From Susan's blog, An Inch At A Time. Susan Russell is President Of Integrity USA.
There were many good things that happened in Canterbury between July 16 and August 3:
Despite the dire predictions of a coup d’état, instead of an outbreak of schism there was an outbreak of civility. The interactions between the bishops over their two-week conference were marked by generosity and by a holy curiosity and genuine interest in learning from each other about mission and ministry in the various parts of the global communion. Building on those relationships – one-on-one, diocese by diocese, year by year – will continue to build up the bonds of affection that make up the fabric of this global communion of which is our Anglican family of faith.
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I also want to note those bishops who do not agree with the inclusive perspective we understand to be God’s will for this church and yet stood in solidarity with us against those who would divide us from each other and from our Anglican brothers and sisters. +Duncan Gray (Mississippi) and +Charles Jenkins (Louisiana) are but two who spoke publicly and eloquently in that regard … and I know there were others.
Thanks be to God for the words of Bishop Gray and Bishop Jenkins (my bishop).
And yet, at the 11th hour -- in his final Presidential Address and at the Press Conference following -- +Rowan Williams managed to snatch the defeat of a guarantee that issues of human sexuality will stay on the front burner of communion discourse for the foreseeable future out of the jaws of the victory of a conference what was on the verge of finding a new way forward in faith for those committed to walk together in spite of their differences.
By pushing his preference that the American and Canadian churches abide by the moratoria on blessings of same sex unions and the consecration of any more openly gay bishops, he undid in a two-hour span a good percentage of the good work that had been accomplished over the two- week conference.
My thoughts exactly on the final Presidential Address. I'll very likely do a post with further thoughts on the Archbishop of Canterbury's address, but I choose first to give you Susan's early reflection on Lambeth, because it is is excellent. Please don't stop here. Read all of Susan's post.
By pushing his preference that the American and Canadian churches abide by the moratoria on blessings of same sex unions and the consecration of any more openly gay bishops, he undid in a two-hour span a good percentage of the good work that had been accomplished over the two- week conference.
ReplyDeleteActually he didn't. He was simply summing up the views of the vast majority of bishops at the conference. The Bishop of Lichfield has said that in his Indaba group, 43 of the 45 bishops present were in favour of the three moratoria, the Windsor process, the covenant, and the pastoral council.
Given the fact that (a) the 230 most conservative bishops weren't at Lambeth at all (which ought to have skewed the conference in a liberalising direction), and (b) statistically, 15-20% of the bishops in that Indaba group had to have been TEC bishops, that's a remarkable statistic.
So I don't think its fair game to blame Rowan for expressing the mind of the vast majority of the bishops at the conference.
So I don't think its fair game to blame Rowan for expressing the mind of the vast majority of the bishops at the conference.
ReplyDeleteAh, Tim, I'm afraid I blame him for a lot more than that.
"Ah, Tim, I'm afraid I blame him for a lot more than that."
ReplyDeleteMake that a triple...have you noticed the Times Online challenge for ++Rowan to "stand up to the bigots?"
Leonardo, I read the article. Will self is right. Here's the link.
ReplyDeleteAggh! Too much to read!
ReplyDeleteNo, just kidding. And I have to drop in at the bottom of the stack to be relevant, but just wanted to say I agree with you and Susan: what I've read of what ++Williams said, was truly dreadful and mendacious and now, I see, apparently uncalled for.
Either Lambeth meant something, or it meant nothing. Williams' comments indicate it meant nothing. Very sad.
Aggh! Too much to read!
ReplyDeleteFrom you, Rmj - the master of long posts!
After the deep listening, the Bible studies, the relationships formed, all accomplished through the Archbishop of Canterbury's excellent planning, what he pulls out of that is the Windsor moratoria, which puts us back where we were ten years ago.
He's a man of mystery. I don't understand him at all.
He's a man of mystery. I don't understand him at all.
ReplyDeleteForget the communal, covenantal, or even sacramental: let's go for the legal!
I don't get it, either.
I'm in a deep depression( as opposed to the mild dysphoria I usually call my home) by the Lambeth antics.
ReplyDeleteSure, glad to pay the big bucks to send my really progressive bishops(Keith and Neal) to the event. Happy that they had lots of opportunity to groove with homophobic African bishops who really want to be in mission with us rascals in Atlanta, as opposed to the many African bishops who just hate us.
Can we just stand up and say F them!
I will not sell out my gay brothers and sisters for any price.
God's Peace.
John D, I know that you left a comment here, because I get the comments in email, but I don't know what became of it. I also answered Rmj's comment, and that's gone, too. Curious.
ReplyDeleteHere's what was in your comment:
John D has left a new comment on your post "Reflections From Susan Russell":
I'm in a deep depression( as opposed to the mild dysphoria I usually call my home) by the Lambeth antics.
Sure, glad to pay the big bucks to send my really progressive bishops(Keith and Neal) to the event. Happy that they had lots of opportunity to groove with homophobic African bishops who really want to be in mission with us rascals in Atlanta, as opposed to the many African bishops who just hate us.
Can we just stand up and say F them!
I will not sell out my gay brothers and sisters for any price.
God's Peace.
John, I won't sell out my gay brothers and sisters, either. I pray that the Episcopal Church moves ahead, ignoring the moratoria. I won't say that we should walk out, but I expect that we may be thrown out. So be it.
God's peace to you, John, and my prayers that God raise you up out of the pit of depression.