Guidelines for Holy Conferencing

I know we're Episcopalians. And I know that there is wisdom in other traditions and denominations. I offer this as a read (from this page):

What God Expects of Us

Colossians 3:12-16a, 17

As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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  Every person is a child of God. Always speak respectfully. One can disagree without being disagreeable.

  
  


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  As you patiently listen and observe the behavior of others, be open to the possibility that God can change the views of any or all parties in the discussion.

  
  


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  Listen patiently before formulating responses.

  
  


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  Strive to understand the experience out of which others have arrived at their views.

  
  


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  Be careful in how you express personal offense at differing opinions. Otherwise dialogue may be inhibited.

  
  


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  Accurately reflect the views of others when speaking. This is especially important when you disagree with that position.

  
  


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  Avoid making generalizations about individuals and groups. Make your point with specific evidence and examples.

  
  


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  Make use of facilitators and mediators.

  
  


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  Remember that people are defined, ultimately, by their relationship with God – not by the flaws we discover, or think we discover, in their views and actions.

  
  

We believe Christians can discuss important issues without the acrimonious debate and parliamentary maneuvering that can divide a group into contending factions. We see too many examples of that in secular society. We believe the Holy Spirit leads in all things, especially as we make decisions. We want to avoid making decisions in a fashion that leaves some feeling like winners and others like losers.

We can change the world through honest conversation on matters about which we are passionate.

We offer our thanks to the participants at The Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly, sponsored by the Division on Ministries with Young People, through the General Board of Discipleship, held in January, 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa, for inspiring the framework of these guidelines. They adopted similar guidelines for Christian Conferencing at the convocation. This work is based on guidelines for "Holy Conferencing" that emerged from the United Methodist "Dialogue on Theological Diversity" in February 1998.

Issues by the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church and the General Commission on the General Conference, 2007.

General Convention - Day 1

First, some follow up from last night's post. Today, as that I was a little more rested and I was seeing people speak in love, I was far less angry reading some things. I got emotional later in the day (FUR-I-OUS), but for the most part it was fine. It's good to see people listening to one another via social media and not actually biting each other' s heads off like I thought at first. And now on to today!

I tried to get up at 6:00, but it was really more like 6:15. Brad and I were downstairs at 7:30 to pass out copies of Issues to deputies and bishops as they came in to the convention center. I was unable to get a name tag until 9:00 because I'd missed the window. After everyone was in the other YAP members and I kinda hung out in the area outside the exhibit hall and big rooms. We got our legislation tracking stuff started and waited to get credentialed. A few of us volunteered to be servers at the Eucharist.

I was a chalice bearer. I didn't really like the music, but serving was great. Serving - in the jail, at St. Mark's, at General Convention - confirms to me for me my vocation. It was great to see sooooo many people. I thought the sermon was a major shank. The service was nice, though. After that I went to the exhibit hall and hung out for a bit. I met our YAP from the Diocese of Haiti and then she and I really got to work.

We went to a hearing to find my resolution that I was following, and we did as they adjourned for their business, which was great. The finding out, not the business. We didn't really get there in time to follow the testimony, but we found out that both of our resolutions were being heard TONIGHT! After that we got foodage and then basically hung around the exhibit hall for the afternoon. Bishop Robinson spoke at the 1:00 Consultation Lunch Speaker Series and was great. At 4:00 we had a group conversation about the Church and technology and we got some good things going in terms of talking. After that we did an afternoon debrief and then split up.

I went to dinner and started getting ready for the hearings tonight. I spoke to a resolution, and the text of my speech is already on the blog. My bishop wanted me to be dressed up for testifying, and I don't disagree with him at all. Other times I'll be in the EPF t-shirt, perhaps even over a button down and bow tie, but I'll be dressed up. So I had to iron my shirt before I went over there. When I got over there, there were four other YAP people also testifying, in addition to the one who'd walked over with me. The bishop leading discussion had us all introduce ourselves before testimony actually started.

