Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience
(Originally signed on October 20th, released November 20th.)
“We will be united and untiring in our efforts to roll back the license to kill that began with the abandonment of the unborn to abortion.”
– for the full text, see manhattandeclaration.org
AAC President’s update 20 November
Weekly Message from Bishop David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council, November 20 2009
“In a newly authorized advertising campaign, TEC begins by saying, “As Episcopalians, we are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” and this sounds spot-on Christologically.”
Beloved in Christ,
Some banks, large and small, have gotten into a great deal of trouble during the last year and a half with uncollectible loans and assets that have steeply declined in value. In short, their books don’t balance, and people’s money is at risk. Fortunately for most bank customers, their accounts are FDIC insured, and when a bank fails, another absorbs it, and the customer’s accounts remain relatively safe.
When it comes to churches, another institution that people trust, the same safety isn’t always present. Banks hold our money, and if they lose it we can work to gain more, whereas churches deal with our soul, and if we lose that, we can’t pick up another at the shopping mall.
As an example, the Episcopal Church (TEC) has vastly overstated their membership strength, withheld the really bad financial news, degraded their theology, lost membership, and their members’ souls are in peril. Read more
Updated website for Moore College
The Moore College website has a new look, and the beginning of lots of new resources.
It’s clearly the result of much hard work. See it here – and watch a welcome message from the Principal, Dr. John Woodhouse.
G K Chesterton on Daring Orthodoxy
“People have fallen into a foolish habit of speaking of orthodoxy as something heavy, humdrum, and safe. There never was anything so perilous or so exciting as orthodoxy…”
— Mark Thompson has a terrific quote from G K Chesterton — read it all here.
Gerald Bray on interpreting Scripture
“The first question we must ask of every biblical text is simply this — what does it tell us about God? What does it say about who he is and about what he does?
The second question is: what does this text say about us human beings? What are we meant to be and what has gone wrong?
The third and final question is: what has God done about this and what does he expect of us in the light of what he has done?…”
– Read the rest of the short interview at Between Two Worlds.
“A great turning of hearts must begin”
“In the lead up to the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change 7-18 December, CEO of World Vision Australia the Revd Tim Costello and US author Brian McLaren have co-written the following prayer…”
“This is the moment, God, when a great turning of hearts must begin. So through this prayer, we of many traditions who follow Christ — joined by friends and neighbors of many faiths – unite our hearts in a cry for change.”
No, it’s not a prayer for gospel repentance or the salvation of the nations through Christ.
– It’s available via Anglican Media Melbourne. (Photo: brianmclaren.net.)
Rising from the dust
“When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle’s wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace.
It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus’ bosom.”
– Charles Spurgeon — with thanks to Of First importance.
November 2009 issue of Themelios
The Gospel Coalition has released the latest issue of Themelios. It is available as a PDF document or in HTML format.
It includes a word of exhortation from Carl Trueman intended especially for theological students (but also applicable to other ‘professional’ Christians).
“The temptation for a theological student at this point, of course, is to make the obvious answer to this: well, I study the things of God all day long; I am hardly likely to forget about God, who he is and what he has done, am I? Well, there is forgetting and there is forgetting. Remembering that there is a train that leaves the local station every evening at five o’clock is one thing; remembering that I need to be on it to return home to be there for my wife’s surprise birthday party is quite another. It is all too easy for the theological student to end up remembering God as an object of knowledge; it is quite another thing to remember him as the all-surpassing subject of existence.”
(h/t Between Two Worlds.)
Reform regrets a ‘lost opportunity for peace and unity’
Reform regrets a ‘lost opportunity for peace and unity’ over Revision Committee’s decision on Women Bishops.
Media statement issued 16.11.09, following the announcement from the Revision Committee on Saturday November 14.
November 16th, 2009
The decision of the General Synod’s Revision Committee to back away from proposals to give opponents of women bishops a way of staying in the Church of England has “overturned the will of Synod, created the spectre of confrontation, and risks extending the controversy for another five years,” according to the chairman of Reform, the Rev’d Rod Thomas.
Responding to the announcement made on Saturday 14th November that the Revision Committee had failed to approve the transfer of jurisdiction from female to male bishops where parishes could not accept their oversight, Rod Thomas said:
“At last February’s General Synod there was a clear desire to provide legislative safeguards for those who could not, in conscience, accept the oversight of women bishops. This has now been overturned by the Revision Committee. Whereas there was a prospect of agreement, the Revision Committee has now set the General Synod on a course of confrontation. It has served the Church badly.
“There has been much speculation about Anglo-Catholics leaving the Church of England for Rome. What has been overlooked is the number of large evangelical churches which the Church of England now risks losing – not to Rome, but to independence or alternative Anglican affiliations.
“Within the General Synod there will be many who will be deeply unhappy at the bullying tactics being used to dismiss opponents of the proposed new legislation. Some evangelicals who do support the introduction of women bishops will nevertheless vote against proposals which have the effect of excluding other evangelicals. This means that by the time the proposals have finished their tortuous progress through the General Synod, they will be likely to fail, since they will be unable to garner the two thirds majority support needed.
“It may be that in the providence of God, the result of the Revision Committee’s decision may be the reverse of what they intend: that this unbiblical move to put women in positions of headship in the church will fail. Reform will now renew its commitment to work towards this outcome.”
– from Reform.
Judged by truth
Last week Hugh Palmer at All Souls Langham Place preached on the message of Romans 1:18 – 3:20 in 18 minutes. He speaks about the last great taboo.
It’s available as an mp3 file here.
Who cares about heresy?
Martin Downs at Against Heresies writes,
“Guy Davies draws my attention to the soon to be released Heresy: a history of defending the truth by Alister McGrath and published by SPCK (with a foreword by Rick Warren). I will look forward to reading it.
But here’s a curious line from the Amazonian blurb:
‘McGrath’s provocative thesis is that the categories of heresy and orthodoxy must be preserved by the church today.’
Go on, read it again, only this time slowly. Provocative? Would that not have received a blank stare, or a furrowed brow, from the apostles, early church fathers, medieval schoolmen, reformers, and the puritans?…”
– Read the article here.
Retire? Not in Bible, not in plans
“It’s been a good year for J.I. Packer, one of the world’s best-known theologians.
In March, the Anglican pastor and Regent College professor won Bible of the Year and Book of the Year honors for editing the English Standard Version Study Bible.
He also released two of his own books — ‘Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight,’ in June, and a yearlong devotional using his seminal work, ‘Knowing God,’ due out later this month…”
– an interview with J I Packer in The Modesto Bee. (Links added. Image: Anglican TV.)
Greetings to the bishops-elect of the Anglican Network in Canada
To Bishop Donald Harvey, and Bishops-elect Stephen Leung, Charlie Masters and Trevor Walters –
From Archbishop Peter Jensen, Secretary of GAFCON Primates Council:
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the whole armour of God so that you can take your stand. Preach the word, correct, rebuke and encourage. With our love, prayers, support and encouragement for your ministry.
Read the greetings from other Anglican leaders at Anglican Mainstream.
(Photo: Anglican Essentials Canada.)
ANiC Synod reports
The Anglican Network in Canada has been holding its Synod this last week. The Anglican Essentials Canada blog has reports and photos.
(Photo of Bp Don Harvey: ANiC)
Sermon Preparation by Bishop Paul Barnett
“At our recent Tasmanian Clergy Conference (4 – 6 November 2009), our guest speaker Bishop Paul Barnett presented excellent “Studies in First Peter” and also his notes on Sermon Preparation. I have his permission to share them with you…”
– John Harrower, Bishop of Tasmania, writes at his blog.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…