Convention

Like Jane and John, I am home from Diocesan Convention.

Unlike Pittsburgh, San Joaquin, Ft. Worth (and now Quincy, it would appear), we have more important things to do than decide as to whether or not we are going to secede from TEC and steal the property on our way out the door.

Friday night was standard check-in, opening Eucharist (in which we all brought food for the Billings food bank as our offering), and a plenary discussing things in general.

Saturday we opened with a healing Eucharist and then dispersed into the wider community to be the hands and feet of our Lord and Savior. There were many projects we could choose from, and knowing my general ineptitude at all things manual and remembering my fiasco of an attempt at weatherizing a house last year, I opted to paint at the local women's shelter. I mean . . . what could go wrong there, right?

By now, you are all way ahead of me. But guess what? You're all WRONG!!! Nothing went wrong and three of us took care of two bathrooms, avoiding major spills, drips in our hair and whatnot. We did leave with the obligatory paint on hands, arms, and nose, but it all went well.

We got back to the hotel in time for lunch . . . or, "Lu" as some named it since "lunch" consisted of a salad a little bigger than a dinner salad and . . . um . . . bread and water.

Then we were off and running for the business end of convention. Jane was in charge of the resolutions (Madam Chair), and kept us all blessedly on time. Resolutions included a Pulpit Exchange, Establishing the First Sunday in Lent as ERD Sunday, creating a liturgy for Prayers for the Life and Loss of a Companion Animal, Revising Eucharistic Prayer C to include women, and a Resolution to Encourage Parishes to More Fully Include Youth. I voted No, Yes, No, Yes and Yes respectively.

Sunday was the closing Eucharist and the ordination of a new deacon who will be spending his time at the Seaman's Institute. Very cool. I suggested to him that maybe one of those boats on Deadliest Catch could use a ship's chaplain.

And by now, you are all finished reading, so I'll stop writing. I may post more in detail if there's a great interest; but don't count on it.

So, after doing the business of the church all weekend, I can get back to doing the business of the church.