Jim Mathes, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, had a meeting over breakfast with Bishop Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone. After an apology was offered on the part of Bishop Venables, both bishops have committed themselves to trying to find a way to resolve the tensions over “incursions” in the Diocese of San Diego.
Has this Covenant for Communion in Mission received virtually no attention because it was too creative, too prophetic, too real, and too “different” from that envisaged by the Windsor Report?
What I’m pretty certain about is that explaining patiently and in great detail why the other side is wrong isn’t going to get us anywhere. It hasn’t as yet, and I’m pretty confident that we can project the present success rate well into the future. So what should we do?
The legends connecting Jesus and Joseph with Cornwall/Somerset go something like this: 1) There is an Eastern tradition that Joseph was the Uncle of Mary, Mother of Jesus. 2) Further tradition states that Joseph was a merchant in the tin trade that flourished between the west coast of England, and Europe and the Mediterranean.
The Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Orombi, writing in The Times today describes the deep sense of “betrayal” that he and like minded Anglicans have felt because of the actions of The Episcopal Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Orombi additionally criticizes the vestiges of colonialism that he sees in the ways the Anglican Communion is governed and makes its decisions.
Reports from bishops’ blogs today find them wondering if the tentative relationship building will hold up in the face of pressure from those who want an “answer” now. There were moments of tension and many of amazing grace.
For the past two days, conservative activist the Rev. Chris Sugden, who for some reason has a press credential, even though he was among the
We believe the scriptures to be primary, but read them informed by tradition and reason and with regard for the cultural context. We value the place of biblical scholarship as a critical tool to unpack the scriptures, and this leads inevitably to divergent interpretations across our many and varied contexts. The overarching issue with which we wrestle is the interpretation of the Bible in our ongoing life.
Left wing inclusion mongers should feel pretty good about this afternoon’s press conference on human sexuality at the Lambeth Conference. The bishops are sharing their views respectfully, speaking from their hearts, disagreeing vigorously, but forging real relationships despite their differences. If that sounds like the lead the Conference Design Team would have written if I’d sat them down at my keyboard, that’s because the design team seems to be succeeding.