Live From Lake Logan: College For Bishops I

It is good to be here. I like these people and they are teaching us things we need to know. Today and tomorrow the Class of 08 (that's my class) are hearing a lot from Bp Alexander about the theology of orders in BCP rubrics. This helps me to know better who I am in this ministry. It is also helpful for my course on Orders Of Ministry coming soon to a Frensdorff School campus near you.

We had a geat conversation last night about the process of General Convention. We are all adamantly opposed to the parliamentary win-lose votes. One bishop was perplexed as to why we would be against them, since on any of the hot issues of the day, our side would (in his expectation) win, while his side would lose in a landslide. We talked about being family and representing God. We did not believe the win-lose fights represent God or form family. So we generally dread the Convention because of that format and hope it can change to something more like the way we did Lambeth. I believe he found our perspective surprising and more Christian than he had expected.

I learned that the House of Deputies is still angry at the House of Bishops about B033, the moratoria resolution from 2006. As you may recall, the Deputies had voted it down 3 times but the Bishops passed it. Bishop Katharine and outgoing PB Griswold then appealed to the deputies to pass B033 to save the Anglican Communion. The deputies complied but were then angry about it -- I gather not just at Bishop Katharine and Bishop Griswold but at the Bishops in general.

This may be a sensitive spot in the coming GenCon. I have never been to one at all, so I will be a bit of a Forrest Gump character in it all. I plan to pray my way though it and check in with the rest of our delegation whenever I can. We may not vote alike, but I hope we can come out of it all still friends.