In her sermon this morning, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said that a few days before convention, she had looked at the listserv for members of the House of Deputies. This is an online bulletin board where we deputies have been exchanging information, trading ideas, debating (and sometimes hollering at each other) for months.
She said she had read with interest a lengthy exchange among deputies about what to bring to Anaheim — what’s the must-have, don’t-leave-home-without-it thing to be sure to pack. Deputies offered lots of responses: bring inspirational photos of your church, pack some energy bars for days when there’s no time for meals, bring the charger for your electronics, and so on. (One deputy even offered instructions on how he dries the socks he washes in his hotel bathroom.)
I sat in the huge hall, open-mouthed, because I was the one who posted the original query that started the discussion.
Imagine that! I inspired the Presiding Bishop’s sermon!
She went on to relate our concerns about what to pack to today’s Gospel, from Luke: Travel light, take no purse, no bag, no sandals. In other words: Travel light.
The other lesson for me: Sometimes the most important thing you can do is raise the question. Others will chime in with answers, but someone has to ask the question first. Another reason to love the Episcopal Church! It’s always okay to ask. – Judy Stark
