father thorpus: day 9

So it's day 9, and there are thunderstorms outside.
This has had two effects: first, the Presiding
Bishop's address this morning (more about this later)
was punctuated by blasts of thunder.  Some said it was
thunder, others the voice of God, but I saw no dove
descend upon his head.  Second, I came so close to
actually getting to sit on the floor as a deputy and
vote.  One of our clergy deputies had to leave early
to get his plane, and the plan was for the Bishop to
appoint me in his stead (he has the authority to do
that.).  The storms, however, have delayed his flight,
so he stays, and I stay in the gallery.  :( 

The reason we received an address from the PB this
morning is that he called a surprise joint session to
deal with the Windsor resolutions (don't know why they
don't do the last two days in joint session anyway,
just to remove the problem of late amendments needed
action by the other house when the other house has
adjorned).  There must have been politicking going on
late into the night at the Hyatt Regency Hotel,
because Griswold got up this morning and said,
essentially, that if we don't do SOMETHING, we'll get
kicked out of the Communion.  We don't want that,
because we want to give our new PB and others the
chance to convince the Communion through conversation.
 Essentially, he realized that saying nothing slits
our throats -- our last chance to have our cake and
eat it too is to pass some manner of fudge and through
skillfull maneuvering to stay at the table.  he
offered a resolution [paraphrased]:
Resolved, that the 75th Gen. Conv. receive the Windsor
Report's call for a process of reconciliation and
healing; and Resolved, that it urge standing
committees etc. to exercise restraint by refraining
from consenting, electing (etc.) bishops whose manner
of life represents a challenge to the communion.

Period.

No moratorium on same-sex blessings. 

Griswold is trying to re-forge the alliance between
the moderates and the left by throwing the left their
bone of same-sex unions, but by keeping the moratorium
on bishops.  I dont' think it'll pass, but it's
pending now.  B033 is the number.  It has to be
formally moved, etc. to get into the schedule.  but
there's no blinkin' way this will be perceived as
Windsor compliant.  It simply isn't, no matter how you
slice it.  I think the longer we wait for the vote,
the more the deputies will see this and the less
they'll be willing to pass it, Frank's appeal
notwithstanding.  But it will all depend on the
efficiency of their politicking, who they've been able
to get to support this resolution against their better
judgement.  Note that he felt no need to compromise
with the right wing, except in the language, "We
accept the Windsor Report ('s call for reconciliation,
etc. -- even that doesn't stack up.) 

We'll see how it comes out.

more later
Thorpus +