In General

Last week was the bi-annual (every other year, not twice per year) gathering of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) known as General Assembly. I was not able to attend General Assembly this year. In fact, I’ve never been to General Assembly, which is something that I’d love to remedy sometime soon. Two years hence, GA will be held in Puerto Rico, so…

And while I was not able to be there, the entire thing was live streamed. That’s right, the whole week of debating, discussing, voting, and worshipping was also being shared live around the world. The recordings are still up if you want to watch.

I missed the closing sermon by Rev. Laura Mariko Cheifetz, and I hear it was an all-timer, so I’ll probably go back and watch that soon. But you can watch that and so much more if you so desire. It is worth noting that oftentimes GA is dull as dirt.

I didn’t watch the whole week, but I had it running in the background when I could. I paid attention when it seemed like it was worth paying attention to. Like I said, it can be aggressively boring. A motion to amend the amendment to the original motion, which has now become a substitute motion and… (zzzz). I may have my Robert’s Rules mixed up there, but please don’t correct me. I don’t really care.

I am still digesting the actual content of the assembly, and am planning on reading up on the major decisions, big controversies, powerful moments, and other notable occurrences. But there is one thing I really like about watching GA, and that’s the fact that it connects me to my colleagues in ministry around the country. While watching, I heard the voices of people who I haven’t seen for years. I saw someone from my hiring committee at my previous congregation. I saw a friend of mine who is one of my favorite ministers.

Ministry can be an isolating job. While we exist as a Presbytery, we all work in our individual siloes. I have some wonderful colleagues in ministry, but the reality of the work is that we are geographically diffuse and busy enough in our own spaces that we don’t really get to see each other all that often. That’s why GA is so refreshing, even if it’s boring and I’m not actually there to be part of the action. I get to see friends, colleagues I haven’t seen in years, colleagues that I’ve only interacted with online, colleagues that I only know by reputation, and everything in between.

It gives me energy to remember there are all of these people serving in different places, but still serving towards the same goal. It strikes me with a touch of melancholy, as it reminds me that the work can be very lonely. But it gives me so much life to remember that I’m in such esteemed company. I get to remember the work of people who matter to me, and I get to remember that they also lead congregations of people who are seeking the same kingdom.

Peace,

Jeff

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