This piece of dishonesty comes from the pecusa bishop of Iowa, Alan Scarfe. The dishonesty is found in the bishop's reflections on the Windsor Continuation Group report. The bishop states that pecusa doesn't deviate from "traditional Christology and soteriology." Either the bishop is unacquainted with these categories of theology, doesn't know what is being proclaimed in pecusa or is outright lying. All of these alternatives add up to being either implausible or inexcusable. ed.
Lambeth Conference Report - 23 July 2008
I want to begin this report by saying how proud and grateful I am of your response to the flood relief efforts. I thank Pat for his leadership as our coordinator, as well as those working locally. When my computer was down for the first week of our time here, it was difficult not to have the reports on what was going on. I am glad to say that we are at least receiving e-mails now, but having difficulty still in sending them out directly. You are always on my mind and heart in regard to the floods, and the aftermath that you have been enduring and working through. Our decision to make ourselves available to the community at large is one which is very much applauded by my fellow bishops here. It reminds me of what Cardinal Diaz said last night about evangelism – it begins with example: “see how they love one another”.
It seems that very early morning rising is the key to being able to find the time and mental space to engage in any reflection and reporting about the goings on at the Lambeth Conference. With a schedule that begins with morning prayer at 6.30am and Eucharist at 7.15am, and which continues non-stop through to 9.45pm night prayer, one can only seek to be present to every person and moment and hope to seize a chance for reflection. Not everything is movement, however, as we spend a lot of time in lines – queues for the dining hall three times a day, queues to get on and off buses while going to the Cathedral during the retreat days which began the Conference, queues going in and out of the “Big Top” where the worship and plenary sessions are held.
All of this, of course, gives ample time to shake hands, introduce yourself and begin conversation. I have met many old friends from my Canterbury trip in 2004, from the Spain Consultation last summer, and from Living Stones. There is generally a tremendous openness in our conversations possibly assisted by the decision to spend our first three days getting open to God in retreat. There the Archbishop sought in his inimitable way to re-introduce us to the principles of our being Christian and how we relate to one another. It really leaves it up to us as to how we want to hear that or not. His leadership at this Conference has been very much in evidence.
The heart of our deliberations with each other takes place in small groups. I lead a bible study with two English bishops, two American bishops, two Caribbean bishops, one from Ireland and one from South East Asia. We morph into a larger group of forty for more issue charged conversation. These are called Indaba groups, and involve further break outs into groups of various sizes for different conversations. It means we face each other for potentially intimate conversation in a variety of configurations. The common mind is pulled together through reporting back and the summarizing of a trained “scribe” whose work we get to vet the next day. It allows all of us to find our voice.
Each day has a theme which an evening plenary session underscores. The last two days have focused on the bishop and mission and evangelism. You could not have asked for a more contrasting couple of speakers on those respective subjects than Brian Maclaren and Cardinal Diaz from India. Each was effective in his own way. We began our Indaba sessions on Monday morning articulating our sense of ourselves as Anglican bishops.
Today I have prepared to give witness to the Windsor Continuation Group Hearings. The “Turmoil in the USA” is one of the identified sections of their preliminary report, which bothered a number of us, as you might imagine. Troubling is the false perception that we are proclaiming alternatives to traditional Christology and soteriology. These have been extended characterizations against The Episcopal Church by those opposed to our position on human sexuality or to the broader approach to biblical interpretation. It is a surprise however to see them appear apparently uninvestigated in any extensive way. But that is what the hearings give us an opportunity to address.
We are reminded every day as we pray for those “for whatever reason” who are not here, that we are not complete as a Communion without those who stayed away or were not invited. A public statement by the Sudanese Archbishop yesterday calling on Gene Robinson to resign and excoriating The Episcopal Church reminds us that while we are being greeted at Lambeth by the very same Sudanese with whom many of us have ongoing partnerships, we must face our differences and explain ourselves to one another. Whether we can do this in the grace the Archbishop called us to in Canterbury Cathedral is a matter for all of our prayers.
Generally I would say that the focus on relationship building is at work. I have heard amazing stories of faith and courage as you might expect, and Donna has heard outrageous stories of women’s suffering which will have to become part of our focus on our return. Greetings from fellow bishops from Australia, New Zealand, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, England and Ireland (haven’t met a Welshman yet!), the West Indies, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Canada, Zambia, Tanzania, the Philippines, Sudan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Madagascar, the Seychelles, Indian Ocean, Fiji, Melanesia, Congo, Mozambique, Cuba, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan, Korea, Malawi, and of course Scotland, Swaziland and the United States. Greetings too from Suzanne Peterson who arrived this week as a volunteer.
In the peace and love of Christ,
+Alan
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