Archbishop Kanishka Raffel on love in the face of terror at Bondi
From the Pastor’s Heart – a very timely edition –
“Sydney’s Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel calls on Sydney to embrace our Jewish neighbours in love, friendship and support and to reject antisemitism, violence and hatred.
Archbishop Raffel says this is the way of Jesus.
Minister of Bondi Anglican Martin Morgan says they sheltered people in the church last night, who were terrified, running for their lives.
In a The Pastor’s Heart special, Archbishop Raffel is joined by minister of Bondi Anglican Church Martin Morgan and Messianic Jew Ben Pakula (also an Anglican Minister) in praying for those family and friends and the Bondi community, impacted by the gunman opening fire – leaving 16 dead including a 10 year old girl.”
And the page linked also includes the prayers made available by St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.
Who Owns Jesus? Tommy Robinson and The Dirty Revival
Republished at Ian Paul’s Psephizo, Dr Jason Clark reflects on responses to the “Unite the Kingdom” Christmas Carol event planned for central London tonight Australian time:
“Over the last few days, my social media feeds—shaped by the strange, selective algorithms we all live under—have been replete with progressive and left-leaning Christians condemning the upcoming ‘Christ in Christmas’ event in London linked to Tommy Robinson. Anecdotally, those are the voices I see most loudly. And beyond my feeds, the national news and radio have been wheeling out predominantly Anglican clergy (as they always do) to denounce the gathering in firm, moral tones, with warnings of the ‘Far Right’ and ‘Christian Nationalism’.
I understand why people feel uneasy. I am no Tommy Robinson supporter. But I also sense that something deeper is happening here—something revealing, something uncomfortable, and something worth paying attention to. Because if we only focus on the personalities involved, we risk missing what this moment is saying about the soul of the UK, and perhaps the state of Christianity itself. …
For years now, huge numbers of ordinary Brits have felt ridiculed, unheard, and publicly shamed simply for being British. And the moment some of them reach for Christian symbols, language, and tradition—the very things Christianity once assumed belonged to all—those who preach tolerance respond with moral panic and purity tests. The contradiction is hard to ignore.”
– Read here.
Related:
‘Putting Christ back into Christmas’: Carol concert announced as follow up to Tommy Robinson rally – Premier Christian News,
Possibly related:
Let the young man come to church with mixed motives – Steve McAlpine.
How to fight your Phone Idolatry
“Smartphones are physical objects we take everywhere; they’re rarely more than an arm’s length away. When was the last time you went out for errands without your phone? Left for an overnight trip without your phone? We shudder at the thought.
We go through our days with near-constant attachment to these mobile devices. In every in-between moment of waking life—in line for a coffee, sitting in a waiting room, walking from point A to point B, stopped at a red light—we instinctively pull out our phone and scroll, text, check notifications, aimlessly toggle between apps.
It’s not just a nervous habit. It’s a liturgical impulse: muscle-memory habits of devotion. When was the last time you sat still in a pause moment and meandered in thought or daydreamed, rather than grabbing for your phone? Most of us don’t do that anymore.…”
– Brett McCracken writes at The Gospel Coalition.
Why 20 percent better is not good enough
“Over recent years a lot of ink has been spilt considering the implications for Christians of the seismic changes in Australian society over the past 50 years. The reality is that we have seen a massive shift as our culture has moved further and further away from its Christian roots, such that we now realise that we live in a post-Christian society.
Of course, some like to point out that that that change does not mean there are fewer converted Christians than there were in the 1950s or 1960s, and that may be the case. Yet, the reality is that forty years ago, even if most Australians didn’t follow Jesus, they at least knew that the Lord they didn’t follow was Jesus. In the same way, even if they didn’t worship the one true God, they knew that the God they didn’t worship was the God of the Bible and they believed His ways were good.
However, most of our thinking in this area has been focused on the implications of this shift for our relationship to the world. …”
– First published in The Australian Church Record’s Synod 2025 Journal, Phil Colgan shares encouragement and a challenge.
Tears, Questions and Hope — When a senior pastor takes their own life
From The Pastor’s Heart, a painful but important discussion:
“In the last few months two senior evangelical leaders have taken their own lives.
The Archbishop’s letter said ‘It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you of the death of a colleague and friend … who took his own life on Tuesday and our hearts are heavy at this time as we come before God with our tears, questions and … hope in the promise of resurrection.’
We react with a range of questions: Should I have known? Could I have done more? What do I say to the church? What do I say to the world, but most importantly where is God?
