Sunday, August 3
(Pentecost 12)
Dear Friends in Christ:
Grace and peace to, in our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is early morning. A gentle rain is falling. This is the day that the Lord has made.
This day has been a very long time coming, and now it feels surprising to realize that it is here: the conclusion of the Conference. Today is the last day. (Tomorrow we all depart Canterbury; Ann and I will begin a couple of weeks of vacation, for which my soul longs....)
This will be a full working day, right up to this evening's closing Eucharist at the cathedral. And there is plenty of work still to do.
Because the Indaba and other groups are working up to the end, we have yet to see a full draft of the Conference report. What we have been seeing each day is a gathering together of the previous day's Indaba group work, edited by a writing committee, and passed through open hearings. Since we are not acting in any sort of legislative mode, what will eventually be published will be more like a narrative of our work, and reflections upon it. Anyone looking for a clear statement to be used in concluding a debate will be very disappointed. Instead, what is emerging resembles what one English colleague calls "our holiday snaps." A snapshot of the family--that amazing family that is our Communion. A window into its passions and struggles, into its deep desire to be faithful to its Lord in multiple contexts, into its diversity, cohesion, and comprehensiveness.
Rather than a report, we will try to describe what we have genuinely experienced. Last night, in each of two separate encounters, a bishop from the 'global south' said to me that they disagreed with TEC's actions' and came here angry about it, but that this extended conversation had helped them understand us better. Neither had changed their position, but both said they felt this Conference was a great success--even without any decisive statements or settling of issues--because it had been such a profound experience of being a Communion. Another bishop, from a church other than TEC, told a group of us that the "tremendous accomplishment of this Conference" was that we were able to disagree about ideas, yet grow closer together in love, mutual concern, and understanding--even to make a shift in our priorities. Not a bad model for the world.
As for predictions of the Communion's demise, words from the mouth of one of the Conference's young adult assistants spoke to me: "Will the Anglican Communion be here thirty years from now? It has to be--there is just so much that is so good about it."
So, on with this day. I am very grateful for the privilege of participating in this historic moment in the life of our Communion, and very proud to be here on your behalf. God bless us all in our worship and work this day. God bless and keep you while we are apart. I will have more to share with you in due time.
Yours in Christ,
+Barry
Hello and Peace to all at home. +Barry
