General Convention Wrap-Up July 8, 2015 Except for those with extended vacation plans around General Convention, your deputation and staff are back on home turf. The last day of General Convention, July 3rd, started off with a bang. Morning Eucharist was moved up to 8:30 am MT. Presiding Bishop Elect Curry, the preacher for the day, joked in his sermon that the service was moved up so he "would have more time to preach." And preach he did. You can watch a full video of his sermon here.
Just before the Liturgy of the Table, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori announced that she had something to read to Michael Curry. It turned out to be a letter of congratulations from the President of the United States of America. To view a video of that reading, click here.
After the Eucharist, the bishops and deputies went into a final full day of legislation, the House of Deputies finishing at 6:00 pm MT, after working in session until 7:30 pm the night before. That Thursday night we were afforded the lovely opportunity of sharing community with our friends from The Episcopal Church in South Carolina at a cookout they hosted. We are grateful for their hospitality and welcome.
A spontaneous moment of happiness at the cookout: Upper SC, did you know your clergy were so talented? Introducing The
Reverend Mike Flanagan of Holy Cross, Simpsonville (who literally
strolled up to the song singing) and The Reverend Grant Wiseman of St.
Thaddeus, Aiken on guitar. https://youtu.be/t8dPF5nWWo0. Thank God for the gift of music.
And yes, it's just as hot in Utah as it is in Columbia - humidity or no. We're glad to be home!
After a weekend filled with hard work, celebration and excitement, we rolled right back into work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and things have not slowed down.Monday's legislative sessions resulted in more resolutions being passed that follow contemporary issues in South Carolina and in the United States.
The House of Deputies, with the House of Bishops concurring, acted to adopt Resolution D044, Removal of the Confederate Battle Flag. This Resolution Falls under Committee 08 of The Episcopal Church - Social Justice and United States Policy. Please read the full text of the resolution and its explanation here.
Online Evangelism in The Episcopal Church? Resolution B009 (Conduct an Online Digital Evangelism Test), amended, passed by a definite majority. The test is to determine to value of Google Search priority and social media in evangelism. It may surprise you, but click here to see a video interview on what our Presiding Bishop Elect Michael Curry has to say about social media.
Education for Ministry Celebratees 40 Years
EFM celebrated 40 years at a reception at #GC78 Monday night. Our own Rev. Anne Jolly (serving as Associate Rector for Program at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Austin, TX) was there. It was great to see Anne and University of the South Chaplin Tom Macfie who has known so many of our seminarians throughout the years and was a student at Sewanee with our own Bishop Waldo. We have a vibrant EFM program in EDUSC. If you are interested in joining a group, please contact Terri Bailey, our diocesan EFM coordinator, at terri.bailey@me.com. For more information on the EFM program, please visit their website.
June 30, 2015 Governor of Utah Welcomes The Episcopal Church
Governor Gary R. Herbert of Utah was invited as aspecial guest to the first legislative session Tuesday. With a warm welcome to our Church, he provided a little history: the Episcopal
Church is the secondlargest Church in Utah,
next to the Mormon Church. The Cathedral of St. Mark in Salt Lake City is the third oldest Episcopal Cathedral in the country, built in 1870. The Governor of Utah at the time was the single biggest contributor to that
building. Please check out the history of the Cathedral on their website here.
Deputation Work on Five Marks of Mission
Our deputation did discernment work around the Five Marks of Mission Tuesday morning. A video was played offering the essence of each mark. Here is a taste of the missional drive of our Church in the Mark 5 video. The other are available on the same web page, as well. All in session Tuesday, we had a surprise visit from the 25th Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold. He came to honor Bishop Katharine's ministry. We were then advised to get our smart phones out, for we would see something not often seen, "a tableau vivant," a triune of Presiding Bishops, a jubilation of primates. Frank Griswold, Katharine Jefferts Schori and Michael Curry joined each other up front in a moment of history, unity and celebration.
PBs 25, 26 and 27 Together in Celebratory Moment at General Convention Photo Credit Ben Sibielski of the Diocese of Rhode Island See the Waldo Hat in the Foreground?
A Eucharist of Celebration Worship on Tuesday was a vibrant affair. Our own Voorhees College singers, along with those of St. Augustine's University, Raleigh sang at worship. They sang a folk favorite, Let Us Bread Together along with a gorgeous gospel piece. You don't want to miss this!
ECW Triennial - Fun and Learning
Our ECW deputation has been hard at work, sharing in worship with us and engaging in legislation for this important arm of the Church, as well as in workshops on leadership and ministry. They are having, fun, too! Pictured here are Delores Goodwin of All Saints', Cayce and Kathy Siegel of St. Peter's, Greenville in the Diocese of Utah Antlers. The people of the Diocese of Utah have been truly welcoming. Their spirit has made us feel a part of the larger Church that we are. Thank you, Diocese of Utah!
July 1, 2015 The Rev. Becca Stevens Preaches at GC Eucharist The day began at morning Eucharist with a powerful sermon from the Rev. Becca Stevens, founder of Magdalene and Thistle Farms. Thistle Farms is a company run entirely by women who were once on the streets. Their products are nurturing, smell great, and support not only the women running the company, but women in third world countries, as well, who make some of the gift bags and other containers the products are in from recycled materials. Take the time to hear Becca's sermon here. The Rev. Becca Stevens Preaches at General Convention (L)
The Biggest News of the Day - Marriage Equality
Both the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies have passed marriage equality in the Episcopal Church. This news comes as a great joy to some and discouragement to others. Please be on the lookout later today for a pastoral letter from Bishop Waldo explaining cleary what this means for we, the people of EDUSC. And please keep your fellow communicants and Episcopal community in your prayers as we move through these times of change together.
