Bishops All A-Twitter

An Archbishop of Canada, Congo and Korea are on a panel at a House of Bishops meeting in North Carolina...

Sounds like a set-up for a joke. And it is. Because the HoB topic of the morning was the Anglican Covenant. And, unlike the typical "Spank the Yanks" we've been used to hearing out of Lambeth Palace, this was more like a round of "Kick the Covenant".

Rt. Rev. Kirk Smith of Arizona was live tweeting their comments, which the Rev. Ann Fontaine posted to The Lead, and on her Facebook page. Needless to say, I was delighted to see the following streaming commentary:

.Archbishop of Korea quoting from formal response from Korean bishops: do not see necessity for a codified Covenant.
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck .Archbishop of Korea is now speaking (In Korean) with my old colleague Aidan Koh translating.
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck .Archbp. of Canada is "uneasy" about possible two -tiered system proposed in Covenant.
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck .Archbishop of Canada does not see any mention of reconciliation and mediation for those who might be disciplined by sec. IV of the Covenant.
about 4 hours ago via TweetDeck .Archbishop of Canada now speaking.
about 5 hours ago via TweetDeck .Archbishop of Congo is hopeful about the future. about 5 hours ago via TweetDeck .Archbishop of Congo now speaking in French: Does not feel that there has been adequate discussion of the Covenant among the Primates. about 5 hours ago via TweetDeck .Bp. Alexander: Can catholicity be expressed other than locally?
about 5 hours ago via TweetDeck .Bishop Neil Alexander of Atlanta presents opening paper. Argues that changes in polity will result in changes of ecclesiology.

"Does not feel there's been adequate discussion of the Covenant among the Primates."
"Uneasy about possible two-tiered system."
"Do not see the necessity for a codified Covenant."
Words not from the Americans. I suppose it might be safe to assume, then, that it's not just "the Yanks" who think this whole thing has been an unnecessary waste of time, and a preoccupation over things temporal!

I note, too, that the Bishops began their day with morning prayer. As such, they heard the lamentations of Jeremiah as God is laying it out for the prophet how God's people have erred and strayed... AGAIN. They also got a dose of Paul's letter to the Romans, about those who by faith (not the law) are among the nations that come from Abraham. Good words to reflect upon as one considers a document that attempts to turn faith into the law.