Opening session July 3, 2010

A glorious day in the Minneapolis area and we are about 1000 strong with 750 commissioners to the 219^th General Assembly and 140 Youth Advisory Delegates plus our presbyteries and synods staffs.

The four commissioners plus our Youth Advisory Delegate (YAD in Presby acronym language are seated together in the middle section and only 9 rows back. As we arrived in our seats this morning, there were goody bags from our Stated Clerk, Linda Long. She knows our abiding love of chocolate and the anticipated need for sustenance as the meeting continues into the evening hours.

We are being introduced to the 6 candidates for moderator of the 219^th General Assembly. Unfortunately, politics has invaded the process which I guess is inevitable. I’m sure they are all sincere in their commitment to the position.

The current moderator is a very young man, Bruce Reyes-Chow, who has brought us into the techie age with his proclivity to social networking, that is Twitter and Facebook. Having created a following who have become addicted to such a means of communication, we have been somewhat surprised that we do not have Internet access while here in the Assembly Hall. Of course, some who shall remain nameless, but is a minister commissioner serving on COM, have skirted the rules by using his phone to Tweet.

Now that the introductions are done, we hear the candidating speeches.

…. A couple of hours later… We are now into the question and answer period with the candidates. I had limited by decision to two candidates but now, there’s a third one added. We vote electronically… eventually… and the final number on the voting pad is the one that counts. These are the times the Holy Spirit really is among us.

During yet another techie glitch break… I mentioned the goody bags from Linda Long….included besides the food were tiny little bottles of bubbles. The five of us from Wabash Valley were blowing bubbles that wafted up to the dome of the Convention Center and the commissioners all seemed to delight in the diversion as well… except for the lady in the row ahead of us who complained that the bubbles were destroying her hairdo… believe me… the hairdo was begging for destruction!

Some time later… The Holy Spirit has now intervened and the electronic voting has been accomplished. It took a couple of votes, but the leader all the way is the Ruling Elder Cindy Bolbach. The term “Elders Rule!” has become the hot phrase tonight! She has quite a sense of humor and the leadership of the church will be in good hands.

Found Ginny and Darryl Baker in the observers gallery this evening. They are here as volunteers and will be assisting with communion at the opening worship, which I understand is really going to be memorable.

Long day… Committee work begins tomorrow.

Jill