July 6, 2018 - Issue #4
The Way of Love, plus voting
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Prayer, worship, the Way of Love, and resolutions
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Photo: Screen grab from a video done by colleagues in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina with Bishop Diocesan Ian T. Douglas of ECCT and Bishop Suffragan Anne Hodges-Copple of North Carolina, both of
Bishops United Against Gun Violence (BUAGV), at their first "pop-up" prayer session and cross distribution on July 5. Link to video
here or link from image.
BUAGV is sponsoring a 5-10 minute prayer service daily, 15 minutes before the start of the day's first legislative session, asking people to pray for an end to gun violence. There's a different focus for prayer each day (suicide, domestic violence, urban violence, etc. ) They're also distributing 96 crosses a day to symbolize the 96 people who die from gunfire each day in the US. and asking recipients to wear the cross during #GC79. Thanks to Christine McTaggart (Diocese of NC) took this Facebook Live video yesterday morning and shared it with me. Note: BUAGV is also sponsoring a
public witness on Sunday.Follow #witnessgc79
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Opening worship yesterday filled a huge hall with Episcopalians and had a lively, sweet spirit. During his sermon the PB introduced "the Way of Love," a set of spiritual practices he hopes we'll all adopt. They include: Turn; Learn; Pray; Worship; Bless; Go; and Rest.
More here including the PB in an explanatory video.
Watch the whole worship service on-demand at the
Media Hub (choose "Worship"). Or/and, read the
ENS story here, with a link to video of the sermon only. The worship bulletin is on the
eventmobi app.
Today's worship service is at 5:45 p.m. (CT) and includes the UTO ingathering. Watch it live or on demand.
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Legislative sessions start
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Both Houses organized for business this morning before worship, and continued in an afternoon session.
The House of Bishops debriefed Thursday evening's Listening Session, and are
considering a covenant for the practice of equity and justice. It would just be for the bishops, and it's not offered as a change to the canons. The bishops took the proposed covenant with them for consideration overnight and will discuss it, and likely edit it, today.
The House of Deputies' afternoon session started up with some clarifications about
nursing mothers and their infant children (they're welcome in the House) and heard greetings from a number of international guests by video, and from two in person.
The legislation portion started with a resolution for which a deputy had pre-filed an amendment. The amendment to be considered removed extraneous
parentheses. Some of these deputies take their grammar seriously, though it might have been cleaned up without going through the amendment process.
Another resolution (
A177) was a "second reading" of a resolution to amend the Constitution (it takes two successive GCs for a change of Constitution to take effect) and
allow the HOD and HOB to meet together and deliberate and vote. Some deputies opposed it, saying the presence of bishops would have a "chilling effect" on their ability to vote freely. Others noted that the resolution didn't require the Houses to vote together, just offered it as an option. Because it was a change to the Constitution, it required a 2/3 vote to pass, which it did by voice vote. Then a deputy called for an electronic vote, and the results were the same. It goes to the HOB next.
The HOD also passed a resolution addressing the
issue of pay for the PHoD,
B014, which will provide it in the form of director's and officer's fees. (There is only basic reimbursement of expenses now.). The legislative committee that considered this resolution said that if this passes, they would recommend no action on the other two resolutions on the same topic (which offer different alternatives).
Tomorrow the HOD will vote on a Consent Calendar that includes (among others) resolutions on
digital evangelists (
A082) and endorsing a study of
stewardship in communities of color (
B008
).
Its daily legislative calendar includes a substitute resolution
A068
, on Prayer Book revision;
B007
, on ethical investing in gun manufacturers; and
A147, which calls for a Pilot Board for Episcopal Transitions; and others.
Check out resolutions, calendars, and legislative committee meetings in the
Virtual Binder.
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ECW Triennial opens with "distribution of crosses" by PB, assisted by Girls Friendly Society
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GFS girls in the hallway outside the ECW's Triennial Meeting space. The girls are from Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New Jersey. Second from left is the Rev. Rowena Kemp of ECCT, the GFS Chaplain. At center is Lois Frankforter of ECCT, GFS President. The Presiding Bishop joins the ECW Triennial Opening Eucharist and personally hands a cross to each attendee. The GFS girls assisted. The cross is metal and had this year's Triennial logo on the front.
