Going through the motions

Fulcrum has produced the expected mini-screed.

Fulcrum Response to Consents being given to the
Consecration of Mary Glasspool

This is a clear rejection of the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates' Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.

We believe that it is vitally important for the Primates' Meeting planned for January 2011 to go ahead, and that for this to happen the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church should not be invited to attend. Actions have consequences.

While we are at, I think that the Primates meeting should proceed without the Archbishop of Canterbury for allowing same-sex clergy couples in the first place let alone to allowing them to get equal pension rights or for allowing the House of Lords to let non-conformist churches bless civil unions. Clearly, The Church of England (and apparently England itself) has a problem with the ABC's authority. As they say, actions have consequences.

And maybe that the Primates meeting should proceed without the Archbishop of Uganda for failing to stop the Kill-the-Gays bill in Uganda and for the weak, this-is-really-about-culture, condemnation of the "kill" part. Actions have consequences, you know.

And we should have the meeting but dis-invite the Archbishop of Nigeria not only for supporting another imprison-the-gays-for-life bill that failed, but also for insufficiently repenting from encouraging violence against Muslims. Actions have consequences.

Let's have the Primates Meeting but dis-invite every one who has made a stand or choice of anyone who has made a questionable or objectionable decision. Because the Primates Meeting is not for actually meeting and discussion and working out the hard questions of humans living in Communion this side of heaven. And forget about actually doing mission. The point of these meetings is apparently a reward for good behavior.

You know, this sounds so 2000's, doesn't it?

Actually, compared to those heady days, the Fulcrum screed is really rather mild. It is really is "mini."

Come to think of it, the "official" response from Lambeth is not even posted on the internet yet. The various blog and news sources only had the little paragraph they got because they asked for it and it came via e-mail. No news conferences, no big pow-wows, no urgent essays.

The petition from the Communion Partner dudes says nothing particularly new (or clear) and just enough people signing it to fill a church van.

We have been reduced to going through the motions. Someone does something someone else doesn't like, and we barely have the energy to hit Control-P. No one wants to walk back their previous statements, but no one has any heart or energy to fight the battles, either.

Maybe the time for screeds is past? We beseech to hear us, Good Lord.