I was going to copy ...

Mike's blog posts ... but there are too many ... here is the link if I haven't posted it previously ... http://pncnotesonga.blogspot.com/?m=1
Lynn

What constitutes Christian marriage?

It is now after 4:00 on Friday afternoon ... and we are lost in Robert's Rules of Order and our reluctance to discuss what the definition of Christian marriage means.  Is it between a man and a woman or is it between two people?  The committee report included two minority reports.  Each minority report has the possibility of replacing the committee report as the main motion.  We have been discussing procedure and trying to make our way through this one question for more than two hours.  The first minority report was voted down.  The second minority report is in the process of possibly being amended.

We have hours yet to go, and we have to get the assembly business completed before noon tomorrow. A little while ago a delivery guy came in with two pizzas for some hungry commissioners.  The feeling in the room has changed ... we know how serious this issue is for the denomination.  As the guy sitting in front of me said, "There will be an assembly that will vote this in."  Whether it is this one or not remains to be seen.  At the break we are hearing Kirk Franklin's "Do you want a revolution?"

Folks are exhausted ... and there is so much more to do ...

Continue to pray for our commissioners and our denomination.
Lynn

Thursday night ... around 10:30 pm

It is late on Thursday night, and we have been talking about divestment from American companies whose products are used to damage places in the Middle East, and the possibility of investment in those same places to help bring about peace.  We have been at this for more than an hour just on this issue.  Our own commissioner, Blake Brinegar, made a minority report which has now become the main motion.  The vote to make the minority report the main motion passed by only 2 votes with 2 people abstaining.  To say that this is a divided assembly is an understatement.

I understand that many of you are streaming, and may have questions about what is going on.  Unfortunately, while we are in plenary, we are not supposed to be on the internet, and it has been late before we have gotten back to our hotels - partly because we often need to decompress and debrief.  So, if we are tardy with posts, I apologize.

The tone was set in some ways when plenary began yesterday, and the newly elected vice moderator resigned so that she might not be a distraction during the assembly.  She apparently had received some "hate mail" type of correspondence, and perhaps there were some ugly blogposts about her.  The sense of shock and dismay over her resignation was palpable, and dominated Twitter for the most part of the afternoon.

Things have been divisive ... and emotional ... and have taken a long time to get accomplished.  The leadership is doing their best to run efficient meetings under difficult circumstances.  It is a job I would not want to do.  It makes me grateful to be in a presbytery where we can talk to each other and disagree, and still continue to talk to each other after that disagreement.

A commissioner asked at dinner tonight, "Is it always this divisive?"  It seems as though the divide is growing wider, and we had a sense coming into this assembly that it would be contentious.  Please continue to pray for the assembly and the leadership of the PCUSA.  People are tired ... and there is still much to do with not a lot of time left.

Lynn

Mike on Middle East Committee Part 2

The Middle East Committee adopted Overture 15-10 from Philadelphia which endorses positive and peaceful investment in Israel/Palestine. the committee included a comment that clarifies that even though the original overture was anti- divestment, the committee supports divestment. The committee voted 36 to 8 for the amended overture. I'm also hearing that there may be a Minority Report, which could be the original 15-10 from Philadelphia Presbytery which opposes divestment. If there is a minority report the GA will need to decide whether to support divestment or not.

Mike on the Middle East Committee

All day the committee has discussed, reflected, prayed and debates what to do about Divestment. The good thing is that they are VERY serious in wanting to consider all aspects of the issues. The troubling thing is that the professional staff attending the committee meeting and acting as Resource people are uniformly pro-divestment (from my perspective). The open hearings went well. Probably 60 people testified, all respectfully and with a sense of gravity and passion. Tonight the committee is trying to digest all they have heard and learned. They are honestly wrestling with the issues of how to honor our partnership with both Palestinian and Israeli partners. They are debating the recommendation by MRTI to divest. My assumption is that the recommendation on that MRTI recommendation will be the response to the New Covenant overture not to divest.

Mike's fourth post - Monday

It has been an interesting and settling experience to sit and pray for the Theological Issues and Institutions Committee 17 even while I'm attending the meeting of the Middle East Committee 15. These commissioners. All need our prayers as they seek God's will.

Mike's third post after the election

On the fourth ballot Neal Presa was elected as the Moderator of the 220th GA. Neal is a pastor from New Jersey with a pastoral heart and youthful energy May the Lord be with him during his time as moderator.