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The TEC Development office has a popular booth: Staff take a photo of visitors posing with a cardboard cutout of the PB.
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Love the PB's sermons and his videos? You can get his books, too, at this booth!
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Jesus movement t-shirts for sale.
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Resolution count update:
- July 4, 10:15 p.m. resolution count: 335
- July 5, 10:15 p.m. resolution count: 374
- July 6, 5:30 p.m. Filing deadline
EACH resolution must have a hearing, and the committees then have to deliberate and decide what to do with them all. Combine? Substitute? Accept as is? Refer to a different committee? Then, do they recommend adoption or rejection? Only after all that do the committee chairpersons submit them to be added to the appropriate legislative calendars.
Photo: The Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell speaks to Committee 13 about
Resolution C028, from ECCT, about using other authorized books of prayer/worship.
Virtual Binder (search for resolutions, hearings, committee information, etc.)
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Deputy Bates Lyons heads out a few blocks to the JW Marriott for his assigned legislative committee meetings.
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Deputy the Rev. Sandra Cosman with retired Bishop Suffragan of Massachusetts, the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris (photo thx to Sandra!)
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Bishop Suffragan Laura J. Ahrens with some of ECCT's ECW Triennial reps: From left, Betty Silva (President); Bishop Laura; Roberta Stocksdale (Secretary) and Shirley Greiman, this year's "Distinguished Woman" (photo thx to Bp Laura!)
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Today, July 6, 10:30 a.m. -noon (CT) Joint Session on Racial Reconciliation
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From the media release:
"
Reconciliation is at the heart of the Jesus Movement. Through it, we grow loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with each other, dismantling and healing racial injustices and hierarchies that separate the human family of God. With Gods’ help, the Episcopal Church is living into a long-term commitment to Becoming the Beloved Community: we are telling the truth about our churches and race, proclaiming God’s dream of wholeness with our neighbors, practicing Jesus’ way of love, and repairing the breach in our society and institutions"
Speakers include Arno Michaelis; Dr. Catherine Meeks; and the Rev. Nancy Frausto. Watch it live, or on-demand later on the
Media Hub. Speaker bios and link to discussion guide
here.
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More from the Exhibition Hall
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A booth selling women's liturgical clothing has two changing rooms available to customers. They're from a company that sells them to professional photographers for models to use during photoshoots. The fabric and wire booths fold up and fit in a suitcase!
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Ana Arellano, left, and Patricia Cage, at the "Friends of the Episcopal Church in Cuba" booth. Ana, born in Cuba; now lives in Cheshire; Patricia Cage is from Darien. Both are active in the organization and planned to speak at hearings in support of resolutions supporting the return of the Diocese of Cuba to TEC. .
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Every day there's a new featured ministry in The Episcopal Church's space in the Exhibit Hall. Yesterday it was given over to the Church in Navajoland. They played a video about ministry there and talked about the structure at the right, a replica of a Navajo Shade Tree House.
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Upcoming events (Central Time)
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TODAY
July 7: 5:30 p.m. Episcopal Revival Worship (PB Curry preaching) at Palmer Center; followed by 7 p.m. Diocese of Texas event
July 8: 7:30 p.m. ECCT Dinner (ticketed)
July 13: Final day
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Livestream and on demand:
- Worship (including 7/4 Listening Session)
- HOB and HOD sessions
- TEConversations
- Daily newscasts (4:30 English, 6:30 Spanish)
Links to:
- Episcopal News Service (ENS) articles
- Calendars/Schedules
- Legislation (Virtual Binder)
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Resolution info
- "Virtual Binder" - all resolutions to date (gear image at top right allows you to switch between Houses and between Spanish and English.) See the infographic for help deciphering the terminology.
- "Blue Book" - reports from all the official committees, commissions, and task forces that have worked since the last General Convention in 2015, with all of their proposed resolutions ("A" resolutions)
- ECCT's graphic depiction of how a resolution moves through General Convention. Key steps, terminology, in the process.
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Link to glossary & terminology:
Here
or click on image. Let me know of others to add.
Contact Karin Hamilton by
email
or cell, 860-608-6969
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Karin Hamilton | Canon for Mission Communication & Media | khamlton@episcopalct.org | 860-608-6969
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