Unpacking the CofE’s plan to bless same sex couples

From Christian Concern:

“The Church of England will shortly continue its muddle on marriage as the bishops intend to ‘commend’ prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.

Today’s Round the Table saw Tim, Andrea and Ben joined by Rev Dr Ian Paul to clear up the confusion and explain why this matters to Christians who go to other churches in England and beyond.

The Church of England has a disproportionate witness in our culture as the leaders speak – or fail to speak – of Jesus’ teaching to the wider culture.

And its orthodox doctrine on marriage also gives some legal protection to other Christians – if the Church of England gives in to the sexual revolution it will make things harder for all Christians.

Please pray, particularly ahead of the upcoming General Synod, that the faithful Christians would influence the church for good, so that the church would speak boldly of the goodness of God’s call for our lives as his redeemed, sanctified people.”

– With thanks to Anglican Mainstream for the link to the video.

Southern Cross magazine November – December 2023

The latest issue of the Diocese of Sydney’s Southern Cross magazine for November – December 2023 is online. Download it here.

Printed copies will also be available in churches.

John Newton’s 1767 Diary

“Some authors wait a long time to see their work reach publication. In Newton’s case, the wait for this one has been 256 years!

Rhys Bezzant, Dean of the Anglican Institute at Ridley College, comments: ‘1767 was a remarkable year in the life of John Newton, not least because he travelled extensively and subsequently moved into a new rectory. In his Diary of this year we learn about his aching soul, his busy schedule, his pastoral heart, and his prodigious correspondence. Here we meet no detached preacher elevated above his congregation, but someone who wrestled with the meaning of a text and engaged honestly with his parishioners concerning his own future in Olney…’

In 1767 John Newton kept a small pocket diary of the sort we might buy today, with one page for recording the week’s events and the opposite page for keeping a record of accounts. You would be excused for thinking that the transcript would be brief, but somehow this has morphed into an illustrated 72-page A4 edition, augmented with illustrations and illuminating footnotes, published by The John Newton Project. …”

– Marylynn Rouse at the John Newton Project in the UK has been working to open windows into the life and thinking of someone who has had a huge influence worldwide.

Read about it at AP, the national journal of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.

The Diary for 1767 is available from johnnewton.org/shop.

See also:

Lord hast thou not a time for these poor benighted souls? – John Newton’s prayer for ‘poor benighted souls’ on the other side of the world.

Howard Guinness and the beginnings of evangelical university ministry in Australia

At an event at Moore College on 1st November, Dr Ruth Lukabyo spoke on the legacy of Dr Howard Guinness –

“Dr Howard Guinness, of the well-known Irish brewing family, was sent to Australia in 1930 by Inter-Varsity Fellowship to develop Christian student groups on university campuses. His visit was the catalyst for the establishment of Sydney University and Melbourne University Evangelical Unions on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

During his later parish ministry in Broadway and Vaucluse, his ongoing involvement in EU missions has left a lasting legacy in university campus ministry.”

– The video is now available to watch. (At time of posting, the event begins 37 minutes and 30 seconds into the video, though the video might later be edited.)

At the end of Dr Lukabyo’s presentation, Mary Jones, Howard’s daughter, shares recollections of her father.

Related:

Remembering Howard Guinness.

Defence Sunday — 5 November 2023

Defence Anglicans has a video and some resources to help us pray for Defence Chaplains and those they serve.

This year, Defence Sunday can be observed on Sunday 5th or 12th of November.

Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, Grant Dibden, asks local churches to partner with the chaplains in prayer, and financially if possible.

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