Thanks Indy. It's been real.

It's a wrap on GC 77.

Deputies are exhausted and ready to head home after ten days of nonstop legislative fun. But the work has been gratifying and the learnings many, with just enough friends and faith moments to keep us going.

So here's a question for you seasoned Episcopalians: Did you know that every official copy of our prayer book has a certification page near the front which designates its authenticity?  And who signs that page?  Well it is the Custodian of the Book of Common Prayer.  And who now knows the Custodian of the Book of Common Prayer?  You might guess that it is me.

For every morning in Indy when I started my day with a 7:30 meeting of the Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Chruch Music we were joined in the near gallery by Gregory Howe, who is the Custodian of the Book of Common Prayer. He sat quietly on the front row and listened to our deliberations.  And when we got stuck on process or precedent then a senior committee member would say, "Gregory, help us out here."  And then he would ease to the microphone and speak wisdom and history and wealth of knowledge and set us striaght.  I decided that he was our Yoda.  

                                

    

   

He was the calm voice that spoke from the ages and said things like, "Change the lectionary in the '28 Prayer Book, we did."  "Accomplished that with a canonical change, we did."  Every time he spoke we were properly enlightened.  I felt that I had met a mythological character.  Who really knows the Custodian of the Book of Common Prayer? 

 I do.

General Convention is like that some times.  It is a wonderful assembly of intersting people who come together to do the work of governance of The Episcopal Church and we also enjoy each other's company in prayer, debate, worship and work.

I have connected and reaconnected.  In worship I exchanged the Peace of God with three people from my seminary years, with the Presiding Bishop and her husband, with bishops from Haiti, and Equador, Michigan and East Tennesee, former parishioners now from Kentucky, new friends from my committee and countless others as 2,000 Episcopalians shared daily Eucharist.  I decided to share some pictures of me and the interesting people I've met.

Here's me and Mary Magdalene, winner of the Golden Halo in this year's Lent Madness game. 

Me and Brooks, Sewanee seminarian who sometimes worships at St. Paul's.

Me and Nicole Seiferth, child of St. Paul's and now managing editor of Forward Movement Publications.

Me and Lynn Schmissrauter and a couple of guys we met at the Sunday party sponsored by the Diocese of Indianapolis.

We are proud of the work we 've done here and enriched by the people we've met.  I love The Episcopal Church and can't wait to get home.  See you Sunday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

 - YODA, Star Wars Episode I