A Word From The Bishop

GC Day 8

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

I am sorry for being tardy in my blogging but the pace of meetings at this convention is breakneck. It is Wednesday and more clear decisions will be made today on resolutions about marriage. In the House of Bishops comprehensive BCP revision was rejected yesterday, and a more general resolution about continuing local and provisional revision was approved. For my part the affirmation of a continuing place for the 1979 book, as well as a willingness to consider a more English or Canadian way of thinking about the BCP, were welcome. (My favorite quote in the debate was read by Bishop Brewer from an email of a millennial: “why shouldn’t you boomers wreck the Prayer Book, you wrecked everything else in our world.” 

Yesterday’s big event was the re-admission of the Church of Cuba into our Church. (Bishop Griselda will be visiting St. Michael and All Angels this coming Sunday). Both emigrants from Cuba and their children spoke movingly. Yesterday was also our joint session on the environment, with a powerful appeal from a young Alaskan Gwichen woman. 

As I mentioned earlier, some of the most encouraging parts of convention happen in corridors or the exhibit hall. My accompanying photo of an old friend reminds us that, more quietly, Gospel ministry like church planting continues to go on throughout our Church. 

Last evening the keynote speaker for the Nashotah dinner was our own curate at the cathedral, Ryan Pollock. His message about millennials and the longing for tradition may be more “ahead of the curve” than much of the avant garde you would find at convention itself.

Peace

+GRS

GC Day 4

Dear Brothers and Sisters, greetings in Christ.

The cost of a shorter, less costly General Convention is a more frenetic pace and longer days. As you should expect our deputation is doing yeoman’s work accompanied by much prayer. 

We are in the thick of it in terms of the controversial legislation about marriage, with the outcome uncertain. We seem to have a good chance of avoiding immediate prayer book revision, though the long term prospects are harder to say. In this blog I do want to hold up people rather than outcomes (about which we can speak more intelligently later). Our own Jordan Hylden and Christopher Wells have done remarkable work as irenic and articulate ambassadors for more traditional Episcopalians. We owe them a debt.

I also want to mention our friend Lloyd Allen, bishop of Honduras. He has spoken bravely on behalf of better translation here, and we hope for a new translation of the BCP in Spanish.

A highlight for me yesterday, during the joint session on racial reconciliation was the presentation by Dr.Catherine Meeks of the Absalom Jones Center in Atlanta. She grounded her work in a deep and personal Christian piety, which she spoke from with a quiet humility and authority. 

Representatives from the Communion are sprinkled through the crowd. It was good to see Thabo Makhoba, primate of South Africa as an observer at the House of Bishops, a reminder of our connection to our wider family. 

I want to note the young people serving as stewards from Texas, among them young adults from Tyler who spoke up at a hearing on behalf of the resolution we have hope for. We need to keep in mind that our efforts are aimed by God’s grace at the future as leaders in our Church.

Finally I had lunch with Gar Anderson, the dean at Nashotah today. Coming and going as you please as dean- now that’s the best way to attend Convention!

But it isn’t all legislative tedium and stress- tonight revival and bbq....

Peace,

+GRS