Outside The Big Top

One of the great stories of my childhood that my parents loved to tell and embellish each time they told it was about my first trip to the circus. I was about three. On the night before we were to go, they went to a party and the following morning it seemed they had hang overs. But a promise is a promise and we went - they unhappily so - with the thought being let's just get it over with. They took me to all the outside events. I saw the clowns and barkers, got a cotton candy, Daddy won me a Cupie doll and then we went home. They asked did I like the circus and I said I loved it. As far as I knew, I had been to the circus. They kept that ruse going for many years.

When I was about twelve, a friend's parents took us to the circus and we went inside, sat down and saw performances. I went to the real circus in the real big top. I was furious with my parents for deceiving me. I discovered I had only been to the side show. After pouting for as long as my Father would put up with it, my Mother asked didn't you have fun at our circus? In hindsight, I have to admit I did.

The Lambeth Conference for me is a little bit like that story. Several diocesan communicators, me among them, have been denied media credentials. We all learned of our turn down either after or upon arrival here or enroute. Upon getting the email, I assumed an adult version of a twelve year old pout.

Our diocese, mainly because of Bishop Walker, has been so supportive of the Conference, the Compass Rose Society and the ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury. We have even provided the resources for the program chair, Archbishop Pogo of Melanesia, to purchase the computer upon which this conference was planned. While I felt the decision was an insult to the Diocese of Long Island and still do, I am out of my pout. Like my Father, Bishop doesn't tolerate pout too well.

I have been outside of The Big Top before and made the best of it. Had fun and didn't know I wasn't having the best possible time. I am looking forward to joining with the other diocesan communicators who will join me as we join Bishop Robinson to make the most of the side show and carry the flag outside The Big Top.

Let Us All Sing Together

The one thing on which all have agreed, thus far, is the beauty of the singing and the inspired leadership of the music director. I can't wait until Sunday when I can hear the great assembled male chorus with Bishop Waynick of Indianapolis and abour 24 other female voices able to sing the descant. With the dearth of male voices in some of our congregations, 625 male voices that can carry a tune should make for some beautiful music.

So far the music director has chosen hymns and anthems from all the Provinces within the Communion and even those participants without songbooks are having a great time humming along.

I see a stealth organizing principle at work here. For four consecutive days the only group speak is in the form of song. After the bishops have enjoyed singing in harmony, just think how they will speak to one another.

Happy 90th birthday today to Nelson Mandela who taught us all the songs of reconciliation.

The Big Top

The conference is almost underway. Last evening was the soft welcome to be followed by the opening welcome within the confines of Canterbury Cathedral during the retreat today followed by the official opening welcome on Sunday.

All the bishops, spouses, official guests and staff gathered after an ardous arrival and registration process.

In addition to some buses getting lost between Heathrow and Canterbury, there were insufficient registration packets when some arrived, insufficient bags to hold the various documents and pieces of equipment being parceled out and the list with the Indaba and Bible study groups and their locations wasn't revealed until last evening. Making bad matters worse, there were not enough maps for people to find the venues. All participants were given translation equioment that they stuffed in their pockets along with the thick program booklet.

If I know bishops like I think I know bishops, a lot of equipment is going to be left sitting around because they have far too much to keep up with. According to many, things can only go up from here.

The main gathering venue has been named The Big Top. Really! Who came up with that name for such a serious gathering place?

The Big Top connotes one thing to me -- Ringling Brothers.

Bloggers Unite

One of the lead stories on the BBC today is the triumphant arrival of Pope Benedict XVI into Sydney Harbor. Perhaps this is part of his rescue Dr. Williams strategy because he pushed the soft opening of the Lambeth Conference to a bare mention on television and a side bar box way inside the papers.

For ocean goers, Sydney Harbor is the sine qua non. The scenes were breathtaking of the flotilla surrounding his craft. I wish we knew such stage management.

By the way, the Pope is texting greetings while attending the World Youth Event in Sydney under the moniker BXVI.

A Bee in my Bonnet

Let me get this off my chest before it festers some more. Regular readers of my columns in The Dominion may recall my diatribe about our computer technician who appears, does and then asks. Remember when he sent all my photographs of the Norwegian fjords into cyber heaven? He has configured my computer in such a way that it is unusable. I have visited two computer stores today seeking assistance to no avail. Even Bishop Itty can’t get me sorted out. This is a disaster.

I fascinate myself watching Bishop Walker bear the burdens of my travail. He has moved from disinterested, to disbelieving, to incredulous, to sympathetic to pastoral as he has watched my personal human interest tragedy unravel. To put salt in my open wound, this one man band of a tech is somewhere in Katmandu or environs on vacation unable to assist.

We can only pray that my thumbs don't give out as I enter each of these blogs one thumb at a time.

Rome to the Rescue?

Three Cardinals are coming to the Conference to save Dr. Williams' bacon. The Cardinal for Christian Unity, the Cardinal who serves as the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and the most interesting to me - the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples aka the person who appoints all the bishops in Africa and Asia.

Rome has sent an emissary who appoints in the same geographical regions that have fostered most of the dissent to smooth the roiled waters created because an American bishop was elected democratically by the people of his diocese. That difference in our polities seems to be conveniently overlooked when the topic of "How could you all have done this to the beloved Communion" comes up.

While it is true that Pope Benedict XVI and Dr. Williams have a great friendship and mutual respect, the word on the street is that Rome wants to cool the foment on the Thames lest it spread to the Tiber.

Viva Papa

A Cheeky Carrot

The Times, no not the newspaper of record, but The Times of London has submitted an online questionnaire to all bishops with questions ranging from A to Z and all in between. A - asks if the Archbishop of Canterbury is a flawed leader. Z - questions if the Communion has done enough in/about Zimbabwe. A sampling of the in between includes Roman-Anglican dialogue, global warming, do we need a Communion and are people born gay.

The carrot offered to the 650 recipients for answering such in-depth and in some instances revealing questions -- entry into a drawing for one, yes a total of one, bottle of champagne.

How absolutely cheeky! Really how cheap. Actually how insulting. The promise of a 1 in 650 chance for a bottle of Cristal might get me to share Bishop Walker's inner most thoughts on line. But on second thought, even if the cheeky carrot is Cristal, we're keeping those deep thoughts to ourselves. No deal.

In-Spired

Your modern day pilgrims have arrived in Canterbury. The trip was not without its Chaucer moments. While the journey from the Tabard Inn in Southwark had moments of hilarity, I must say the end of our journey had its fair share as well.

Our car was almost a goner. Who knew there would be another passenger with the surname Porter going to Canterbury. The imposter Porters took our vehicle but after they loaded the boot for the journey they realized it was the wrong car hire company.

When the "true" Porter party arrived, the fun began. I had communicated with the dispatcher about the bag of bags, box of bags, vestment bag, our regular bags plus the assorted electronic paraphernalia and conference materials including a five pound report on the Millennium Development Goals that is so environmentally unfriendly it makes my carbon foot print a size 4. She said not to worry.

Packing the car gave new meaning to the old clown car joke. The box of bags was in my lap for the 2.5 hour drive and Bishop had my electronics bag on his feet (that's the closest he's been to a computer in a long time).

Finally, we reached the city outskirts and visible in the distance were the Cathedral spires. They were breathtaking.

This great Cathedral built by St. Augustine in the 6th century has withstood the ravages of time including the bombs of the German Luftwaffe during World War II. I pray it survives this gathering.

It is my current fantasy that Mrs. Alexander Stewart had been a pilgrim to Canterbury and was inspired by the spires.