Elite sports chaplain Ashley Null: ‘The gospel is the antidote to performance-based identity’

Posted on July 27, 2024 
Filed under People, Theology

“We’re not two minutes into our interview before Rev Canon Dr Ashley Null starts weeping gently.

It is not what I was expecting.

The danger with the relentless researching of your subject in preparation for an interview is that you’re bound to make some assumptions. My first was that Null, a Yale and Cambridge alumnus who is a leading expert on Thomas Cranmer and the theology of the English Reformation, might be intimidatingly intellectual and inaccessible to us mere mortals.

My second was that this might make for a difficult interview with an overly fastidious subject.

I was wrong on both counts. …”

– At Premier Christianity, Emma Fowle speaks with Ashley Null. Take the time to read.

Photo courtesy Gafcon.

Meet Jesus: A Mid-Year Progress Update

Posted on July 27, 2024 
Filed under Encouragement, Evangelism

 

“After a pastor prayed for his friends, one of them rang him up the next day and said: ‘I’m not really sure why I am ringing you, but I thought I would touch base’. The pastor replied: ‘I know why you are ringing me. It is because I prayed for you’. And he shared the gospel with his friend over the phone!

A student in Sydney used sausages at her frisbee team’s BBQ to draw the pictures from Two Ways to Live … and explain Jesus to her friends. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Richard Chin shares some encouragement from the AFES-initiated “Meet Jesus” mission.

Photo: Richard Chin speaking at Moore College earlier this year.

Eric Liddell: The Olympic Champion who ran God’s Race in the Internment Camp

Posted on July 26, 2024 
Filed under Good News, History, People

“With the approaching of the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris on July 26, many people especially Christians are remembering Eric Liddell (1902-1945).

Powerfully depicted in the 1981 Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire as the “Flying Scotsman”, Liddell demonstrated to the world a strong Christian conviction. Appreciated or criticised, he refused to run any race on any Sunday, even at the cost of gold medals. However, his missionary work in war-torn China from 1925 to 1945 is less known, and even less known is his Christ-like living in the Japanese concentration camp in China. …”

– At AP, Sonia Liang reminds us of the often-overlooked story of Eric Liddell.

Photo: Eric Liddell at the British Empire vs. USA (Relays) meeting held at Stamford Bridge, London on Saturday 19 July 1924. Public domain, via Wikipedia.

Southern Cross August – September 2024

Posted on July 26, 2024 
Filed under Sydney Diocese

The August – September 2024 edition of Southern Cross magazine is now available on the Sydney Diocese website.

Download your copy – or pick up one at church when printed copies are available.

What is the ecclesiological problem with a third province?

Posted on July 25, 2024 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars

“In a letter of 2 July this year to the signatories of a letter from the Alliance group within the Church of England to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York the Bishop of Oxford wrote as follows:

‘The mind of the majority House of Bishops now seems to me to be settling on questions of pastoral reassurance after many months of uncertainty. There is a now a reluctant acceptance of the need for some regional provision of episcopal ministry to recognise divergent views on marriage and same sex relationships, supported by a House of Bishops statement, Code of Practice and Reviewer. However, the House is also clear that going beyond these arrangements to diverse jurisdictions, a third province and a church within a church undercuts the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology and represents a red line we cannot cross.’

The references in the final sentence of this quotation to ‘diverse jurisdictions,’ ‘a third province’ and ‘a church within a church’  are all different ways of referring to the same idea, the idea put forward by the Alliance and the Church of England Evangelical Council  (CEEC) that in the event that the House of Bishops and the General Synod continue down the path of permitting the blessing of same-sex sexual relationships and allowing those in same-sex sexual relationships to serve as ordained Church of England ministers, a third province of the Church of England should be created to provide a secure and permanent home for those who cannot in good conscience accept these developments.

The Bishop of Oxford rejects this idea on the grounds that it ‘undercuts the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology’ and therefore ‘represents a red line we cannot cross.’  What he does not explain in his letter, and what he has not explained elsewhere, is why the proposal for a third province goes against ‘the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology.’

It is very difficult to see why he thinks is the case. …”

– Martin Davie rules out possible arguments against ‘a third province’ in the Church of England.

Photo: Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft.

Why stay (at least for now)?

