Saturday morning - The Presbytery of West Virginia comes to GA!

The bus carrying people from throughout the Presbytery of West Virginia left Beckley early this morning, with stops in Charleston and Bridgeport, bringing participants to the Opening Worship for the 220th General Assembly. 

Opening Worship has always been such a highlight for me at General Assemblies.  I look forward to hearing the mass choir (which includes people from our presbytery!).  I look forward to the sermon, preached by the outgoing Moderator (with prayers for Cindy Bolbach, as she made it a goal to be here to preside at the beginning of this Assembly, following months of surgery, recovery and chemotherapy).  I look forward to communion.  I look forward to the variety of expressions of worship that we will encounter here at this opening worship.  I look forward to seeing friends and colleagues from around the denomination, as we begin -- most appropriately, with worship.

It is only right and proper that we look to God first - the God who created us, the God who led his people throughout history, the God who sent us his son, Jesus Christ, that we might have know of his love for us....  Worship is that act which brings us together.  

May it be so for all of us.  Let us gather together in a spirit of worship, open to what God has in store for us, open to the word for us today, open to God's leading....

Amen.