Oh, in case you think the Pentecost letter is nothing at all, reckon with this

Here is a bishop who is incredibly nice to ++Rowan because he says this:

"Archbishop Rowan Williams should always be honored for what he has done as a theologian, and I do so honor him; and he should be honored as the Archbishop of Canterbury and in that capacity I also honor, respect, and love him. I hope that this respectful critique is seen as an expression of the love I feel for the person and the office."

And he is very honest about his own church and its GC resolutions since 2003:

"When an Empire and its exponents can no longer exercise control by might, an option is to feint, double-talk, and manipulate."

Of course not. Don't be silly. That sentence is about ++Rowan Williams! A taster, really, for more of the respectful critique of his leadership we like to read:

"In the Pentecost letter, it looks like he is disciplining errant provinces of the Communion, while only a little concentration shows that the underlying goal is to assert his power to be the disciplinarian. Archbishop Rowan is intent on a covenant with punitive measures built in. The bishops of the Communion expressed their distaste for a punitive covenant, and so the archbishop has stepped up to be himself the judging authority he has been unable to build into a covenant. "

Respect, ++Rowan!

Touching really.

Helpful too: conservatives who think the letter is a wet bus ticket ... they are sure shown up by this wisdom from California with its insight into the rod of iron wrapped in the bus ticket!