When I first looked at the business coming before the Assembly, I was overwhelmed. There were hundreds of overtures, resolutions and reports on items I knew nothing about: from the global mission reorganization to an alternative to ordination exams and a report from the Unification Commission . . . (um, what exactly, uh, was Unified and when?) I wondered how I could vote responsibly on these items on which I had no background – And surely I wasn’t alone in my ignorance. Was this any way to run a denomination, I wondered? What amazed me, once we began our work, was how much I learned through documents, resource people, open hearings and the thoughtful questions, comments, and motions of my fellow commissioners. It’s not that I became an expert on anything. But the work convinced me that dozens, even hundreds of heads and hearts, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are better than one (or even a few!). It’s not that all our decisions, in committees or in the plenary, will be what the Spirit intended. But they will be good enough – and we can depend on future assemblies to refine, expand or even course-correct the work we do this week. Thanks be to God!

The Rev. Cheryl Pyrch (Summit Presbyterian Church). Cheryl Pyrch has served as pastor of Summit Presbyterian Church in northwest Philadelphia since 2008. Her ministry reflects a deep commitment to faith-based justice, interfaith collaboration, and care for creation