Parallels

I enjoy working Sudoku puzzles - those number games that present challenges in blocks and rows. Each block should have numerals 1 through 9 in it, as should each row and each column.

I suppose that I particularly like two things about Sudoku: It is reasonable and logical, and each puzzle can be finished. (In my particular profession, it can be hard to find jobs that are reasonable, logical and can be completed within a definite time frame.)

I have thought a bit about the Lambeth Conference in terms of a Sudoku puzzle. We have the individual "boxes": our Bible study groups, our larger "Indaba" discussion groups, our provincial bishops' gatherings, the "self-select" groups, and so forth. These "boxes" line up in columns and rows as the entire conference gathers at plenary sessions, at meals and for special events.

However, I have discovered that the Sudoku analogy is seriously limited and flawed. For instance, following a Bible study earlier this week, I spoke with an English colleague. Mention was made that Bishop Gene Robinson is here, not at the Lambeth Conference but all around the edges, with considerable press coverage. Depending on one's perspective, this reality can be distracting, or it can serve to provoke conversation that bishops should have about gay and lesbian people.

As my English colleague and I were having this conversation, he indicated that bishops in the Church of England simply do not understand the circumstances. According to him, Gene Robinson would probably not have ever been considered as a bishop, not because he is a gay man, but because he had been divorced previously!

In Sudoku terms, that box did not have enough numbers to fill it. Something clearly was missing. Our respective church polities and requirements and our subsequent assumptions were simply different.

Later, I was speaking with a bishop who was the only one present from his province (country). This was a different bishop than the one I encountered earlier, whose Primate had instructed him not to come.

This bishop too, clearly is present without support from home.

During our conversation, he offered me this remarkable statement, "I owe you an apology. My Primate ordained someone in America as a bishop. That person has come into East Tennessee and ordained someone a priest, without your permission. I want to apologize to you for that."

I have to say that I heard that apology, almost in tears. I was humbled by this man's commitment to the Communion, and yet he was apologizing to me for an action that he did not approve of himself. Again, in Sudoku terms, that box suddenly seemed to have more numbers in it than blocks in which to put them!

The analogy to Lambeth really does not seem to work very well. We are not logical or reasonable enough, and I'm pretty sure that there will still be unfinished work at the end of this conference.

I think I'll just pull out my Sudoku book at night when I can't sleep.

The roles of a bishop

Members of the Episcopal Church value our particular governance and polity, but others throughout the Anglican Communion may not understand or appreciate our particular customs.

I think, in particular of our election of bishops (rather than appointment) and our General Convention (involving priests and laity as well as bishops) which makes and amends canons (church laws).

Indeed, for Americans, the democratic ideal defines the way we think of any kind of government or organization working, at its best.

For many American bishops, too, the ministry of all the baptized is an important topic and goal, as indeed it is for me. This certainly has been an appropriate and fruitful emphasis for us in East Tennessee in recent years. In that regard, though, it is important to remind ourselves that while we all do have ministries, by virtue of baptism, those ministries are not all the same.

These understandings and perspectives suggest a topic of some mutual frustration in this gathering of bishops from around the world. That is, bishops from elsewhere may tend to think that American bishops are abrogating our position of leadership when we speak of collegial relationships with priests and laity. In response, American bishops may become upset at the lack of understanding of our system of governance, by bishops from other places.

With these realities in mind, I have been considering two of the charges in our Prayer Book Ordinal, the Ordination of a Bishop. In particular, these are, "You are called to guard the faith, unity and discipline of the Church," and "With your fellow bishops you will share in the leadership of the Church throughout the world" (p.517).

Recognizing - and appreciating - our democratic ideals and a renewed commitment to baptismal ministry, still there are things unique and particular to the ministry of a bishop. In addition to function, such matters include governance and Communion-wide responsibilities.

In our time at Lambeth, a challenge that I have come to identify involves remaining true and faithful both to my commitment as a baptized Episcopalian and, secondly, to my particular responsibilities as a bishop in the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion. For me, at this moment in Lambeth, that duality in role and obligation focuses my attention and my prayers.

Challenges

The task of living in community is a difficult one. I anticipated some of the challenges - challenges that will probably become more difficult as our conference continues and as our discussions become more focused.

These are challenges which emerge from differences of opinion, theology and - underlying other differences - cultural context. We have only just begun to engage those differences and those challenges, but clearly, they are immense.

On the other hand, it is important to observe the blessings that result from such a wide array of differences also are wonderfully enriching. Indeed, at the liturgy for welcoming our ecumenical partners on Saturday, more than 100 people - from many parts of the world and from many varying backgrounds - stood before us, exhibiting colorful completeness in a wonderful way. Thus, while Anglicanism itself covers an ever-widening range of cultures and life settings, our ecumenical partners enrich that blend even further.

However, the challenges of living in community extend beyond differences in opinion, theology and cultural context. In fact, some practical distinctions emerge as matters with which we must deal, as we encounter one another. Language itself is a primary challenge, of course.

I think of a meeting that Annie and I had with a Korean couple - who spoke absolutely no English - in the campus laundry the other evening, and of our attempts to be helpful to them. Because we are living on campus, we share spaces with one another - from the dorms to the dining areas to the bathrooms. Indeed, the challenges of living in community during the Lambeth Conference are more multi-faceted than I had anticipated. Those challenges include ones of opinion, of theology, of culture and of practicality.

I believe very sincerely that the potential blessings of this gathered assortment hold surprises yet to unfold. In that regard, Archbishop Williams - in his Presidential Address on Sunday afternoon - affirmed that "the Lambeth Conference needs to build up a trustful community."

I have heard from many bishops in the developing world that they have made significant sacrifices, just to be present. In fact, one bishop was called by his Primate and instructed not to attend. Thus, he is unsure whether or not he will have a position when he returns.

Some bishops have told me that they hope and expect that we all will engage in a spirit of mutual sacrifice, for the sake of the Communion. Archbishop Williams has called on us to exercise similar discipline, and I can add my own hope and prayer to that plea as well.