To the extent that the church of England bishops only go to church of England parishes and churches, they have forgotten what the office of bishop is. To the extent that Methodist bishops (in the States) only go the Methodist congregations they have not understood that office of bishop is intrinsically ecumenical, because it is intrinsically the very office of Christ, who calls all men to obedience. He commands them, and they must hear and obey. The ecumenism is not an option but the evangelical command of God, the assertion, for our sake, of his lordship. And what we have said for bishops is so for all Superintendents and Moderators, who if they know themselves to be under the discipline of the whole Church are all bishops by another name.
So it is the job of the bishop to knock humbly on the door of every church in his diocese, not only those churches which ostensibly recognise bishops because their structure is Anglican or Episcopalian, but most particularly those who do not recognise bishops and assure us that they are independent of all that hierarchy. He must go to every charismatic assembly and little house church and wait until they get over themselves and let him in, and with him, the rest of the catholic Church. Until that time he must wait out in the rain. He is the icon of Christ, the sign of unity of the whole church that is presently waiting out on the street for each of us in our assembly to let them in. He is the icon of the Church because the suffering of Christ is visisble in him – for those who can see it. It is us who are making our Lord wait for us out there.
