A Straight Shot

I leave this morning for General Convention in Indianapolis. From Decatur, it's a straight shot up I-65, and I'm guessing it will take me between six and seven hours. I did some high-level travel calculus to determine that my total travel time from my door to the convention center would be less if I drove than if I flew, so I'm setting off on the road. And the best part is that I get to share the ride with Susan Sloan, a clergy deputy from St. Stephen's, Huntsville.

Thanks to Eisenhower, my trip to Convention should be fairly easy. If I point my car in the right direction, I'm almost certain to hit it eventually. But, once I get there, things are a little less straight forward. I've never been to General Convention, and everyone who has keeps telling me that I have no idea what I'm getting into. I have a hard time believing that--since I feel like I can imagine what it might be like--but I am taking their word for it. I don't know what it will be like, but I expect that it will be exhausting, encouraging, frustrating, and fun.

The one thing that is sticking in my mind as I prepare to leave is that, for the first time in my life, how I vote on an issue will matter to people. On important issues, when votes are called by orders, my name and vote will be recorded for anyone to see. How I vote shouldn't matter to people as much as it probably will. I'm honestly trying to figure out where the Spirit is leading me and our church. The conversation, debate, prayer, and discernment that go into each decision make them far more complex than "Garner, Yes" or "Garner, No." As I join the bazillion other deputies and onlookers at Convention, the route I will take to get to a decision will be anything but straightforward, and I hope I'm up for the task.


This blog and the Twitter/Facebook links to it will be one way that I attempt to communicate how I perceive that things are going in Indianapolis. Some of my posts will simply be reflections. Others will focus on how I'm navigating an issue. For those who know me and who are wanting to hear a little bit of what's happening at General Convention, stay tuned.