In the Boat
My name is Lynn. I am a General Assembly –aholic
Hi, Lynn.
Now that I realize it is Thursday, and my day to post is Wednesday, I ask myself what happened to yesterday. I could make excuses. I am preparing for two weddings and now a funeral next week. Two of my colleagues here are in the process of losing their jobs and one’s wife is dying.
The real reason is that I have been obsessed with watching the meetings of the General Assembly via live, streaming video on the Internet. After each afternoon’s “bender,” (I’ve been watching since Monday), I emerge tired and cranky even though most everything I wanted to be approved was approved. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a commissioner, except commissioners have all the information before them so they probably know what’s going on. I watch and try to guess.
Having been a pastor now for more than 18 years and almost as many General Assemblies, I know enough to wonder what the fallout from this Assembly will be. The brief articles in the paper here on the Trinity statement and the so-called definitive guidance from the PUP report have generated a bit of comment, but so far, no rancor. My guess is that the waves will be a bit higher in another part of the church. As I heard one commissioner ask the Office of the General Assembly after the PUP recommendations were accepted, “Are you prepared for the financial implications of this?” Nothing like a little blackmail and hostage-taking to spice things up!
Scrambling to find a sermon for Sunday, I found in the file folders numerous sermons on Sunday’s text, Mark’s account of Jesus stilling the storm. In several of those sermons, I make reference to recent actions of a General Assembly. The references are not specific, and I have been too busy watching this General Assembly to do any research. What has become clear to me is that the text paints a picture of the church in the midst of chaos. Even in the first centuries, there was controversy and difficulty. Yet Jesus invites the disciples into the boat, Jesus is in the boat with them, and Jesus commands the wind and the waves to “be still.” Jesus overcomes that which threatens to overcome the disciples.
That will “preach” although I doubt that I will make much reference to the General Assembly. There are two weddings and a funeral and two colleagues in the process of losing their jobs and one whose wife is dying. There are enough storms, not to still, for that is not in my power. I am powerless. God is not. And God is in the boat.
Lynn (who does not have a dog in the fight between Rick and Dee)
Hi, Lynn.
Now that I realize it is Thursday, and my day to post is Wednesday, I ask myself what happened to yesterday. I could make excuses. I am preparing for two weddings and now a funeral next week. Two of my colleagues here are in the process of losing their jobs and one’s wife is dying.
The real reason is that I have been obsessed with watching the meetings of the General Assembly via live, streaming video on the Internet. After each afternoon’s “bender,” (I’ve been watching since Monday), I emerge tired and cranky even though most everything I wanted to be approved was approved. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a commissioner, except commissioners have all the information before them so they probably know what’s going on. I watch and try to guess.
Having been a pastor now for more than 18 years and almost as many General Assemblies, I know enough to wonder what the fallout from this Assembly will be. The brief articles in the paper here on the Trinity statement and the so-called definitive guidance from the PUP report have generated a bit of comment, but so far, no rancor. My guess is that the waves will be a bit higher in another part of the church. As I heard one commissioner ask the Office of the General Assembly after the PUP recommendations were accepted, “Are you prepared for the financial implications of this?” Nothing like a little blackmail and hostage-taking to spice things up!
Scrambling to find a sermon for Sunday, I found in the file folders numerous sermons on Sunday’s text, Mark’s account of Jesus stilling the storm. In several of those sermons, I make reference to recent actions of a General Assembly. The references are not specific, and I have been too busy watching this General Assembly to do any research. What has become clear to me is that the text paints a picture of the church in the midst of chaos. Even in the first centuries, there was controversy and difficulty. Yet Jesus invites the disciples into the boat, Jesus is in the boat with them, and Jesus commands the wind and the waves to “be still.” Jesus overcomes that which threatens to overcome the disciples.
That will “preach” although I doubt that I will make much reference to the General Assembly. There are two weddings and a funeral and two colleagues in the process of losing their jobs and one whose wife is dying. There are enough storms, not to still, for that is not in my power. I am powerless. God is not. And God is in the boat.
Lynn (who does not have a dog in the fight between Rick and Dee)
posted by Rick at 9:08 AM
1 Comments:
O Lynn, please play. Triangulation is good, remember? I need you so we can kick some RD hinnie.
Pretty please?
Dee
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