Colin Coward, on the Changing Attitude blog, has written a comment about the Primates Meeting that is of considerable interest. He writes,
"In my Sunday blog, I assumed that we would meet most of the American
and UK conservatives who have regularly been present on the outside of
these meetings – Bishop Martyn Minns, Bishop David Anderson,
Canon Chris Sugden – I was wrong – they are not here
– only David V and George C. I was told yesterday that they were
given strict instructions not to come, probably by the Archbishop to
whom they owe prime allegiance.Their decision not to come reflects a profound change of authority and tactics within the broad conservative coalition."
Later in the essay he says, "Some of
the anger and frustration that many African Primates and bishops felt
with The Episcopal Church following Bishop Gene Robinson’s
consecration seems to have been played out. I detect a real willingness
to move on now from reactions to an event that happened in 2003. The
signs are that every Primate is now willing to return to the table laid
out by Archbishop Rowan, where a welcome has always been guaranteed.
Still on that table are the Windsor Report and the Covenant. Changing
Attitude disagrees strongly with both documents if their intention is
to inhibit the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people in the Communion."
It remains to be seen if this change is real or not. The turn from a focus on the things that divide and separate to the things that unite is too like the growing effort to talk about engaging God's Mission and about expressing that mission in incarnational ways, ways that are time and place specific and also participant in the expression of Christ present with us.
Changing Attitude seems to be on the case.
The boys have nearly figured *it* out...they ought regroup fast, pretend enlightenment or spiritual fitness, bow quietly out, gain quickly what they can to save face because they are NOT WINNERS, not now, not ever, the thrill of banging on them Bibles is fading into false appearing ministry...nor are the ¨boys¨ going to be at home (Akinola/Nigeria may not get the full thrust of the Monty yet but Orombi is a smart one and has already been shown the door in California) amongst one another or abroad...there is trouble in River City and beyond (is the Banking Dominionist $$$ drying up?)!
ReplyDeleteThose dinners, the drinks, those hospitality suites, the ¨special funding¨ is drying up fast.
Time to regroup and pretend they are doing us all a favor laced with tolerance and grace by creating a little breathing space for us at The Anglican Communion.
Mil Gracias
well, if correct, this is interesting.
ReplyDeletethe whole mess is tiring (at least to me) but then, I am not one to cause a fight over nothing. plenty of other things need fixin'.
Think "Banking Dominionist $$$ drying up" hits one nail firmly on the head, Leonardo.
ReplyDeleteUnless the Bishop grapevine passed along that a second North American "province" wasn't going to fly, there's something about this that doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm wrong, but I think a bunch of people in silly hats are going to open a closet door, yelling "SUR-PRISE!" before the week is over.
But if +Rowan Cantuar has the power to keep the dogs at bay during this meeting, I'm glad to hear it.
A few words: California Court Decision might be making peace look good. That plus a large number of unpaid Lambeth debt. Making the Americans and Canadians really, really angry might not look so good if the outsider portfolios are a bit thin this quarter.
ReplyDeleteFor all the bishops these people have either recruited or made, they are way thin on us layity. You know, the people who pay the bills?
I know some including our host here would like to think that such crass motives as cashflow do not motivate clergy. I fear that failing is part of the clergy formation process. It is often true, but not always.
FWIW
jimB
Prayers ascend for Colin and Clare on site for the Primates' meeting ... Lambeth was my limit!
ReplyDelete