Bruce Reyes-Chow

is there a link to their bios somewhere? I am not familiar with all of them but the ones I know about gets me excited and make me want to attend this year.

There will be a fully official announcement in a few weeks, just giving you the sneak peek ;-)

The idea of creating art during a sermon makes me think of how basic "juxtaposition" is in worship. We juxtapose images and ideas off of each other to create a whole that is more than the pieces. Don Saliers wrote, "...liturgical celebration is that place of convergence where our lives are brought together about the book, the font and the table of the Lord in which the grace of God becomes audible, visible, palpable, kinetic." ...like the KINETIC part!

thanks for the quotation. :)

My experience with youth elders is mixed. All the youth elders have been great, sharp, helpful young people. Session was fairly good at letting them have responsibility. The negative is "the good, the bad and the ugly." I had a particularly troublesome elder one time, wrecked havoc on session and in the church. The youth elder at that time lost ... Read Moreinterest in the church, was disillusioned and angry, when she went off and eventually in adulthood went elsewhere. Of course, that can happen with adults as well.

I'm currently in a church with a bicameral system -- 6 deacons and 6 elders. I have to say that after we figured out how to share responsibilities, which each of the deacons rotating being "on call" for emergencies and to help visit and to work the food pantry, this has worked really well for us. (the original model was, one deacon visits everyone... Read More while the other 5 send cards -- not as helpful.) Meanwhile the elders can focus on the "business" end of running a church while being spiritual leaders with different kinds of gifts than the deacons. As for youth representation on the session -- I think it's important for the nominating committee to make sure that different ages/races/genders are well-represented so that all voices can be heard. I have encouraged youth to serve before, if only a one-year term. I find it's more important in my older congregation to make sure that we occasionally ask one of our 20s and 30s to serve. They may serve differently, but they are important too.

Thanks, Bruce, for sharing this. We need to be reminded that, no matter which side of the political spectrum we come down on, Health Care is in a crisis that needs to be solved by people of good will on both sides, engaging in sober thoughtful debate.

Amen & Amen!

Sometimes it's like that.