Simple Country Blogger Watch, UPDATE

The Simple Country Bishop is back in the Granite State, and has some final reflections on his recent attention-getter in Merry Olde England. First up, coming home to a reception befitting a celebrity bishop:

"I arrived at the Manchester, NH, airport (two hours late), greeted and surprised by 30 or so clergy and laity from New Hampshire, waving signs, holding balloons and flowers, and singing "I sing a song of the saints of God." Some came from over two hours away, and would get home long after midnight. One of my favorite signs read: "Medium rare after your grilling at Lambeth? No, WELL DONE!!" Can anyone doubt why I love my diocese so much?!"

"You Like Me! You Really Like me!" Geez. How many other bishops arrived home to a publicity event?

But the important stuff is a bit further down in his post. It's the lesson the Simple Country Bishop took away from his time at Lambeth, which can be summed up thusly: Lots of bishops agree - "living-in-tension" is just dandy! The Anglican Communion needs is more of it, and The Episcopal Church (tm) should lead the way!

How? First of all by telling our brother and sister Anglicans to... get freakin' stuffed. Who cares what a bunch of uppity wogs and neo-con bigots think, anyway:

"Through the actions of our General Convention, I hope we will say to the Communion, "You know, we have listened carefully to what you have had to say to us. We deeply regret that our actions cause you distress, even a diminishment of your ability to evangelize in your context. But we must minister in and to our OWN context, as best we can discern God's will for us. We will no longer observe (or pretend to observe) the moratoria on consecrations and blessings. We will abide by our own canons which (in two different places) bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and if and when a partnered gay or lesbian person is elected by the clergy and laity of a diocese, we will consider them for consent as we would any other. And we will proceed to ask the Standing Liturgical Commission, over the next triennium, to develop authorized rites for the blessing of same sex unions, to be brought back to the 2012 General Convention. This will necessarily involve our articulation of the theology of blessing which underlies this action, which you have asked for. We will no longer sacrifice the faithful gay and lesbian members of this Church for the sake of a unity we seem unable to define." That is my hope, and that is the work we have to do in preparation for the 2009 General Convention."

I can't wait.