July 24, 2008 Billed unpretentiously as “The London Day”, the title belied the grandeur and cultural homage this day paid to our Anglican heritage, if you will, in situ. Up by 5:00 a.m. to make the bus to Whitehall Place, we joined other Conference participants in a Walk of Witness in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The strong showing of bishops, spouses and other Conference supporters of the Goals ended after a march of approximately a mile having reached Lambeth Palace. This is the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury (and many others) and the home of the Archbishop and his wife, Jane. They were our hosts for the late morning and into the early afternoon. We heard a truly impassioned speech in support of the MDGs by the Prime Minister. At least one bishop from the London area later said with some pride, “It sounded like Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech.” I would agree that the conviction with which the speech was delivered on goals that seem too big to accomplish was in fact a bell ringer. The importance of the Church in combination with other denominations, faiths and agencies in addressing these issues is absolutely necessary. The loss of life if we don’t is absolutely unthinkable. I pray that the MDGs will continue to guide the social responsibility awareness and our response to it. I also want to thank all of you back home who continue to pray for us daily hear at the Lambeth Conference. In particular today, I thank those of you who joined us in the “virtual Walk” in support of the MDGs.
Following the Prime Minister’s speech, the large gathering moved into a tent for a very British lunch. I must say that it was the first time I had ever eaten in a tent that was lit by chandeliers artfully displayed row on row throughout the whole venue. Served with style, the tasty repast and continued cross cultural conversations spiced the occasion.
To continue our British emersion, we went to Buckingham Palace to have tea with Queen Elizabeth who had invited “her bishops”, as I was told, to her home. It was a royally wonderful day. The Queen came out to meet the group after her “Beefeater” guard were arrayed and in place to protect her Royal Majesty. I imagine that this was in case one of the crazy bishops from the Colonies decided to ask for her autograph. All kidding aside, I was very impressed that the Queen spent at least two full hours meeting and greeting those present. Jeannie and I took the time, after the Queen had passed us by, to go and visit her gardens. Roses were fragrant. The grounds were magnificent. We enjoyed the whole experience. The next morning we saw in the local paper a picture of the bishops and spouses in procession in support of the MDGs. Of course, your “First Lady” of West Tennessee was chosen as a model for the “best hat at the Lambeth walk” award. This means that Jeannie was prominently displayed in the local news. What can I say? It was a great hat!
At the end of the evening, most of the bishop and spouses returned to the University of Kent by bus. Jeannie and I had been invited to meet with a bishop and his wife for dinner at a near by restaurant. Following the dinner, our hosts dropped us off at Victoria Station train station. The four of us returned “toward” Canterbury. Because, I guess, we did not have enough people on the train to justify the cost of the expense to take the train to Canterbury, the train stopped some ten or so miles away. We shared a cab and returned late, tired and happy to the campus.
July 25, 2008 It is a TGIF kind of day. It has been a long and in some ways arduous time. Those who want “closure” and those who want “conversation” continue in our midst to set the boundaries in which we continue to engage one another and the questions we must address as a communion. Today the focus is “Serving Together, The Bishop and other churches.” The topic gave room for reflections about the ways in which we do work together with partner Christian churches. Our discussions continue, more broadly, to underscore the diversity of setting, culture, governmental involvement and theological emphases represented across the Communion.
There seems to be a presumption by some that a “covenant” of some kind will emerge for consideration by the various Provinces. In the end, I think this is likely to be offered following the Conference for consideration of another drafting effort at the upcoming Anglican Consultative Council. Having said this, there are many Provinces who do not want a covenant of any kind, or at least not a covenant model that we have been presented so far. The loud voices around the edge for and against are quite evident, occasionally eloquent and inevitably pleading in tone. The silent ones are, as usual, less easy to hear. However, the “word on the street” is that there is not unanimity about the advisability or possibility of a covenant being written in such a way that the Provinces could sign off on it uniformly even after it is perfected. As I figure it, the absolute earliest such a proposal could be dealt with in our General Convention is next summer. However, it is more likely to be no earlier than 2012, assuming the concept survives for discussion at all. As I say, I imagine some form will survive, but we will have to wait and see.
July 26, 2008 We focused today on the role of the Bishop in providing leadership in matters that affect our stewardship of creation. “The Bishop and the Environment” presented us with a number of opportunities for engagement in thoughtful and practical ways. I am much more aware, as a result of these conversations, how much the North American “carbon footprint” is so clearly affecting the world’s ecosystem than ever before. Adding to this the growth of China’s economy and the support system that is needed to support it provides another signal that we all need to be working together to address the environmental crises we have contributed to for the sake of the world.
On a happier note, we spent a sweltering and yet good natured afternoon having over six hundred bishops photographed together. The spouses had had their photo taken earlier in the day. They sang Christmas Carols to ward off the most obvious effects of the heat. By the time the bishops arrived for the photo shoot, Christmas Carols were not going to help. We did a sweltering arrangement of Amazing Grace, and hoped that the event would quickly come to an end. We made it in the end, and the portable football stadium set up for the occasion came down soon after the last of us damply went back to our dorm rooms for the evening.
July 27, 2008 Jeannie and I enjoyed our Sabbath day. We took a leisurely morning together before going back into Canterbury. We had lunch and returned to the campus for an afternoon rest. I took a three hour “nap”. I was amazed how tired I had become in the course of doing this important work of building relationships and learning from others. Following the nap, Jeannie and I went back into Canterbury again for supper at the Thomas Becket Inn. We had a lovely, relaxing and refreshing day.
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