day 5

Well, as our Youth Advisory Delegate (YAD) said tonight in her closing prayer, "Hi God - we're one day down...". By the way, that YAD was none other than Christina Fullerton, daughter of Rev. John Fullerton.

The day began with an ecumenical worship service for which the preacher was Elias Chacour, the Archbishop of the Melkite Church. Father Chacour is also the author of one of my favorite books, "Blood Brothers". It is in our church library, if you would like to read it. Introduced by Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick as “one of the great reconcilers and peacemakers of this century,” The Archbishop began his sermon by introducing himself as a Palestinian, then opening his coat and saying, "I have no bomb." He is as wonderful in person as he seemed to me to be in his book. He is a man whose life is a sermon!

I know you are all waiting to hear whether or not I found Dusty's camera. The good news is YES - I know where it is. The bad news is that it is on its way to Louisville. Evidently, the organizer of the breakfast I attended yesterday found it on the table where I had left it. She thought it would be safer if she kept it with her rather than turning it in to the lost and found (?) Anyway, after much CSI work, I was able to find her and the camera. She is driving to Louisville even as we speak and will call me on Sunday when she gets home to get my address so she can mail it to me.

Then...after solving the mystery of the missing camera, I was able to put my attention on the business before the plenary session of the GA. The two issues which consumed most of the time this afternoon and evening were the approval of curriculum for teens which would cover many of the challenges faced by teenagers in this society of ours - including, but not limited to the area of sex education.

The second committee's report which produced many questions and comments from commissioners serving on other committees was The Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee which recommended the adoption of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s first major policy statement on ecumenism since the 1983 reunion of the denomination’s northern and southern streams.

I'm pretty sure that you can tell by my blog post that it is now 12:15 my time. So...since I need to be back at the Convention Center at 8:30 tomorrow, that's all for today.

As I used to say to our girls, "Sweet Dreams". I will talk to you tomorrow.