U2charist

What can I say about a U2charist? It's loud and active, crazy and fun, different and exciting. This year we had a Bono impersonator and a real band, a sermon from the Rev. Mike Kinnon, former CEO of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation who spoke about having a restless heart and choosing Jesus sense over common sense, and eucharist celebrated by Bishop Mark Andrus of California. I've attached some pictures Barbara Losse took. Beyond that, I have no words to describe it!

From Barbara Losse, St. Mark's SLC

I was assigned to a committee for the first time this Convention and appointed its secretary. Arriving in time for the Legislative Committee Officers’ Orientation on Monday, I met Dave from the Diocese of North Dakota and the chair of Committee 21 - Privilege and Courtesy. He had attended the staff and chair meeting a few months ago. As we listened to the Convention Secretary, Gregory Straub - he of the many colored sport coats, if you haven’t already heard - Dave leaned over to say things such as “we don’t need to do that”, or “that doesn’t apply to us”, or “don’t worry about that one”.

Important as saying “thank you” is, P & C operates independently of the committee system at General Convention. We had committee members from both Houses, an assigned meeting room, pre-filed resolutions, forms to fill out and a thumb drive, but didn’t meet as a committee until Monday of the 2nd week when fewer than half of us were available. Dave and I were the only members of the committee whose sole assignment was P & C, which meant that the others were heavily scheduled the 1st week with meetings and hearings.

Meanwhile, Dave had assigned each of the deputies to draft one text of the resolutions we were likely to need such as an appreciation for the Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit and recognition to leadership of the Houses and the staff who made it all work. Hearings were unnecessary although an interested deputy stopped by to ask if we could keep his pre-filed resolution off the Consent Calendar and have it placed on the regular daily calendar. We could request it, but Dispatch of Business makes those decisions and as time dwindles, the likelihood is that the bulk of our resolutions will land on the consent calendar.

We met Monday, yesterday and today before the morning legislative session to review the drafts, decide whether they ought to be forwarded to the Houses, and then edit them for syntax, grammar, and general wordsmithing. Sound mundane? Well, maybe, but it was still kind of exciting when we got the Daily Calendar with our resolutions on it - not even on the consent calendar, and someone rose to speak to one of them!

Happy 64! - Susan Wiltsey Smith, St. Jude's Cedar City

Experiencing General Convention is both exhilarating and exhausting and at the same time endlessly addicting. I want to rest and can’t wait for the next committee meeting or legislation session to begin. As an endlessly happy shopper I also want to go to the exhibit hall and brouse through booths that speak to all my interests except Shakespeare. As an alternate deputy I have more freedom of how to use my time, but still go to as many committee hearings and legislative sessions as I possibly can.

What is best is experiencing our whole church, which we can only do at General Convention. Whatever is happening, there is a deep connection as though I have known these people as close friends my whole life. To feel our deep connection as joy and prayer and laughter is worth more than I can say. Everyone from deputies, volunteers, exhibitors, ECW women, visitors, fellow deputies, the secretary, the parliamentarian, and presiders of both houses – Pres Bonnie Anderson and the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Shori – have been gracious, sincere, and funny.

It has been a real pleasure to experience this church. I love the sense of mission, the prayerful way we handle anything, the humanity of the laughter, the way that we are human and seeking rather than pious, not taking ourselves too seriously. That interesting authenticity of being God-centered followers of Jesus, while never losing sight of our human foibles. I am grateful and humble to be calling The Episcopal Church mine.

With blessings and peace, Susan Wiltsey Smith on the morning of my 64th birthday!

The Home Stretch - Steve Keplinger, St. David's Page

Hi all,
We are coming down the home stretch here in Anaheim. So much happens every few hours here, it is difficult to give you anything but the highlights as I see them and the things I think might be most important to all of you. That is particularly true now that we are in the last two days of legislation, when the large majority of resolutions come flying at us all at once. I urge all of you to read the daily reports and Toni Marie Sutliff's blog too.

