Two Thirds

After getting dinner and talking with some of our voting members last night, it got too late to write something. In other words I couldn't stay awake. The schedule for Thursday has us beginning just after 7am.

I'm sure you have heard the phrase "every vote counts." The social statement needed 66.66% to be adopted. It received 66.67%. So two thirds of the assembly did approve the statement.

Bishop Hanson was clearly taken by surprise. And keeping to his pattern, he consulted with his staff to make sure he was making the correct ruling. After his consultation did he rule on the vote.

This vote and the tornado warning probably were the stories coming out of Minneapolis Wednesday. The tornado warning came while we were in the midst of a Bible study on the parable of the "Prodigal Son." A woman singing a hymn occurred at the same time warning sirens were going off. Then a little later you could hear the rain hitting the roof of the building.

There were other things happening in this heavily scheduled day. More than 91% approved a memorial calling for immigration reform. More than 97% approved the memorial from Project Connect calling for greater emphasis for racial justice in the call process.

Secretary David Swartling reported that in the last five years the ELCA has had more than 239-thousand confirmations and more than 329-thousand infant baptisms. We enjoyed a presentation by the youth convocation and honored the ELCA military chaplains.

And now it is time to get going on our new day.