An Alternate View: #GC78 The First Official Day of Convention!

Today marked the opening day of #GC78, the 78th Convention of The Episcopal Church!

I began with a short media briefing and I'm excited to say that Friday, the media group will visit the Cathedral Church of St. Mark where the election for the new presiding bishop will take place on Saturday morning. We will have a chance to take photos and hear about the history of building and the Episcopal presence in Salt Lake City.
Next, I attended the opening worship service where the Presiding Bishop celebrated. The program bulletin for the service is here and you can watch it online here. Each day, these 9:30 AM MDT services will be live-streamed via the Media Hub. Check out THIS link for daily worship bulletins and information!

video of verse of hymn coming soon!

My comments about the music are:

- I liked the selections and the cantor, nice soprano voice, good articulation

- I did not like the chants sung slowly with no word stress!

- I did love hearing so many people singing together in well-done harmonies!

(Lots of folks have been asking me if I am going to be doing anything with the music. I'll just say that I am unknown in the wider church and I'm quite sure there are a ton of connections and procedures through which to go before being selected for any liturgical or musical participation. I did look for volunteer opportunities in advance with this in mind, but I think it's safe to say that it is in great hands and that it takes looooooooong prep time and selection. Maybe next time!! I'd love to! :-)

The liturgy was in both English and Spanish. I liked the way they did communion with tons of stations. My station was made up of all young volunteers. 

After dropping by the media room for a little while, I decided to return to the Standing Committee on Prayer book, Liturgy & Music Legislative Committee session. IT WAS PACKED so I sat on the floor and listened to the testimonies for and against amendments to resolutions. I had my first iced coffee ever.....and enjoyed it!

The hearing ended early so I went downstairs where I met up with my one of my dearest friends, The Rev'd Dr. Canon Chuck Robertson, the Canon to the Ordinary. He introduced me to one of his close friends, The Rev'd Canon Michael Rusk, Team Rector for the Parish of St. Peter & St. Paul, Oadby in the diocese of Leicester. I also met the Episcopal Primate of Pakistan, The Most Revd Samuel Robert Azariah and his wife who is a prist in California. They are all amazing people! I would very much like to explore Pakistan one day and see historic ruins and documents and to meet the Anglicans there! We talked briefly about music and there is a remote possibility that we may chat again tomorrow or Friday.
I chatted with Rev'd Michael for about an hour and we shared our India experiences. It's was fabulous to meet someone else who shares a love for India and also music - here at GC! For the early afternoon, we decided to walk over to the Cathedral Church of St. Mark. It was a very, VERY hot walk. I think it may have only been 90 or 92 degrees, but the sun.....it was insanity.
Once there, we were met by two volunteers who welcomed us and then we had a chance to look around. It is a GORGEOUS cathedral!

                  

                               

This high altar contains two Tiffany windows

                   

                                  

In the chapel to the left of the chancel area, there is an exhibit featuring replicas of beautiful books of the Illuminated Saint John's Bible. The Saint John's Bible is holy scripture with illuminations, special lettering, special materials and it has unique works of art. It is actually the first illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in more than 500 years. It took fifteen years to create and used Chinese black ink with feather quills of goose, turkey, and swan. The books also contain writing in gold, silver, and platinum. One book, containing the psalms, has a digital voice print painted in squares. When played (and I'm not sure how), these markings form tunes to which some of the psalms can be sung. Mistakes are few, there are something like nine in the whole set of 15 books. Mistakes are shown by illustrated birds carrying parcels of text and arrows up to where the corrections should be placed. It's an absolutely lovely exhibit and I encourage all to view it if at St. Mark's.

Downstairs is another exhibit featuring selections from a major exhibit by artist Andrew Kosorok. His work is called 99 Most Beautiful Names of God. Here are the 99 names
Because of copyright, I didn't take photos of his pieces, but here is some info for you

                     

There is also a wonderful set of prints from the last International Olympic Committee showing religions of the worlds. The IOC was required to include religions of the world in the commission.
Everyone we met at St. Mark's was so friendly and they have a veritable army of hospitality volunteers!

The afternoon legislative session began with introductions of foreign dignitaries and distinguished guests. Next, the legislative process began with the report and proposed changes to the Rules of Order. Things got pretty "nitpicky" at times, but truly, minor details to some are major events for others. The debates regarding amendments to the usage of applause were very interesting. I was glad to see people discussing whether or not to allow applause from within the House after certain testimonies. It could in some cases be detrimental to following arguments and showing partiality. The Rules of Order have now been updated!

Tonight, I skipped dinner and came back to my hotel. We have a Deputation mtg at 9:00 PM. I will be typing up my interview with Rev'd Rusk Michael Rusk and posting it soon.

Thank you for reading!

Stay tuned :-)

Previous posts: 

1. #GC78 - An Alternate View: 'Twas the Night Before Synod

2. An Alternate View: Heading to #GC78

3. An Alternate View: Arrival Day - IT'S ALL GOOD

4. An Alternate View: Orientation and Presentations, June 24 at #GC78

An Alternate View: Arrival Day - IT'S ALL GOOD!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Now I'm REAEEEEEEEEEEELLY excited!!!! Upon arrival and our hotel rooms not being available, I was able to grab a mocha frapp and a tasty sausage/egg/cheese sandwich at the Sheraton Starbuck's and head off to the Salt Palace which is Salt Lake City's Convention Center. WOOT!