Here are the items that stand out for me in the last few days:
1) We passed final approval of adding half a dozen new people into Lesser Feasts and Fasts. The list includes Frances Joseph Gaudet and Oscar Romero.
2) We also approved for trial use for the next three years of a gigantic list of other people to add to our Holy Women, Holy Men list. Our list of honored people is beginning to look like the saints painted on the wall at St. Gregory's of Nyssa in San Francisco, and I personally think that is a good thing.
3) We passed resolution C014, which says we will do a new theological study of Christian marriage and what that means in our present world.
4) We adopted D015, a resolution for merciful and humane treatement of God's creatures.
5) D025, the big legislation regarding where we stand in the Anglican Communion and our statement that all baptized persons can serve in all ways in the Episcopal Church, passed The House of Bishops with an amendment adding a line about the ways of the Holy Spirit being a mystery. In the House of Deputies, we approved the amendment by a huge margin.
6) Speaking of the Holy Spirit, we all have seen Her flying in the hall of the House of Deputies, though some spoil sports suggested that it was actually a pigeon.
7) There have been lots of ecumenical resolutions too, including A075, an agreement to Eucharistic hospitality and joint mission with the Presbyterian Church USA. The Presbyterians already approved this at their General Assembly in 2008, so with our adoption it is now official.
Our agreement with the United Methodist Church continues, not yet full communion, but getting closer. We are now in full comunion with the Moravian church and we are beginning such discourse with the various African Methodist and AME churches.
8) Back to the environment, we adopted C070, signing on to The Genesis Covenant, which is about reducing greenhouse emissions at least 50% in the next ten years.
9) We passed a health care package for all full time lay and clerical employees of the church. Jody Gebhardt will also be excited to learn that we passed a new pension plan that makes her eligible to be in the system. She works just a hair over the number of hours necessary to be eligible.
10) Not just concerned about justice for our own, we also walked in protest with Disney hotel employees, whose health care benefits are in jeopardy of being taken away.
11) Our friends at Page Regional Domestic Violence will be happy to know that we passed D096, a resolution about prevention of domestic violence and educating our clergy more about how to handle it.
12) Mike Atkinson will be happy to know that we passed A142, the anti-racism resolution too.
13) We also passed a new budget for the next three years that takes into account the state of the economy and the difficulties will be facing. It included cuts of 23 million dollars, which means that this is going to become much more of a bottom up church, with it being up to us at the local level to make things happen.

Time and again throughout this Convention, it has become clear what it is that we want to make happen as a church. In two words, it is mission and evangelism. For example, while most everything else was cut, our commitment to the Millenium Development Goals stayed totally intact. Our desire to care for those in need and spread God's love to all is the will of this church. It was so heartening to me to hear the entire church supporting just what we have been doing at St. David's.

There are hundreds more, but these stand out for me.
In addition to the legislation, General Convention offers myriad opportunities to experience worship and preaching and prayer in so many forms. I have been particularly moved by these events:
Every day of Convention, we have Eucharist between legislative sessions at mid-day. We have been exposed to a great variety of fantastic music, from African to Hispanic to Native American to European. Almost all of it came from our many Hymnals and I have lots of challenges for Mary and Virgil and all of us to try, if you are game.

On July 14, The House of Deputies was visited by interfaith guests from over 30 faith traditions. They concluded their time with us by three of the group, a Jewish, Muslim and Episcopal cantor all chanting for us. The Jewish cantor began and after they all prayed solo, the the three canted together. Three Abrahamic traditions with three very different melodies, but together they were amazingly beautiful, a great metaphor for what we can all be when we honor and care for each other.

Many evenings, we also have various Eucharists. I was particularly moved by the Integrity Eucharist, where The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson presided and The Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris preached. Her sermon was delivered in typical Bishop Harris fashion, where she never pulled a single punch. "If you don't want GLBT folks as Bishops, don't ordain them as Deacons. Better yet, be honest and say. 'We don't want you, you don't belong here,' and don't bestow on them the sacrament of baptism to begin with." Then to thunderous applause, she exclaimed, "How can you initiate someone and then treat them like they are half-assed baptized?" Jean and I just spoke to Bishop Harris in the hallway and I told her how much that sermon moved me. "If you're not going to preach the truth," she said to me, "why bother?" Amen, sister...I mean Bishop.

Last night, Jean and I went to an emerging church service in the LA arena, hosted by the Diocese of Los Angeles. We broke open light sticks instead of using candles and watched a magnificent painter form each theme of the evening, while videos showed in the background and a band played on. It was not liturgy in my sense of the word, but it certainly showed us a way to reach Gen X and Y folk who have had little exposure to church. The sermon that night was by Brian McLaren, whose Jesus Creed we have used a few times at St. David's. In it, he suggested that sin occurs whenever we break the connection we have with each other and all the world, any violation of the wholeness of God's creation. Salvation then, is the restoration of that wholeness and is what Jesus does throughout the Gospels. Sounded just like something we might hear at St. David's, but in a way I had never quite heard before.

