Final Day!

It's the final day of General Convention 2009. We have a slightly longer legislative session today, in a bold attempt to finish all the work that we have before us. Experience tells me, however, that we simply will not be able to get through every piece of legislation in our calendar. However, the wisdom of the legislative process prevails: a motion has already been made that those matters which the General Convention cannot act on due to time constraints be sent to the Executive Council for their consideration. Things move forward, even when General Convention is not in session.

I also particularly ask your prayers for us and for all the deputies this morning--we will be deliberating and voting on the substitute resolution to C056, which was adopted by the House of Bishops on Wednesday afternoon. In my opinion, it is a beautiful Anglican piece of legislation on the subject of same-sex blessings: it provides for study, collection, and development of liturgical and theological resources, it asks for a report back to the 77th General Convention, and it asks Bishops to provide a "generous pastoral response" to gay and lesbian members of The Episcopal Church. You know this is a contentious issue: your prayers are important to us as we sit in this session. Thank you!