Panorama of The Salt Palace

I checked in at registration as an alternate. What super-helpful and nice, friendly registration volunteers! There must be thousand (or at least many hundreds) of volunteers for a convention this size and I can only imagine what it must take to get all the details done to get to this final stage in such a large place! THANK YOU to all the many volunteers - those seen and unseen and for all of the preparations underway for the past few years, months, and now days! (I did ask before I took this photo and they said yes :-))

Tons of volunteers. Today, some were training to help legislative committees and groups in various rooms

Next, and got my Virtual Binder iPad. This is what all active floor deputies, chairs, and first alternates have and hold and it contains an amazing intranet with a few apps to examine the Convention Blue Book and amendments and documents. I can't even begin to imagine the undertaking to get such a large convention to the "almost entirely paperless" stage!

Hmmm, it's upside down. Let's just let it stay that way...

Then, I picked up my Media credentials and headed out into the lobby where I immediately met several FABULOUS PEOPLE including the marvelous Secretariat Kory Pacinyak who I follow on Twitter and does a ton of communications.Then, I attended the first #GC78 media briefing. 

Featured speakers were: Neva Rae Fox (Public Affairs Officer), Canon Michael Barlowe (Executive Officer of the General Convention of TEC), Gay Clark Jennings (President of the House of Deputies), and our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori.

ENS will put out information in tonight's Media Hub, but here are some very general highlights that I can mention:
- We are an international church and will hear many different languages here during GC
- We are a long way from our vision of wholeness
- Almost 900 in the House of Deputies in attendance (I hope I got that right)
- 200 plus in the House of Bishops
- Leaders from several other traditions will be here to share in the good work for the good of the whole that we are doing.
- We are coming together at a particularly tense moment in our nation's history. Deaths, Charleston (and let me insert that I cannot believe this is already a wikipedia link), and Bishops Against Gun Violence were all mentioned. The BAGV will be in a procession for peace this coming Sunday and I do intend to walk with them!
- God is calling us to work to dismantle issues of race and violence
- The PB answered someone's question about how she feels since we are about to elect her successor. She mentioned that it is an enormous undertaking and a privilege to see the church in action and a gift to see what the body decides and that it cannot be predicted in advance. Every time the church gathers, it is a new body and it's engaging new challenges while there will always be some changes that continue to get us - racial reconciliation, violence etc.
- Someone asked about alcohol at General Convention and what might be different or what might people want or expect to see in light of the recent Baltimore incident. Lots of good responses here. It was mentioned that there are always a wide range of responses regarding alcohol usage and there has been appointed a committee to examine policies about alcohol and drug abuse and how we as TEC handle it. There have been many studies, changes, and experiences in the field of addictions in the last 30 years. We want to examine what we do with regards to offering programs and help and how we might approach selection and recruitment and incidents etc.
Afterwards, I entered the exhibits and I'm saving the true run-through for tomorrow and some next week, BUT it looks ASTOUNDINGLY HUGE and I ran into six people I know so now I feel at ease. I also met several new people - I LOVE IT!!!!
Check it out: #EpiscoSwag collection has begun!

                   

Came back to the hotel, got bags, and did a couple of hours of work. This evening, there is an Episcopal Communicators reception, our deputation has dinner together at 8:00 PM and then I get to help pick up a Korean Anglican / Episcopal dignitary from the airport with a friend! :-)
I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
~ Caroline
PS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU!! for reading :-)

#GC77 and Social Media

I'm sending this in from New Orleans in hopes that it will be helpful in the testimony for Resolution DO69 regarding the Social Media Challenge to the Episcopal Church.

I believe it to be 100% necessary that we in the Episcopal church as staff, clergy, and congregants, engage ourselves and our communities by using social media. It's usually free, it's usually rapid, and it can be fun and informative. Can many of you fathom doing business without using email? Often, social media is checked more frequently than email.

Yes, we must take the good with the bad, we must also discern how often to use social media and when to put down phones and "Be still". It is a challenge, but I accept it!

Just from this #GC77 Twitter stream and Media Hub, I have learned more about the inner workings and procedures of the Episcopal Church in four days than in my entire life. I've been able to participate in conversations with people of all ages, genders, opinions, and in many levels of church life. Relationships are being formed that are affecting me positively in my faith and theological development. I am inspired by witnessing this convention and its activity.

I have watched both the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops and worship services. What has it done? It has inspired me, made me more proud than ever to be an Episcopalian - we're the ones who are willing to discuss, to argue, to challenge. Social media provides another language with which to communicate.

It has been only through Twitter and the Steaming media that I have learned:
- Our youth are aware and articulate in their spiritual growth - perhaps more than anyone gave them credit before and that we now realize that they are the future - right now.
- I'm learning that our church is NOT dying.
- I saw that Bonnie Anderson is a gracefully eloquent speaker who radiates friendliness - "Madam"....er....Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori has a stellar sense of humor and is completely amazing
- Whoever runs @iamepiscopalian is kind, quick-witted
- Lent Madness is superb and educational
- Church Publishing is approachable, responsive and has swag (just ask them about #totebagenvy)

The aforementioned items may seem silly, BUT I truly feel as if I have gotten to know a tiny bit about the bigger picture....the interactive picture of our church that I have not seen or felt in a long while. As a musician, I often get bogged down in my own conducting / singing  world and colleagues. Through social media, I now have a much wider view of the functioning Episcopal Church to which I belong....all in four days. For me, at this time in my life, this is exactly what I needed at this moment.

Caroline in NOLA