Peter Adam at the John Stott Memorial Service in Melbourne

On Sunday (28th August 2011) Dr Peter Adam preached at the Memorial Service for John Stott in St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne.

He preached from the passage John Stott chose as the reading at his funeral – May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, Galatians 6:14.

“John was determined not to be a celebrity, that great folly of our society and of the church. He exercised his immense self-discipline in turning attention away from himself to Christ, and that self-restraint was enabled by these words. For to boast in the cross of Christ, to be crucified to the world, is the perfect antidote to the poisonous cult of celebrity, which does so much harm to the celebrity, and even more harm to those who engage in that idolatry. Those who idolise celebrities despair when they die: those who glory in the cross have hope for eternity. Boast in nothing but the cross.”

Our friends at EFAC have posted the full text of Dr Adam’s sermon on their website. (also PDF.) Recommended to read, prayerfully ponder, and pass on to your Christian friends.

‘Sydney Anglicans and the threat to world Anglicanism’

ABC Religion and Ethics has published an opinion piece by Muriel Porter. It has the same title as her recently-published book, “Sydney Anglicans and the Threat to World Anglicanism: The Sydney Experiment”.

The ACL’s President, Dr Mark Thompson, published his response to the book a month ago. Read his full review here.

Bp John Harrower at Science and Christianity conference

Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower has been speaking at the Conference on Science and Christianity in Launceston over the last few days. He’s posted the text of his devotions, with some Australian science illustrations, at his blog –
Keeping on,
Humility before the facts,
Loyalty and accountability,
Being sure of our ground.

A question for PCUSA Conservatives: Why now?

In his column at Reformation21, William Evans asks if something more obvious than the current issue of homsexuality has been overlooked…

“Even as PCUSA liberals were busy dismantling the confessional heritage of the church, evangelicals were repeatedly stepping back and stepping back and stepping back from decisive confrontation…”

Read it all at Reformation21. (We earlier incorrectly attributed this to Carl Trueman – oops! our sincere apologies!)

Mexican Presbyterian Church breaks with PCUSA

“The National Presbyterian Church of Mexico … has voted to end its 139-year partnership in mission with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), in response to the PC(USA)’s decision earlier this year to allow the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians. …”

– news from The Presbyterian Outlook. (Related.)

 

Dick Lucas and the Parable of the Two Sons

Dick Lucas was back at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate two weeks ago – preaching from Matthew 21:28-32.

In drawing out Jesus’ teaching, he remembers John Stott and the CICCU missions of the 1950s and 60s. And he reminds his hearers to ‘watch out for religious leaders’. Especially challenging for all who are ordained.

Watch it at Vimeo. (Runs for 29 minutes.)

True Feelings: MTC School of Theology 2011

This year’s School of Theology at Moore College is about “True Feelings: Emotions in Christian Life and Ministry” – Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th September.  Read more

Responding to same-sex marriage debates

On Wednesday August 24th, politicians are due to report to Federal Parliament on the views from their electorates on marriage for same sex couples. Now would be a good time to contact your MP.

Here are some resources that may be useful – (h/t Andrew Cameron.)

Social Issues briefing #090.
‘Revising Marriage?’ (an interdenominational document): Long version, short version.
www.australianmarriage.org
www.australianmarriageis.com
www.makeastand.org.au

2011 Australian Christian Book of the Year

From SPCKA –

“One of the nation’s leading economists has won the Christian Book of the Year award with a book he regards as one of his most significant contributions to civic life in Australia.

Emeritus Professor Ian Harper of Melbourne Business School, now a partner with Deloitte Access Economics, won the first prize for ‘Economics for Life’, awarded at the 31st Australian Christian Literature Awards on Thursday, 18 August 2011 in Melbourne.  Read more

Ontario congregation loses property

News Release from the ANiC –

Ontario Superior Court Deprives Congregation of Church Property

The Ontario Superior Court has decided that the property and assets of St Aidan’s in Windsor, Ontario, are held in trust for a St Aidan’s “parish” within the Diocese of Huron of the Anglican Church of Canada.

In his decision released 15 August 2011, Mr Justice Little leaned heavily on the court decisions in the BC case involving four Vancouver-area parishes which also had left the Anglican Church of Canada and joined the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) in 2008. Mr Justice Little concluded that “Parish” and “congregation” were interchangeable words which referred to a “distinct separate unit, rather than a compilation of its congregants at any one time”, and that the separate entity in this case was the “St Aidan’s Parish of the Diocese of Huron”.  Read more

‘Prayer is your life’ — Tim Keller

At the 2011 Evangelical Ministry Assembly in the UK, Tim Keller spoke with Adrian Reynolds about the Christian’s prayer life. His answer is challenging and encouraging. See it from the Proc Trust on Vimeo. (h/t Unashamed Workman.)

Jamie Taylor interview

Jamie Taylor, great-great grandson of pioneer missionary to China, James Hudson Taylor, was in town last weekend. He was a speaker at Reachout at Katoomba, where he was interviewed for Mission Partners new website. Listen to the 12 minute interview here.

A passionate plea for doctrine

In the latest issue of Cross†Way, Anthony Rees gives 5 reasons why there is a need to recover Christian doctrine.

Read it here as a PDF file – from Church Society.

Consider Moore: Open Day and Information Nights 2011

Moore College is holding several Information Nights in August, and its Open Day & Spring Carnival in September.

The three remaining Information Nights are —

Monday 15 August:  7:45pm–9:15pm @ St. James, Turramurra.
Monday 15 August:  7:45pm–9:15pm @ MBM / St. Alban’s, Rooty Hill.
Monday 22 August:  7:45pm–9:15pm @ Moore College.

Details on the College website. Worth passing on to anyone contemplating study at Moore.

The heart of growing Christianly

“… The world takes a census, of our numbers, size and influence but it does not know what it is counting. For the institutional size of a Christian denomination or church tells you little about its growth or impact.”

– Phillip Jensen writes about the growth that’s key – at the Cathedral website.

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