Wednesday

Wednesday. A much easier day for me than Tuesday! I had breakfast with folks from our presbytery--again with the 7am thing--I wasn't quite awake when I got there even though I had walked a few blocks to get there :). After breakfast, I went for a very long walk around the city. It was great in many ways--I got to see the Target Center and Target Field, got to listen to some music and clear my head, and got in some much-needed exercise. I walked for an hour, and it was great to get a breath of fresh air!

We got back to our plenary time yesterday, and it was a relatively calm day. We approved three seminary presidents, approved the leader of the General Assembly Mission Council, approved our new Form of Government, and agreed to send the Confession of Belhar to the presbyteries for their approval. It is a beautiful confession that speaks to the need for justice, unity, and reconciliation in response to racism in South Africa. I love it, and I think it adds another deep layer to our Book of Confessions. If 2/3 of the presbyteries approve it over the next two years, then the next General Assembly will vote on its acceptance into the Book of Confessions. Here is the text:

http://www.pc-biz.org/Resources/e38bcf8d-244e-4ab8-af22-aab0a8123df9/Confession%20of%20Belhar.pdf

It was a great and celebratory day, but tomorrow promises to be much different as we talk about middle governing bodies, ordination, and the report on marriage and civil unions. We'll see! Peace, Rachel