Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver commemorates ‘the life and teachings of Jesus from an Islamic perspective’

“The Muslim community of BC joined with Christ Church Cathedral to commemorate the life and teachings of Jesus from an Islamic perspective, who is considered one of the Mightiest Messengers of God in Islam. …”

– Topic (magazine of the Diocese of New Westminster), March 2020.

The Anglican Samizdat draws attention to an event at the Cathedral church of the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada. See the story on page 13 of Topic  – a 3MB PDF file.

The Topic report says the

“open exhibition on Jesus from an Islamic perspective was set up in the Cathedral’s parish hall, where members of the Muslim community engaged with the congregation and shared their belief and love for Jesus. Imams from Vancouver Mosque were also available for any detailed questions.”

and

“Islamic Call to Prayer was made from the Cathedral pulpit at 12:30pm with an English explanation.”

The Anglican Samizdat notes that this was

“An odd choice considering that Islam teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross, was not resurrected, was not the Son of God and did not make atonement for the sins of the world.”

To say the least.

I gave my life to Jesus – Glen Scrivener

In his latest video, Glen Scrivener points us away from ourselves and our efforts – to the Lord Jesus.

Quite a challenge to a lot of preaching. 7 minutes.

Building a Culture of Evangelism takes time

“Evangelism isn’t just for the ‘professionals‘ – pastors, ministers, Bible teachers, and all the rest. Instead, the New Testament teaches that evangelism is the whole church’s job.

But asserting the ‘whole church’ does evangelism can be a bit confusing. What does that mean? Is there some special evangelism program hidden somewhere in the pages of the New Testament? Furthermore, what, if any, relationship exists between our personal evangelism and our church’s outreach ministry?…”

– An encouraging article from 9Marks. Read it, and be sure to watch ‘The Gospel Blimp’ if you haven’t seen it before.

Related:

One to One vs Course Evangelism – Sam Hilton & Tony Wright on what’s best for your church – The Pastor’s Heart.

Five things you need to talk about with your Youth

“As the apostle Paul finished up his time with the church in Ephesus he was confidently able to report, ‘I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God’ (Acts 20:27).

Wouldn’t that be a great way to finish up a time of serving people you love. But sometimes there are topics that are super sensitive, topics which fill us with a fair bit of hesitation!  However, it is good to talk about hard things because, in the end, every hard topic can promote great chats and even better they take us to the heart of the gospel…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Adrian Foxcroft shares five things you might not want to, but should talk about with your Youth.

Lent in the Diocese of Bathurst – The Road to Calvary

Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, has invited the Rev Mike Raiter to record a series of Lenten Studies to be used in parishes across the diocese this Lent.

The studies, “The Road to Calvary”, are based on chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel According to Matthew.

The first Study is available here – and the rest will be available on Bishop Calder’s Youtube Channel. Pray that they will be a great blessing to many.

Related:

Bishop Calder has been in Forbes where the Anglican Church is looking for a minister “to teach them God’s Word, partner with them in ministry, and help reach Forbes with the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ”. He’s posted a 19 second video on Facebook.

The Blessed Life

“Lent is traditionally a time for reflection and prayer. Over the next few weeks on the Church Society blog, we will be reflecting each weekday on some of Jesus’s first words, and his last words, as well as pondering what the Bible says about the spiritual life. That is, we will be reflecting on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5, Jesus’s words from the cross in the Gospels, the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5, and the so-called seven deadly sins…”

– At Church Society’s blog, Less Gatiss beings a series for Lent.

Despondent Tasmanians need hope, not darkness

Here’s a media release from The Australian Christian Lobby:

“The Australian Christian Lobby encourages hope and purpose, even in the final chapter of people’s lives so that despondent Tasmanians would not choose to prematurely end their own lives.

‘The bill proposed by Mike Gaffney MLC is very concerning, as it goes much further than the current models legalised in Victoria and Western Australia. In those states, a person must be terminally ill and have only 6-12 months to live. Mr Gaffney’s bill expands the barriers beyond that, removing the terminal illness requirement. People who have an irreversible medical condition could access euthanasia,’ observed ACL Tasmania director, Christopher Brohier.

‘There is also no requirement for a psychiatric assessment. Lethal drugs could be administered to someone who is depressed or suffering anxiety,’ Mr Brohier added, ‘Under the bill, consultation on euthanasia could be by video link, a process with no rigour. Fortunately, telecommunications services cannot be used to promote suicide – though advocates are also looking to overturn that law as well.’

‘Then we have the horrifying spectre on the horizon if Mr Gaffney’s bill becomes law. He proposes, within 2 years of euthanasia being given to adults, that it be extended to children.‘

‘Do Tasmanians want more suicides or less?‘ Mr Brohier asked, ‘When you consider the tragedy of suicide and the many efforts being made to prevent it, the answer must be less. We reject calls to legalise assisted suicide in Tasmania.‘ ”

– Source.

Related:

Euthanasia: an unfolding national tragedy – Australian Christian Lobby.

Progression or Regression? – David Cook (on what’s happening in Victoria)

And other posts concerning euthanasia on this website.

What Future for the Anglican Church of Australia?

“We’re in the middle of what I think is best described as a tentative ceasefire. Of course, with any ceasefire there’s opportunities for both sides to position themselves for the conflict that is yet to come.