Tomorrow is the last day, which means we will be inundated with legislation. We are still hoping that the companion animal resolution makes it to the floor, as well as some other creation oriented resolutions.

Overall, this has been an amazing experience for me. I have been challenged, moved, inspired and exhausted by it all.
Blessings to each of you.
Steve+

The Sounds of General Convention - Mary June Nestler, Diocesan Staff

At last I've come up for air! It's the next-to-last day of General Convention, and I turn to this wonderful blog for the first time. It's been a great privilege to be here with the Utah deputation, whose members are so involved in nearly every aspect of what's going on.
I've been working hard as Secretary of Legislative Committee 14 on Ministry. Legislative committees receive resolutions as they are filed and perfect them before they go out onto the floor of the House of Bishops or House of Deputies. My committee was particularly busy this convention. We had meetings nearly every day at 7:00 or 7:30 a.m., when 38 bleary-eyed people gathered to hear testimony about the resolutions assigned to us and to craft the final versions. It's my job to take the minutes and to assist in the paperwork of moving the various resolutions through the legislative process so that eventually they wind up on the floor of the House of Deputies. Tonight I'll begin the work of editing a hundred pages of minutes so someone besides myself can make sense of them.
When not in committee, I take my place with the other seven Utah deputies on the floor of the House of Deputies, a vast hall seating more than 800 deputies, alternates, visitors' gallery, and press area. How wonderful it is to see old friends! We all greet one another as if the last General Convention were just last month, not three years ago.
Slow or fast, complicated or simple--the resolutions come. We do our best to find the page it's on in our very fat notebooks in time to vote on it. We're doing good work in what has been described by many as an amazing different tenor since 2006. Perhaps that has something to do with the departure from our Church of persons who felt themselves so disaffected with the direction we have been taking. As much as I hate to see any diocese leave us, I must say one positive result is a renewed sense of mission and ministry across the Church, and a kinder, gentler convention.
Here's what I love best about General Convention: The power of corporate prayer with several thousand of your Church brothers and sisters, and the sheer joy of raising our voices in song with Episcopalians and their guests from everwhere on the globe. The music at our daily eucharists has been terrific, with everything from our familiar hymns to the newest settings of spirituals. At the first eucharist I slid into a table at the back of the room and next to me were the Primate of Canada (equivalent to our Presiding Bishop), The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, and a representative of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. A young person joined us, and another person from the Church Publishing Corporation. The five of us made an impromptu choir, singing in parts as if our lives depended on it. And the whole room of some two or three thousand people sang with feet moving and arms raising and faces smiling too. It's singing you can feel in your bones.
Sometimes we sing in the House of Deputies when we need a good stretch. A thousand people manage to remember the harmonies (we have only the words on screens), and I'm sure the heavenly choirs of angels stop to listen to us. I'm absolutely convinced that we'd have no more church dissension if we'd just sing together until our harmony turns into the truest harmony of all, the sweet music of the Holy Spirit.
The singing is great, but so is the silence. There's nothing more powerful than those moments a great hall falls quiet. Today a deputy spoke of the murder of her daughter by her son-in-law as she addressed a resolution on domestic violence. You could have heard a pin drop as her heartsick words were uttered into the microphone, whose amplification made them all the more heavy. Our chaplain, The Rev. Frank Wade, knows how to pray, leaving us in silence when that is right, voicing our prayers into a quiet House over us so they rest quietly on us. At times we simply are in silence, and the breath of the Tennessee deputation behind us becomes our breath, breathed into the heart of God.
The singing and the silence punctuate our business. The sheer size of this convention reminds us that we are a Church beyond ourselves. We hear stories of ministries that hold up the world, and we are encouraged to recommit ourselves to the healing our world so desperately needs. That's what General Convention is! A giant pep rally, where the spirit is the Spirit.
Some of our Utah folk are at the U2charist tonight. I'm going to post this blog and head for the computer in my room, where committee minutes are waiting for me. Thanks so much to all of you who have been reading and responding to posts, and most especially for your prayers.
One more day to go! Mary June Nestler

An Episcopalian Anthropologist Among the Episcopalians: Matt Seddon, St. Paul’s-Salt Lake City

Although I’m trained primarily as an archaeologist, all archaeologists are trained in Anthropology, the study of people and culture. I thought I would offer a few observations on the culture of General Convention made whilst wearing my other hat.

