The Lambeth Conference - what I’m looking forward to
Following a link from Maggi to the Church Times, the blogging bishops (and others) attending Lambeth have met up. It was particularly interesting to read that my colleague Bishop Alan manages to blog in the twenty minutes after morning prayer which, if you are familiar with his blog, is pretty amazing bearing in mind the quality of his posts.
I leave early tomorrow to arrive late morning and as I’ve made known already, I’m looking forward to it!
I'm looking forward to:
- meeting with church leaders from all over the world, and hearing their perspectives on some of the challenging issues that face us all;
- worshipping in a tradition which is different from my own and on this occasion will be flavoured by the global constituency;
- participating in an ‘Indaba’ group and observing how difference is handled across such a broad spectrum of views;
- hearing a variety of speakers, including Brian McLaren;
- meal times and other social dimensions (let the reader understand);
- attending a number of receptions including lunch at Lambeth Palace, and tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace;
- blogging on the experience;
- coming home in just under a week and going on holiday straight away!
Comments
You also say you get to meet the Queen...quite envious, I'm a bit of a Royalist and the closest I got was on the handful of state visits she did to Saint Paul's Cathedral during my tenure as Verger down there.
The thing about Anglicanism is that its both a blessing and a curse. In one way its a real strength to be able to see how various areas have flourished under a Protestant Banner, mainly, of course in the historic areas governed via England when we had our Empire. In truth is rather is a world wide church countering the domination of Roman Catholicism and spreading almost as far to the winds. It is good to be in union with those in Africa, Asia and America.
The curse is that Anglicanism like no other denomination broadly speaking has no particular emphasis in worship and style, thus encorperates EVERYTHING from High Church Anglo-Catholicism, which is in style Roman Catholic...but without any of Rome, To the Gospel Churches of Africa, To the Extremely low Evangelical and pentecostal style Churches that are liberal in the United States....the Anglican Church holds the vast array of styles that distinguishes other Denominations from each other..that is the tricky bit...because these styles and emphasis are now so far apart...all the issues are split between Traditionalism and Liberalism...and the two wont stand together...the Episcopals will Consecrate Women Bishops, and Ordain openly Homosexual Priests...the African Contingent will not condone either.
How do you keep these elements in one constitutional body?
I cant wait to read your Expo :)