Why I Changed My Mind on Rule 44

     When I first heard about Rule 44, the now defeated attempt of the General Conference to deal with some petitions in an alternative fashion, I was not a fan. My initial thought was that it seemed like we were trying to short change the legislative process in order to avoid some hard things that needed to be discussed. It also seemed like it needed a lot more explaining and training then our delegates received prior to their arrival at Portland. But the more I learned about the alternative structure, just as the delegates learned about it more during the three days it was discussed, the more I saw it as a potential tool to listen to one another. To truly be in discernment with one another.

    Anyone who knows me knows I love order. Give me a set of rules and we are good to go. It's one of the reasons I enjoy Roberts Rules of Order so much - once you get used to them its pretty clear about what you can and can't do. But as someone who is looking for spiritual reform in the Church at all levels, I can also tell you that as heavily I have read on the topic of discernment, I have yet to find a book that claimed that Roberts Rules of Order and spiritual discernment are linked. 

   Story telling, however. Story telling and small groups have been written about heavily as discernment tools. And that is why I changed my mind about Rule 44. Rule 44 could have worked, if there would have been an understanding of what it was trying to create prior to arrival. Rule 44 could have worked if we better knew how to create safe spaces for conversations where we truly listen to one another. Because the truth is, far too many people enter into General Conference with their mind already made up without looking to truly listen to each other and listen to the Spirit of God to discern. 

   Last year my annual conference brought pastors together for one of the tough conversations General Conference is tackling - human sexuality. But before we came we were given clear rules of how we were to be in respectful conversation with one another, even if we disagreed. We were clearly told to be in an attitude of prayer. The folks leading at the conversation at each table were trained. And two well respected clergy from our annual conversation modeled for us what holy conversation about a hard topic looks like before we even began. 

    We need more spaces for structured holy conversations that honors all sides. Rule 44 could have provided that, but not this year. May we still seek out ways to honor each other in all conversations around discernment, instead of simply looking for Robert's Rules to guide us.