Here are a few aspects of our culture, the unspoken norms, associations, beliefs, and conventions which structure all our interactions.

1. The floor of the House of Deputies (HoD) does not like amendments.

2. The floor of the HoD does like motions to limit or end debate. Likes them very, very much.

3. You can put Episcopalians at circular tables for worship, but they will still treat them like pews. Do not wander far from your pew......

4. We may believe in the Via Media, the middle way, but that doesn’t apply when jamming buttons all over name badges.

5. Deputies will happily pass all kinds of theologically complex resolutions by voice vote with minimal discussion, but if the church budget affects the Episcopal Life newspaper, they will come to the microphone in droves.

6. We are amused by our own strict reliance on Robert's Rules of Order (as modified by General Convention by-laws, the Constitution, Canons, etc., etc.). Like many things in our Church, we don’t know why we do it, but we’ve always done it, it is in a series of books, so we will keep doing it.

7. Spend enough time in the HoD and the phrasing of Robert’s Rules will roll off of your tongue as easily as Eucharistic Prayer A. If you’re not careful, it will spill out in your daily life. “I make a motion to go to dinner at Chili’s, and, if seconded, I would like to speak to this motion.”

8. We will, with one exception, diligently print a service bulletin for every Eucharist. We will, as always, not actually include all the details of the service in said bulletin.

9. We cannot clap during a hymn to save our lives.

10. Despite our reputation for being the spiritually bereft “frozen chosen,” we surround our deliberations with prayer, song, praise, reflection, and joy. We are not just another non-profit. Thanks be to God.

ECW Update, 17 Jul 09 - Laura Orcutt

Wednesday was exciting. At the Prvoince VIII ECW breakfast, Linda, Isabel, and Laura were welcomed, offered a pilgrimage to the National Cathedral and training and support as needed. The United Thank Offering (UTO) gave a presentation on the study of UTO to see where it should be properly aligned in relation to 501(c) status, in relationship to Emergency Relief and Development (ERD), and the proper placement of UTO's money. As a result, a resolution was placed on the floor to have 2 ECW representatives and an additional UTO representative on the Study Committee INC055 for voice and experience on the issue of UTO's status. Two other resolutions came forth the following day, one to reactivate their liaison representation on the UTO board and ECW National board in order to uphold current by-laws of the respective organizations and the other to have an ECW member on the Status of Women committee.

On Thursday, we had a closing celebration filled with song and thanks for a very holistic Triennial that incorporated mind, spirit, and soul in action and in prayer. The current ECW board was farewelled and the new ECW board was installed. Province IX, a new province, selected a president and representative to the ECW National board. The 2009 Triennial adjouned shortly before 4 pm.

We (Linda, Isabel, and Laura) received wonderful support from Province VIII ECW leadership to move forward with a diocean ECW board. We have developed an initial plan that we are excited to share. We are very grateful for the opportunity to have come as Triennial delegates and fell encouraged and strengthened in mind and spirit.

Reflections on Joy, Jay Stretch, Good Shepherd, Ogden

The Rev. Peter Rood of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Nativity, Mu’athin Ben Yousef of the Islamic Center of Southern California and Cantor Mark Saltzman of Congregation Kol Ami in Los Angeles sing blessings to the House of Deputies July 14. Each of the singers in turn offered a prayer and then combined their voices into what was called “a sung Abrahamic blessing to this house.” Christianity, Judaism and Islam all trace their roots to the biblical prophet Abraham.

This, the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, has found something that was noticeably missing from the 75th - Joy. There were not many smiling faces as we left Columbus three years ago. Now upturned mouths and warm greetings are the norm. This is not to say that there aren't differences, some small, others signifiant. What has changed is that there is a determined effort to move ahead, together. Opinions vary, though perhaps the spectrum has shrunk somewhat at the extremes. But then, if we all thought pretty much the same we wouldn't be Episcopalians, would we?

Perhaps yesterday's introduction of the Ecumenical Visitors to the House of Deputies presented a powerful image of where we can go when we choose to go there together. At the end of their presentation, three of the visitors stood together on the platform and sang in his own faith and manner to the peace and glory of God. Starting separately and alone, the Imam, Cantor, and Episcopal priest soon melded into wonderful harmony - each still in hisown way, but united in God's grace. Oh that the world could follow in their places.

