Work & Play

Having just sat through much of the afternoon business session, I can report that I’m officially getting tired of this. This from discussion on just the Statement of Confession and Commitment — they hadn’t even taken up the Query on covenental relationships when I was needed elsewhere. I had a ray of hope during the Statement discussion when Bob Gross of Indiana rose and offered an amendment to the Statement that would essentially ‘guide’ the Program and Arrangements Committee to grant BMC booth space in the exhibition hall while the three-year Special Response process played out. I even thought, “of course! How can people continue to deny this purely logical and obvious need and right!” But the delegate body voted it down. A number of rainbow-clad folk spoke eloquently at the microphones. Shortly after the vote on the Gross amendment, the Statement passed overwhelmingly as a Special Response issue, and I’m still actually not sure what that will look like as this begins to take shape. In the sense that I believe it is a way of actually avoiding talking directly about the 1983 Human Sexuality paper and the current exclusion of glbt folk from Conference and the church, I’ve got that same old nauseated feeling. In the sense that maybe it will actually initiate some process of education and focused resource-making and conversation in churches and districts (though those who don’t want to talk about this will be allowed to continue in their ignorance), well, okay. May God use the process for the good of all those who are denied equality, justice, and full participation in the church. And may all Caucus – BMC – VOS folk volunteer to lead conversations in their districts and churches!!!

I missed worship this morning as I was scheduled for my turn in the Early Childhood childcare session (I have a 3-year-old in attendance). I must tell you that it was wonderful in there! Paul Fry-Miller played guitar and we sang songs, played with children, made chocolate pudding and dragged our gummy worms through it, and had a great time! What a gift to watch the youngest Brethren girls and boys begin to make their journey through the Brethren community of Annual Conference and begin to plant the seeds of lifelong friendships! Let me pause here to remind us all that one of the great and early works of Womaen’s Caucus was insisting on the need for childcare at Annual Conference so the women of the church could do the business of the church and know their children were well-cared for! Before Caucus advocated for Conference childcare, women would too often come to Conference to take care of the children while their husbands attended the business sessions. So thank you early Caucus women and men! Your legacy endures!!

More to come!
Sharon Nearhoof May