The Archbishop prepares to Jump.

Well nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be...

when the Archbishop of York will jump out of an airplane at 12,500 feet, landing somewhere near Langar airfield. Archbishop Sentamu is doing his thing, which it seems includes parachuting, in order to raise monies for the support of families of military killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We have been given schedules for GAFCAN and Lambeth, both of which seem to go on and on. Here is a simple schedule, one brief and to the point. Here it is according to the Anglican Communion website.

8.30am Arrival by helicopter and meet with the Red Devils Display Team.
9.00am Completion of safety briefing and preparation for the parachute jump.
9.30am Walk across the airfield to board flight. 9.50am Archbishop will land back at Langar airfield having completed his first parachute jump.

We may assume the Archbishop's morning will be a bit more crowded:
6:00 arise in a cold sweat wondering just why he agreed to do this.
6:05 visit WC for first of many times.
6:30 have a breakfast of bangers and mash, those funny fried red tomatoes and tea.
6:50 say morning prayers, including prayers for those who fly and or drop from the sky.
7:30 Leave by helicopter
7:47 lose most of breakfast, say more prayers, seriously wonder just why he agreed to do this. (schedule as printed above.)
9:55 Archbishop will get up from the landing, dust himself off, and inquire about the proximity of nearest WC
10:00 He will walk under his own power to WC, and on exit will sit down and refuse to do anything for about twenty minutes.
10:20 He will get back in the helicopter and ask to be dropped of at pub near York Minster where he might recover over a plowman's lunch. (Well deserved, I might add.)

The thing is, the Archbishop has a wonderful sense of living with gusto. He might as well make a day of it. Along with Richard Bolles, we might wonder what color is his parachute?

This is the same Archbishop who slept in a tent in York Minster for a week as a peace vigil and cut up his clerical collar in protest against the madness of the President of Zimbabwe. He is also the Archbishop who interjected his opinions, at length, in the proceedings of the 2006 General Convention. Enjoyable or bothersome, either way, the Archbishop has chutzpa.

Jump well, land safely, get the funding for the families.