Friday, June 16 - the Pink Plastic Jesus

In today's Eucharist, we celebrated the ministries of women. The Very Rev Martha J Horne (a seminary classmate of our Bishop's) preached, trying to connect the ministries of women, today's readings, and the life of the Bishop of Durham whose feast day is today. She had us laughing several times as she told of Bishop Butler's writings and biographies, none of which mention any women. He never married, had no sisters, and apparently no mother. He was a favorite of the Queen at the time (forgotten her name), for whom he served as chaplain. This Queen enjoyed his company so much that she appointed him Clerk (said as Clark in true British) of the Closet. "True story," insisted our preacher.

Rev Horne's sermon did go on to explain how our readings today (again from the Book of Wisdom, this time read in Japanese, and Luke 10:25-28) provide a nice juxtaposition between the law and wisdom, reason and spirit, poetry and prose, and female and male. The law gives us direction and purpose, and the spirit of wisdom illuminates out path.

Our table discussions today focused on the question "How have you experienced people at this gathering sharing the Spirit's gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and faith?" For many of us, it was "duh." We all agree that just showing up, at this gathering, at work, at home, in our relationships, is witness to the unity of the Body of Christ.

I am so going to miss my table group. For the most part we have all been there each day. Eucharist is open to all deputies, bishops, women participating in the ECW Triennium event, staff, volunteers, families - everyone. As I mentioned before, we are assigned a table, and spend the entire 10 days worshipping with those 8-10 people. This has been good for me in a very specific way. One woman at our table is from the Diocese of Washington DC, and is with the ECW event. She is black and to my mind a stereotypical evangelical praise the Lord sort of person. She interrupts almost every discussion to interject how much the Holy Spirit is working here and how we all love Jesus Christ. And she talks to herself a lot. I have purposely sat next to her each day, to try to understand her very different way of relating to God and to other people. I don't think I quite have it, but I know I am a lot more patient with her than when we started.

This morning, Jane, a priest in Lynn, MA, brought a pink plastic "Eight Ball Jesus". You ask Jesus and question and turn him upside down to find the answer. As I said, I will miss this group.