Exhibit Hall at the 220th General Assembly, looking toward the Global Market and Self Help Crafts
Following worship, Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to the work of the Standing Committees. Our Presbytery of West Virginia Commissioners and our Young Adult Advisory delegate are given their Standing Committee assignment in advance of the Assembly. The selection is totally computer generated -- random selection. One cannot request a specific committee, therefore each Standing Committee reflects the diversity of the PC(USA). Having been a volunteer representative of the Office of Stated Clerk, serving as a Committee Assistant, I can appreciate those who are called to assist in the process of helping the Standing Committee to deal with all the matters assigned to it by the Office of Stated Clerk and the Bills and Overtures Committee.
For this Assembly, I was asked to be a "Process Observer." I sat in two different Standing Committees yesterday, observing process and filing a report, which will be shared with the Office of Stated Clerk and the Committee on Representation. The first Standing Committee I observed was dealing with its business with quickness, moving forward on their docket quite rapidly. The second Standing Committee was just the opposite, as I witnessed them trying to re-write recommendations from a report, offering amendments and amendments to the amendments.... Perhaps you have been on a committee like that one time in your life! Some Standing Committees will struggle into the night, and the Committee Assistant and Standing Committee Moderator will have to stay up in the a.m. hours writing up their report to the full Assembly.
The Presbytery of West Virginia Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegate will gather together today for lunch to share experiences and observations. Another thought that will run through their minds is "how can we describe what we experience back to the people in the Presbytery of West Virginia?"
Yes, the news media is here, as are the various political groups who will all describe what they perceive from their various points of view. I always try to caution those back home to take news accounts with a grain of salt. Remember that what you read is from the perspective of that particular reporter or that particular political group or news agency. Folks will "spin" the news to fit a purpose sometimes. Enough said!
As with every church Session -- and Presbytery -- and Synod -- the General Assembly has a process that allows for broad input. Open hearings are a time in which every Standing Committee listens to the voice of the people, whether you are Presbyterian or not! I have seen Jewish people, wearing signs around their neck, related to the conversations of divestment of funds - pro divestment and con divestment. The Standing Committee takes all of this into account, as well as recommendations from various agencies and committees. The Standing Committee, in discerning what God is saying to them at this particular time -- and then they will make their recommendations as a Standing Committee to the full Assembly -- and then the Assembly as a whole will debate the Standing Committee recommendations and vote! And then, you will read about it in the news....again, from the perspective of that particular reporter or political group or news agency!
Please continue to pray for your presbytery Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegate -- and for all those in the state still grappling with the loss of power and storm damage.
Blessings to you all,
Forrest
Thank you.
ReplyDelete