CASE Conference: Christian Perspectives at the End of Life
From the Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education:
“As treatment of disease improves and life expectancy is extended, many of us will face difficult decisions about life and death. Moral dilemmas abound and ethical choices need to be made. Many of these issues are often news items in the media. This second annual conference is based on our conviction that providing a Christian perspective on medical ethics is essential for the public debate and discourse.”
– Read more on the CASE Conference on Medical Ethics – Saturday 27 March 2010. (Registrations close on March 17.)
Time to get Faith Book (re-post)
The Diocese of North West Australia has launched Faith Book, a 36 page book of “Stories of Faith written for the Centenary of the Anglican Church of North West Australia, 1910–2010”.
Very encouraging and a good aid in praying for the people of the North West. Copies are only $5 each, posted, and are available from the Diocesan office.
Graham Miller: A Day’s March Nearer Home
Many in the Presbyterian Church and beyond will know the name of the Rev. Dr. J. Graham Miller — missionary, preacher and pastor. He was minister of St Giles Hurstville from 1974–1980.
The Rev. Iain Murray has recently completed the editing of Dr. Miller’s autobiography, ‘A Day’s March Nearer Home’, to be published by Banner of Truth.
The book will be launched on Tuesday 16th March at 7:30pm at the Hurstville Presbyterian Church — corner Park Road and MacMahon Street, Hurstville. This will include a talk from Rev. Iain Murray – ‘J. Graham Miller: Life and Lessons’. Supper will be provided.
For enquiries please call 9580 1425. Read more
Liverpool’s Muddy Waters flow towards Africa
“The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones, has today shown just what a liability the Church of England is becoming to the rest of the Anglican Communion. Liverpool stands to the north of the estuary of the great Mersey River, now cleansed and restored to life after the pollution of the industrial age, but its spiritual waters are being sadly muddied.
In his Presidential Address to the Liverpool Diocesan Synod, Bishop Jones argues that the Church of England and the Anglican Communion should embrace diversity and accept that those who believe homosexual relationships are morally wrong and those who believe that, within a ‘stable and faithful relationship’, they are right can enjoy a peaceful co-existence.
He is of course by no means the first bishop of the Church of England to put this argument forward, but this is a significant moment because he is a prominent evangelical. …
But what is particularly arresting about the Bishop of Liverpool’s address is its scope. It presents a vision which does not stop at the boundaries of his own diocese. His plea is ‘that the Church of England and the Anglican Communion must allow a variety of ethical views on the subject as in this Diocese we do’ and he adds ‘This is I believe the next chapter to be written in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. It is the chapter that is already being written in our Partnership in Mission with the Diocese of Virginia and with the Diocese of Akure in Nigeria.’”
– from Charles Raven’s latest commentary (6th March 2010) at SPREAD.
Read the bishop’s Presidential Address.
See also:
Commentary from John Richardson – “Bishop James Jones and the challenge to unity”
“The number of traditionalist clergy in the Diocese of Liverpool may be large or small, but they must surely be waking up this morning with troubled consciences. The Bishop has declared not only his own position but, ostensibly, that of his diocese as being one which accepts diversity on sexuality.”
Peter Ould also weighs in – “Why James Jones is Wrong”
(Photo: Diocese of Liverpool.)
Louisville Episcopal church first to bless same-sex relationship
“A Louisville congregation has quietly become the first in the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky to begin blessing same-sex relationships …”
– Report from The Louisville Courier-Journal in Kentucky.
(Photo: Rev. Lucinda Laird and Bishop of Kentucky Ted Gulick at St. Matthew’s Louisville.)
William Taylor on good preaching, bad theology, training pastors and more
In the latest 9Marks leadership interview series, Mark Dever speaks with William Taylor, Rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London.
It’s a fascinating interview covering, among other things, being an evangelical in the Church of England, the New Testament’s emphasis on the substitutionary atonement, and NT Wright. Worth listening.
Church Society on Religious Ceremonies for Civil Partnerships
Press Release from the Church Society – 5 March 2010
Religious Ceremonies for Civil Partnerships.
Earlier this week parliament voted to lift a ban on religious ceremonies being conducted for civil partnerships.
Because of other legislation in recent years, purporting to be about equality, this latest change will create an even more difficult environment for Christians. Clergy of the established Church will be under particular pressure to conduct services which they in conscience believe to be wrong. They may face the threat of legal action if they insist on following their conscience. Parliament has increasingly sought to interfere in religious affairs.
