Pope John Paul II set for ‘Beatification’

“John Paul II’s coffin has been carried out of its Vatican resting place ahead of his Beatification ceremony. … The coffin will be brought into Saint Peter’s Basilica on Sunday… A sample of John Paul’s blood… will also be put on show for adoration.”

– Report from The Herald Sun. Related.

(Image: The Vatican.)

Tackling poker machines head on

The latest briefing released by the Social Issues Executive of the Diocese of Sydney looks at the current debate on poker machines.

Bishop David Mulready to conclude North West ministry in October

The most recent prayer notes from the Diocese of North West Australia have been uploaded to their website, and also a pastoral letter from Bishop David Mulready:

“I wish to let you know that Maureen and I will be ending our ministry amongst you in the middle of October this year … We have thoroughly enjoyed over seven years in the North West … We have a great team of leaders and others are soon to come.“

Bishop Mulready’s letter and the prayer notes are on the DNWA website for your prayers.

Abp Wabukala — new Chairman of GAFCON Primates Council

This statement has been released by Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, on his election as Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council —

GAFCON Primates Council

Statement from the Most Rev’d Eliud Wabukala, Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya and newly elected Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council:

Praise the Lord! It is a great joy to greet all of you as we celebrate the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Christ was an event that changed the course of history for good and as a result, my life and the lives of millions of others have been changed for eternity.   Read more

2007 UK Evangelical Ministry Assembly

“What does it really mean to live and minister as an Evangelical in our times? Now free for the first time, Defining Times, the 2007 Evangelical Ministry Assembly is available as an mp3 download.”

– The complete conference audio is now available as a single 179MB zipped file from The Proclamation Trust.

Read more

How to prepare for Synod? – video

In this second short video from the ACL, Dr Karin Sowada explains some good ways to prepare for this year’s Synod.

(Here’s a link to Robert Tong’s Synod Survival Guide.)

What is the Standing Committee? – video

This is the first in a series of short videos from the ACL aimed at helping Sydney Anglican Christians understand what Synod is all about.

These videos will be of particular interest to those newly elected to Synod.

Here, the Rev. Phil Colgan explains what the Standing Committee is and does.

Abp Peter Jensen interviewed at Easter

Archbishop Peter Jensen was interviewed on his Easter message and more – for Sky News. Watch it via The Courier Mail. (Runs for 12:50.)

Easter Eggs in the Year of Our Lord

“I love chocolate. I don’t think I’m unique in this respect. Most people I have met share this love. So the popular celebration of Easter with chocolate suits me. It combines so many loves at the same time – holidays, chocolate and Christ.

Jesus should be associated with chocolate, for he made every good thing for our enjoyment. He created the world, including chocolate, to be received with thanksgiving. If you like chocolate then eat it with gratitude to the creator of all good things – Jesus Christ our Lord…”

– Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Phillip Jensen writes on Easter and “the lowest common denominator of public agreement” – on the Cathedral website.

The Unseen God

“[W]ithin weeks of the crucifixion, Christ was being proclaimed to the world as Saviour and the cross as the very proof of the immensity of God’s love. And to this day, it is the form of the cross which visually declares the presence and influence of Christianity.

But despite this, even Christians find it hard to keep the cross in focus, often treating it as a mere passing phase: tragedy giving way to triumph, shame giving way to glory, darkness giving way to dawn. This is understandable. We serve a living Lord, a risen Saviour, a reigning King. But when we relegate the cross to the margins, the result is as undesirable as it is unexpected. For the more we seek to find God truly in triumphs, glories and light, the less we find of the true God. And the demonstration of this is always found in our encounter with suffering…”

– John Richardson writes in his book “The Eternal Cross: Reflections on the Sufferings of Christ” — posted at The Ugley Vicar.

Of First Importance — The Cross and Resurrection at the Centre

“The Christian faith is not a mere collection of doctrines — a bag of truths. Christianity is a comprehensive truth claim that encompasses every aspect of revealed doctrine, but is centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, as the apostolic preaching makes clear, the gospel is the priority.

The Apostle Paul affirms this priority when he writes to the Christians in Corinth. In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul sets out his case…” – Albert Mohler writes with a reminder of what is of first importance.

Why God Created the Universe — for Good Friday

John Piper was asked why his preaching has become more Christocentric over the years.

Here’s his answer.

Archbishop Peter Jensen’s 2011 Easter Message

Archbishop Peter Jensen’s 2011 Easter Message has been released —

People talk glibly about ‘death with dignity’. I can take the idea of a heroic death, a quiet death, an early death, even at a stretch a peaceful death – but ‘death with dignity’ just seems like a cover up, like wishful thinking.

There is nothing dignified about the pain, helplessness, loss and anxiety of death. It is undignified. It takes God’s noble, glorious creation of a human being and turns us back to dust. It strips us of achievements, history, honours, dignity and relationships and destroys our bodies.

By way of undignified deaths I can scarcely think of a worse case than crucifixion. It was capital punishment designed to humiliate and intimidate. When God became man and joined us, that is how he was murdered. But out of the shame of Jesus’ death has come a never ceasing flow of mercy and forgiveness, sufficient even to deal with my faults and sins. And after the indignity of death he left the grave in glory.

I can’t imagine the indignity of my own death. It may come over a long period of time; it may be terribly painful; it may be as a result of accident and be instantaneous. Who can tell?

But this I do know – and you can know it too – my Saviour Jesus has walked this way ahead of me. He has walked it in the worst of all ways. And this I know – that he has been raised from the dead and walks not only ahead of me, but with me, every step of that road. And this I know – that out of my indignity will come the glory of being with him for ever.

— Dr Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney, Easter 2011

Watch Archbishop Jensen’s message at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Easter Convention 2011: Putting Evil to Flight

Friday, 22 April 2011,  2:00pm — 5:00pm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.

Details here.

‘What’s so good about Good Friday?’

Phillip Jensen and Kel Richards discuss this most important of questions — on Vimeo, with thanks to Audio Advice. Many may be surprised to discover that popular traditions associated with Good Friday are quite novel. So what is Jesus’ death really all about?

28 minutes well spent! (Downloadable from Vimeo as a 159MB mp4 file.)

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