Showing Up

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

            My right arm made it on page eight of today’s General Assembly News.  The back of my roommate’s head showed up on page four.

            My heart has made it to worship each day here at GA.  Not all worship styles or messages appeal to me equally, but all have their focus in adoration of the living Christ.  It saddened me to overhear a disparaging remark following this morning’s service.  My thought is this:  even if I personally do not like a particular style of music or worship, I must remain open to the possibility that the Holy Spirit is ministering to another brother or sister through the very thing that may offend me. 

            I relish my role as observer.  This morning I felt like I could not face another meeting, so I wandered the exhibit hall, stopping at various booths to ask questions and learn more.  Somehow my book purchases increased to four, and I also added a colorful woven bottle holder from Mayan Hands to my first-day purchase of a purse from Rahab’s Rope.  I had a delightful phone conversation with my daughter.  And I walked the labyrinth, which yielded some surprises.

            I have always wondered about the purpose of labyrinths, so I decided to try this one out.  It wasn’t exactly private, located on level three of the convention center by a wall of windows overlooking downtown.  I put down my bags, took off my shoes, and prayerfully started the walk.  The pathway immediately forced me to walk very slowly in order not to get dizzy from the hairpin curves.  As I walked, I realized that the labyrinth is a metaphor for life, especially for one’s spiritual journey.  The path was winding and convoluted and seemingly repetitive, taking me past places I had walked not thirty seconds before.  But all the time I was being led to the center, that final resting place in the middle of God’s eternal love.  My own life has seemed so very random, my spiritual journey winding through denominations and theologies and world views, yet all the while God has been directing my steps.  He knows the ends he has in mind, yet I have rarely ended up anywhere I expected to be.  And General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is no exception.

            I continued the afternoon at a slow pace, talking to exhibitors, other observers, and COLA (Committee On Local Arrangements) volunteers.  [For you Whidbey Presbyterian folks:  I met one of LV & Sylvia Tozer’s friends from Whitefish, Montana in a women’s restroom on the fourth floor of the convention center.  I spoke with a couple people at the McCormick Seminary booth and mentioned Lora Burge.  Both of them lit up and one talked about having had lunch with Sharon recently.]  I ran into Ruth from Georgia whom I met at the airport the first night here, and it was like seeing a long-lost friend.  I spent some time in prayer and reflection at the prayer stations in the spirituality center. 

            The first day here, God laid it on my heart to personally thank COLA volunteers, who are all over the place and easily identified by their yellow smocks with the Presbyterian logo.  I imagine that they might wonder sometimes if their time standing around is doing any good when no one has questions to ask.  I had a fun conversation with a 75-year-old volunteer who was so surprised to be thanked for manning her post.

            A couple hours later, Brie and I headed out to the North Puget Sound Presbytery dinner at Six Penn Kitchen, followed by a leisurely walk and lively conversation with Karen, a pastor from South Carolina we ran into near the Pittsburgh Pirates ballgame. 

            I’m glad I made it to General Assembly this year.  I’m even gladder God surprises me every day with the ways He shows up.