We remain convinced that the recognition of Civil Partnerships by the state was a grave mistake and one which our nation will come to regret. It is one of a number of policies that have undermined families. Families are the fundamental building block of society. The collapse of families and family life is having terrible consequences for individuals, particularly children, and will erode society further. In this, as in other areas, we are witnessing political leaders who are abandoning the wisdom of God in preference for the folly of man.
For many Christians, the anti-Christian nature of recent legislation, supported by all the main political parties, creates a particular problem. The mainstream parties have all abandoned the Christian moral tradition and the Biblical foundations of our legal and education systems. Christians will not want to vote for political parties who are antagonistic to their beliefs and who are acting to prevent Christians living in accordance with their faith.
Broome needs the bread of life (re-post)
(We’re posting this again, just in case you missed it two weeks ago…)
Tim Mildenhall, Archdeacon of the Kimberley and Senior Minister of Broome Anglican Church, has a request for your prayerful consideration –
“Phil Brewster, 69yo local minister of the People’s Church, and Brethren missionary, faithful minister of the gospel in the Kimberley for 25 years, told me today that he and his wife plan to leave Broome for Perth this time next year. He is trusting God to bring someone to Broome to pick up the mantle of indigenous ministry here in the town.
Broome Anglican Church wants to recruit an appropriate minister to take up this opportunity…
Without a gospel centred, Bible teaching ministry amongst indigenous folk, other kinds of ministries (or none) will take people away and deprive others of hearing of Christ.”
Download this 900kb PDF file to read the rest – and to get Tim’s contact details. And please pray that the right man will be found to minister in this key work.
Rico Tice on why the Resurrection matters
Here’s a very useful 14 minute evangelistic video with Rico Tice, co-author of Christianity Explored. He starts off by drawing six familiar boxes on a piece a paper…
It was produced for A Passion for Life, the [UK] “nationwide initiative that is drawing together local evangelical churches to plan a fantastic variety of missional initiatives culminating in Easter 2010”.
While this particular video is not able to be downloaded (it’s available on DVD in the UK), you could think of other ways to use it, since embedding is allowed – and the URL also could be passed on.
Pornography = Despair, Jesus = Hope
Keep an eye out for these Outreach Posters around Sydney (March 2010) – there may be opportunities for helpful conversions about the One who is our Hope.
Help for Chile
March 4, 2010
Archbishop of Sydney calls concerned people to help Chile Earthquake Victims
Archbishop Dr. Peter Jensen is asking Sydney Anglicans and their friends to respond generously to earthquake victims in Chile.
Our diocese has very close connections with the Diocese of Chile through our CMS Missionaries, Chileans who have studied at Moore College, and with the Chilean Diocesan Leadership.
Archbishop Jensen has been monitoring the situation with the Primate of the Province, Archbishop Greg Venables, and the Bishop of Chile, Tito Zavala.
“The latest reports indicate that in Concepcion, where the earthquake was at its most destructive, four Anglican congregations have been camping in groups together. They are sharing a very limited supply of food and water ” said Dr Jensen.
Now is the time to help, and give generously to the Archbishop of Sydney’s Relief to Victims in Chile Appeal. Your gift to The Archbishop’s Overseas Relief and Aid Fund (ORAF) will enable the Bishop of Chile to provide ongoing assistance to those hardest hit and in greatest need.
Please make your donation online by visiting the Archbishop of Sydney’s Appeals Unit website, www.abau.org.au and following the links, or by calling 9284 1406 or our toll free number 1800 653 903.
Dr Peter F Jensen
Archbishop
(By e-mail.)
Read more about the situation in Chile from CMS NSW, Anglican Mainstream, and SydneyAnglicans.net.
Permanence before Experience — The wisdom of Marriage
In the current Southern Cross Newspaper (March 2010 – available in Sydney churches from this Sunday), Jeremy Halcrow writes about cohabitation versus marriage (page 13).
On the same topic, Albert Mohler writes, “many young adults … do not know that what they are actually doing is undoing marriage”.
StuTube for March 2010
Bishop Stuart Robinson, of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, has posted online this month’s video message for the members of the churches in his diocese.
Philippe, The Postmodern Evangelist
“Once there was a man named Philippe. He was a spiritual guide in an emerging community. One day he decided to go on a journey. So, he did. As he was walking along the road, focusing on the journey and not the destination, he found himself alongside the chariot of an African official…”
– A parody from The Sacred Sandwich. Funny but serious.
Free Audiobooks for March 2010
Christian Audio in the US is offering two free audiobooks this month – using the
1.) The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer (using coupon code MAR2010A).
2.) Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die – John Piper (using coupon code MAR2010B).
(Note that Piper does not read his book himself – but you can listen to a sample before downloading.)
As usual, you’ll need to sign up for a free account to download the audiobooks. Start here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…