Counting the days until General Assembly

Something has been quite different about this summer. Perhaps this is because I have passed up opportunities to explore the world, play at summer camps with kids, and run around with friends in fruitless enterprises. Instead, in great part due to my mother's insistence, I accepted a full-time internship in a Tulsa area public school system. While the money is certainly enjoyable, it has made the summer pass by slowly as I have watched all of my friends go off on wonderful adventures. So, while Fort Worth may not be the most exciting destination for me, seeing as I go to school at TCU, I am looking forward to the break from work to attend the 2007 General Assembly.

Sadly, I must confess that this will be my first General Assembly that I will attend and actually remember. I say this because my parents, both ordained Disciples ministers, took me to the gathering as a baby. While I am sure I had a wonderful time, I have not retained any memories of being there. However, that does not mean that others will not remember my presence. I know that I will be rushed by my parent's friends from the past, many of whom will be quick to announce seeing me in diapers. Even though this might seem a good excuse to fake an illness during the third week in July, I actually can hardly wait until the Assembly. My parents' friends merely serve as a funny reminder of the connected family in which all Disciples are entwined in somehow.

One of the most enjoyable parts of my internship is the time I spend with my co-workers. The ten-hour work days are made bearable by the hilarious, disturbing, and serious conversations that the six of us engage in on a daily basis. One of the most discussed topics is the anything but easy conversation about religion. Sandwiched between a lifetime Baptist and self-proclaimed "Sunday-school dropout" it is not hard to imagine the variety of perspectives each of us bring. While we each attempt to listen with an open mind, I cannot say that any of us have been particularly persuaded in any direction, least of all me. I clock out each day with renewed pride in who we are as Disciples. I will not soon again take for granted the respect and inclusion provided to myself and to every individual, a part of us or not. And while our open-mindedness leaves us without a firm set of doctrines upon which to stand, it is this room we provide for individual interpretation and the continually encouraged discussions of the tough issues that makes us, in my eyes, so incredible.

So instead of dreading the awkward hugs with people I have only seen pictures of, I am going to look forward to the time I will be spending celebrating the church of which I am growing increasingly proud to be a part. From the business sessions, to the reunions with Disciple friends I expect the week to only bring me deeper into the opportunities of our denomination.