Abandon the Reformation, Abandon the Gospel
“There they sat. Relics. Lots of them. There was a cut of fabric from the swaddling cloth of baby Jesus, 13 pieces from his crib, a strand of straw from the manger, a piece of gold from a Wise Man, three pieces of myrrh, a morsel of bread from the Last Supper, a thorn from the crown Jesus wore when crucified, and, to top it all off, a genuine piece of stone that Jesus stood on to ascend to the Father’s right hand…”
– At The Gospel Coalition, Matthew Barrett writes for Reformation Day (October 31).
New Church Army website
The Church Army in Australia has relaunched its website – here.
Includes a link to the National Director Martin Morgan’s recommendations of good books on Evangelism.
Canon Phil Ashey reports from London
In his weekly report, Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council writes from London –
“GAFCON was not just a moment; it is a movement. The purpose of the 2012 leadership conference will be to gather existing and emerging FCA leaders… to promote the ongoing renewal and reformation of the Anglican Communion.”
“Dear Friends in Christ,
I have been working this week from London in meetings of the global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), which has just opened an office here under the able leadership of Bishop Martyn Minns. Next year, there will be a conference of about 200 leaders from the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans held in London in the spring. Read more
Endemic Anhedonia — Bishop Peter Brain
Wise words from Bishop Peter Brain – published on the Diocese of Armidale website:
In recent trips around the Diocese we have been taken by the blossoms of trees flowering randomly along the main roads and standing alone in the paddocks. The colours have been stunning – pinks, purples, whites abound, and in some trees colours are combined and blended. It has been a fascinating exercise to ponder how they got there. Are they the result of discarded seeds thrown from cars? or dropped by opportunistic birds? or planted near houses that no longer exist? Whatever their origin, one thing is for sure: seeds continue to grow, shoots continue to bloom and God displays His unmistakeably splendid handiwork yet again. Read more
The Barber Who Wanted to Pray
The Barber Who Wanted to Pray is a new book for children by R C Sproul. It tells the story of Martin Luther’s barber and his question about prayer. Beautifully illustrated with an outline of Luther’s advice on prayer.
You can read the entire book at the Crossway website (scroll down to ‘Preview the Book’), and it’s available locally from Reformers bookshop.
Scottish government ‘forgets’ Christmas
“The Scottish Government has come under fire for completely failing to mention Christmas in its ‘Winter Festivals’ programme. In an official news release the Government mentions St Andrew’s Day eleven times, Hogmanay five times and Burns Night several times. But Christmas is not mentioned at all. …” – More political correctness, as reported by The Christian Institute.
Provincial Mission Convention 2012 — what a great idea
The Provincial Mission Convention in Canberra in January 2012 is a great way for Anglicans across NSW to get together for encouragement for mission. (The Anglican Province of NSW is made up of the dioceses of Canberra & Goulburn, Sydney, Riverina, Bathurst, Newcastle, Armidale and Grafton.)
Bishop of Canberra-Goulburn, Stuart Robinson, speaks about the Provincial Convention in his latest StuTube.
He writes: “This Convention affords us the opportunity to meet with people from a wide range of traditions and contexts, to be challenged and resourced for mission and to enjoy times of corporate worship and fellowship; a brilliant way to start the year!!”
Grab the updated brochure / registration form (PDF file) for details.
Kategoria online at Gospel Coalition
They may not be the very latest thing off the press, but all the issues of Kategoria (published by Matthias Media between 1996 and 2004) are now available at The Gospel Coalition.
There’s a wealth of thought-provoking and Biblically-informed material on topics from Darwin & Evolution to Feminist Theology. Check it out (PDF format).
Archbishop Cranmer’s immortal bequest
In the run up to Reformation Sunday (October 30), Church Society has republished a 1992 article from Churchman – ‘Archbishop Cranmer’s Immortal Bequest: The Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England: An Evangelistic Liturgy’ by Samuel Leuenberger. (PDF file.)
Worthwhile reading for a sense of where the Book of Common Prayer comes from, especially so as Sydney Diocese discusses liturgical revision.