Keith Condie, from Anglican Deaconess Ministry’s Mental Health and Pastoral Care Institute and Trinette Stanley, Mental Health Educator with Anglicare, are our guests.”
Related:
Corinth Archaeological Site with photos
Moore College’s Dr Lionel Windsor is continuing to post fascinating photos –
“In July 2025, I visited ancient Corinth with my wife Bron and daughter Ellie. We went to see archaeological remains associated with the Apostle Paul.
Here are some photos of the site and museum exhibits. They help to provide context for New Testament texts associated with Corinth. Enjoy!”
– See them at Forget the Channel.
The Idols of the Eyes
Phillip Jensen’s website is featuring two talks from the Queen’s Birthday Conference 2019.
The topic? The Idols of the Eyes.
Challenging.
Ethics with AI and Preaching
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“What are the dangers when pastors let AI assist… or sometimes author? …
Stephen Driscoll works in Campus Ministry in Canberra. He’s the author of Made in Our Image: God, artificial intelligence and you.
Stephen argues that writing is thinking, and when we automate the writing we risk automating away the deep thinking and wrestling with God’s word that forms the preacher’s heart. …”
– Watch here.
Related:
John Piper asks ChatGPT to write a Prayer.
The Man of Promise — In whom do you trust?
From Phillip Jensen:
“Dear friends,
We come to the last of our series in the opening chapters of Genesis. We have certainly enjoyed rethinking the great themes that these chapters contain and hope that you have similarly enjoyed our discussions.
As we’re coming towards the end of the year, we are thinking about next year’s programmes. We would love to hear of any part of the Bible you would want us to work through, or any particular issues you would like us to address. …”
– Hear Philip Jensen and Peter Jensen at Two Ways News.
Expository Preaching Trust Calendar 2026
The Expository Preaching Trust has published their Calendar for 2026.
There are many opportunities for preachers to find help and encouragement,
Speakers include Simon Manchester and David Cook.
Repeat the Sounding Joy: Advent devotionals with Christopher Ash — Part 1
From Tyndale House, Cambridge:
“In this four-part series for Advent, Tony Watkins talks to Christopher Ash, Writer in Residence at Tyndale House, Cambridge, about Luke chapters 1 and 2. These chapters are the focus of Christopher’s book of Advent devotions, Repeat the Sounding Joy (pub. Good Book Company).
In this first episode, Christopher and Tony discuss the birth of John the Baptist.…”
– Watch here.
Advent account a salutary reminder in self-centred times
“The Prayer Book Bible readings and Collect for Advent Sunday are a powerful reminder that the Jewish Messiah who was crucified in Roman Judea will one day return to the judge the world.
The reading from Matthew’s Gospel stresses the humility of Jesus when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey in fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecy in Zechariah 9:9…”
– Julian Mann writes at The Conservative Woman. (Published in 2024.)
500 Years of Books — at Moore College
“During Sydney Rare Book Week, the Donald Robinson Library hosted ‘500 Years of Books,’ an evening that allowed attendees to handle and closely examine significant works from the library’s rare books collection.
The response in the room was remarkable. As each volume was introduced, guests leaned forward, eager to see the fine details, bindings, illustrations, marginal notes, early type, and the physical evidence of centuries of use. Many found themselves leaving their seats repeatedly, drawn toward the tables to observe the craftsmanship up close. …”
– Erin Mollenhauer Senior Archivist & Special Collections Librarian at Moore Theological College shares highlights of the event.
A Fresh Look at Romans
“Commentaries on Romans often begin with a short justification as to why the author thinks we need yet another commentary on Romans. Rosner does not need to justify his contribution, as his volume is a genuinely fresh approach to the letter. His book is not a commentary, and it does not cover every detail, but it gives readers a comprehensive overview of the letter.
For preachers and bible study leaders, this kind of theological overview can often be as helpful as a commentary which is stronger at the detailed, exegetical level. This volume will be helpful for any reader who wants to grow in their knowledge of Romans.…”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Peter Orr reviews Brian Rosner’s Strengthened by the Gospel.
The Birth of Multiculturalism
From Phillip Jensen:
“The Australian government glories in the development of multiculturalism. However, Australian society is now straining to maintain social harmony. Consequently, the government is trying to regulate freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion. For while migration can enrich a country, the concept of a nation celebrating and encouraging many cultures is a recipe for failure.
In the Bible, the creation of multiculturalism was God’s judgement at the Tower of Babel. In this episode of Two Ways News, we turn back to that great event recorded in Genesis 11.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…