Adolescent Assembly?

"General Assembly will pursue positive investment in Israeli-occupied Palestine rather than withdraw church investments from three companies accused of complicity in the Israeli oppression of Palestinians." Read the story from the Presbyterian Outlook here.

It took a LONG time and lots of parliamentary wrangling to deal with the business from Committee 15 "Middle East and Peacemaking Issues." It wasn't just that the vote on divestment was close and that it came about by virtue of a substitute motion (in other words, the action the Assembly took was not the action recommended by Committee 15), it was the spirit of distrust reflected from in comments from the microphones that was troubling. One commissioner accused the moderator of "parliamentary sleight of hand." There was one formal 'motion to reconsider' this morning and then a few more informal attempts to reverse the Assembly's decision on divestment.

I can only imagine how contentious the Assembly's debate on redefining marriage will be when they take up that issue this afternoon. Committee 10 on "Civil Union and Marriage Issues" is recommending a two year study on marriage while at the same time recommending a change to our Book of Order that redefines marriage as between two persons.

A friend's observation who has attended a number of GA's is that this Assembly hasn't "found itself" yet. This is only the second General Assembly I've observed, but I'd have to agree. They seem sort of stuck in adolescence - flexing muscles and experimenting with parliamentary power. I'm all for our denomination tuning its ears to our younger members, but what I'm longing for in this Assembly are for wise and measured voices of our elders to emerge.