Testimony was the best part of this for me. It hit me near the end, but we're in Anaheim, at General Convention testifying about legislation related to issues about which we care. I don't know if I can really convey the feelings that hit me when Brad was talking but it was a big "whoa." This is important stuff. In theory what we say will be taken into account and could impact, influence, or change a committee's decision about a piece of legislation. After committee I went to the first #ecgc tweet-up and met some cool tweeps and then had a great, long conversation about an emerging ecumenical partnership.

Some other highlights of the day include pictures with Episcopal Church celebrities: The Rt. Revs. Barbara Harris and Gene Robinson, the president of Integrity Susan Russell, and oh um The Most Reverend Rowan Williams:

Pictures of the Day are at that link in this sentence. :)

General Convention - Day 0

"Guide us waking O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace." That might be something I find myself saying a lot these next ten days, and not just as an antiphon to the Nunc dimitis. But let me back up a little bit. :) I've had an AMAZING day, even if it started a little rocky. And for those of you who don't know me, I can be a longwinded blogger, but that's how my brain works. I might not post long entries the next ten days inasmuch as multiple short entries throughout a day.
I made it to the airport three hours early (ride had to get to work stuff) and realized that I'd left both my iPod and my Star Trek: The Next Generation DVDs at the house. So I wrote a letter and listened to some sermon podcasts and had some good text conversation...and off I flew into the wild blue yonder, landing in Denver and having a layover with ever-exciting free Wifi. Once air born again I worked on a playlist that I've put in the iTunes store as an iMix. If you're interested in checking it out, just click the following: Ubuntu Kingdom. That's what it's called. The theme of General Convention is Ubuntu, and the Magic Kingdom is right down the road. At this very minute Brad and I are listening to fireworks that we can't see.
After I got in to John Wayne, getting my shuttle to the hotel was no problem. I got unpacked and refreshed and we went to a GREAT organizational meeting figuring out what we're going to be doing for the next 10 days here. It was very good to learn from the others about their experiences, areas of interest, etc. After our meeting we went to dinner, where conversation continued and we broke bread and broke ourselves open with honesty and getting to know each other.
And that leaves us back here, with my praying an antiphon. Between getting to the hotel and getting unpacked and refreshed and organizational meeting and dinner I got behind following #ecgc tweets. (That's the hashtag for General Convention.) Now that I'm back in the room I'm getting caught up...and not entirely liking what I see. Actually feeling a little sick to my stomach about some of the way disagreement is being presented and some of the things people are already getting ruffled about or the way they're choosing to interpret comments. Some of it is already kind of rough. My spiritual director has no interest in General Convention because he can't stand the "bickering and fighting." He's such a peace maker. But the reality is that there are people with vastly different perspectives here.
And here is where things happen. And within the Church there are vastly different perspectives. And there are certainly different perspectives outside the Church as well, but what deputies do here doesn't affect them as directly as it does those under the Episcopal Shield. So I'm saying this antiphon and reminding myself that someone with whom I disagree is not my enemy. We still share one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism...even if they think we don't share the same faith. I haven't been an Episcopalian for an exceedingly long time, and I come from The United Methodist Church (which has roots in the same Church of England as us!) Holy Conferencing is a term that the UMC used for its General Conference last year. I'll post their guidelines in an entry following this one. I think that I'm going to have to be consciously thinking of this event as a time for Holy Conferencing, even if we're at a convention (as opposed to a conference). I'm also going to have to think about how I can keep "conferencing" on Twitter and other Web 2.0 outlets Holy.
In the same way that others are getting bent out of shape about some remarks today - I'm getting bent out of shape based solely on tweets. The person with whom I disagree is not my enemy. And even if s/he were, I'd revert back to my iMix, "My Enemies Are Men Like Me," created in the image of God, whom I ask, "Guide us waking O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace."