In the post earlier today, Deputy Booker talked about attending the Leadership Training session on Tuesday, July 3. I was there, too, and I agree with Michael that the commissioning liturgy was quite moving and the prayers were powerful.
I'm including a photo from that session. At the podium is
Gay Jennings, President of the House of Deputies. Seated are Convention Secretary Michael Barlowe and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
Gay Jennings and Bishop Curry offered quite moving and inspirational opening remarks to this session, stressing that we are doing the work of the Gospel in General Convention.
Deputy Jennings spoke quite movingly about the qualities of servant leadership to which we Deputies are called. Key among them were the willingness to listen, to love one another as Christ loves us [no matter our differences!], and an openness to be transformed.
Bishop Curry told a story that was funny and oozed with truth. He still resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, but said he sometimes feels like he lives in the airport because of his busy travel schedule. He has become acquainted with most of the TSA agents. He told us of an exchange with one of them, an African American man in one of the Holiness churches. The man asked him, "Where are you going today, Bishop?" Bishop Curry replied, "To a church meeting." "Oh!" the man replied, "you're going to a holy convocation," to which Bishop Curry quickly replied, "No, just a church meeting." But then, he told us, he quickly realized that whenever two or three are gathered, Jesus promises to show up, and that this meeting is not merely General Convention, but a holy convocation, in which we will seek to do the work of the Gospel in a way that will help to grow the church and that will show the love of Jesus to the whole world.
Dynamite stuff already! And General Convention hasn't yet officially convened.
– Lisa Fox
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