Thanks Jay, I'd be curious to learn more about you call. What field of science are you in? How does this inform your theology? If you have the time, I'm sure that others would be curious to read your comments as well. Thanks again for your response. Andrew

Thanks Noell - quack, quack, quack! I have spoken to a few of the youth and did receive permission to post their writing. So, let us pray: "O God, we pray for a future in which children and seasoned citizens sit side by side...a future in which we hear the tender voice of Jesus and the Spirit teaches us new songs...a future in which we bring our brokenness, and find healing; our very selves and find acceptance." Amen.

Thank you, Dr. McKim, for this helpful post. I think such understandings of a God of justice can motivate us to make a difference in our communities, challenging us to move beyond the walls of our churches. I will also be thinking about the connection between God's creative righteousness as manifested in the life of Jacob, that creative trickster. Great post!

That is interesting. Doubtless, SF is different from southern Appalachia where I live! In this context, I have witnessed what appeared to be a clear consensus dramatically altered by a sudden change of ideas, even offered by a single voice. What I appreciate about RR is that it is supposed to create space for such movement of the Holy Spirit. What I find so helpful about your metaphor here is that RR (and other models) is a work in progress, not an infallible machine.

Theresa, I take Robert's Rules seriously because I do think they encourage participation and allow all voices to be heard. But as someone who is by no means a guru, I read this post as a word of liberation, an accent on grace. Also, we are using your work about worship practices incorporated into meetings as part of our NEXT Church regional gathering in Durham, NC. Thanks for inspiring us to fly!

Thanks for this wisdom, Peggy. I am reminded of my grandfather, a minister for over 40 years, who once told me that ministry often begins with an interruption. I appreciate the invitation to view such interruptions and would-be-distractions as glimpses of grace.

Thank you, Erika, for articulating so eloquently some ideas that had been bouncing around in my head. It is illuminating to note the wide range of professions where adaptation is considered an asset. Your post brought to mind a lecture by Cornel West who defined “conservative values” as the effort to conserve the very best ideas of the past by adapting them to speak truth and hope to the present. It strikes me that such a conversation has more potential than our bitter partisanship politics, which as you point out, so often result in branding the other as flip-floppers. Thanks again for your thoughts!

I appreciate Bruce’s suggestion that innovation could happen with a presbytery’s structures. As a member of a presbytery’s committee on ministry, I have the privilege of working with seminary students. Lindsay Conrad, for example, is working in an amazing ministry (http://www.austinseminary.edu/page.cfm?p=2017&selecttab=3787). Hopefully, our committee helps her in this discernment, but we could also be more open in learning ourselves. How can the process of ordination be less about jumping through hoops?