And we're off! 6/23/24

Idaho's Deputies hard at work!

Dear friends,

Greetings from a soggy and humid Louisville! We’re off and running at the 81^st General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Last night, we were treated to a Revival event at the KFC Yum! Center across from our hotel. It was a marvelous occasion full of singing, clapping, prayers, and testimonies, and our own Ron Braman sang beautifully in the praise band!

And we were delighted to hear our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, and it turns out that a few things are true:

A good preacher has a great script.

A great preacher has a tremendous script and abandons it altogether.

Michael Curry is a great preacher.

When Michael really gets going, no podium can contain him or the Spirit that moves through him! It was an incredible sight to behold, and it had a unique twist: the whole message was live-interpreted in Spanish! Presiding Bishop Curry spoke to how important that it was in scripture that Aaron invoked words for Moses – interpreted words to God and God’s people, if you will – and to see it happen in real time on a stage, back and forth in English and Spanish, in front of a thousand people was like a 21^st century Pentecost moment. It was a joy that all could hear and interpret, and it led to some hilarious moments of delighting in some of the fun moments in which idioms in both languages left the crowd in uproarious laughter. For some of us, witnessing this kind of translation was a novelty, and for others, it was essential to hearing the word of God proclaimed. When God’s Church gathers, the needs of all must be remembered!

Presiding Bishop Curry spoke as he always does – with great vigor and fire of Spirit – and in good form, quickly abandoned his iPad script in favor of strutting across the stage to preach spontaneously and with great courage! He spoke about immersing people in the love of God and celebrated all four gospels by remember before the Revival Matthew’s beatitudes, John’s words of service at the Last Supper, and a host of other images of what Jesus taught. “This love has power in its source, because God is love,” he proclaimed! Amen, Presiding Bishop.

This morning (Sunday), we enjoyed a rousing service of Holy Eucharist at our home for the week, the Kentucky International Convention Center. We sang hymns in English and Spanish, we heard the word proclaimed by Julia Ayala Harris, President of the House of Deputies, and we celebrated the sacrament together – with a lovely nod to those who require them, all the communion wafers were gluten-free.

Many of us had a quick stroll through the marketplace, and we gathered for two legislative sessions to begin our official time in the House of Deputies (HoD).

The HoD finds its home in an enormous convention hall with over 800 deputies representing 108 dioceses. It’s full of all kinds of folks from the Episcopal Church, including lots of first-time deputies (like me!) and even one deputy who has represented his diocese sixteen times. Idaho’s deputation sits behind West Missouri (our bishop’s previous diocese), in front of Bethlehem (Dennis and Megan’s previous diocese) and next to Upper South Carolina. We’ve met old friends and made new ones, and our deputation’s stanchion is decked out in Idaho-themed goodies!

Legislation today began with a number of procedural resolutions for the rules of the House. While important work, it takes time. As our deputy chair, the Rev. Nancy Koonce, reminded us, this is standard operating procedure for this kind of event – the rules must be established! We expect things will speed up in the days to come.

We did get to a few notable topics of resolutions today. We heard stirring testimony from members of the Diocese of Hawaii regarding a fuel spill on O’ahu at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility which has endangered safe drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. The resolution that passed calls on our Office of Government Relations to address the matter before our elected representatives.

We approved a resolution urging our Congress to declare gun violence a public health epidemic and a national health crisis, especially solemnly remembering a shooting at an Episcopal congregation in Alabama in 2022. Again, we heard testimony lamenting the violence that members of this House have experienced in their schools and workplaces. Before calling the vote, the President of the House of Deputies called first for prayer. “Consider well the sounds of our longing souls,” sang the Chaplain of the House, the Rev. Lester Mackenzie. I was reminded that we never make these decisions in the vacuum and emptiness of our own desires but rather by the movement and beckoning of the Holy Spirit. Prayer at GC81 has already been an inspiration, and I give thanks to God for so great a gift as prayer.

Our day is finished now, and our deputation will gather with Bishop Jos to break bread together at dinner. We're excited for the work ahead of us, and we're grateful for your prayers for us and for the work of GC81.

Grace and peace,

Dennis