Our Western Pennsylvania delegation began the day together rather early with a time of prayer in which my friend and colleague, Pastor Bob Zilhaver, offered an important word to us about the hard, sacrificial, and redemptive work of forgiveness. In many ways, Bob’s reflection was an excellent preparation for today’s morning worship in plenary, which was, at its essence, a communal time of confession and repentance. It was a kairotic experience for me as I sat in that crowded plenary room, brought the profundity of my sin to the foot of the cross, and wept over both the gravity of my personal transgressions and the enormity of God’s forgiveness. I can’t help but wonder how many others had a similar experience.

Bishop Gregory Palmer then offered what I received as an exceptionally compelling Episcopal Address, which was as prophetic as it was engaging and as challenging as it was insightful. Most striking to me about Bishop Palmer’s address was his description of sanctification as “an entire life, humbled and completely delivered from our hubris and our nagging sense of self-sufficiency.” He then boldly called the General Conference to embrace its deepest purpose while at the same time rejecting misguided impulses: “We are not here in Portland to wallow in unbridled doubt, fear, and cynicism…or to lick our institutional wounds or to fixate on our shortcomings and struggles. Rather, we are here to invest ourselves completely in the discernment of the work, the ministry, and the dynamic future of what God desires for the part of the Body called the United Methodist Church.”

Bishop Palmer concluded his address by daring us not to settle for shallow or superficial relationships in the ministry of the church: “Have our relationships in the church become so superficial that we won’t even risk saying something that we might later have to go back and apologize for?!” His words awakened within me a deeper desire for a church where people stubbornly refuse to remain in the realm of anemic politeness and instead opt for the riskier, messier, and holier territory of heart to heart engagement and relational authenticity.

This afternoon was devoted to what are known as the General Conference legislative committees.  Every delegate to General Conference is part of one of twelve legislative committees, each of which does a substantial amount of work in discussing, amending, and perfecting the thousands of petitions that come before the General Conference. Think of it this way:  Without the work of the legislative committees, the plenary of General Conference would have to give detailed attention to every single petition, which would demand an additional two weeks of conferencing! The legislative committees are what help the General Conference to prioritize and administer its legislative work.  I am a part of the Discipleship legislative committee, the responsibility of which is to care for a variety of proposals concerning the language, strategy, and disciplinary paragraphs related to our denomination’s disciple-making ministries.

My day concluded with a three-hour period of training that will enable me to become a small group facilitator for a newly-proposed process of group discernment. This new process (outlined in the proposed “Rule 44”) will allow delegates to experience extended time in smaller groups (no larger than 15 people) in which the more controversial legislation (such as legislation on human sexuality) might be discussed without the pressure of an immediate vote, thereby creating a safer and (hopefully) more hospitable context in which delegates might listen to one another’s hearts before having to legislate.

What complicates this matter is that Rule 44 is not without some controversy of its own and will be voted on by plenary tomorrow. If Rule 44 is not passed, then I just spent three hours being trained for something that will not occur. No matter what happens with proposed Rule 44, however, the training that I experienced tonight will help me to be a better listener and a more competent bridge-builder in every segment of my discipleship. I am honored to have been asked to serve as a small group facilitator.

Personally, I am intrigued by Rule 44. It may have the potential to provide for delegates a unique opportunity to recognize the personhood and integrity of the people standing on the other side of the proposed legislation. Even better, it might just help us to recognize that the unity we share in Jesus Christ is far more expansive than our divisions.