Friday 25 July 2008

Lambeth, July 25th





Dear Ones,

Back to Ordinary days, this being the Ordinary Day 5. Same schedule, 7:15 Eucharist, today by The Church of North India and the Church of Bangladesh, then breakfast. Bible Study today covered John 8: 31-59. While we discussed that my Bible Study is becoming closer and closer and wanted to process the day before, the ironies, the incredible sight and feel of marching with our brothers and sisters for a cause that deserves and needs our moral and spiritual voice, hunger and poverty. That day will not soon be lost on any of us. Thanks to Mary Allen, one picture was found with me, kind of in it. I put it in just above. Also, you can see the BBC news video at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7523539.stm

Today, we turned our focus to one of the issues that I have the most passion about and the one that I think is the most serious for us to have a voice; Climate Change and Global Warming. In my self select session I again attended the Climate Change workshop entitled today "The consequences of of climate change From South to North" The Chair was John Prichard, Bishop of Oxford, UK, and Tom Wilmot, Bishop of Perth, Australia and Bishop Mark McDonald, National Indigenous Bishop, Toronto, Canada and former bishop of Alaska. This was a fascinating discussion. I am very heartened by how many bishops see this as a major focus and how many want to know more.


In keeping with that theme today the spouses had a presentation from Professor Chris Rapley, Director of the Science Museum, a known expert in Climate Change. Until 2007 he was the Director of the British Antartic Survey. He then gave an excellent plenary to the entire conference tonight in the Big Top. We will continue our exploration of the Bishop and the Environment tomorrow.

Dent Davidson showed up tonight and our bishop's choir rehearsed, we will also rehearse tomorrow and then lead Evening Worship tomorrow evening. It was good to see him. He is a huge asset to our House of Bishops and to our Church.

Our Diocese of Olympia Cursillo community sent a package to both Nedi and I filled with "palanca" for us both. These letters and well wishes and assurances of prayer have been so very important to both of us. Thanks to all who took the time to do this. You are a blessing and we are so heartened by all who are praying for us. My picture tonight is of our presentation in the Big Top by Dr. Rapley. I hope it gives you some perspective on our meeting space.

I leave you with a quote from one of those letters from Cursillo. The person sent me a 1939 quote by King George VI, "Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than life and safer than a known way!" That is a keeper!


Blessings,


+Greg

2 comments:

  1. "I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be better than light, and safer than a known way.'" Quoted by King George in his 1939 Christmas speech at the beginning of WW2.
    http://archives.cbc.ca/on_this_day/12/25/


    Diana Wright

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  2. I should have added that it was written by Minnie Louise Haskins in 1908. The full poem is here: http://members.lycos.co.uk/Christchurch2000uk/prayers.htm

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