Posted on 06/27/2006 3:56:43 PM PDT by sionnsar
Picture ants scurrying around on Archbishop Rowan’s reflection, released today, looking for something tasty.
I have just a few humble thoughts. More later perhaps, but pressing pastoral needs and church administration chores call loudly.
The Archbishop has painted a picture with an ocean horizon—the most distant possible—not an imaginary horizon blocked by a forest. There are items in the foreground that are clear and items in mid-perspective that are mostly hidden. It’s an agonizing picture in many ways for someone who is deeply disturbed by the General Convention’s total results.
Here is one clear sentence that touches many points in the paper:
…the decision of the Episcopal Church to elect a practicing gay man as a bishop was taken without even the American church itself (which has had quite a bit of discussion of the matter) having formally decided as a local Church what it thinks about blessing same-sex partnerships.
We have ordained as bishop for the church catholic a man living in a relationship that is sexual (Robinson’s testimony), but not sanctioned by his church. The only attempt at General Convention to respond to The Windsor Report on this logically prior question (A161) was shot out of the sky. A large enough center was not found to even approach the subject a second time.
Dr. Williams knows full well how untenable this is in the Communion as an urgent matter. On that basis, he does seem (wishful reading on my part?) to offer an opening “for local Churches to work at ordered and mutually respectful separation between ‘constituent’ and ‘associated’ elements…” (under section “Future Directions”).
Join this with P.B. Elect Jefferts Schori’s image of conjoined twins that need to be separated if viable, and there might be some creative possibilities emerge in the near to intermediate future. I’m hoping to be able to express my loyalty to my centrist-catholic-Windsor-affirming bishop and also differentiate myself from the national Episcopal Church.
It will take grace and imagination by everyone. I’m praying.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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