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Sermon - The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (A) - 17th August 2008
St Alban ’s Epping 7am, 8am and 10am
Reflections on the Lambeth Conference
My thanks to Fr John for the opportunity of sharing with you today some of the experiences of the recent Lambeth Conference. And my thanks too to my fellow parishioners for their support and interest in the unusual venture I undertook.
My old friend Sue Parks, a fellow parishioner from St Peter’s Mortdale in the early 70s was appointed three years ago as general manager of the conference and when she described the scope and nature of the role, I made a rash offer to go and spend the time with her to be her batman, laundress, gopher or whatever. So off I went, having little concept at all of just what I would be doing.
On Friday 4 th July, I arrived in Canterbury by train and met Sue who had just arrived in a laden car from London. The conference took place at the University of Kent, Canterbury, where everyone was accommodated and fed in the residential colleges, filling every available student room and little apartment and for the meeting places and administration, every lecture theatre, seminar room and open reception area in the university while it was summer vacation. We unpacked into the lovely little two bedroom cottage that Sue had been allocated and then wandered around the university for me to get the lie of the land. The campus is set on a hill about three and a half Kms out of Canterbury, with a spectacular view over the city and of the cathedral in its entirety. It became a specially treasured view, to come out of late evening prayers each evening and to see the floodlit cathedral below and bunnies hopping around the lawns of the campus. Next day, we drove the two hours into London, went to Sue’s office and loaded the car with all sorts of equipment such as printers and computers, stationery and supplies to set up a temporary office at Canterbury for almost a month. Then home to pack Sue’s clothes and a few household comforts, to water the garden and top up the budgie’s seed and back to Canterbury again to really settle in. It was a joy the next morning to go to the 11am service at the Cathedral and to worship in that ancient, historic, but living building. And so began an amazing few weeks.
In the days that followed until the opening of the conference late in the afternoon of 16 th July, more and more staff arrived to prepare to welcome and settle in the 650 bishops and the 570 spouses. We witnessed the erection of a massive big top tent with three AV screens and tiered seating to accommodate the daily Eucharists and the plenary sessions. Part of the contract was that the conference was responsible for resurfacing the carpark on which the bigtop, with its massive steel guy pegs had been erected.
As we took over more and more spaces and created a communications office, a radio control room to coordinate the 90 walkie talkies that would be in use, a clothing depot for the delegates from equatorial countries who would need to borrow warm clothing, the market hall for promotion and sale of relevant goods such as books and vestments, the paramedical station that was in vigorous use throughout the conference, I began to realise what a colossal undertaking it all was. An event management firm worked alongside staff to provide security, sound system and general support. A shuttle bus ferried delegates around the conference site. 30 interpreter/ translators provided for services, studies and documents to be supplied in 7 different languages. Each morning a different region of the communion was responsible for the Eucharist and if the service was not all in your language, you had headphones and a device to tune in and listen to an interpretation of that part of the service in your language. A music team rehearsed and led the music which was taken from a special publication “Lambeth Praise” There were some 30 stewards, young people from around the Anglican Communion, who came to provide a service of message running and delivering, helping people into seats in the bigtop, directing us to the various distribution points for communion, and generally assisting the good running of the conference. One young man from Burma told me that he is a deacon and will be priested in November. He had left a wife and nine month old baby at home. To get home, he will fly into India, on to Rangoon, and then take a bus for two days and a boat for one whole day. His enthusiasm and commitment shone from his whole being. There were about 247 accredited press and 330 volunteers from the diocese and the city. There was a chaplaincy team of 30 people, who lived almost over the road from us in the Franciscan study centre, religious from all over the world, who took responsibility for late evening prayer and for the intercessions at every service and were available for prayer ministry for anyone seeking it in the University’s senate building, which was taken over as the “prayer place”.
The campus was very spread out, with a main spine running through it, but very open with 7 entries from public roads. With security a big issue in England, there were always university security men around and police in a mobile unit who strolled around looking for all the world as if they had stepped out of The Bill! Early on, three parcels were delivered for someone who had not yet arrived at the conference, and they caused concern in the university’s mail room where every piece of mail was scanned. There was a general alarm and the whole campus went into lockdown until the parcels were inspected and cleared.
