Reflections

As I sit in San Jose airport anxiously awaiting my flight home, I reflect on the past 8 days.  I must confess that I am weary.  It is physically and emotionally challenging to spend between 12 and 14 hours a day debating weighty issues in the life of our church.  It has been challenging to me personally as I have explored my own position on these issues.  I have been blessed to spend the past 8 days with a group of wonderful commissioners from Pittsburgh Presbytery.  I think it is safe to say that between us, we most likely voted differently on many issues, yet we shared the bond of Christian love, broke bread as a group several times and nurtured each other throughout the week with coffee and candy!  Doug Portz was kind enough to break through the blockade of volunteers protecting the commissioners from others present in the auditorium to bring the Pittsburgh contingent of commissioners chocolate!  Thank you Doug!

I have received a number of inquiries as to whether I was having fun on my "vacation".  Fun is not the right word for my experience this week.  We have worked very hard as your commissioners trying to make sure we understood not only the actions that were brought before us this week, but also the implications.  The sheer volume of business that we acted upon this week is huge.  I am certain that there will be those at home (as I am sure there are those of us who participated) that will be unsettled by some of the decisions that were made this week.  I pray that we can all continue to keep the theme of this GA in mind as we work through our mutual understanding of how to apply or further study the actions taken this week.  That is, I hope we can all Do Justice, Love Kindness and Walk Humbly with our God as we continue to do God's work in Pittsburgh Presbytery.

I look forward to participating in future discussions with fellow Presbyters and congregations about this GA experience and what follow up is necessary.  I ask for your prayers for safe travel for all of my fellow commissioners as we make our way home to our families.  

Blessings

Carol