A compilation of a number of short blog entries posted at the backup blog on July 14th — elves
There is something of an “open thread” today at the main blog since the comments are working, but Kendall can not post to the blog due to the server problems at Stand Firm.
http://new.kendallharmon.net/wp-content/uploads/index.php/t19/article/24167/
Below we have posted various new links, etc. which Kendall posted earlier today in that comment thread which would have been entries on the main blog if that had been possible.
Kendall: Comment #1: Commentary from the UK on yesterday’s votes
15. Kendall Harmon wrote:
I cant post because of horrid server problems
From overnight this is significant
The Anglican church in the United States is now facing calls for its representatives to be kicked off the bodies which run the Anglican Communion.
Bishop of Sherborne Dr Graham Kings said: “The Episcopal Church has clearly signalled, against the specific plea of the Archbishop of Canterbury on this very issue, its choice of autonomy over interdependence in the Anglican Communion. Questions will now have to be asked about the full continued participation of Episcopal Church representatives in Anglican Communion meetings.”
Dr Kings’s comments are particularly significant because, as a founder of the open or moderate evangelical forum Fulcrum, he has been one of the strongest advocates the the Church for maintaining bonds between evangelicals and liberals.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6707029.ece
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Kendall Comment #2: NY Times story on HOB vote re: D025
18. Kendall Harmon wrote:
here is the NY Times article which has very good content
Episcopal Church Moves to End Ban on Gay Bishops
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Kendall: Comment #3: Steve Wood Comments on GenCon July 13th
35. Kendall Harmon wrote:
Steve Wood:
You have no idea what it is like to watch God’s judgement being poured out upon a people. It is horrific to watch a church exchange the truth of God for a lie. It is frightening to watch God hand this church over to debased minds and dishonorable passions. While I am relieved that this body is finally being honest about what they believe and where they are (to their credit) I find no joy or relief only a profound sadness. I’m ready for this Convention to be over.
At the end of a very long day Bishop Lawrence met with the deputation from South Carolina. He reiterated that this was his anticipated outcome; he reminded us that General Convention is not over and he wants to see the full landscape before offering any commentary. A clergy day has been called for Thursday, 13 August to address the events of this General Convention.
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Kendall Comment #4: Fulcrum Press statement on D025
37. Kendall Harmon wrote:
Fulcrum Press Statement
on the decision by the House of Bishops of TEC to pass D025
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=442
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Kendall Comment #5: Bishop of Willesden comment at Fulcrum
44. Kendall Harmon wrote:
This is a very interesting comment from the Bishop of Willesden:
There’s no particular point in saying “we told you so”… but it does make the Windsor process look pretty unfit for purpose, as many of us suspected. I know it’s going to play out from now on like a slow motion car crash, but I rather hope that we can be a bit more nimble footed from now on in our attempts to rescue the rest of the Anglican Communion. The “let’s all wait and see what happens” approach to church brinkmanship has probably had its day. A bit like old style ecumenism, really!
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/forum/thread.cfm?thread=12019
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Kendall Comments #6 and #7: ENS and the Guardian stories on D025
47. Kendall Harmon wrote:
ENS on the d025 vote and discussion in bishops
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_112523_ENG_HTM.htm
48. Kendall Harmon wrote:
Savitri Hensman in the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/jul/14/episcopal-bishops-anglican-gay
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Kendall Comment #8: Bishop of Arizona comments on D025
49. Kendall Harmon wrote:
The Bishop of Arizona
http://arizonabishop.blogspot.com/2009/07/no-pictures-but-breaking-news.html
This afternoon we had our first controversial action. Deputies passed resolution DO 25 which essentially reaffirmed that the ordination process (including that of bishop) was open to all people. This was a movement away from the “restraint” of last convention’s famous B033. Although BO33 was not exactly overturned (it will take an election of an openly gay person to make that happen, which frankly is not likely to happen anytime soon), this resolution was a defacto repudiation of that stance. When it came time for House of Bishop’s to act, we concurred with the House of Deputies 99 to 45.
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Kendall Comment #9: Richard Helmer on D025 (from the Lead)
50. Kendall Harmon wrote:
Richard Helmer:
But the centrality of this thread today was revealed to me by a piece of paper that made its way to our deputation table shortly before we recessed for the evening. On it was the message that the House of Bishops, by over a 2-to-1 margin, had concurred on resolution D025 with minimal amendment. Many of us were, quite honestly, astonished. We had expected some consternation from the HoB, at least an effort to make major amendments to D025, or perhaps a straight no vote on the resolution to show the Anglican Communion how many of our bishops were willing to hold the line, even over and against their larger, senior House.
Much to our surprise, we had arrived at one of those rare moments that both Houses had agreed on one of the most controversial questions before them, and B033 was now left soundly behind, a fading anomaly in the march towards the fullness of God’s grace for all the baptized; a temporary lapse in the greater arc of just truth about ourselves and God’s call to us.
