Welcome to Chicago

[Richard Johnson]

Beginning Monday, August 5, [correction: August 6] I'll be filing regular reports on what is happening at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Chicago. Will Bp. Hanson win on the first ballot? Who will be the new Secretary? Will Goodsoil resolutions be pulled from the "referral" group? Check in regularly and often, and join in the conversation.

--Richard O. Johnson

[Keith Falk]

I think a more important question is...

"At the end of the Assembly, whose expense report will be higher - Peter's or Richard's?"   

[scott3]

I think a more important question is...

"At the end of the Assembly, whose expense report will be higher - Peter's or Richard's?"   

Hmmm.  Do you have any family in Chicago, Richard?

[Richard Johnson]

I think a more important question is...

"At the end of the Assembly, whose expense report will be higher - Peter's or Richard's?"   

Hmmm.  Do you have any family in Chicago, Richard?

Nope. And mine will definitely be higher because (a) I'm the editor and (b) He didn't spend 50% of the total allocation.

[LutherMan]

Where will we find the streaming video?

[Richard Johnson]

Where will we find the streaming video?

Start at www.elca.org and I'm sure there will be a link to take you there.

[BeornBjornson]

Which year will you be attending the CWA Richard?  My 2007 calendar has August 5 as a Sunday but maybe it's some sort of quantum multiverse thing that Matt Hummel or Mark Christianson could explain.   
Ken Kimball

[Richard Johnson]

Which year will you be attending the CWA Richard?  My 2007 calendar has August 5 as a Sunday but maybe it's some sort of quantum multiverse thing that Matt Hummel or Mark Christianson could explain.   
Ken Kimball

I think it will be this year. But I'll have to put my glasses on and look at the calendar again to be sure.  

[bmj]

Beginning Monday, August 5, [correction: August 6] I'll be filing regular reports on what is happening at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Chicago. Will Bp. Hanson win on the first ballot? Who will be the new Secretary? Will Goodsoil resolutions be pulled from the "referral" group? Check in regularly and often, and join in the conversation.

--Richard O. Johnson

Based on the LCNA link below, there will certainly be attempts pull the Goodsoil resolutions from the referral group:

http://www.lcna.org/lcna_news/2007-07-24.shtm

"Goodsoil will be working hard with our Voting Member allies to persuade the Assembly that referral is not proper way to handle these memorials and that the time is now for the Assembly to vote on eliminating the flawed policies. All supportive Voting Members are encouraged to register at Goodsoil.org so that our coordinated efforts may bear fruit."

We will look forward to your reports.

[ptmccain]

Will we get to see another melodramatic "protest march" to the front of the hall, standing silently while the chair attempts politely to scold them into leaving? I think when they did this last time they just shot themselves in the foot and probably caused undecided delegates to vote their position down.

[Charles_Austin]

Pastor McCain writes (re activities at the Orlando Assembly) :
I think when they did this last time they just shot themselves in the foot and probably caused undecided delegates to vote their position down.

I comment:
You were not there and your assessment is flat-out wrong.

[scott3]

You were not there and your assessment is flat-out wrong.

Cool.  You know this how (i.e., please provide the data upon which you are condemning this view as being "flat-out wrong")?

[Charles_Austin]

Scott writes (re my correction of Pastor McCain's assessment of activity at the Orlando Assembly):
Cool.  You know this how?

I respond:
Because I was there. Up front. Close. Talking to people with various points of view as things were going on. But I see no reason to try and explain this to an LC-MS pastor (not Scott) who writes so intemperately and has already adjudged the ELCA and some of us in it as beyond the pale of any kind of orthodoxy.
With the funeral of a congregational founder coming up, and some other assignments, some of them quite pleasant, I shall probably not be active here for a while. And then I go to Chicago, and will not be doing any "instant analysis." I'm sure that the anti-ELCAers of various types will take plenty of opportunities to let everyone know how far the church body is straying from "orthodoxy."

[LutherMan]

I will keep your CWA in my prayers...

[Deb_H.]

Because I was there. Up front. Close. Talking to people with various points of view as things were going on.

I was also there; upfront (second row from front).  Talking to lots of people of all stripes.  Mari Irvin even asked me to wear a rainbow stole ...
Pastor McCain is not that far wrong -- the silent protest did more harm than good for the gay cause.  If Solid Rock could have gotten the one gay voting member from NW Washington to the mic a few more times, we might have carried the whole kit and kaboodle. 

Lou