Posted on July 24, 2024 
Filed under Church of England

Anglican Futures is publishing a series of essays by various contributors on whether they should leave, or stay, in the Church of England:

“The debate over whether to remain in or leave the European Union divided families and our nation and still does not seem to be finally settled.

The discussions over what members of the Church of England should do, given the clear trajectory of the Prayers of Living in Love and Faith, is no less fraught. Already people on both sides of the debate have voiced their dissatisfaction and left.

The reasons for people remaining are equally diverse and in some ways divisive. …”

– In reading this and the other contributions, do uphold in prayer our brothers and sisters in England who seek the Lord’s wisdom for the best way forward.

Image: Church of England website.

Review of Packer’s ‘Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age’

Posted on July 24, 2024 
Filed under Moore College, Resources, Theology

“I was eating pizza the other night with two young men, one a Christian, the other a seeker. We talked about what it means to be a Christian and some of the challenges of the Christian life.

The first surprise was that they/we couldn’t get through two family-sized pizzas. The youth of today!

The second was that they thought that becoming a Christian in 2024 was a way of rebelling.

One told how his boss, a Gen X Roman Catholic, explained that young men shouldn’t be going to church but should instead be finding a girlfriend to sleep with and getting drunk. The young man found this boringly orthodox, ignoble, and distasteful. He felt certain that there must be a better way to live.

I’m having conversations like these more and more these days. Are we seeing early signs of a spiritual awakening among young people? I wonder whether the Lord is beginning a new work among these younger generations.

What I know for certain is that the Church must be ready to receive young seekers. That means that our churches must be refuges of radical, self-sacrificial love. Parched and thirsting for meaning and community in today’s desert of online isolation and spiritual desolation, nothing will attract young people more than an actual flesh-and-blood loving Christian community. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This kind of strange Christ-like love can arise only from an intimate relational knowledge of Jesus himself.

This is where a book like Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age comes in.

J. I. Packer (1926–2020) was a British theologian, author of the now-classic Knowing God (1973), who for most of his working life was a professor of theology at Regent College in Vancouver. He stands alongside John Stott, F.F. Bruce, Michael Green, Dick Lucas, Martyn-Lloyd Jones and other superb conservative-evangelical British preachers and theologians of the twentieth century.

The book is in fact a lightly edited transcription of five lectures that Packer first delivered at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids in 1978, and then at Moore College in Sydney. …”

–At AP, Campbell Markham reviews J I Packer’s Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age. (Bold added.)

And you can also see or hear Packer’s five lectures at the Moore College Annual Lectures in 1978 – in glorious grey and white, thanks to the Donald Robinson Library at Moore College.

His series title was “We Preach Christ Crucified”. Very much worth watching.

At about an hour each, why not consider watching these with your Bible Study?

Lecture 1 –  We’ve a Story to Tell.
Lecture 2 – The man Christ Jesus.
Lecture 3 – He emptied himself: the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Lecture 4 – The wonderful exchange.
Lecture 5 – No other name: the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

Related:

The Moore College Annual Lectures 2024 with Tom Schreiner.

A way back from disillusionment and disappointment in ministry — The Pastor’s Heart

Posted on July 23, 2024 
Filed under Encouragement, Resources, Theology

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Disillusionment is one of the great threats to the Christian life and to Christian ministry

A wise man said the worst thing in ministry was not a pastor who quits, but a pastor who doesn’t quit, but who keeps going when they’ve given up.

Sydney Missionary and Bible College Karl Deenick shares his own experience of hitting a major wall after seven years of pastoral work.

We unpack how ministry challenges can lead to a sense of disillusionment, especially among millennials, plus a way back.”

– Many will resonate with this one. Watch or listen here.

Related:

Gathered Together by Karl Deenick. (Matthias Media.)

Peter Adam’s talks at the 2001 Proclamation Trust Senior Ministers Conference:

The Making of a Man of God – 1.
The Making of a Man of God – 2.
The Making of a Man of God – 3.

A culture of winning souls for Christ

Posted on July 22, 2024 
Filed under Encouragement, Evangelism

“In 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 the apostle Paul famously gives insight into one way Jesus’ love drove him to create deeply meaningful, personal connections to bring people the gospel:

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

Key to Paul’s strategy is using culture – understanding and adapting himself to others’ life patterns – to win souls for Christ. Moreover, this is not for Paul alone. He also calls on the Corinthians to “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). All Christians are to become all things to all people, so that by all possible means we might save some.

