Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
This coming week, Episcopalians from all over the world will gather in our neighboring state of Kentucky for the General Convention, the triennial gathering of the church.
For some people, it is a great big festival of the church with excitement and opportunity. For others, it is a two-week business meeting—so joy isn’t on the menu. I’ve been a part of gatherings which have felt like both and can tell you the difference between them is mostly cosmetic and a matter of attitude. We think structure or planning or the right leadership is the difference. It’s mostly the attitudes people bring and the expectations they operate with.
Maybe I’ve grown weary of the games. Or of the idea of radical seriousness replacing radical faith.
Mostly, though, I’ve come to expect that the great excitement that surrounded every General Convention of the 21st Century has died down because the political climate has changed. There are always issues, of course. But the era of the media covering Convention through an evangelical culture war lens is thankfully over.
A new era is dawning for the church. I hope we have the courage to make it a season of celebration, hope, and joy in the midst of everything.
With love,
Drew