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Note #5 from PCUSA NEWS to GA 212 REPORTS:

This is David Steele reporting from the 212th General Assembly in Long
Beach, California and now filling  the role created some 5 years ago by
Presbyterian Sage, Houston Hodges.   Houston has decided it is time for him
to move on to other things.  His mantle has been cast upon me and, like
Elisha of old,  I find it rather humbling to succeed a living legend. Thus
for the next seven days I will be doing my best to share the assembly images
that touch me.

Saturday is gathering day as the 500 some commissioners, and the staff and
the observers from all over the world began to roam the halls and
exhibitions of the this vast convention center.  By noon  thousands of us
Presbyterians are gathered in one place..  As I watch folk I am reminded of
the first boy/girl party I ever attended.  I was a 5th grader and Peggy
Peterson had invited me to her birthday.  According to my mother, my tearful
comment on arrival at home was: "After the refreshments the girls began to
chase the boys, and nobody chased me."

An Assembly is like that.  Here gather hundreds yeah thousands of people who
have been around the church and know the ropes.  They have served on this
committee and that one and have gone to conferences and seminars and they
know each other.  For them each assembly is a time of family reunion and 
friendship renewal.  People spot each other across a crowded  room; they
shout and squeal and wave and rush over to embrace and swap stories.  But if
one is new and shy and somewhat overwhelmed by all  the size and strangeness
of it all..then it is easy to feel like that 5th grader,"They are chasing
each other, but nobody is chasing me."

I try to spot folks who seem bewildered by it all.   I make contact if I
can.  I want to assure them that by the time the assembly is over, they too
will feel part of the gang.  In this mega-gathering Presbyterian community
is present.  And even us introverts are included.

Saturday is the day the moderator is elected.  All day the four candidates
are busy mingling.  Meeting with this group and that; standing in front of
their hospitality booths pressing flesh and answering queries.  Each person
has a history of distinguished service to the church.  There is no sense of
a front runner.

At the PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK dinner each candidate has 5 minutes to speak. 
The dinner is heavily attended as commissioners and observers seek to get a
sense of what is to come.  Then it is election time at the Assembly.  The
great hall is crowded with observers, pehaps three thousand people.  Each
person is nominated by a commissioner.  They speak for five minutes.  And
then for an hour the floor is open for commissioner questions.  Each
candidate responds.

When this question procedure was first established it seemed to bring a
sense of honesty and integrity into the process.   But I think it no longer
works.  After half an hour there was a sameness in the questions and the
answers.  And it struck me why that was happening.  People were asking these
moderatorial candidates "What are you going to do for us and the church?" 
What is your program for the Year of the Child, or our Theological
Differences, or our church growth.  But the truth is the moderator can't do
much problem solving in a year.

We might better be asking not what are you going to do–But who are you? 
Because that is what finally matters.  Their influence and service to us
comes out of who they are..not what they do.
I sat near the large family of John Herndon; kids and grandkids and friends.
 And I saw them greet him after he had lost.  A loving caring wonderful
family and I knew much more about who he was than I had hearing about his
program for church renewal.  He is a loving man.  And I know the other two
losers.  Jill Martinez who helps families find dignity.  Youngil Cho
brilliant professor whose spiritual life is so deep and rich.

And the new moderator Syngman Rhee who has done so much for the church in
his distinguished career will I think serve us best as we discover who he
is?   For as we are touched by who he is we will be called to discover who
are are and how we can become the people of faith Christ is calling us to
be.

This is David Steele...Thanks for listening.  Shalom Friends.

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