Understanding culture is vital for Christians. However, it can also seem daunting – reserved for quirky, safari-suited academics studying strange tribal rituals in a remote place! I want to give a simple, accessible description of culture I’ve found very helpful in putting 1 Cor 9:22 into concrete, real-life practice. …”

– Here’s some encouragement from The Rev. Dr. Dan Wu at Moore College. (via SydneyAnglicans.net.)

Albert Mohler: President Biden Drops a Political Bomb

Posted on July 22, 2024 
Filed under Opinion

Dr Albert Mohler at Southern Seminary has released another ‘special edition’ of his The Briefing podcast to comment on the withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the Presidential race.

Obviously, his opinions are his own, but Australians who might not have been following events closely will find this a helpful overview, along with his critique of some of the positions held by candidates or potential candidates.

– Listen here. (26 minutes.)

Reading the News the Biblical Way

Posted on July 22, 2024 
Filed under Resources

“The news can be overwhelming on a good day and depressing on a normal day. Wars, scandals, financial crises, social decline, and political buffoonery are enough to make anyone exhausted.

We need to learn to read the news the biblical way. Revelation can help us. …”

– Darryl Dash at The Gospel Coalition Canada reminds us of two important truths from the Book of Revelation.

Discover Serving in the Bathurst Diocese — on Zoom, Monday 22nd July

Posted on July 21, 2024 
Filed under Australian dioceses

This is coming up on Monday – from the Diocese of Bathurst:

“Are you interested in ministry opportunities and pathways outside of the city? Are you curious about what it actually looks like to minister out west? Are you keen to hear about what it is like to SHARE JESUS for LIFE in the Bathurst Diocese?

Come and join current workers and their spouses online as they answer these and other questions. This session is for anyone who is interested or curious!”

– on Monday 22nd July on Zoom. Details at this link.

Very much related:

On Sunday, Bishop Mark Calder wrote:

“Warm, welcoming, keen to grow and learn. Without a pastor for nearly three years. Who will come?

Great to be at St Ambrose Memorial Anglican Church Gilgandra this morning – meeting with the Uniting Church across the road as our building needs some work.”

– On the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.

FREEDOM24 conference August 5

Posted on July 20, 2024 
Filed under Australia, Culture wars, Resources

From Assoc Professor Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia:

“Freedom for Faith is hosting the FREEDOM24 Conference 9am-4pm on Monday August 5th at Village Church Annandale in Sydney. I highly recommend this conference!

Livestream tickets are free, to maximise access for those who cannot attend in person.

FREEDOM24 conference will develop your understanding of threats to religious freedom in Australia from historical, theological and policy perspectives.

Historian Sarah Irving-Stonebraker will examine the history of religious freedom, while John McClean of Christ College will share a theological perspective on how the church is to respond to legal threats to ministry. We will also have a number of experts unpack the major religious freedom concerns in Australia, as well as implications and paths forward for advocacy.

Issues examined will include: …”

– Details and link for tickets.

Savour Christ in Every Psalm

Posted on July 20, 2024 
Filed under Encouragement, Resources

“For the greater part of church history, Christians have viewed the Psalms through the lens of fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

In particular, they have read the Psalms as the songs of Jesus — songs sung by Jesus in his life on earth, and songs in which the risen and ascended Jesus still leads his church in singing on earth. …”

– At Desiring God, Christopher Ash encourages us to do what millennia of Christians (including centuries of Anglicans) have done.

Things I wish I heard in a Funeral Sermon

Posted on July 20, 2024 
Filed under Resources

“Several months ago, I attended a vaguely Christian funeral. It was Christian in the sense it had familiar elements of our faith: a Bible reading, a short sermon and a cross adorning the hall. Yet it was vague because I left uncomforted and unconfronted by the substantive truths of our faith.

The guests came and went without hearing the gospel. Our hope of seeing the dearly deceased was not articulated beyond the ethereal mention of faith, hope and love. …”

– This article by Renee Zou, published by The Gospel Coalition Australia in May, is an encouragement to all who have an opportunity to speak or preach at such difficult times.

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