Sunday morning

Is it fair to post here mostly what I wrote home? With some editing, here's an excerpt of a note sent this morning.

Synod's informative, sort of. Heard from Jim Wallis, Ray Suarez, Eugene Robinson and Krista Tibbet but honestly none of them saying anything especially insightful, new or inspiring though all of them obviously good, intelligent folk. The truth is the mainline church continues to decline in ways and for reasons that are far beyond its control no matter how creative or faithful we would be. That is not to be despairing or defeated but simply to acknowledge that worldly success is not to be equated with faithfulness. The size, wealth, influence and power of the church blossomed under Constantine.

John Thomas' farewell last night had probably the most presence and integrity of anything so far. He acknowledged mistakes and losses and costs to his family and expressed gratitude for the privilege of serving, etc. In extreme contrast to Otis Moss III's sermon, he was subdued. His acknowledgment of his debt to his sister Jean for taking care of their mother during the last 8 years of her life when he wasn't there as often as he "could, or perhaps should, have been" was what I will remember. And being who I am, I quietly cheered John's acknowledgementsin that we need to emphasize personal piety and a re-emphasize our founding vision to be a 'uniting church' vis-a-vis ecumenical relationships. John has been the lighting rod for much of my and others frustration with the leadership of our denomination. It was undeserved. We recieved, at fairly significant personal cost, much from this brother in Christ. I confess I, for one, am belated in my gratitude.