Seven whole days

Image by lokulin via Flickr

It looks like the staff of 7WD will have a free day in London on Monday. I have heard rumor (or “rumour” if you prefer) that it is possible to get a tour of Big Ben to see the inside of the famous clock. My hopes were dashed though when I learned that these have to be booked long in advance.

So if there are any potentates, primates, parliamentarians, powers, principalities, principals, pashas, or proconsuls reading this, it would be grand if you could somehow arrange for our staff to get one of these coveted tickets. The staff started out quite large on this trip, but we’ve dwindled to just me. You can choose fame and fortune with a mention here on 7WD, or you can remain completely anonymous.

If you can fix this up, I’d love to hear from you. The clock is, as they say, ticking. Thank you for your time. You may now resume your regular blog reading.

When people complain about political things at home, I always ask them if they voted in the last election. If not, I stop listening. You have to participate in the process toward a solution if you want to complain, it seems to me. I feel the same way about bishops in the Anglican Communion. Those who chose not to attend the Lambeth Conference are not the ones to guide the Communion, in my view.

Marginalized by his non-attendance at the Lambeth Conference, Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda has decided to try to lob a hand grenade in from the sides. You can go read the whole thing if you want. I’ll just pick two bits for a quick response:

The crisis in the Communion is serious; our commitment to biblical and historic faith and mission are serious; and we want to be taken seriously. In 2003 the Episcopal Church in America consecrated as bishop a man living in an active homosexual relationship. This unilateral and unbiblical action was directly contrary to a resolution of the 1998 Lambeth Conference.

Well, yes, I’ll give you one point. ECUSA did not completely obey Lambeth 1998 resolution 1.10. But then again, neither did your church, Archbishop Orombi. That resolution calls for listening to the experience of gay and lesbian Christians. Have you invited GLBT people to address you and your church? That resolution also calls for providing pastoral care to GLBT people and to assuring them of their place as full members of the church. I wonder what efforts have been completed on that front?

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It would seem obvious, really. When in Sandwich, eat a sandwich. After all, they’ve been making them longer than anyone else on earth. However, when I joined three others on Sunday, only Jenny te Paa enjoyed this ancient tradition (see photo). The rest of us found the Ploughman’s Lunch irresistible (see other photo). Jenny did give a good report on her Sandwich sandwich. I once was in Pigs-in-a-blanket, Indiana, and I passed that one by also.

Sandwich sandwich

Ploghman's in Sandwich

On Sunday I had a chance to join friends for an outing to Sandwich. Whilst walking around, we noticed several signs of interest.

The art of English understatement. "Road closed" and "delays expected."

Complete list of tolls.

Wow. 1000 pounds for a few ounces?! At least the pavement (sidewalk) will be clear!

Every Wednesday I look forward to receiving Leading Ideas, an email newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. Today’s issue starts with this:

I learned a lesson about leadership early in my childhood from the game “follow the leader.” Selected as leader, I lined up my friends behind me for a trek through the neighborhood. I stepped forward and turned my head to make sure others were following. Immediately, I walked directly into a huge wooden plank used by a neighbor to support his boat and earned a gash in my forehead that required several stitches. Several insights about leadership are revealed in this incident: Leaders and communities pay a price for not paying attention to where we are going. Others will not always point out obstacles.  And the practice of leadership itself, while weighted with responsibility for organizations and other people, can also be conceived as a form of skillful play.

I think there’s relevance to the Anglican Communion in that lesson. Make sure you read the whole article, and go subscribe to the email newsletter right away.

This soda, found at the campus shop here, seems to fit with the theme of GC 2009.

Ubuntu Cola

This will be the final week of the Lambeth Conference. Other blogs will be obsessing, along with the bishops, on the sex stories. I’ll be covering the other bits. I’ve had less time to blog, so I haven’t had time to post reflections and serious things, but I’m hoping to do that.

I imagine that the press and right-wing bloggers will be in high gear now. For that reason, I am hereby launching the Festival of Debunkery. If I see something in the press (or certain blogs) that’s wrong, I’ll correct it here. If you wonder about the truth of something, please let me know, and I’ll try to get to the bottom of it.

During a very pleasant day with friends, I did have some time for a bit of investigative work. Look here for a major exclusive in the next day or so.

On a more serious note, let me say that I am optimistic about the outcome of the Conference. The bishops with whom I’ve spoken are all saying that they believe things will turn out well for the Communion and all its members. The sensationalist stores that I’ve seen are simply not to be believed (except of course for the sensationalist stories that you read here on 7WD).

If there’s something you’d like to know more about or see photos of, please let me know by email, facebook message, or comment on 7WD. I’ll do what I can, time permitting.

Bishops from Sierra Leone waiting for the bus to London. ACNS/Gunn

The march through London. ACNS/Gunn

The rally inside Lambeth Palace. The Prime Minister listens as the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks. ACNS/Gunn

I’ve been keeping a self-imposed embargo on the following news items. I didn’t want to upstage the Prime Minister or the Archbishop of Canterbury or anything. These are two items, which I believe you will not find anywhere else in blogospheria Anglicana.

Item the first…

On Thursday morning, I was stationed at the top of Morton’s Tower at Lambeth Palace to do my photographic work. It was great to be up there. Terrific views, lots of history. However, at one point, nature called. I walked down the ancient spiral staircase a couple of levels and located a toilet (or, for American readers, a “restroom”). This is the exclusive: the chain that one pulls to turn on the lights has a little ducky on the end of it. Someone, somewhere inside Lambeth Palace has a touch of levity. The Anglican Communion is in good hands.

Item the second…

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No, I’m not talking about that other story. This is an exclusive. It’s even different than the story I’ve been exclusively following here. This is a new one. Tell your friends you learned it here on 7WD. Tonight, whilst chatting with the infamous cartoonist, I gleaned the following information:

Dave Walker is a fenestraphobe.

We are not very good at waiting, especially Americans. Now, now, now. Now! The Lambeth Conference is full of waiting. Beyond the queues at meals, worship, boarding buses, and everything else, there is the whole Conference. In some sense, the hope is that God’s Spirit will speak as people hear one another and share their own insights and experiences. There are no Big Stories to report, so the media are waiting for things to report on. Lacking “substantive” news, much of it is just reported ex nihilo.

But what if we thought of the whole Lambeth Conference as a spiritual exercise. I’m sure that’s what the design group had in mind. Especially for those of us who are not bishops, there is much waiting. I recently read a fine bit of writing on the spiritual discipline of waiting. The Rev’d Melody Wilson Shobe writes:

At the heart of it, my problem with waiting is really an issue of control. I want to be in control of my life. I don’t want to let stoplights, or grocery store cashiers, my husband, or even God, control the timing in my life. I want to have power over what happens and when it happens. It is, perhaps, a natural inclination, but it is also a spiritual issue. My unwillingness to wait is, fundamentally, an unwillingness to trust God, and to give over my life, from the small details to the big picture, to God’s care and control.

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You must watch this. Do it right now. Prepare to laugh.

By the way, this analysis spot on, in my view. Funny and true. Gotta love it.