Yesterday morning I decided to go for a run outside the hotel, instead of running on a fitness center treadmill. The mountains are absolutely beautiful, and with the low humidity, I was eager to get out. I saw a park on the map near our hotel that was labeled "Somethingorother Canyon". That sounded good. I don't know what I imagined, perhaps a little bit of uphill and downhill, but what I found was all uphill. Two miles uphill before I decided to turn around. I forgot that Salt Lake City is ringed by mountains. It's virtually all uphill from here.

That's sort of how it feels on day three of Convention. There's a lot of hill left before we summit on day nine. And that's not to say it's been easy or coasting thus far. General Convention is an uphill slog from day one. For example, the days can start at 7:30 if you serve on a legislative committee (as an alternate I do not), or if you want to testify during a legislative committee, or simply want to hear what is being discussed. Most days the full Legislative sessions, the meetings of the House of Deputies and House of Bishops, don't end until 6:30 pm or so. After dinner the legislative committees and hearings pick up again until 9:00 pm. Our Deputation has a meeting each night at 9:15 in our hotel, so that it is likely we aren't able to go to be until after 10 pm at the earliest. The schedule alone is an uphill climb.

The other reality is that a lot of legwork has to happen

in the first days of the convention in order to get legislation to the folks who organize the calendar of business for the two houses. All resolutions were due in yesterday, although they will continue to be tweaked and amended and worked on in committee before they reach either floor for deliberation. But, in order to meet the deadline, all of the proposed legislation had to be dealt with rather expeditiously. All of this means that our deputation has been very busy. I remarked to Canon Frank Logue today that I hand't seen him much over the last two days, knowing he serves on Program, Budget and Finance, the committee that is responsible for the budget that the Episcopal Church will follow for the next three years. Think of any budget process you've been a part of, and multiply it by a thousand. That's one of the reasons he's been so busy. But, as he said to me, "I came here to work," and work he does. So do most of the folks at this Convention.

To date the biggest achievement of the convention is the election of Michael Curry to be the next Presiding Bishop. He was the front runner in both houses going into the election, although only the Bishops elect the Presiding Bishop. The House of Deputies merely consents to the election, thus making it official. We have done other things as a convention, passing a number of resolutions, and debating important things, some of them mundane, that help the Church fulfill its mission in the world. The "bigger" items are yet to reach either house, namely the restructuring resolutions or the recommendations of the Task Force on Marriage. They are coming, they just haven't been ready for primetime yet. There has been a need for much conversation and debate, as you might imagine.

When I went on my mountain run, I knew I needed to take

water with me. Between the arid climate and the elevation, I know I needed something with me to refresh and restore me as I labored along my way. At the convention, worship has been serving that purpose for us. The daily Eucharists are incredibly uplifting; worshipping with thousands of others quenches a part of my soul I forget I have. The chaplains to the two houses intersperse prayer and worship into the day's calendar. The work of the convention takes, but the worship gives, so much that you can see and feel how it overflows into the work too. The presence and the movement of the Spirit is almost palpable. Usually. I will admit that some of the ordered debate, both in committee and on the house floors is not exactly inspiring.

Your prayers and the prayers of the Church matter too. Please keep them coming.

If you would like to keep up with the Convention, you can visit www.generalconvention.org. To watch parts of the Convention live or to get the latest news, visit the Media Hub at www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com.

Peace be with you.

Tom+