Archbishop Peter Jensen on BBC Radio
Archbishop Peter Jensen was interviewed by Edward Stourton on BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme – about the GAFCON / FCA Leadership Conference, which begins tomorrow in London.
Listen via the BBC’s iPlayer. The interview starts 10:10 in.
(h/t Anglican Mainstream. Photo: Joy Gwaltney.)
The deep limitations of digital church
“There is something good, healthy, and Great Commission-minded about the eager use of new communication technologies. …
At the same time, there are dangers. … Christ clearly intends for his people to be gathered together into congregations. The fellowship of the saints is a vital means of grace for the disciple of Christ.”
– Albert Mohler warns against ‘doing church’ on the Internet.
In a similar vein, Carl Trueman has been writing about ‘multi-site’ churches –
Multisite, the Poker Tell and the Importance of Presence
“Presence is important. In a world where it is easy to simulate presence, even visible presence as by television, webcam or skype, it remains the case that actually being in the immediate physical proximity of somebody is important…”
No life in the Moon but is that necessarily a problem?
“Moments after finishing my piece on the importance of presence for Ref21, a reader emailed me a link to a quite bizarre story: Olympic organisers in London had apparently been hoping to have Keith Moon play at this year’s opening ceremony…”
Folk Religion…?
“Do we imagine that if we pray longer or with more people that God will be more likely to hear our prayers? Do we imagine that reading the Bible with others will automatically produce Christian maturity? Do we imagine that if we preach a certain way, the church will automatically grow?”
– Greg Anderson, Head of the Missions Department at Moore College, asks if Christians might easily embrace a form of folk religion.
The Post-Christian Condition
“The horrifying case of Anders Behring Breivik has opened a window into the reality of Scandinavian justice — and that window also reveals the shape of justice in a post-Christian world.
The Scandinavian nations are, according to many sociologists, the most radically secularized nations on earth. A study undertaken by sociologist Peter Berger years ago rated Sweden as the world’s most secular nation, with neighboring Norway close behind. But the Scandinavian nations are not merely secular; they are specifically post-Christian. The specific religious worldview they have lost or rejected is that of Christianity — the faith that shaped the culture of these nations for many centuries…”
– Dr Albert Mohler looks at what happens to a sense of justice once you choose to be ‘Post-Christian’.
Survey on same-sex marriage bills closes April 20
There are just two days remaining for anyone interested to complete the online survey for a House of Representatives Committee inquiry into the two same-sex marriage bills before the House.
The survey closes on Friday, 20th April.
(Image: Australian Marriage Forum.)
Related: Responding to Australian same-sex marriage proposals – from the Social Issues Executive of the Diocese of Sydney, February 2011.
ANZAC Day resources
At the Defence Anglicans website, there are some resources you could use or adapt for ANZAC Day.
Charles Colson’s testimony
With the news that Charles Colson is gravely ill in hospital, Justin Taylor has linked to video of Colson sharing his testimony – starting with a story about the National Press Club in Canberra.
What’s in a name?
“I am often asked why Moore College is called a ‘Theological College’ rather than a ‘Bible College’.
Because the word ‘theological’ sounds rather obscure to many Christians today, some people refer to Moore College as a ‘Bible College’…”
– Moore Theological College Principal John Woodhouse answers a common question – at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Can banning things lead to tolerance?
“‘London is intolerant of intolerance.’
So said the Mayor of London as he stepped in to ban adverts which drew attention to the existence of people who identify as ‘post gay’.…”
– Peter Sanlon at Oak Hill College asks what principles are involved really being tolerant.
New Westminster considers plans for three ‘returned’ parishes
“Having won the court battle for the buildings of St. John’s Shaughnessy, St. Matthias and St. Luke, and St. Matthew’s Abbotsford, the Diocese of New Westminster must decide what to do with them…”
The Anglican Essentials Canada blog reports on New Westminster’s commitment to ‘Plant three new churches’ –
“It is the desire of DNW to have vital, viable self-sustaining parishes at each of these three locations in three to five years at a cost equivalent of planting one new church. The financial commitment for this ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity of DNW will be up to $4.5 million…”
Titanic: A Glasgow church recalls Pastor John Harper
In the icy water, Pastor John Harper asks a man if he is saved, and gives him his life jacket.
And more details from Baptist Press.
The Journalist’s Question
“Last week a journalist came to church. He was covering the compulsory Easter story. He asked one of our staff – ‘Do you think people have stopped coming to church because they have internalised their faith?’
It was a strange question to ask as a huge number of people crowded into the Cathedral…”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly column.
Together for the Gospel 2012 talks available
The 2012 Together for the Gospel conference has just been held in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme was “The Underestimated Gospel”.
Audio and video files of the main talks have now been posted online for your edification.
Women Bishops in the Church of England
“We all know there are within the Church of England those who conscientiously object to the principle of consecrating women bishops. Those people, both lay and ordained, have been reassured on many occasions that they are loyal, faithful Anglicans. They have been reassured there is a place for them – on some occasions it has even been called an honoured place – within the church. They have been told that that place will remain. So far, so good, you may think…”
– Church Society Council member George Curry points out some of the implications of the Church of England’s current trajectory – in the latest issue of CrossWay (PDF file).
7 Lessons from the German Liberal Theologians
“Despite standing in the shadow of the Reformation, many German Protestant theologians abandoned the historic truth claims of biblical Christianity due to the mounting popularity of Enlightenment rationalism.
In so doing, they shipwrecked their own souls while simultaneously devastating the faith of millions of others…”
– Nathan Busenitz draws some sobering lessons from the German Liberal Theologians –
- The way to reach skeptics with the gospel is not by watering down the gospel.
- True religion can be lost in just one generation.
- German liberalism does not represent merely a divergent form of Christianity, but – in actuality – a completely new religion.
- The liberals honoured doubt as being noble and intellectually honest. In reality, doubting God’s word is a heinous sin.
- German liberalism teaches us that ideas have consequences, and that bad ideas have very bad consequences.
- The social gospel of the liberals is still alive and well in many mainline Protestant churches.
- Higher criticism, in particular, is built on the notion that the wisdom of man trumps the revealed wisdom of God.
– Very relevant to the Anglican Communion. Read it all at The Cripplegate. (h/t Tim Challies.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…