Live From Indianapolis II

<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">We got down to business this morning with a 3 hour meeting of the Structure Committee followed by what was supposed to be a 2 hour hearing in the afternoon but it turned out to be another 2 hours of meeting instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">I am markedly impressed with the Structure Committee. It has a number of folks who are real players in the national church, including our deputy chair, Gay Jennings, who is a contender for the next President of House of Deputies. I am just getting to know her, but am so far very favorably inclined toward her leadership. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">In the morning we did the basic work of setting the ground rules for our process and had a good general conversation about how to make structure serve mission. I have been a bit perplexed by the level of discomfort with this year’s reform proposal because there is no substantive change even on the table. The proposal is just to appoint a task force to study the possibility of structural reform and make a recommendation in the future – a recommendation we might like or not, enact or not – and would probably like and enact only in part, one of these days. So why the panic? I came away from today’s discussion with a better understanding. We had at least three different committees each of whom understood structure to be in their bailiwick. Now we have a proposal to create a new ad hoc task force with the clear mandate to make something happen. Even before a specific change is recommended, several groups feel displaced from their jobs. So dealing with the relationship side of this process is delicate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">We had a room full of witnesses at the “hearing” this afternoon; but it turned out only one of them wanted to speak to one of our resolutions; and it was not a hot button resolution. Since we had the time, we took on a number of resolutions which were mostly house-keeping. Even though they were of the most minor nature, we were meticulous with the wording and so managed to devote considerable time and energy to fine tuning the canons. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">What we did needed doing; but I wondered if a smaller group might not have handled it better. I also did not grow personally, make deeper connections, or feel inspired. It is not the nature of the legislative process to grow the soul. Yet, I truly believe that this was a room full of people worth knowing, that if we could come together on a deeper level, the Holy Spirit might move among us. The conventioneers who were not stuck in hearings were at a baseball game. The chance of something spiritually edifying happening is far better at a baseball game than in a legislative hearing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 408.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Coming out of the Structure Committee “hearing,” I encountered Karen Johanns, formerly of Trinity, Reno and had a great time hearing about her gritty inner city ministry in Pontiac, MI and updating her on the movings and shakings of the Silver State. <o:p></o:p></span></div>

Live From Indianapolis II

We got down to business this morning with a 3 hour meeting of the Structure Committee followed by what was supposed to be a 2 hour hearing i...

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