I think that is natural and healthy so long as we are aware of that dynamic and use it to bring us to the best possible decisions. The Houses need each other, and through that more recent innovation, the cognate committee process, we are finding better ways to bring our differing points of view to bear in crafting effective legislation. I urge you to keep this in mind as we work, together and apart from our bishops, to discern the will of God for this church. Together we constitute the General Convention. Together the tensions can prod us to broaden our horizons and incorporate different perspectives into our view of what will best serve God's church in our time.
Leadership is an awesome responsibility.
Decisions made here will affect many many lives. Decisions made here could result in sharing the Good News with many who have not yet heard it, and they could drive away some who are already here. This has always been the case for church councils. It seems especially so in this era, as we face a new millennium stretched out before us. Holding up Jesus Christ in a time when technological, economic and social change have divided the generations as never before is an immense challenge.