In the days up till the 16 th when most of the bishops arrived, we worked very busily but the rhythm of the days was quite different from when the programme was under way. A huge sorting task got under way the day that some trucks arrived with office gear brought from London to set up the offices with four large photocopiers and loads of conference printed resources, conference bags, printing paper, all transported by a firm aptly named “Bishops Move”.
There was time for us to go down into Canterbury to the 8am eucharist at the cathedral each day then. One day the service took place at the Altar of the Two Swords, used only on 7 th July for the Feast of the translation of St Thomas a Becket, the anniversary of the moving of his bones to that spot, and on 29 th December, the commemoration of his slaying in the Cathedral.
One of the joys of my “everything else” role was that I was sent into town to purchase what was needed and what had not been packed. I did all sorts of odd jobs, such as photographing chalices lent by parishes for the distribution of communion so that we could ensure their return, taking breakfast to remote accommodation on campus to a couple who were excluded for several days from all activities till medical tests assured the organisers that the woman’s illness was not highly contagious, using line marking paint to mark out a labyrinth on an athletics field where a group from the spouses’ conference were going to walk the labyrinth and writing the thank you letters to parishes that had given donations towards the cost of some delegates fares and that had delightful names such as St Saviour’s under the Watersplash. I met all sorts of interesting people, the archbishop’s driver who lives in a flat at Lambeth Palace over the garage, Mrs Jane Williams’ PA, the bishop of Cuba and Uruguay who spends two months in each place before flying ten hours to the other for which he is responsible.
One day early in the piece, it became clear that we would run out of identifying lanyards that held ID cards, an absolute must for admission to any conference venue and identifying the wearer as bishop or spouse, volunteer, guest, staff etc. I was asked if I could think of a way of creating some of these till more could be manufactured to match the originals. I went down into town and bought similar red ribbon from two haberdashery shops and spoke to the administrator of Cathedral House to ask about the possible access to a sewing machine. She phoned the head of the cathedral sewers who kindly come in the next morning and set me up with their sewing machine to create the lanyards. She also showed me pictures of the work they do and ancient fabrics they keep to mend very old vestments. For me, a sewer, this was such an interesting insight. She also described what the sewers have now recognised as a type. They see a very elderly clergyman approaching with a bundle and they say to each other “Here is another”. In he comes and from the bundle pulls a threadbare, ancient cassock and says “I have heard you do wonderful work and are very clever. I was wondering if you could do anything with this; I have worn it for over 50 years, and it was my grandfather’s before me.” So some of the fabrics they work with are ancient indeed.
During this preconference period, we managed one evening to go to Herne Bay on the coast with Bishop Victoria Matthews, a Canadian, who has been a bishop almost 15 years and has now been elected bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand. We had fish and chips on the beach and I did wonder about the sign in the shop window that had said “OAP fish and chips”. Was it the fish that were old age pensioners? While we were talking, I assured Victoria that if she was passing through Sydney, there would be a warm welcome for her at St Alban’s and that her orders would be respected. As I handed out a few similar invitations to people who might come to Sydney and were not sure of an official welcome waiting them, I was so thankful that I could say in confidence to them that I knew that our rector would be very happy to give them an invitation to come and worship with us and address us and that our congregation would welcome them warmly. It made me realise that although I had said jokingly to people that someone had to go to Lambeth from Sydney, that in a tiny way, I could connect to these people and assure them that we would welcome them. I also had opportunity to speak personally to the Archbishop and thank him for the way he expressed his sadness about certain bishops not having gone to Lambeth as grief. He said simply “Well, that is how I feel”. I was able to assure him of the loyalty, support and prayers of many of us for which he expressed warm thanks.
But now to the shape of the conference.
In his opening address, the Archbishop of Canterbury said “Lambeth 2008 is wanting to say something with real integrity that will move us forward in God’s way”. And it was very clear all through the conference that this was uppermost in people’s minds.