Thoughts on our Youth Delegation, by Matt Seddon, St. Paul's SLC

Although I’ve been a second alternate lay deputy since the beginning of Convention, I only joined the delegation full time yesterday morning. Since the opening of Convention, I had been one of the adult leaders for the Anaheim Adventure, a visit of Diocesan youth to Anaheim and General Convention. It was interesting to straddle both roles, to see convention through my own eyes and through the eyes of our youth. I think the journey transformed us all.

Karen Van Winkle, our amazing Diocesan youth coordinator organized the trip. Nine adults joined 38 high school students-ranging from entering freshmen to graduated seniors getting ready for college-on a 14 hour bus ride from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. Once here, we crashed at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale, sleeping on their parish hall floor and generally creating chaos in a lovely church. Their youth director, Rev. Earl Gibson, was an outstanding host, making sure that everyone was having fun and that the slushee machine was always full!

New Insight #1: Every parish should have a slushee machine.

The trip was a combination of service, learning, worship, and fun. We spent time volunteering at two area food banks (LA and Orange County) and put the kids to work! We also helped beautify a youth leader and retreat house for the local Diocese. We spent several half days at General Convention. Our youth were able to watch debate in the House of Deputies on Resolution D025, as well as discussions in the House of Bishops, they volunteered for the United Thank Offering crew, and they had a ball collecting pins and browsing Episcopal material culture in the exhibition hall. A number of them covered their shirts with buttons, making a kind of Episcopal armor. We attended the huge Sunday Eucharist at convention, and many of our youth attended Morning Prayer at St. Mark’s and our own occasional Compline services. We also had time for a beach party with fish (and other) tacos, and, of course, a day at Disneyland!

New Insight #2: Sand is an interesting condiment.

There was lots of time for learning. Many students had never witnessed parliamentary procedure before, which made for a number of interesting conversations with us adults. Myself, I’ve seen parliamentary procedure, but never run as precisely as here. We desperately tried to understand the arcane communication style and explain it to our youth. I think most were stunned (and probably bored) by the slow, painful, but necessary and important way that large communities conduct fair deliberations and make collective decisions. It was good for them to be introduced to this fundamental process of our church. My impression was that they all had strong feelings about the inclusion of LGBT members in our church, and they were very interested and engaged in the debate on Resolution D025. They live in a world where argument is highly valued, and I think it was good for them to see both the argument and the emotions that surround this particular issue. We had good conversations about how assumptions and belief shape ideas. It was also good for them to see and hear that there are others who do not share their views.

New Insight #3: Nothing makes a room full of people groan like “Madame Chair, I rise to offer an amendment to the amendment.”

The overall experience clearly made an impression on them all. We had a group debriefing in the choir of St. Mark’s Glendale on Sunday night. We asked them for their high and low points, and I was touched by how many found the Convention, and particularly the Sunday Eucharist the high point, beating out the beach! I think they all grew and learned from the experience.

I also learned from our youth. I was inspired by their fierce sense of justice and equality. I do think that living in communities and our church requires us all to learn to channel that drive for justice from emotion into productive conversation. We have to learn to listen to those we disagree with, to not lash out with words or fists, and to think about the larger context of our cherished beliefs and issues. I’ve spent a lot of my adult life learning to do this. Our youth, though, helped re-ignite in me that sense of justice to which we are all called, to hold onto that drive even while trying to use it positively for the greater good. I have a new understanding of Jesus’ call to us to “turn and become like children” (Matthew 18:3).

New Insight #4: Seek justice, as our youth yearn for justice.

The ECW, empower women to do Christ's ministry in the world

Tuesday July 14, 2009
46th Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women
Anaheim, California

The ECW, empower women to do Christ’s ministry in the world.

The annual UTO Grants where presented to the membership and accepted. UTO granted $2,065,472.43 to 63 grants. This amount included the collection from the Sunday Eucharist of $28,118.92. It was reported that the Sunday in-gathering was up 37% over the 2006 amount. The UTO director reminded everyone that the application for the 2010 grants would be available in October and is due Jan 31, 2010. She explained some of the guidelines for the projects and urged that all information be provided with the application so that projects can be reviewed for consideration.

