GC officially begins on July 5, but the fourth was our first day of work. The committee I serve on (Social and Urban Affairs) worked from 8 am to noon and again from 5 to 7 pm. Then the Newark deputation met, and I ended the day watching the fireworks from my hotel window. The work is good and the people are dedicated. Our work is to consider resolutions assigned to us for review; we decide whether to send them on to the House, amend them, write a substitute or reject them. In order to make those decisions, hearings are set in which people can come and testify in support of or against the resolutions. At times, they can help us understand the purposes better or clarify what they want the church (or diocese, or members, or other bodies like the government) to do. Our committee is divided into six sub-committees (Poverty, Health, Elder Care, Prison Ministry, etc.) due to the numbers of resolutions proposed. As far as fireworks go, we are not far along enough in the legislative process to see some on the floor of convention, but the topics which are heating up include the adoption of same gender blessings, proposed revisions to the structure of the church, and, of course, the budget. I prefer the sparkly kind in the baseball field next door. But since the Holy Spirit arrived in flames, fireworks in convention are not all bad.