If you think all this language sounds combative then you’d be absolutely right. Both sides recognise that this is exactly what it is – a battle for the soul of the Anglican Church of Australia. There are clearly defined positions; one that seeks to uphold the orthodox view on human sexuality (but sees that as part of a wider issue – the authority of Jesus in the church through the Scriptures) and the other side that sees a liberalising of sexual ethics as a gospel imperative. …”

– David Ould shares his thoughts on what may happen in 2020 in the Anglican Church of Australia.

(Image adapted from the website of the Anglican Church of Australia.)

What issues most concern U.S. pastors in 2020?

“Within their own churches, a majority of pastors consider reaching a younger generation (51%) and declining outreach and evangelism (50%) to be major concerns.

One-third of pastors are also concerned about declining or inconsistent volunteering (36%), stagnating spiritual growth (34%), and declining attendance, while one-fourth are concerned about biblical illiteracy (29%) and declining/unpredictable giving patterns. …”

– Read it all at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. (Emphasis in colour added.)

Progression or Regression?

David Cook writes:

On 1st December 2018, election night in Victoria, the victorious Premier, Daniel Andrews stated that ‘Victoria is the most progressive state in the nation.’

Having spent the month of February, 2020 in Victoria, progression is not the adjective l would have used.

How’s this for a ‘progressive list’:

All this in a State with some of our nation’s finest cultural icons, The MCG, The Rod Laver and Margaret Court Arenas, the finest collection of Australian art in the nation, more theatres per head of population than any other Australian city.

I am preaching in a Church in the central business district of Melbourne where my closest Protestant neighbouring Churches both unashamedly endorse the same sex marriage agenda of the state.

And the Premier, Daniel Andrews, who presides over all this, is a practicing Roman Catholic, one wonders when a Priest or Bishop will have the courage to place him under Christian discipline.

In Romans 1 the apostle Paul makes it clear that ‘the wrath of God is revealed from heaven’, he does not say it will be revealed in the future but it is being revealed now. (Rom 1: 18)

Why? Because humankind has exchanged the glory of God for idolatrous images, (Rom 1: 25) and worships and serves the creature rather than the Creator. (Rom 1: 25)

Idolatry is the lie (Rom 1:25) and God’s wrath is evidenced in that he gives mankind up to the fruit of that exchange.

Paul says, God gave them over

(Rom 1: 24) to uncleanness

(Rom 1: 26) to scrambled sexual expression

(Rom 1: 28) to debased mind

The mind, the attitudes, the worldview of humanity is thus under the judgement of God, the mind is counterfeit and incapable of making proper moral judgements. (Rom 1: 28-32)

Such a mind calls regression, progression!

The only hope is the new life, the new heart, which comes through the Christian gospel by the gift of God.

The moral man, Nicodemus, in John 3 must be converted to see or enter God’s  Kingdom and the same opportunity and need is offered to the immoral woman who is offered living water by Jesus in John 4.

Paul makes it clear that due to the mercies of God we are given new minds, from which the judgement of God has been lifted and by the renewing of these minds we are being transformed.

We are people of a new mind, minds which are able to ‘discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect’. (Rom 12: 2)

Pray that Daniel Andrews will experience God’s mercy.

In one of the mid-week services here l preached on John 3, ‘Jesus and Nicodemus’ under the heading, ‘Why Daniel Andrews is wrong’.

Thankfully l am still free to preach in the Commonwealth of Australia if not, it is a quick car trip of 3 hours back to the border, to good old regressive NSW!!

– Rev David Cook 18.02.2020

(David Cook has served as Principal of SMBC and also as Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia as well as in parish ministry. Inset photo courtesy St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)

Misunderstanding is no Medicine

“What is it with our humanity that we struggle with the nice guy, the good woman, the gentle friend, the wise guide?

Is jealousy the problem? Is it the confronting reality of what we should be, but aren’t, that finds in us an unhelpful reaction? It is an odd thing to find ourselves not liking a person because they are delightful, or truthful, or good, or servant-hearted, or kind or more.

There is something perverse in us when we despise others for qualities we would otherwise admire and be proud of in ourselves. …”

– Rick Lewers, Bishop of Armidale, continues his series of articles written to help people come to know Jesus.

GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter for February 2020

Archbishop Foley Beach has published his February 2020 Pastoral Letter:

“Christian discipleship and leadership calls us to make disciples of all nations and it requires us to protect the flock from false teachers. Encountering false teachers is nothing new in the history of the Church. The New Testament is filled with exhortations regarding false teachers. …”

He also recommends the new GAFCON resource, “Anglican Reality Check”.

Videos from the 2020 Priscilla & Aquila annual conference

Moore Theological College has posted the videos and notes from their 2020 Priscilla & Aquila annual conference.

See them at the P&A website.

As well as the Plenary sessions, videos or audio files of the Electives are available.

Training ministers of the Word in a semi-literate world

“While in Australia we take for granted that our schooling system will produce people with good comprehension skills and critical thinking, in Congo and in many parts of the majority-world, this is not the case…”

– Bishop Malcolm Richards, Director of Moore College’s Centre for Global Mission, seeks your prayers and partnership.

Walking with the Suffering Church during Lent — GAFCON

GAFCON is producing daily devotionals to which you can subscribe.

During Lent 2020, there is a special focus on walking with the Suffering Church.

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