Stand about

The full House of Bishops finally got underway this afternoon. Our main item of business was hearing from 8 candidates for the position of Bishop Suffragan for the Armed Forces and Federal Chaplaincies (now that is a mouthful!). Instead of a "walk-about", this was a "stand-about." All of the candidates were excellent. Robert Certain, whom Arizonans will remember as the sometime assistant at St Barnabas in Scottsdale, is one of the candidates.

These presentations were separated by the opening Eucharist in the "chapel" (it is a Texas-sized chapel, bigger than any of our Arizona churches!), with a sermon by the Presiding Bishop. She challenged us to think about new ways of "doing church" many of which we will find scary. Next week we will hear from several experts in the area of "emergent" faith communities.

I am enjoying the regional dishes in the refectory. They have included fried catfish, hush puppies, fried okra, and something new to me, Texas caviar, which is a kind of bean salad with chilies. Arizona needs to develop some of its own regional crusine, other than Prickly Pear jelly!