A week in Edinburgh

I've just been reminded by someone I met at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland that I had promised I would make my own little observations about the week, and, of course, I have not yet done so. In my defence I would like to say that in the first place I've been having quite a few difficulties with my computer systems in the last couple of weeks and really have not had much time to think about the General Assembly or blog about anything else either. Another complication (though probably not one that would bother anyone else) is that I didn't take any photographs of the happenings at the General Assembly [not that much actually 'happened'.]
OK - enough excuses - I've thrown in a picture of Edinburgh, taken on another occasion - what are my observations of the 2007 General Assembly?
On a personal note - disappointment that no one even asked a single question of my report (though to be fair since my 'report' of the Nominations Committee is little more than a list of names, there are very few questions anyone can ask except maybe 'why wasn't this name or that name on this or that committee?' and in my spoken presentation I answered that question in advance.)
Much more significantly, on the progress of the whole Assembly, I think you'd have to say it was more business-like than earth-shattering. Indeed there were very few topics on which anyone seemed to get even in the slightest way worked up, even though there had been predictions that the debate on human sexuality might result in some blood on the carpet, if not an outright schism in the church.
The only thing you can say about it is that this was the one thing on which all sides were in absolute agreement - they did not want to split the church, even if they were diametrically opposed on points of theology or floundered somewhere in the middle, unsure of what to believe. All of which caused amazing consternation to one group of observers - the Press.
One reporter was seen at the end of the debate pacing up and down the so-called 'Black & White corridor' shaking his head and muttering to himself as if someone very near and dear to him had just met with a serious, if not fatal, accident. When asked what was wrong he could only stammer out something like "M..M...My Editor is going to kill me!"
Why the perceived death threat??
There had been no fight to describe, no catastrophic division of a dying church to report, no 'blood on the carpet' To him it was a disaster...nothing 'newsworthy' had happened; everyone had been unbearably understanding and tolerant towards each other! I suppose it could be said that good news is no news to the news people.
Staying in Edinburgh for the whole week meant my elder and I could go along to lots of 'fringe' events most of which were fairly interesting: especially the lunchtime ones as they usually offered a 'free lunch.' Well - all it cost was agreeing to listen to someone speaking about their topic of interest.
For myself, the best thing about the Assembly (as always) was getting to meet people. Some, I already see regularly at meetings in Edinburgh and elsewhere, many I see only on occasions like the Assembly (and it is so good to catch up on news) and (best of all) there are others I meet for the very first time- from all around the world, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, USA...etc. etc.
So many interesting people.
We were sharing a house with an American who is the Church of Scotland minister in Budapest and a Hungarian-Romanian woman, both of whom were great company. We had lots of laughs, late into the evening at times.
Another house I seemed to visit quite a few times in the week was the little one at the end of the Royal Mile- not Edinburgh Castle but Holyrood Palace. Sadly, I wasn't asked to stay for dinner on any of the occasions and had to make do with the cucumber sandwiches, or other little canapes.
However I did have a very pleasant lunch with the Moderator and a few other guests on the last day in the Moderator's Room at the Assembly Hall.
As you will have already guessed, apart from meeting people, another very favourite pastime of mine is eating.
But - hey - I'm in good company. Didn't Jesus get a reputation for sometimes being more interested in people and food than the niceties of the Law?