The ECW History Project discussed the importance of collection the verbal histories of the women of the church. We were urged to remember the women that went before us; those that began the Sunday school programs, bought the china, made the Altar linens, and the other ministries that benefit us all. The ECW History Project has a traveling exhibit that is available to all. The exhibit highlights the contribution of women to the church from the 1700s to the current day. Cost to host the exhibit is $10-20 that is used to cover the postage. Arrangements for this exhibit may be made through the ECW History project.

We spent the day in workshops that nurtured out minds and souls. Laura attended “Clearing the Clutter for Grace” and “Finding God in Culture”. Linda attended “Sisters, Mothers, Friends: Women of the Bible” and “And Then There was Laughter.”

In the afternoon, Linda, Laura and Isabel met with the Province 8 ECW representatives to discuss how to form an ECW for the Diocese of Utah.

Submitted by Linda Garner, Laura Orcutt, and Isabel Gonzalez

Victims, Victors, and the Intolerance of Ambiguity

I write this sitting in the House of Deputies while the vote by orders is taking place following an lengthy debate over concurring with the House of Bishops on resolution D025. Without rehashing the content of D025 I am struck by another dynamic which has been a part of our public discourse now for many years, but is brought into stark relief in this context.

When I was a deputy to General Convention for the first time back in 1991 those of us who embraced a more liberal viewpoint were outnumbered at that General Convention. It was clear that the significant majority of delegates favored a more conservative approach to scripture and practice. Back then the exhibit hall included well attended booths for Episcopalians United, National Organization of Episcopalians for Life, the Episcopal Synod of America, and the Society for the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. While there were booths representing a more liberal perspective they were in a clear minority.

The language common to those who represented the liberal position at that time was very much the language of the victim. We often spoke of the oppression of the church against us and those whom we represented. The victors in those debates spoke benevolently of tolerance and care which rang hollow in our ears as they sat comfortably in their victory. Legislative and parliamentary process was used as a tool to exercise the will of the majority to the exclusion of the conscience of the minority. It was a painful experience for myself and for others.

Now, 18 years later, I sit in a very different in General Convention. In this convention those who embrace a more conservative viewpoint are outnumbered. The conservative extremists have moved on and those faithful Episcopalians who are conservative find themselves significantly outnumbered. Now in the convention hall all the organizations which represent a conservative perspective are gone except for a booth for the American Anglican Council. And the votes in the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies now clearly represent a more liberal position.

The language of victim now rings from the lips of conservatives. From the floor of the House of Deputies and in the conversations in the halls one now hears conservatives speak of the marginalization of their traditional perspectives and the perspectives of those they represent. And, the victors in those debates now speak benevolently of tolerance and care which is clearly ringing hollow in the the ears of conservatives as we liberals sit comfortably in our victory. I fear that once again, legislative and parliamentary process has been used as a tool to exercise the will of the majority to the exclusion of the conscience of the minority. As my consciousness rises it is once again a painful experience for myself and for those with whom I regularly disagree.

What is it that seems to perpetually make us choose the role of victim when things don’t go our way? And, more importantly, what is it that makes us choose the role of victor when we are part of a majority and can force our will? These patterns set us up for the perpetual swing of the proverbial pendulum and a lifetime of heartache.

Perhaps at the heart of it all is a form of intolerance for which we are all guilty ... a basic intolerance for ambiguity. Whether victor or victim there is comfort in the certainty of those roles and the comfortable certainty of our rightness. And yet, the vision of Anglicanism is the “Via Media.” Via Media (the “middle way”) calls us away from comfortable certainty and to a place far more difficult than compromise. The Via Media asks us to affirm the truth in all positions and to challenge their limits as well. It asks us to hold those positions in tension and allow the will of God to be discerned in the midst of the tension and ambiguity that such a position creates. It asks us to suspend our assumptions while defending justice for those we see who are marginalized. It is a position that neither allows compromise or appeasement.

Jesus preached the Kingdom of Heaven, God’s Reign of justice and peace. I suspect we won’t come to embrace that reality until we learn to live into the ambiguous and mysterious space that exists between us and those we disagree with.

