Wednesday at General Assembly

To be honest, as far as I'm concerned the most exciting thing that happened at General Assembly on Wednesday was when several of us from Tropical Florida Presbytery went to supper together and ordered Buffalo Steak.

The committee work is over, and all of the commissioners have gathered as a one body to hear all these committees give their reports. From my point of view, the most interesting committee reports will come later. For example, in spite of the suggestion of the new Moderator that we not deal with the ordination of gays and lesbians this year, the Committee on Church Orders and Ministry will be recommending deleting from the Book of Order the requirement that ordained officers practice celibacy in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman. It will not be until Friday that the General Assembly will deal with this issue. If approved, then all of the Presbyteries must vote on the issue during the coming year. Ask any two people how this General Assembly will vote, and one will say it will pass and the other will say it won't pass. So we'll see on Friday.

Today the Assembly worked on issues dealing with improving and continuing ecumenical relationships, the work of higher education, institutions, and peacemaking.

There is still a very good spirit among the people here at the General Assembly, but as we talk about some of the issues yet to come, it is still very obvious that we remain a very divided church. We seem equally divided between liberal and conservative, but there remains the hope that we can continue to be one church, working together for the Kingdom of Christ.

The commissioners from Tropical Florida Presbytery -- including Angus Walton, have a seat on the third row in a large room that accommodates over 2,000. I, on the other hand, as an observer get to sit on that most sacred and coveted place in a Presbyterian gathering -- the back row. I'll let you know what I see from that back row Thursday and Friday as the General Assembly struggles with the issues before it.