KatysBlog

This was the fourth legislative session day of the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church “GC79” (in Austin, Texas).  I am with the Deputation of the Diocese of El Camino Real (Central California).

This morning started with witness and protest against gun violence (at Brush Square Park in downtown Austin) and for immigration reform (outside the Hutto Detention Facility in rural Texas). More than 1,000 Episcopalians were transported for 40 minutes in 19 buses to the town of Taylor outside of Austin.  We stood in the hot sun to sing to and pray for hundreds of detained women immigrants.  We sang “Here I am, Lord” and “We Shall Overcome” and “Amazing Grace” and other hymns in English and Spanish, followed by inspiring preaching and prayers.  Most of the Diocese of El Camino Real Deputation participated.

Some in the crowd could hear the women inside the detention center pounding the walls to communicate.  After we returned to Austin, a Tweet was posted by @Grassroots_News:

“A woman called from Hutto after today’s prayer and told us they were glued to the windows until the last bus left the detention center. Women inside were crying, saying they knew they weren’t alone after seeing so many people there. Thank you”

In the afternoon GC79 legislative session of the House of Deputies, we voted for candidates for a variety of GC offices, then started the discussion of B012 – Marriage Rites for the Whole Church. The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings (who was re-elected today as President of the House of Deputies for the third and final time) told the clergy and lay Deputies from 110 diocese that although there were 443 resolutions, 417 of them are incomplete. So, the work load ahead is not as dire as we feared.  A regular source of comments and entertainment has been provided by the House of Deputies pigeons who have their own Twitter site: @gc79pigeon

We ended a long day with dinner for the Diocese of El Camino Real Deputation and friends at the Moonshine Grill.  The GC79 discussion on Marriage Rites continues tomorrow morning.

These blog posts and other GC79 news are posted on the Diocese of El Camino Real website.

If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right). Images Copyright 2018 by Katy Dickinson.

This was the first legislative session day of the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church “GC79” (in Austin, Texas).  I am with the Deputation of the Diocese of El Camino Real (Central California).  After a brief meeting of the House of Deputies, today opened with an inspiring worship service, featuring a rousing sermon by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on The Way of Love.  I was able to get a picture of Bishop Michael dancing with the moms and little kids in the Children’s Area up front.

There was some fun at the start of the day when the House of Deputies sent its opening greetings to the House of Bishops – and to Bishop Michael – by way of about twenty Delegates named Michael, wearing caps that said “Michael”. The greeting committee spontaneously serenaded the bishops with the song “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore.”  The House of Bishops sent their own greetings to the House of Deputies through a male and a female bishop solemnly wearing sparkly plastic tiaras above their purple shirts and white collars.

I made several tours of the GC79 Exhibit Area, to talk with University of the South – Education for Ministry staff at their booth, visit the Episcopal Shoppe bookstore (where I purchased the book Living Into God’s Dream for signing by author Professor Catherine Meeks), and shop with several of the vendors selling African and other crafts.

Before the late afternoon legislative session, I was able to attend a fascinating panel featuring the Rev. Ruth Casipit Paguio and the Rev. Robin Denney on “Race in the Communion: Formation and Intentional Discipleship” – and got to sit in the audience with Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves.  The most important resolution considered (and approved) today by the House of Deputies was B014 Director’s Fees for the President of the House of Deputies.

These blog posts and other GC79 news are posted on the Diocese of El Camino Real website.

If you want to receive Katysblog posts by email, please sign up using the Sign Me Up! button (upper right). Images Copyright 2018 by Katy Dickinson.