Peace and Joy,

Mike Mayor

More Pictures from Craig Wirth, Dialogue Editor

Utah Deputies on the floor:
Col. Jay Stretch, Good Shepherd, Ogden
Barbara Losse, St. Mark's, SLC
The Rev. Canon Mary June Nestler, Diocesan Staff






The Rev. Lee Shaw, St. Stephen's, West Valley City
The Rev. Pablo Ramos, San Estaban, West Valley City
The Rev. Canon Dave Bailey, Diocesan Staff






Utah Deputation table and the rest of the House of Deputies

The board where Committee hearings are posted

Wares in the Exhibit Hall

Just inside the entrance to the Exhibit Hall

Wares in the Exhibit Hall

From our ECW representatives

Linda Garner, Good Shepherd, with Bishop Barbara Harris.

Linda and Bishop Harris

Monday July 13, 2009
46th Triennial Meeting of the Episcopal Church Women
Anaheim, California

Friday evening, Linda, Laura, and Isabel (our UTO representative) attended the UTO dinner. Bishop provided an invigorating speech fully encapsulated with story on getting out and just “GO”! He was a wonderful and refreshing Episcopal speaker.

Sessions and workshops over the weekend encouraged us to grow in grace and share that with others. The Rt Rev Stephen Charleston, Dean of Trinity, spoke with the Spirit and the anointing of God, as he phrased it, on the Virgin Mary and how she understood grace and its depth. He wished for us to use her as a portal in our brokenness to understand grace. She was there uplifting the women and people of the early church. She understood them as she understands us. He saw women as having porous hearts, more readily to receive others and move in grace.
Sessions and workshops over the weekend encouraged us to grow in grace and share that with others.

Phyllis Tickle spoke on Saturday on the genealogy of Jesus in the most enlightening way of story. She focused on Tamar, daughter-in-law of Judah, who later bears a son for Judea. She found grace by finding the great righteousness in God. There is a narrow place of righteousness where grace enters in. In prayer, take the time to listen, not petition God. Find the beauty in grace.

On Saturday afternoon, we attended workshops. Laura attended “Finding God in a Recycling Bin” seeing a very active plan on honoring creation and implementing “green” procedures by involving all committees at a parish. Linda attended Prayer Line Workshop: Learning the Prayer of Beading by The Rev Barbara Seras where they made Anglican prayer bead (rosary) and learned a variety of ways to use prayer beads.

On Sunday, we sat with the Youth during Eucharist. It was great to sit in our Utah community. We attended two work shop sessions in the afternoon. Linda attended Time for Joy: Spiritual Adventure for Busy Women by Ione Dean. The diocese of Louisiana and Arkansas provided a wonderful annual retreat that women have to be nominated for in order to attend. She received wonderful ideas on how to make a retreat truly special. Laura attended “So you are an ECW president?” by Mary MacGreagor. Mary was a fantastic speaker on how to engage ECW in your diocese and work with your bishop and priest and be effective. Linda and Laura attended “Women Leading” by Mary MacGregor. This was another powerful presentation on how to effectively lead and many resources and books on that.

The gathering meeting was opened and the group was addressed by Rev Sloan. Using a quote from “A Raisin In the Sun”, she called us to expand our space and bring others in. She reminded us that it is easy to love those that understand us, but that we are called to love all. She challenged us to make room for those that may have “sharp elbow” and those with “no discoverable riches”. Make room at your table of life; offer that extra chair.

The group was then addressed by Bishop Gray of Mississippi and Bishop Jenkins of the New Orleans area. They discussed the rebuilding of the gulf coast, all that work that has been done and all the remains to be accomplished. Bishop Jenkins stated that they have had 40,000 volunteers in New Orleans who have contributed 1.5 million hours of labor. He talked about helping a gentleman that had slipped through the crack, one who received no federal help because of the fine print. As they help this man recover, he gave them dignity.

The Very Reverend David DuPlantier from Christ Church in New Orleans talked about the work of Jericho road. The success is changing the area in which they are working. They have purchased or been granted 56 lots and are building 23 homes. They have completed and moved families into a dozen or so. They are also reclaiming a contaminated city block that will serve as a park for the area. The work continues. Later on the day, it was reported that towards the ECW goal of raising $110,000 before the end of the Triennial, that $72,830.55 had been raised and more was still coming in.

