resolution because it has a clear idea of what action should be taken, whereas many of the others seem, well, flighty is the best word I have right now.

Today I'm off to search for a hat, since I'm hoping Florida has a larger selection then Maine! Then I'll be checking in at my hotel, maybe have some coffee with my sister and our friend and hope this rain keeps us cool!