Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Random Reflections From Afar

Les has been very useful to me, and thus far I have had no problem getting logged in and retrieving information. Its user interface could use some work. My browser of choice for Windows and Linux is Firefox, and it works fine with Les.

Streaming video from GA this year is of higher quality than I have experienced in the past, and they do a good job of showing what is happening. The audio quality is excellent.

With Les and streaming video, and a broadband connection, information is available in real-time, thus allowing interested Presbyterians to know what is happening with unprecedented ease.

Bloggers are providing us with news and analysis to a greater extent than ever before. Two years has made quite a difference in the bloggosphere.

Nearly all bloggers covering GA 217 from Birmingham or from a distance are "doing it decently and in order."

This is not to say we all agree, nor is it to say we always get it right. (although I am confident in saying that we do a far better job than the average newspaper reporter)

I like what I have seen of our new moderator, and having read her book Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers, she DID write the book on polity (as one of her nominators pointed out).

I am evangelical in my theology and a member of what Beau Weston calls the "Loyal Center". As such, I am used to not getting my way all the time. Given a choice between getting my way and having the Presbyterian Church hold together, I lean toward staying together. Thus far I have seen many actions in past years that irritate me, and even anger me, but I have also seen actions that pleased me. My threshhold for schism has yet to be reached, and I do not go from year to year looking for excuses to leave my church home.

Vigorously advocating for one's beliefs is one thing; an "all or nothing" stance is quite another. In our diverse denomination no one is going to get their way all the time, and to expect it is unreasonable.

Let's all continue to pray for the General Assembly, and pray that our unity in Jesus Christ overcomes our self-centeredness as we speak and interact with each other.

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2 comments:

Apostle John said...

You are right about the appearance of the bloggers this year. I've been blogging from GA since 2000, and usually I've been the only one. Nice to have the company.

Unknown said...

My mother was a commissioner several years ago, and both my parents have also observed General Assemblies in person. From her description, I suppose there is nothing quite like the experience of actually being there.

But, with the capabilities of a broadband connection, and a laptop, I can see as much of the plenary as I choose. It may not be quite the same as being there, but there are at least three bloggers (and probably more) who are doing the Les/streaming video thing.

Can you visualize it? A virtual general assembly?