Erin and I drove to Columbus, OH. I had a meeting of the Churchwide Personnel Services Advisory Task Group. Sounds important doesn’t it? Actually it is the sincere attempt of Marcia Myers and her staff to get feedback from several sectors about things like the Church Leadership Connection which most of us know as the Pastor Nominating Committee and pastor matching computer. It is good to be asked. We had a good meeting.

It is a little strange coming back to Columbus, OH. Being an Ohio boy it is almost like coming home. I spent an unsuccessful year at Ohio State University 1965-1966. Last night, after dinner, we drove up High Street to the OSU campus. It all was so different. The dorm I lived in was gone. Gone too were the haunts of a misspent youth. I’ve been to Columbus several times since 1966. Nancy has an Aunt would used to live on High Street across from the campus and who later moved to another area of town. Last year, our daughter, Chaya, lived in Columbus while her husband, Matos, played for the Columbus Clippers baseball team.

Last night was different. It was drizzling. Part of me wanted to have a flash back to the "good old days." I guess Thomas Wolfe was right, "you can’t go home again." I found myself feeling a little disappointed that things had changed so much. What else should I have expected, everything to stay the same as it was in 1965? Come on, Wayne, you know that’s not possible nor desirable.

There is talk about only having the General Assembly every two years instead of every year. The thinking is that it would save a pile of per capita money, about $3.5 million in the years it doesn’t meet. Secondly, some hope it would lessen the continual "gearing up for the latest battle over the latest offence taken by the Coalition or the Covenant Network. Also, it is hoped that staff would have time to begin implementation of the decisions of the previous Assembly, before having to start generating reports for the next Assembly.

I wonder how it would feel to only have an Assembly every other year? Would it feel like driving down High Street after 36 years and hoping everything would be the same?

Tonight is the election of the Moderator. There are people wearing badges in support of all three candidates. Each of the political polarities have a candidate to their liking. The one who is most unknown to me is Fahed Abu-Akel. He is originally from Palestine, serving in the Greater Atlanta Presbytery. Wouldn’t it be interesting that in the midst of the Israel-Palestine conflicts, and the conflicts in our portion of the Church if we elected Rev. Abu-Akel as our Moderator? At least to my mind it would be interesting. We’ll see.

Some have said they would much rather see us fighting about theology than about sex. Well, this year we will certainly have that opportunity. The nature and function of Jesus as the Christ is the advertised bout this year. Oh, there will be several other bouts, but this one is the one everybody wants to watch. The committee will hear several impassioned speeches advocating for the several varying understanding of who Jesus was/is and the scope of his life, death and resurrection. It will be kind of like being at the pre-fight press conference before a boxing match. There will a lot of bravado and maybe even a shouting match as the opponents strut their stuff. Then the action will move to the floor of the Assembly. In two minute sound bites the various commissioners will try to recast the age old theological debates which have taken volumes to state. You would think this was the first time in the history of the church these questions have been asked and answers have been offered, but never with complete agreement.

Well, this year we’re gonna have a doozie around Christology. I wish Howard Cosell were here at ring side to announce the blow by blow description as we move from round to round. Actually, in most of these fights there is no clear winner. The contest is too close to call. In the end, the contestants will be punch drunk and have long term brain damage as a result of the pounding they give to each other. We’ll have a tallying of the judges scores (commissioner votes). A winner will be declared, even if on a split decision. Immediately, there will be a call for a rematch. The only question will be "will we be meeting annually or biennially?" Stay tuned folks, things are just starting to get interesting.