Learning the Game

You'll be happy to know -- the "Enter" key means nothing, be welcome to play with it.

The Assembly is officially in Session -- the work has begun. Day One of GA is a day full of learning -- hearing the reports of various PC(USA) entities, getting acquainted with the various faces and places we'll be seeing throughout the week, and, of course, the all important buttons to push and paddles to wave.

At this Assembly, there are 752 Commissioners, 173 Youth Advisory Delegates (YADs), 25 Theological Student Advisory Delegates, 8 Missionary Advisory Delegates, and 15 Ecumenical Advisory Delegates. All together, there are a whopping 973 seats on the Plenary floor -- 973 hearts seeking the Spirit's lead in the work of the PC(USA).
Of this diverse and beautiful crowd, Hudson River Presbytery has 4 Commissioners and one YAD -- they are, as in the picture below: Rev. Chip Low, Elder Judy Wason, YAD Jason Cerillo, Rev. Cathy Surgenor, and Elder Bruce Mather.
Tonight, the attention will turn to the first significant item of business -- the election of the Moderator. Four candidates will stand for the office -- we will hear nominations, speeches, and a full hour of questions before the voting begins. We pray for all of those 973 hearts beating, that they may beat in tune with the Spirit.

As they practiced today in orientation, they'll cast their votes by pushing a button on their individual keypads. "Y" for yes, "N" for no..."1, 2, 3, 4" for whatever they need to be... but the "enter" key -- well, it means nothing. You don't have to push "enter." Associate Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons invited the learning commissioners to play with "enter" if they wanted to.

I liked the sound of that somehow. Enter. The church ought to push that button more often -- enter, enter, enter. Come in, come in, come in. Affirmation, affirmation, affirmation. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Let's this Assembly be a glorious game of Enter.