The House of Bishops appears to have grown tired (as have we all) of attempting to appease others in the Communion, of trying to prevent schism when those departing have already insured it’s a foregone conclusion, of trying to purchase tickets to Lambeth and the other Instruments of Unity with talk of compliance, if not conformity. The elephant of the Windsor Report occupying the living rooms of both Houses now seems largely deflated, the false rumors and half-truths now gone, the hot air that made the elephant so big now replaced with the transformative and truthful breath of the Spirit.
http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/general_convention_2009_live/eyes_on_the_floor_an_epochal_b.html
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Kendall Comment #10: ACI STATEMENT
56. Kendall Harmon wrote:
ACI Statement on the Repudiation of B033
We deeply regret yesterday’s decision by the House of Bishops to repudiate the Anglican Communion’s moratorium on the consecration of bishops living in homosexual relationships. As recently as May of this year, the Anglican Consultative Council officially affirmed the “implementation” in the Communion of the moratoria called for by the Windsor Report, including the moratorium rejected yesterday by the House of Bishops. With the adoption of these moratoria by the Anglican Consultative Council all of the Communion’s Instruments have now recognized their implementation as crucial to our common life in the Anglican Communion.
It is noteworthy that Section 3.1.4 of the final text of the Anglican Communion Covenant, which was contained in the section approved overwhelmingly by the Anglican Consultative Council and no longer subject to revision, gives each of the Communion Instruments the authority to “initiate and commend a process of discernment and a direction for the Communion and its Churches.” Speaking at the close of the Council’s meeting, the Archbishop of Canterbury anticipated yesterday’s action and spoke directly to The Episcopal Church on its place in the Anglican Covenant when he said “Action to negate that resolution [the moratorium] would instantly suggest to many people in the communion that The Episcopal Church would prefer not to go down the route of closer structural bonds and that particular kind of mutual responsibility.”
The Episcopal Church is already out of communion with the majority of the world’s Anglicans. It is our expectation that many dioceses will not follow The Episcopal Church out of the Anglican Communion and the mainstream of apostolic Christianity. Instead, they will take immediate action to assure the Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury of their continued commitment both to observe the Communion’s moratoria and to preserve and restore their structural bonds to the Communion.
To this end, we will continue to work closely with these dioceses and the Communion processes to finalize and strengthen one section of the Anglican Covenant not fully approved in Jamaica. The continued flouting of Communion Instruments by The Episcopal Church demonstrates the compelling need for Section 4 of the Covenant and indeed for the strengthening of that section. Communion Partner Bishops and Rectors, and their concerned allies, wish to remain in the Communion and abide by its requests.
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Kendall comment #11: Keep your eye on C056
59. Kendall Harmon wrote:
Keep your eye on C056
Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That the 76th General Convention charge the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music with development of liturgies of blessing for same-gender commitments to be presented to the next triennial General Convention in 2012 for inclusion in “Book of Occasional Services”; and. be it further
Resolved, That in the meantime the Ecclesiastical Authority of each diocese may authorize for use in the diocese liturgies for blessing same-gender committed relationships of enduring love, mutuality, and fidelity; and be it further
Resolved, That, with respect to such blessings, no bishop or clergy of this Church or any other person acting on behalf of this Church shall be required or expected to perform an act contrary to a deeply-held position of conscience.
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, collect and develop theological resources and liturgies of blessing for same-gender holy unions, to be presented to the 77th General Convention for formal consideration, and be it further
Resolved, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, devise an open process for the conduct of its work in this matter, inviting participation from dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are or have already engaged in the study or design of such rites throughout the Anglican Communion, and be it further
Resolved, that all bishops, noting particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, that honoring the theological diversity of this Church, no bishop or other member of the clergy shall be compelled to authorize or officiate at such liturgies, and be it further
Resolved, that the Anglican Consultative Council be invited to conversation regarding this resolution and the work that proceeds from it, together with other churches in the Anglican Communion engaged in similar processes.
Minority report from Bishop Henry N. Parsley:
I offer the minority opinion that in the 3rd resolve the substitute should read, “Resolved, that in dioeses within civil jurisdictions where same gender marriage or civil unions are legal, the bishop may provide a generous pastoral response to meet the needs of the members of this church.”
Explanation:
This language focuses on the six states where same gender marriage or civil unions are legal which I believe to be our correct focus at this time.
+ Henry Parsley
http://gc2009.org/ViewLegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=898&type=Current
61. Kendall Harmon wrote:
You need to click the link on the previous comment because the cross out text on the resolution isn’t crossed out in #59
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Kendall Comment #12: Living Church News Analysis
62. Kendall Harmon wrote:
News Analysis: Passage of D025 May Place TEC Outside Communion
http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/7/14/news-analysis-passage-of-d025-may-place-tec-outside-communion
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Kendall Comment #13: C056 liveblog link
63. Kendall Harmon wrote:
C056 has hit bishops matt is liveblogging
http://standfirmlive.blogspot.com/2009/07/breaking-c056-live-blog-by-matt-kennedy.html
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Kendall Comment #14: More on C056
65. Kendall Harmon wrote:
More on HOB and C056
http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/general_convention_2009_live/bishops_debating_c053_on_sames.html