Browsing and legislating
Sunday was a more relaxing day at General Convention — the sabbath. That didn’t mean a complete day of rest, but it did mean a more leisurely pace. Church at 10, some time to sit down and enjoy lunch and then a shortened legislative session in the afternoon from 3 to 6. I will leave it to today’s official blogger to talk about the business of the day.
I used some of today’s unstructured time to browse in the convention’s huge exhibit hall, a cross between a shopping mall and a ministry fair. You can find all kinds of things there, from Episcopal dog collars to handcrafted needlework to prayer books and clergy shirts, as well as information on dozens of ministries. But today the best part was simply visiting with folks. I met a young woman who is a development officer for St. Augustine’s College, one of the Episcopal Church’s historic black colleges. I cam away knowing a little more about her and a lot more about St. Augustine’s.
The Rev. Barbara Novak and her business partner are here again with goods from Nepal, the sale of which support the Steven Novak Foundation. Their singing bowls and hand-knotted rugs are drawing a lot of attention.
The Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler was signing copies of his newest book this afternoon at the Church Publishing booth. Some of you will remember him from his time in Spokane a few years ago. Now he and his family are in Cairo, Egypt, where he is the priest at St. John the Baptist /Maadi. His book is “Songs in Waiting — Spiritual Reflections on Christ’s Birth, A Celebration of Middle Eastern Canticles.” It is always wonderful to see Paul-Gordon — even in a noisy marketplace where he is busy signing books. He reports that they have renewed their commitment in Egypt so will be staying for another term. I am sure,though, that our paths will cross again before long.
I also visited with a seminary administrator and a man who works with a charitable group in Central America.
Paul-Gordon Chandler visited with Kristi Philip at General Convention
In the environment of this convention, with a schedule of official events that is sometimes unrelenting, it is refreshing and renewing simply to spend time with folks. That sense of “Ubuntu” — I am because you are — depends on our connections to one another and an acknowledgment that we truly need one another to be our best selves. This is one of the themes of this convention. In my unscheduled and delightful hour of wandering through the exhibits, some of that connection was unfolding in this series of delightful visits.
