--L.
Bill,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply to Connie. This whole thing is indeed about who we are. The furtive nature of the consecration itself and the arrogance of creating "attack bishops" is beyond anything that I have ever seen in the church.
I atttended a meeting yesterday of diocesan clergy in Pittsburgh called by Bishop Duncan to talk together about this. There were, of course some very beligerant statements such as "I'm glad that the war has finally started"; but for the most part there was a great deal of trepidation expressed by conservative clergy about this thing. It was apparent to me that there is a high church/low church split with the high church people very annoyed by the trampling on the sacrament and the low church people eager to simply get on with whatever breakaway group is ultimately anticipated.
Bishop Duncan said that he was "ambivalent and concerned" about it all, and expressed surprise that anyone could read his pastoral letter as "welcoming of the consecration". (Although as I re-read the letter, that seems to be what he is saying to me).
He said that John Rodgers will have no role in Pittsburgh, but that it might be all right if a parish would invite him for a lenten series.
George Werner was eloquent in our need to stop judgement and accept our own sin, and that this event doesn't help us to find a way through the divisions that we are experiencing.
I came away from the discussion hopeful that this great church of ours will find a way to deal with this issue in the larger context of the gospel. I know that the overwhelming majority of the people in the pews are there to worship God and to find some meaning for the week of life that they have lived. Most of these turbulent issues make no contact with them in the abstract.
Our prayers continue for the church and for its leadership in these awkward days ahead.
Rodge
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