The Primate of Sudan assured five Episcopal bishops today that despite his call for the resignation of Bishop Gene Robinson, he wanted to continue his relationships with dioceses and parishes in the Episcopal Church.
The Bishop of New Hampshire reports on his meeting with other bishops from around the Anglican Communion this past Wednesday evening. Bishops from six continents were in attendance, many having been personally invited by bishops from the Episcopal Church.
The Windsor Continuation Group has endorsed a strong centralizing agenda that elevates the role of the Primates Meeting, diminishes the influence of the Anglican Consultative Council, and endorses the establishment of an “Anglican Communion Faith and Order Commission.” The proposal, which is sure to face stiff resistance, is the strongest signal yet that this important body intends to recommend wide ranging changes in Communion governance.
It’s been hard – as both as a communicator whose salary is paid by people putting money in the plate week after week and as a person of faith – to put into words the conflicted-ness I feel about the “big” doings of the Church like General Convention and Lambeth and the “big” doings of sitting at the bedside of a dying loved one. Which is bigger? Which is more important? Which is of greater consequence? Which is the greater story to tell?
The sidelong glance of envy distorts our ability to see ourselves realistically, because there will always be people in every category who are better or worse than we are. James may not have gotten much individual attention, but he must have developed a healthy self-acceptance that enabled him to be a valuable part of the group.
Bishops’ blogs today feature the London field trip, comments on the March, the Lambeth lunch, the Queen’s tea, bishops and spouses melting in the English sun, as well as some followup on controversies in Canterbury, and the news, noted here, that +Bob Duncan, Pittsburgh is leaving the Conference.
There’s a pattern developing at Lambeth, and it’s not a pretty one. On the day which was to focus on poverty and violence in Sudan,
This is a message to people everywhere who challenge the causes of poverty around the world. Climate change is for real. As I speak, famine is increasing; flooding is increasing, as is disease and insecurity globally because of water scarcity. — Desmond Tutu
The question addressed to one of my colleagues was whether a hat pin might be seized as a security threat by Palace Guards. In which case one would not want to wear a hat pin one truly cared about. In which case one’s hat might blow away. I didn’t get to the bottom of this, and I apologize. As you can see, it isn’t all battling bishops here.