Opening Day-Minus-One

Today was the preliminary organizational meetings for deputies and alternates, and the gathering of the tribes.  The Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission, of which I am part of the Council, has a booth in the hall along with the Sisters of the Order of St. Helena, the Church Publishing Corporation, the Pension Fund of the Episcopal Church, makers of prayer beads, carvers of olive wood, crafters of icons, and many, many others.  I mentioned before that GC is one third business meeting, one-third family reunion, and one third bazaar.  (Note the spelling: BAZAAR.  It is also BIZARRE, but that's a matter for another post altogether...)

In the family reunion category, I have seen many old friends and made a few new ones today.  The intrepid Sharon Sheridan Hausman, reporter extrordinaire, is keeping the wider church informed of developments as they unfold.  Most of the Georgia delegation has been sighted, along with a very relaxed-looking Bp. Loutitt and family, who I believe are here just for the fun of it. 

The entire Diocese of Texas delegation gathered this afternoon for the committee hearing to ratify the election of Jeff Fisher as the bishop suffragan of Texas.  The meeting was brief, joyous and thoroughly satisfactory--now the election will be ratified by the House of Bishop and House of Deputies respectively, and East Texas will have a wonderful new bishop serving them and leading them in their ministries.  Congratulations to Jeff and his family as they enter into this new adventure in the Piney Woods!

Tomorrow begins much of the legislative work of the Convention.  I myself will be testifying in a committee meeting in support of the resolutions I mentioned in a previous post.  It is my hope in supporting this legislation that the canons of our church, by what they say and do not say, will consistently support both the baptismal theology of the Book of Common Prayer and the fullest possible expression of the ministries of all the baptized.  Currently this is not the case, insofar as the rite of confirmation  is canonically required for those seeking to hold certain offices in the Episcopal Church. 

The history of "confirmation" as a liturgical event is long and complicated, and more than can be addressed here and now.  In the present Book of Common Prayer it stands as a repeatable pastoral liturgy, and not in fact part of Christian Initiation as such.  This has often been misread and misunderstood in Episcopal circles, with other interpretations (often influenced by Roman Catholic theologies of "confirmation") being interwoven into popular understandings of the rite.

Further discussion of these matters (for those who are interested) can be read in the Associated Parishes' Special Convention Edition of OPEN, our official journal, located at http://associatedparishes.org/images/Open_GC_2012.pdf.  Print copies will be available at the APLM booth tomorrow (Thursday) morning.

Stay tuned for more excitement...:)