Musings of a Virtual Presby-Fester

Except for attending my study group and a quick trip to the gym to work on that bum knee, I've spent the day in virtual attendance at GA. The house is very quiet today--just me and the dog since El Jefe is at work and is taking the kids to the baseball game. And that's a good thing since I'm the point person for my presbytery's GA Newsblog as well as my usual stuff here.

First of all, the virtual streaming is working really well for me. Last GA it kept choking out and buffering and timing out. This time it is smooth as glass. The camera work is good. Generally the screen projections have worked well, but just now "Angela" can't seem to find the liturgy they are using for the commissioning of Clif Kirkpatrick as "Stated Clerk Emeritus."

The big debate this afternoon was on the FOG report. Commissioners pulled out a variety of parliamentary moves, but in the end the committee's recommendation was passed. The FOG will go to the presbyteries for comment and the Task Force will be enlarged and asked to revise the report in light of those comments for action at the 2010 GA.

There was a lot of debate about whether and how the FOG report would enable the PCUSA to become more "missional". As one wag pointed out, the entire debate certainly focused the group inward rather than outward. But that is the nature of polity debates, isn't it?

I don't see how the BOO will ever make us any more missional than the Great Commission, which is a whole lot shorter.

They just took a 10 minute break, so I will take advantage of it to get in my jammies, avail myself of a glass of restorative vino, and offer a quick prayer for the work that remains before the group before returning to the virtual PresbyFest.

With a two hour time difference between California and Texas, it isn't likely I will make it through the evening session. But one does what one can!

UPDATE: Now I'm watching my own pastor, Dave Peterson (MDPC, Houston) speak to the GA about the Hearts and Hands Campaign. Go Dave!