Reformation talks from the Presbyterian Church of Australia
It’s Reformation 500 month – October 2017 – and the Presbyterian Church of Australia has released three downloadable videos you could watch for your own benefit, or in Bible Study groups.
“The Presbyterian Church of Australia offers this package of three church history videos to assist your church – particularly in its small-group ministries – to help celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses, and the subsequent Protestant Reformation … 31 October 1517.
There are three consecutive video sessions (each lasting about 50 min) followed by suggested discussion questions. Ideally, they’ll be of most benefit during the last two weeks of October and the first of November, but they’ll be available for as long as they are being used. …”
– from Moderator-General John P Wilson.
- Martin Luther – (1) the struggle in his heart: Romans 1:7-17.
- Martin Luther – (2) the struggle against his church: 2 Timothy 3:10-17.
- John Calvin – developing the church’s theology: Acts 2:38-47; 1 Timothy 3:14-16.
The Reformation and your church
“It’s the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, and right now there’s no shortage of material being published on the topic. Why might this 9Marks Journal possibly add to the pile?
We asked our contributors to consider the Reformation’s relevance specifically to the local church and the pastor. Why should pastors care? Take a look at D. A. Carson’s piece. What does it have to do with expositional preaching, evangelism, church discipline, church authority more broadly, the ordinances, even pastoral counselling? There are articles on each of these topics, too…”
– Download the latest 9Marks Journal, in a variety of formats. Many encouraging articles.
Martin Luther Exhibition at St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Don’t miss the free Martin Luther Exhibition, on at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, until Friday 29th September.
For opening times, see the Cathedral website.
The Reformation’s Continuing Legacy and Relevance
“Moore College has published a significant collection of its 2017 Reformation papers through Apollos an imprint of Inter-Varsity Press. The book was launched at morning tea on the second day of the two-day 2017 School of Theology conference held this week, which had 80 people in attendance. All copies of the book sold out in minutes at the launch. …
You can purchase the book in paperback through the Wandering Bookseller here, or the Book Depository here, or hard copy or Kindle at Amazon here.”
– Read all about it at the Moore College website.
Reformation Rally 2017 — Dr Gerald Bray
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Dr Gerald Bray spoke at Moore College’s Reformation Rally held at St Andrew’s Cathedral on 26 August 2017.
His topic: The Way the Reformers looked at the Work of The Holy Spirit.
Reformation Rally 2017 sermon — Dr Glenn Davies
Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, preached the sermon at the 1552 Book of Common Prayer: Morning Prayer Service. He speaks of the Scriptures as the very bedrock for understanding God.
It was part of Moore College’s Reformation Rally held at St Andrew’s Cathedral on 26 August 2017.
Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace
The forthcoming book, Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace, by Roy Williams and Elizabeth Meyers, is now available for pre-order from The Bible Society.
It’s expected to be published at the end of October.
Reformation Rally, Saturday 26th August
Be sure you don’t miss the Reformation Rally at St. Andrew’s Cathedral on Saturday. Read more
Luther and his most important impact
“On 31 October 1517, in a small provincial university town, an Augustinian monk who served as a professor in the university, nailed a document to a church door. And it started a revolution.
Today, 500 years later and on the other side of the world, that unexceptional act — there would have been lots of notices on that door, since it was the unofficial notice board for the university — still captures the imagination. …”
– At Theological Theology, Dr Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore Theological College, has published a slightly extended version of an address delivered at the opening of the Luther exhibition at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney on Tuesday 8 August, 2017.
Moore College School of Theology 2017
“This year’s School of Theology sees members of the Faculty joined by visiting scholars as we celebrate the legacy of the Reformation and its significance 500 years on.
Lectures are open to all students and the public and will run over two days on Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th September at Moore College. …”
– Read about this year’s Moore College School of Theology.
Note that early bird rates end Friday 11th August.
Reformation Public Lecture — Graham Cole — The legacy of the Reformation through the eyes of J.C. Ryle
Dr Graham Cole spoke at Moore College on July 19th, about The legacy of the Reformation through the eyes of J.C. Ryle. Most encouraging.
The message lives on
“Mr Eternity could never have imagined he would have crowds of Sydney-siders remembering him 50 years after his death, but that’s what happened at St Andrew’s Cathedral on Sunday.
But then again, he wouldn’t have imagined he would prompt city authorities to emblazon Eternity in fireworks on the Harbour Bridge at the turn of the century, either.
Arthur Stace was an alcoholic converted during the Great Depression, who then went on to devote his life to reminding people of Eternity by writing the word in perfect copperplate on Sydney Streets.…”
– Russell Powell reports on the tribute to Arthur Stace, “Mr. Eternity”, last Sunday at the Cathedral. (Photo of Arthur Stace courtesy HammondCare.)
See also this report from Eternity News, and these related posts.
Nathan Tasker sings Eternity
From Nathan Tasker’s album “Home” (iTunes), the single “Eternity (What we were made for)”.
Related:
Eternity: How Arthur Stace’s handwritten chalk message became a symbol of Sydney – Sun-Herald.
From here to Eternity: Arthur Stace in his own words
In 1964, 79 year-old Arthur Stace was interviewed on Sydney radio about why he wrote “Eternity”.
We’ve transcribed the brief segment. (A few words are unclear.)
Presenter: [One of ] the things that strikes a visitor to Sydney, and indeed many other towns right throughout New South Wales, is the fact that someone has been there before, in writing “Eternity” on the footpaths, on walls, almost anywhere, in very fine handwriting, and in yellow chalk.
For Monitor, Jim Waugh found Mr Arthur Stace, who writes “Eternity” and asked him, “Why?”. Read more
‘Mr Eternity’ remembered at Hammondville
“This month will mark 50 years since the death of Arthur Stace at Hammondville. Internationally recognised as ‘Mr Eternity’, Stace spent 30 years anonymously writing the word ‘Eternity’ across the streets of Sydney. …
After spending more than three decades writing Eternity on footpaths (500,000 times) – with initial inspiration coming in a sermon by Baptist evangelist John Ridley – Arthur Stace spent his final years as an aged care resident at Hammondville before dying of a stroke on July 30, 1967.”
– Story from HammondCare.
We understand that HammondCare’s David Martin will be on Open House on Hope 103.2FM this Sunday evening.
Related:
Cathedral to remember ‘Mr Eternity’, Arthur Stace, this Sunday.
The Eternity waterfall after 40 years.
(Photo: Arthur as the Emergency depot Manager at the Hammond Hotel Chippendale, 1930s. Courtesy HammondCare, used with permission. © HammondCare.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…