The shape of this Lambeth was to be different from its predecessors. The archbishop said he wanted the conference to be “resolution light” and with some embarrassment, said he had helped draft many previous resolutions of which there were 188 emanating from the 1998 conference many of which have of course never been implemented nor are likely to be.
The conceptual framework of the Lambeth Conference was developed by a worldwide working group called the Design Group chaired by Sir Ellison Pogo from the Solomon Islands ensured that the intention and vision were translated into programme.
The conference was centred on worship. Each day there was an early eucharist at 7.15am, midday prayer, evening prayer and late evening prayer at 9.45pm.
The second element was Bible Study in groups of 8, studying the “I am “ sayings of Jesus. Richard Burridge’s commentary, in a special edition had been sent out to delegates well in advance with preparatory study recommended so that all could come, prepared in heart and mind.
The third element of the conference was discussion in “indaba” groups, a word adopted from the African style of community discussing in an open ended way to move towards a common mind rather than seeking yes/no decisions and making resolutions. These discussion groups were to enable bishops to be better leaders in God’s mission. Great care was taken in the way they were organised in order to maximise the possibility of hearing all voices, not only the loudest and those tied to western ways of cut and thrust and yes/no decision making. Facilitators and rapporteurs assisted each group who were encouraged to meet with the resolve that all should be heard and the anticipation that the Spirit of God would be at work in the process. The process was intended to clarify what the real questions and concerns were so that everyone could have some sort of shared perspective even if they did not yet agree. The intent was that the listeners and reflecters could come up with a “Reflection” for the conference rather than a set of resolutions and decisions. The archbishop urged the bishops on retreat to seek a shared commitment that allowed it to be possible to see in the other person another believer, rather than to assume that the other is not actually listening to Jesus. Genuine thinking together was highly valued.
The 4 th element of the programme was self select groups to enlarge on the daily themes, which included ethics, economics, development goals, and a practical strand for assisting bishops to be better administrators in their situations.
There were really two conferences, the bishops’ conference and the spouses’ conference, that ran parallel and had some joint and plenary sessions, with worship being for all delegates and staff too.
I felt that I was in the midst of the gospel parable of the labourers who were paid the same wage for only working one hour as those who bore the heat and the burden of the day. I was generously accepted as staff and included in all the privileges that attached to that. This included a ticketed seat in the cathedral for the opening service on 20 th July. It was an 11 am service. The organ began playing at 10 and the processions began to enter the cathedral at 10.30. With perfect timing, they were all just in their seats for a punctual 11am start to the service. The archbishop had chosen a Congolese setting of the service, so as well as organ, brass fanfare, cathedral choir with traditional items, we had Congolese drums at some points. In some ways, the absolute highlight of this service was the gospel procession. We are used to the ceremonial carrying of the gospel book to the centre of the church to be read and we greet it with acclamation and joy. Those of you who know Canterbury Cathedral will remember that the high altar is about three metres higher than the nave altar. The gospel procession began among the bishops seated at the higher level and came through the rood screen down the steps to the nave altar where it was read. It was brought in procession by the Melanesian religious who had brought with them a carved replica war canoe about 1.8 metres long. The gospel book was in the middle of the canoe and was surrounded by flowers. Around the boat, dressed in traditional grass skirts and war paint, four Melanesian brothers danced a circular dance as the procession descended the stairs to the accompaniment of their pan flutes and then when it arrived, they prostrated themselves before it. Later, when I sat near one of the brothers at dinner, he explained that once, such a canoe would have been rowed by two men and had three men front and back with bows and arrows, filled with murderous intent. Since the coming of the gospel, they have inverted and transformed this imagery, so the former war canoe now brings the gospel of hope, joy, love and peace. I have never been to such a stunning service.
