Covenant Network conference considers "Celebrating the Whole Household of God"
Through worship, workshops, and plenary sessions led by preachers and professors, participants considered questions such as, "What does it mean to be family?" "What does 'kindness with an edge' look like?" "How might presbyteries prepare to vote on proposed changes to the Book of Order in the coming months?" It was a time to reconnect with old friends while making new ones, a time to listen to and learn from stories of brokenness and belonging, and a time to discover ways to live as brothers and sisters in Christ in the family of God.Each day began with greetings and a video clip that expanded the definition and experience of being a family. Twice during the conference, a panel of parents and partners shared deeply personal stories, including how the Church had helped, or hindered, their families. The members of the panel were thanked for the courage to share so openly. “Many were asked,” said Erin Swenson, a Presbyterian minister and marriage and family therapist who moderated the discussion. “These said ‘yes’ ”Robert Dykstra, professor of pastoral theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, addressed the first plenary, on “The Gospel of Kindness.” “We need to be kind; we crave in our lives new stories of kindness. But our kindness, if truly kind, must come with an edge," meaning "being hated for what you do that is kind. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes it means getting crucified for healing on the Sabbath, for touching a leper, or welcoming children.”He commended the Covenant Network for its work over the years, viewing it as “an act of lavish generosity or unparalleled, unbridled, overflowing kindness, knowing what it’s up against ... kindness with risk and courage contained therein.” Some wept when he asked, “You stand accused of your kindness, don’t you? You are opposed for your kindness. You are hated for your kindness. I’m so grateful for your gospel of Jesus Christ, for your gospel of kindness, to us who desire.” He concluded his remarks by saying “We (the churches) are agents of hope. May it be what we do. All the time. All the time.”During four worship services, all open to the public, the numbers in the pews doubled in size. Five area choirs enriched worship with music that reflected the diversity of God’s family. With voices and handbells, liturgy and dance, poetry and prayers, the renewal of baptism and the breaking of bread, and the Word read and proclaimed, the tone was set for the conference, grounding it in the rich and varied heritage of the Reformed tradition.Katie Morrison, pastor of San Lorenzo Community Church (UCC), California, preached a sermon on Paul’s conversion. After growing up in the Presbyterian Church, with “a room full of grandparents, parents, and peers with whom I could feel safe and to whom I belonged”, Morrison “stepped from the Presbyterian pool” five years ago in order to freely fulfill her call to serve the church through ordained ministry. Her sermon included stories of loss, pain, forgiveness, and circling back. She challenged all to reflect on their own conversion experiences, with a charge to prayerfully circle back, to ask for forgiveness from those who may have been hurt along the way, for “our healing is wrapped up in one another.”During the conference, a room was open for participants to film a spot for the “It Gets Better” campaign currently flooding the social media networks. On the final morning, five students from Coe College presented a gift to the conference: prepared statements that had been written by the twelve young adults in their group. One by one, they read the statements, including, “I believe it will get better because I love the Church and I will not give up.” Lois Baker, an 88-year-old woman known to many in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for her passion and commitment to peacemaking and social justice issues, rose to her feet and added “I know it gets better because we have young people who are willing to work for change!”Pam Byers, the executive director of the Covenant Network, who will retire in May 2011, was honored by her colleagues for her thirteen years of service. Clifton Kirkpatrick, former stated clerk of the PC(USA) and one of the conference preachers, called it a “bittersweet moment”, adding “I can’t imagine Covenant Network without Pam,” whom he described as an “incredibly effective advocate for the change needed; a supporter for the PC(USA) in a Christ-like way.” Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the 219th General Assembly, added that the Church is “most indebted to you, for you have the power to use words, plural, to proclaim the Word, singular.”While the conference covered a variety of topics, the one most frequently discussed centered on the understanding of and organizing for the vote on Amendment 10-A, which, if passed, would replace G-6.0106b in the current Book of Order. In their workshop on the subject, David Colby, Presbyterian pastor and Tricia Dykers Koenig, minister member and national organizer of the Covenant Network, stressed the importance of listening to others when talking about the amendment. “We must attempt to deeply honor and respect one another”, to “pray without ceasing for all involved and for the faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ”, and to “keep civil. Civility itself is a witness.” Koenig continued, “If we trust in Jesus Christ, we can talk about anything. We can have the freedom to risk being wrong. We want it to be a good experience, no matter the outcome.” Both leaders emphasized the importance of getting the vote out, that each person, each vote, makes a difference. Colby said, at the close of the session, “I believe this can and will be the year to change the wording of the amendment. It’s going to happen. I believe now is the time.”
