As the commissioners are being “oriented” this afternoon there is no business going on and I have been kicking back and chatting.

One big topic of conversation is the Moderator election this evening.  Having been in several conversations about this, at this point there seems to be a consensus that there is no consensus.  For the last 24 hours the candidates have been doing a “meet and greet” in the lobby during breaks and all four with their four Vice-moderator candidates have been doing a great job.

When I took these pictures this morning I somehow missed Roger and Peter.  Sorry, I’ll try to get you in here.  But what was missing from the other side of the table were the YADs who were still at breakfast.  Yesterday afternoon as people were milling about talking to the candidates there was a clear trend for the youth to be attracted to Bruce’s little space.  I apologize for the term Bruce, but you were a “YAD magnet.”

The attraction of the youth to Bruce may be attributed his high-gear Web 2.0 presence.  It could also be related to the fact that Bruce is the youngest of the candidates, or maybe even his ideas and positions.  We will have to see if that translates to excitement with the commissioners who actually make the decision.

The groups I have been in think the current favorites are Bill and Bruce, but almost everyone also agrees that many of the commissioners’ minds will probably be made up during the speeches and Q&A tonight.  And that is the working of the Holy Spirit in this process.

I would make one further comment about the afternoon session, and this is the pleasure we had of having the Very Rev. Sheilagh Kesting, immediate past Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, open the session in prayer at the invitation of our Moderator.  Thank you.