On the so called London day, I went in one of the 42 coaches to London. The bishops and their spouses held a march of witness through the city in support of the alleviation of poverty and the millennium goals. This ended at Lambeth Palace, where we were all addressed by the Archbishop and in a heartfelt speech of support by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. This was followed by lunch in a marquee on the lawn of Lambeth Palace where I was seated next to the Primus of Scotland, who I have also invited to St Alban’s when he comes to visit his son currently living in Manly! Then we boarded coaches again and went to a garden party at Buckingham Palace, where I felt at first that I had stepped out of my reality and into a film set. Beautiful grounds and gardens, water birds, 2 military bands playing, elegant afternoon tea and the highlight, where we gathered into two lines about two or three deep while the Queen and Prince Philip walked slowly down between the rows with beefeaters and top hatted security men and were introduced to selected guests. The spectacle was amazing – the bishops had to wear cassock and of course, the women there wore their best with many beautiful hats. It was such a privilege to be included in these occasions.
When Rowan Williams’ name was mooted as a possible appointee as Archbishop of Canterbury, it was reported that one senior bishop said “God save us from a spiritual archbishop”. His spiritual depth and intent were reflected in the pattern of the days at Lambeth, the focus on the “I am” sayings of St John’s Gospel and his stated hope that the conference would be “resolution light”. The conference began with the
bishops all in Canterbury Cathedral on retreat. It is hard to know whether it was ignorance or malice that led the press to report this as the bishops “already meeting in secret in Canterbury Cathedral behind locked doors
Nine days after that first presidential address, the archbishop gave a second, where he spoke of the desirability of developing a covenant in the Communion, which he said, properly understood, is an expression of “mutual generosity”. He quoted Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sachs who had addressed a plenary session and said “covenant is the redemption of solitude”. The archbishop then engaged in what he described as a presumptuous and risky exercise where he imagined aloud what people on both sides of the current painful debate hope others will have heard or are beginning to hear. He canvassed the possibility of those who start at the same Centre, within an atmosphere of patience and charity, “being challenged to hear and respond generously to achieve something more like a conversation of equals, even something more like a church!” The bishops were challenged to be captured by the True Centre, the heart of God out of which flows the impulse of an eternal generosity which creates, and heals and promises. The question then to be asked was “Having heard the other, as fully and fairly as I can, what generous initiative can I take to break through into a new and transformed relation of communion in Christ?”
And what of the outcomes of Lambeth?
The Times editorial of 2 nd August carried the subheading; By focussing on the spiritual, Anglicans have reaffirmed their mutual bonds. It was noted that there had been no angry speeches, accusations or defiant votes; confrontation, grievance and contention were avoided. It highlighted the archbishop’s focus on the Anglican Communion as a Christian community and not as a political organisation where most of the discussion had been on those issues where Christians believe their message to be vital, and core to our 38 self-governing provinces: poverty, global harmony, faith, prayer and charity. That was the paper’s view. And the archbishop’s? In his closing address the Sunday before last, Rowan Williams expressed gratitude and admiration for the way delegates had all taken responsibility for everyone else and been loyal to the process devised even when they had serious difficulties and objections to it. He did not indulge in the quiet pride and satisfaction the newspaper suggested he might be entitled to! He noted that some feel that we put unity before truth and so have no very deep sense of truth itself. He emphasised that first and above all, Christian unity is union with Jesus Christ,; accepting his gift of grace and forgiveness, learning from him how to speak to his Father, standing where he stands by the power of the Spirit. This he says, is the unity that is inseparable from truth and he hopes to invite those who were absent from Lambeth to be involved in the next stages of discussion.
Let me finally quote to you a brief paragraph from the archbishop:
“So, is this our message? Our Communion longs to stay together – but not only as an association of polite friends. It is seeking a deeper entry into the place where Christ stands, to find its unity there. To that end, it is struggling with the question of what mutual commitments will preserve faithful, grateful relationship and common witness. But it must remember too that the place where Christ stands is also every place where God’s image is disfigured by the rebelliousness and in justice of our world – just as he once stood in the place of every rejected and lost human being in his suffering on the cross. To be with him in unity, in prayer and love, in intimacy with the Father, is at the same time to be with him among the rejected and disfigured.”
We go forward, in the Anglican Communion and in this parish, to create with God his future and to pursue his mission, with patience and yet impatience, with commitment and the longing and determination to be drawn ever closer to our place next to the Father’s heart.