Diocesan Convention – Nov. 8-9, 2013
Stirrings of the Spirit
The Spirit was indeed stirring at the 2014 annual gathering of the Episcopal Church in Vermont with special guests Tom Brackett and Ana Hernandez. “Best Convention I have been to!” “So energizing!” and “LOVED the worship in and through it all!” commented people as they departed on Saturday afternoon.
Tom Brackett offered us new information, midrashic scriptural reflections, and stories of others seeking the Spirit. “Paperless” music and singing was led by Ana Hernandez, helping to connect themes and make different meanings from what we were hearing. We learned from Sean Lanigan about new leadership experiences and church in new ways from his ministry with Beach Progressives. A variety of worship leaders and presiders moved us through worship that was woven throughout the day.
The business of Convention began on Friday and extended through Saturday. We “tried on” having no assigned seats on the legislative floor of the meeting, and we interspersed business, reports, and resolutions with song. Bishop Tom Ely’s creative and inspiring address, “Stirrings of the Spirit in a Time of Adapative Challenge,” is available here, and the videos of the address are below.
Ana Hernandez continued to invite us to rise and sing. And Saturday’s worship was the Service of the Word and the Service of Holy Eucharist, offered in segments throughout the day. Book, font, and table were placed around the Cathedral worship space, moving our focus from one to the other.
You can view videos of Tom Brackett’s presentations, singing with Ana Hernandez, and our Bishops’ address below. Information on the legislative business is available here. Information about Stirrings of the Spirit, our three-year special initiative in the Episcopal Church in Vermont, is here.
The 2014 planning team, along with our guests, intentionally offered new experiences and ways of coming together as the Episcopal Church in Vermont. Two congregations are now planning their annual meetings framed by and interwoven with worship. What did Convention offer you? What’s stirring?
–photos courtesy of Steve Eubanks
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More images from Convention can be found on Facebook
Articles, documents, presentations and journals relating to previous years’ Diocesan Conventions may be found at Governance->Diocesan Convention or from the Diocesan Convention Archives menu at the left.