Melbourne Diocese Synod Charge 2009
“My charge to you tonight is a call to a deeper relationship with Christ, a call to faithful Christian ministry both as clergy and lay Christians, a call to Christian witness in our daily lives, a call to prayer, a call to love one another and a call to share in the creation of a vision for the Diocese of Melbourne for the next five years and beyond.”
– from Archbishop Philip Freier’s address to the Melbourne Synod on Thursday night (PDF file).
Related: Press release from Anglican Media Melbourne.
Conservative worshippers prepare for their exodus
“The people of St. Luke’s Anglican Church have called their La Crescenta parish home for 85 years. Generations of families have grown up within its historic stone walls.
On Sunday, the Rev. Rob Holman will deliver his final sermon there, an epitaph to a bruising legal fight the congregation waged and lost to practice its conservative brand of Christian theology and hold on to the church.
On Monday, St. Luke’s leaders will hand over its keys to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. …”
– Story from The Los Angeles Times. (Graphic: St. Luke’s Crescenta Valley.)
Plan for women C of E bishops put on hold
“Plans to consecrate women bishops in the Church of England have been delayed by at least four years in an attempt to avoid mass defections by opponents of women’s ordination. Church legislators have backtracked on a decision made by the General Synod, the Church’s governing body, last year to consecrate women bishops with minimal concessions to opponents.”
– report from Times Online.
(Photo: Australian women bishops Barbara Darling and Kay Goldsworthy – by Janine Eastlake / Anglican Media Melbourne.).
No laughing matter
“A friend sent me a link yesterday to one of the most bizarre things I have ever heard. On September 16, John Piper spoke to a large conference of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
He decided to start the message by confessing a list of sins he had struggled with all his life. Here’s the result.”
Greg Gilbert makes some perceptive comments at Church Matters. What might we learn from this episode?
If life has meaning, death is an outrage
“It has been a good couple of months for the celebrating of life at memorial services. First, there was the celebration of Michael Jackson’s life and then there was Ted Kennedy, enfant terrible turned elder statesman. Both men, in their different ways, were proof positive that, in modern America, you only need to love your own kids and then at some point die in order to atone for any sins you may have committed against other people’s beloved sons and daughters…”
– Carl Trueman’s latest commentary at Reformation21 is well worth reading. How might reflection on these things help our conversations? (Photo: Westminster Seminary.)
David Letterman and cosmic captivity
“The Scripture says that Satan’s reign over this present order is by holding us captive through the slavery of the ‘fear of death’ (Heb 2:15). And why are all humans afraid of death? Because, like Letterman’s letter in the back of the car, our conscience is pointing us to judgment, with a ‘black box’ of evidence of our guilt (Rom 2:15-16).”
– Russell Moore at SBTS writes on ‘What David Letterman can teach us about the Gospel’. (h/t Tim Challies.)
“In human terms we lost” — Bp Bob Duncan
“We lost. In human terms we lost. Bishop and Standing Committee, together with Board of Trustees, thought we understood the document that was signed on our behalf in 2005 that ended the first phase of the Calvary lawsuit. But yesterday, the judge found against us on the basis of that document. …
We will take a time for further counsel and prayer, seeking God’s guidance on whether to file an appeal. …
The gospel for this Sunday is Mark 10:17-31, the rich young man. In the passage Jesus promises that those who are willing to leave everything to follow him “will receive back a hundredfold.” Jesus is speaking to us and to our situation. Now is the moment we are called to trust Him at His word. I am willing. Your leadership is willing. Are you?”
– from Bishop Robert Duncan’s Pastoral Letter on this week’s court ruling against the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican).
Evangelism is not proselytism
“‘Mission’, ‘evangelism’ (and ‘evangelization’) and ‘proselytism’ are often muddled by speakers and this results in confusion and conjecture…”
– Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower points out the difference.
Diocese told to surrender assets
“An Allegheny County court awarded the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh more than $15 million in endowments, bank accounts and other assets that a secessionist diocese had sought to retain…”
– Latest on the moves by TEC to retain property claimed by the (Anglican) Diocese of Pittsburgh headed by Bishop Bob Dunbcan.
Story from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“I Have No Greater Joy”
Two weeks ago, Don Carson preached at CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, Wisconsin. His text was on 3 John, focussing on verse 4.
As always, Christ-centred and edifying. Hear the sermon here (60min / 14MB mp3 file).
Engaging with our culture
The BeThinking.org website, run by the UCCF, has been around for a while. It contains a wide range of helpful talks Christians “understand, defend and communicate the Christian faith”.
Preaching resources from the Diocese of Tasmania
The Diocese of Tasmania website has recently added some helpful and encouraging notes on preaching.
Diocese of Niagara financial appeal
From the Diocese of Niagara in Canada:
“The purpose of this letter is to invite you to show your support to Bishop Michael [Bird] and our Diocese by participating in a new initiative called ‘Passion for Justice’. This initiative is a simple, quick and direct way to appeal to all the people who have struggled for and in some cases, voted to move forward with blessing of same gendered marriages and ask for your financial support.” (original emphasis)
The money apparently is needed due to the cost of legal proceedings against ‘a small group of extremists’. – Anglican Essentials Canada blog has the letter here.
What should faithful Lutherans in the ELCA do?
“Simply put, would you stay in perpetuity in a denomination that officially sanctioned adult-consensual incest, adultery, and polyamory (i.e. concurrent multiple-partner unions) and even set up as leaders of the church persons who engaged unrepentantly in such immorality? If the answer is “no,” consider this:…”
– Robert Gagnon at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary offers some biblical advice. (PDF version.) h/t Anglican Mainstream.
Benny Hinn prevented from entering UK
“Benny Hinn was meant to be evangelising the UK as I write, with three days booked from last night until 3 October at Excel in London’s Docklands. But his attempt to enter the country at Stansted Airport was unsuccessful. According to sources he took his private jet to Paris and then tried a second time, at Luton Airport. That attempt failed too, and tonight, Friday, he is on his way back to France. …”
– Ruth Gledhill writes at Times Online. (Image: Benny Hinn Ministries.)
Related: US Senate examines ‘TV evangelists’ and Word of Faith preachers.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…