If Windsor stands as the last agreed position within the Communion, then the attendance of those to whom these calming appeals were directed would seem to represent a deliberate and provocative rejection of that wisdom. Their invitation, participation and warm welcome are indeed significant.
The setting aside of the Windsor approach which is implicit in the silence of the Archbishop of Canterbury is equally telling. Doing nothing about the attendance of those who have placed, and continue to place, the Communion in this difficult position is not a neutral stance. The Communion needed time and space and Windsor offered that opportunity. The American and Canadian churches could have adopted a self-denying Ordinance. But their rejection of the temperate is an embrace of the contentious, and they damage the Church in the process.
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali may be forgiven if he worries about the ability of the Communion to hold fast to its historic texts when it cannot sustain adherence to one of its own documents for a few short years.
His isolation is shameful, and his voice must not be lost to the Communion.
Read it all (but please note that it is possible (probable?) that other Church of England Bishops besides the bishop of Rochester will not be present at Lambeth 2008.
I believe I have read of at least two other CoE bishops who will not be attending Lambeth.
Wallace Benn (Bp. of Lewes)
From the BBC, a few days ago:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7474525.stm
[blockquote]The latest to join the boycott is the Bishop of Lewes, Wallace Benn.
He said he had written to the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to say he could not attend the meeting while liberal American bishops were on the guest-list. Bishop Benn said the conference would present a false impression of harmony in the Communion.
He said he would feel hypocritical pretending to be on good terms with people he felt were distorting traditional Anglican beliefs about the Bible and homosexuality. Bishop Benn also accused liberal American and Canadian bishops of persecuting clergy who wanted to stick to a traditionalist line. “The reason I don’t think I can go (to Lambeth) is that I can’t pretend to have fellowship with people with whom I know there is broken fellowship, and sit down and take communion and have meals with as if nothing had happened, with people who are persecuting my friends in North America.” [/blockquote]
I have also read that Bishop Peter Broadbent (Willesden) will not attend. See here, for example.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g7cA1IjzCQ2iiB8p1R6k4QjAb-rA
So that makes at least 3 CoE bishops.
Yes, those two were in my mind when I wrote the above, being careful to note that who actually attends will be determined at the actual meeting itself and is subject to further changes.