This afternoon, elections were held for the 2009-12 National Board of Directors. The new board is as follows: President, Marcia Himes (Diocese of Wyoming) ; VP for Program, Cordelia Burt (Diocese of San Joaquin), VP for Information, Marilyn Rishkofski (Diocese of New Hampshire); Treasurer, Sandra Powers (Diocese of Arkansas); Secretary, Kathy Mank (Diocese of S. Ohio); Member at Large of Multi Media, Christine Budzoski (Diocese of Los Angeles)

Utah Deputation in various poses

Toni Marie Sutliff, Blog Editor, All Saints SLC










The Rev. Susan Wiltsey Smith, St. Jude's, Cedar City









The Rev. Steve Keplinger, St. David's Page








Russ Babcock, St. Paul's SLC








The Rev. Canon Pablo Ramos, San Estaban, West Valley City







The Rev. Mike Mayor, All Saints, SLC








The Rev. Canon Mary June Nestler, Diocesan Staff








The Rev. Lee Shaw, St. Stephen's, West Valley City








Jay Stretch, Good Shepherd, Ogden

The Deputation: Mary June Nestler, Steve Keplinger, Linda Garner (ECW), Mike Mayor, Pablo Ramos, Jay Stretch, Bishop Carolyn, Toni Marie Sutliff, Russ Babcock, Kathy Horvat, Isabel Gonzalez (ECW and UTO), Susan Wiltsey Smith, Barbara Losse, Steve Hutchinson, Laura Orcutt (ECW), Dave Bailey

Not pictured: Lee Shaw


Barbara Losse, St. Mark's SLC; Steve Hutchinson, St. James', Midvale; Mary June Nestler, Diocesan Staff, Russ Babcock, St. Paul's SLC; Jay Stretch, Good Shepherd, Ogden; Dave Bailey, Diocesan Staff; Bishop Carolyn; legs by Mike Mayor, back by Kathy Horvat




Russ Babcock, St. Paul's SLC; Mary June Nestler, Diocesan Staff; back by Barbara Losse










Kathy Horvat, St. Mark's SLC; Mary June Nestler, Diocesan Staff; Barbara Losse, St. Mark's SLC

The Rev. Lee Shaw, St. Stephen's, West Valley City

The Rev. Canon Dave Bailey, Diocesan Staff

The Rev. Lee Shaw, St. Stephen's, West Valley City

Mike Mayor, Russ Babcock, Mary June Nestler, Dave Bailey, Barbara Losse, Steve Keplinger

Barbara Losse, St. Mark's SLC, taking a picture of Toni Marie Sutliff

Pablo Ramos, Susan Wiltsey Smith, Jay Stretch

Mike Mayor, Russ Babcock, Mary June Nestler, Dave Bailey, Steve Keplinger

Mike Mayor, Lee Shaw, Mary June Nestler, arms by Dave Bailey

Barbara Losse, Toni Marie Sutliff, and Mike Mayor receive a press briefing from the Rev. Dan Webster, formerly of the Diocese of Utah

Our deputation tries to convene to discuss items. Sometimes we meet after a legislative session for a few minutes, gathered around in the alternates' gallery. Other times we gather in the suite designated for our use. Last night we shared pizza and took a class photo (missing Lee Shaw, who was at a committee hearing). Please enjoy these pictures!

From Steve Hutchinson, St. James, Chancellor of the Diocese of Utah

Steve responds to a question during debate in the House of Deputies

Steve, during deliberations in the Legislative Committee on Canons

July 13, 2009

There is so much about this General Convention to share, but I beg your indulgence for a personal note.

Today is a day I will always remember. Some of you know that I have worked on two separate Church task forces over the last nine years to produce a complete rewrite of a section of the Church Canons known as Title IV (clergy discipline canon). Today, the House of Deputies overwhelmingly voted to adopt that work as a major change to the Canons. Since our General Convention is a bicameral (two house) legislature, the measure must also be approved by the House of Bishops, which may consider it as early as tomorrow morning. Whew!

This measure was worked over for four days in the legislative committee on Canons, as was approved with amendments there on Saturday by unanimous vote. The Rev Brad Wirth, former Rector of All Saints and now a deputy from Montana, has been serving on the committee. He spoke eloquently from the floor during the debate on Title IV, while I was up front to handle questions from the Floor of the House (See photo).

There are two very important lessons from this experience. First, that a relatively unknown person from a small diocese, working persistently and guided by faith, can help make significant change in our Church. Secondly, that by living our Baptismal Covenant to uphold the dignity of every person in the form of very patiently and deliberately including as many individuals and groups within the Church as possible (along with their extremely varied points of view), we were able to achieve virtual consensus.

I am deeply grateful for all of the prayers and support I received during this nine-year experience, from Bishop Carolyn, Canon Bailey, the leadership of the Diocese and my family.