2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church

I am still pondering on General Convention (GC). I was able to observe a great deal of it since I have been laid up with my back. The ability to observe so much of it was amazing in itself. In a real sense I probably was able to catch more of the total GC than those who were actually there. With the live streaming and on demand streaming I was able to be listening and watching both Houses. When I 1st started listening I was negative about how much this was costing and whether this was justifiable. By the time it ended I was absolutely convinced that this was money well spent. I have never seen this much transparency in religious body decision making body. If I had a delegates paper documents would have made this almost complete.
Several things stand out from what I saw, listened, and read.
Bishop Charleston sermon on the day designated for Creation Care was outstanding. The opening line: "10 Minutes!" I have 10 minutes to save the Earth" captured the message and the tone of the sermon. I have now had the opportunity to hear him several times and what a messenger.
The whole discussion and decision making regarding the many aspects of human sexuality was thought provoking in many aspects. What I heard saw and read is basically different than almost all of what I read and heard from the normal channels of news. Though the main line of reasoning was of approaching this from a Baptismal Theological perspective not everyone used that line of thought. I could not agree more in this being the place to start and certainly the place that Anglican Theology should start as well as anyone whose theological perspective is Catholic. But I also heard much that was truncated Baptismal Theology that is using baptism to carry forth an agenda already determined.
It is true that in baptism all charisms are open to all the baptized. And it true that the giving of the charisms is not dependent on any human state of being that the charisms are God's to give to whoever. One would be hard pressed to find anyone who deserves by there actions to receive any charism. But there is also the receiver of the gift has a responsibility thrust upon them. So while it is true that no matter whatever the human sexuality of a person they are not precluded from receiving any charism. And so no matter what the human sexuality may be there is responsibility thrust.
It is at this point that I am in a troubling spot. What do we do about the responsibility that comes with this charism. I am not so much concerned with the what we determine the responsibilities actually are as to who and how that is determined. It would seem that the GC has now thrust this upon the local diocese and I am just not sure that is such a good idea. The more local the decision is the more likely the blind spots. Self determining is a huge mine field. While determining from the whole has mines in it I still feel safer in that field than.
I listened to many sermons and talks by different folks from the GC and was enlightened by them for the most part. But one sermon I just not sit through and this is a rarity for me. I also think this is representative of what I was just speaking too. Bishop Harris sermon to, I think, the "Integrity" gathering was well... I could not listen to it.
More on this later