Transformation in the House of Bishops

Something quite transformational has taken place in the House of Bishops. It had been generally rumored for a few weeks leading up to the convention and even while we have been here that regardless of what the House of Deputies did on the various sexuality issues, the bishops would not go along. And yet we have the stunning action of the HoB yesterday in adopting with slight modification, a resolution passed earlier by the HoD that moves the Church beyond the moratorium on the consecration of future gay bishops. What could have happened?

This is of course the question church historians will be pouring over for a while, but here are some early hints based on various comments picked up last evening:

• Bishop Singh of Rochester and a native of India spoke movingly of the destructive caste system in his native land - many were in tears;
• Bishop Henderson of Upper South Carolina, a heretofore right of center, well-regarded conservative, urged the adoption of the resolution saying it was time;
• the Archbishop of Canterbury's awkward attempt at instructing the Episcopal Church on what to do coupled with a move by the conservatives in the Church of England to withdraw recognition from the Episcopal Church in favor of the new break-away Anglican group, may have all backfired and annoyed our bishops more than anything else.
• And of course it's possible that the rumors were simply not accurate to begin with.

Other Business

There is much more on the agenda, all of which must now be jammed into the last four legislative days. We still have the budget to take up - a painful process and then there are the same sex blessings proposals. It will be a wild ride to the end sometime Friday late afternoon or evening.

The other major piece of business yesterday was the adoption of a new canon (really a sweeping change of the old) on the management of the disciplining of priests who do things they should not do.

We're looking forward to a bus load from St. Paul's Cathedral today. I would hope ya'll would spend some time in the galleries of both Houses and the Exhibit Hall. The community Eucharist is at 11:30 am in Hall D.

Interesting Stats on the House of Deputies

Total 847

Of Color 142 (17%)

Female 364 (43%)

Under 25 17 (2%)

25-35 25 (3%)

35-45 76 (9%)

45-55 212 (25%)

55-65 280 (33%)

65-+ 161 (9%)

Meditations in the House of Deputies

In an earlier message, I mentioned the convention secretary, the Rev Dr. Gregory Straub - a ham if there ever was one. Another platform personality is the House Chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Francis 'Frank' Wade of the Diocese of Washington. He has been a deputy forever and as Chaplain, the chair calls on him at the beginning and end of each session to lead the House in prayer.

At the beginning of the session, he shares a brief meditation and each one has been a jewel.

On the first day, appropriately highlighting the convention theme Ubuntu, 'I am because we are' Frank spoke of working himself into the Ubuntu idea of community during his long flight from Washington. But when he touched down at John Wayne airport, named in honor of the personification of individualism, he felt the very concourse walls were at war with Ubuntu. He illustrated the difficulty of grasping a cultural ideal so alien to our own as a metaphor for the tough days ahead at the convention.

Here are a few other jewels.

Remember the story of Peter and Jesus walking on the lake? Peter was fine so long has he kept his eyes on Jesus, but began to sink when he looked away - so let's keep on our eyes on Jesus and do the work. Liturgy and convention business sessions are the same - the work of the people - in liturgy we say amen and in business sessions we say yea. The Christian process is I Belong, I Believe, I Behave.

In the meantime, many are having great fun figuring out how to conjugate Ubuntu.

Secular Media Coverage

We made the NY Times this morning.

by Jim Greer