Conference, Convention

I've done a very poor job of updating here. Sorry to those of you that have looked for my updates and have probably given up by now. I have been busy the past 3 weeks, but I really haven't been too busy to write up something. Now I have a lot of catch up work to do!

After my time at Crooked Creek I had one day in Iowa before heading to Conference. For that one day I spent most of my time getting ready for an MYF Bible Study in the evening. This was the second of three Bible studies to be done before the Mennonite Convention. The Bible study focused on Ezekiel 37 and it didn't seem to be a real productive time. Some people apparently got something out of it though. That's good!

The next day, on the 18th of June, I left for Freeman, South Dakota and the Central Plains Mennonite Conference Annual Meeting. Central Plains Conference spans something like 9 states and 55 congregations. Freeman is actually somewhat close to the upper middle of the geographic area. For parts of 4 days I sat as a delegate at the business meetings, went to worship services, listened to Jack Suderman, and hung out with the youth. I have since written 26 pages (nearly 11000 words) of reflection from those 4 days. It was a tremendous experience and I learned a ton! It really served to excite me for a future of these types of meetings even though to most they seem really quite boring and tedious. I knew I had some political bones in me!

I was in Iowa for the next week. Mostly Dave had me working on a paper to frame a town hall type discussion on homosexuality. Later this summer (hopefully before I leave), he wants to have the congregation sit down and discuss this issue. Before that happens he wants to hand them all a paper to read to explain the history of the issue in the Mennonite church and explain why this conversation is important. He wants me to write that paper. Oh boy. It mostly was finished that week, but not quite.

Also that week I followed around the chaplain at a retirement home, made my first solo pastoral visit, and joined in a small group Bible study. The week ended with my second time being worship leader here at West Union and my third MYF Bible Study. I should also add that it was my first week of severe Iowa weather. Tornado warnings and 80 mile an hour winds and the like. Storms are beautiful to watch in this great big sky!

On the last day of June, at 4:15am, I left with a combined force of 5 Mennonite youth groups in 2 buses to head to Columbus, Ohio. For the next 5 days we would be a part of the semi-annual Mennonite festival called Convention. About 7500 Mennonites from all over the country came to meet together, learn, discern, and worship. About 750 delegates sat through 16 hours of meetings to determine the direction of our denomination. I was not a delegate, but I sat in that room with them. I couldn't participate, but I observed. I now have a pretty good idea of what I will be inheriting some day. It's kind of a mess, but I love it!

Though I went with the youth, I was officially registered as an adult, which gave me excellent floating potential. I went to adult worship in the mornings and youth worship in the evenings (the youth ones were way better!). In the afternoons I went to youth seminars or adult seminars or theater performances for all ages. For many people, Convention serves to give Mennonites a time every two years to rekindle social connections. It was fantastic to see my parents and brother and to spend most of my time with Ruth Ellen. In Iowa all summer I've seen no one I know well, but at Convention I saw familiar faces all over the place!

I would have to say that my favorite speaker was Greg Boyd, though they were all pretty fantastic! I went to a seminar with Greg Saturday afternoon and then heard him speak at worship that evening. I'm not sure I've ever listened to someone that I agreed so fully with on so many issues. I look forward to learning more about him and maybe reading some of his books.

In not important news, I've been playing golf on my computer over the last 3 weeks. The game has set in goals of sub-60 rounds and rounds without a bogey, but I hit a sub-50 round and a round without a par. Through 18 holes I was at -23 strokes! I'm proud, but it amounts to little more than that.

Well, I guess that's it then.