Keeping up with Lambeth

The Lambeth gathering of Anglican bishops begins Monday at the University of Kent overlooking Canterbury Cathedral and its environs. Many of the bishops are already there, and more are traveling in the next few days.

This Lambeth conference will get more mainstream news coverage than at anytime in history -- and for good reason. The issues of schism and sexuality, ordination of women bishops in England, the inclusion of LGBT people in the full life of the church, the authority of bishops (or lack thereof), relations with the Roman Catholic Church, and how we read Scripture will be swirling throughout the conference. 

This conference will have more transparency than any major church council since the Fourth Century. One reason is that several bishops will be contributing to daily blogs (a word not in existence at the last Lambeth conference). One of the blogs will be done by eight American bishops who cover the range of geography and theology in the Episcopal Church, including Neff Powell of Southwest Virginia and Marc Andrus of California and Nedi Rivera of Olympia (Seattle). You can read their blog by clicking right here: Lambeth bishops. Also, Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who is not an invited guest but who will be present at Kent, is also keeping a blog which you can access by clicking right here: Canterbury Tales from the Fringe.

I am happy to talk about all of this as it progresses, both here on this blog and by email at revjimr@yahoo.com or by other means (and Lori and I will be with you this weekend!!).

And please keep all of the bishops -- ALL of the bishops -- in your prayers.