Fourth Sunday in Lent

The only scheduled items on the agenda were the celebration of the Eucharist at 10am and an event known as a "Fireside Chat" at 7. 

The preacher at the Eucharist was the Bishop Suffragan of Haiti, where they surely know something about leadership in a time of loss. Oge Beauvoir wisely reminded us that "communities rise and fall on the quality of their leadership."

Mealtimes, of course, are wonderful occasions for conversing and connecting. Unlike parish clergy, most of whom are able to sustain relationships with nearby peers, bishops mostly work in isolation from others who share the same challenges. So the opportunity just to be together is life-giving.

After lunch, I took a brisk hour-long walk by myself. Since I'm away from my treadmill, I'm grateful for every opportunity to exercise. After a bit of a nap (had to get that hour of sleep lost in the time change back!) I toted my laptop to a lounge area and worked on a blog post regarding the Title IV accord, mixed in with conversations with bishops coming and going from that area. 

After dinner, we gathered in a large room where there is indeed a large fireplace with a fire in it. The room is really too small and there were several who had to stand along the walls. The Presiding Bishop had a few items of her own to share, after which she opened up the floor, passing around a wireless microphone. (Even those, like YFNB, whose voices naturally carry had to use it for the sake of the translators.) I was glad somebody introduced the subject of the South Carolina debacle. I piggy-backed on this to make the observation that this is indeed the elephant in the room, and if our theme is godly leadership in a time of loss, there is probably nothing more important for us to discuss. I was assured that there may yet be an opportunity for us to do this before we leave Kanuga.