July 16, 2008
Dear Friends:
Greetings from Canterbury, UK and the Lambeth Conference…
The Lambeth Conference officially began this evening with the first gathering of the Bishops and Spouses in a welcome from the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Rowan Williams and his wife Jane Williams.
The Archbishop shared that this conference has been designed so that “every voice would be heard” and relationships would be strengthened. Acknowledging that we are in a time of tension and our communion is wounded, the Archbishop invited each of us to commit to honoring and loving one another even in the midst of our issues.
Tomorrow we will begin the conference with a three day retreat as a time to open ourselves fully to God and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The Bishops will gather at Canterbury Cathedral for prayer, study, and reflection as we intentionally enter into a time of relationship building before we address the work that is before us.
Each day throughout the entire conference we will immerse ourselves in worship and the study of scripture. It will be in this setting that as we come to know one another more fully, experiencing each other through prayer, conversation and reflection that we will engage the challenges we face.
I have already begun to develop new friendships with sister and brother bishops from around the world. Please hold all who are here in your prayers during this important time. My hope is to post regular reflections of my experience while at Lambeth on our web page. The next posting will follow the conclusion of our retreat time on Sunday.
Peace,
+Bishop Ed