Friday

  • Committee meetings 7:30-10:00
  • Joint session on racial reconciliation in HOD chamber from 10:30-12:00.
  • Lunch bowls with Brenda at P.F. Chang's.
  • Committee work from 1:15-3:00. See here for some of what went on.
  • Legislative session from 3:30-5:30. There was a bit of drama, as the Bishop of Honduras rose on a point of personal privilege and berated the convention for its lack of hospitality toward those who don't speak English. He's had a particularly harrowing experience in a committee yesterday when people from Province IX wanted to testify, but there was no translator available. When the only response was to delay consideration of the text that was in front of us (a response to the #MeToo event from a couple of days ago) until it could be translated, Bishop Allen became a pit bull and said, in effect, "No business as usual until we address my concerns." The Presiding Bishop quickly appointed a small committee to step out and come back with a way forward. As it turns out, General Convention long ago adopted policies about translators and interpreters that we're just not following. Resources will  be brought to bear, and things will change.
  • 5:45-7:15: Eucharist, with the Bishop of Texas presiding and the President of the House of Deputies preaching. This was the occasion of the triennial United Thank Offering ingathering. The total was something north of $3 million.
  • Brenda and I then gathered with our Class of 2011 bishops and spouses friends for dinner at the nearby BBQ place, after which some of us enjoyed some ice cream concoctions at the hotel across the street.
  • This experience is mental, emotionally, and physically exhausting.

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