That’s not to say there isn’t debate and, yes, disagreement among the bishops, especially over The Issue. That notwithstanding, this place is more often permeated with a real sense of Christian community, a profound believe that the Anglican Communion is a gift of God worth preserving, and a earnest desire to do what it takes to preserve it. At least that’s the vibe I’m picking up. One couldn’t help but be awed by a sense of our Communion’s catholicity in seeing the 670 bishops lined up rank on rank and row on row, in all their unity and diversity, for the official group photo (above).
The week ahead will be particularly important in the life of this conference, since the first formal engagements with the human sexuality question will begin, as well as more intensified discussions on the ecclesiology of and authority in the Communion (i.e. the Windsor Report and the proposed Anglican Covenant).
I’m afraid this is going to be a rather brief entry, and I’m rather embarrassed if folks who’d hoped this blog would be a more prolific source of “insider” Lambeth reflections are disappointed. The rapporteur job does keep us hopping, often day and night. In fact, I’ve got a report due tomorrow morning waiting for me as I type this. I suppose I should say for the record that I literally had tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. Granted, it was with 1,000+ other people involved with the Lambeth Conference, as part of the mid-conference day off in London.
Perhaps just another short note to express what a privilege it is to be here. I was pinching myself the other day as I found myself in the middle of rather small seminar discussion on Anglican ecclesiology between Archbishop Rowan Williams, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, and Bishop Brian Farrell of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, among others.

Speaking of which, technically I’m here to write reports, not blog entries, so I’d better get back to rapporteuring. Sorry again for the few-and-far-between postings, though frequent visitors to this site will be accustomed to that. Do keep checking in, and I’ll hope to have more soon.