Cultural Pain and God’s Megaphone

“What we are seeing across the West in the so-called ‘Quiet Revival’,  the ‘Surprising Rebirth’, or ‘Tide of Faith’ – call it what you will –  is a corporate expression of a previously personal phenomenon: The problem of pain.

And in this instance – not simply personal pain, but cultural pain. The pain of a society in deep distress. All of the levers of success, or ease, or hope have been pulled, and they have broken off in our hands. Pain is everywhere. …”

– Stephen McAlpine thinks we are reaching a tipping point of corporate cultural pain and we need to be ready.

Did Melbourne just see a sign?

Murray Campbell at Mentone Baptist Church in Melbourne reflects on events in Melbourne, including the election on Saturday of Bishop Ric Thorpe as the next Anglican Archbishop –

“Melbourne needs more churches. Melbourne needs 100s more Christ-centred, Gospel-believing and preaching, people-loving churches.

I’m not an Anglican so feel free to take my observations with the same volume of water found in a baptismal font (bad joke). My Melbourne Anglican friends are overwhelmingly encouraged and thankful for all candidates and the outcome, even as the Diocese looks over troubled waters. Like all our Christian denominations, much deep work of theological and spiritual reform needs to take place. Theological liberalism and moral progressivism is like sand in the car after a day at the beach …”

– Read it all here.

The clever move of Leo XIV. Five factors of attraction

“In chess terms, the election of Leo XIV was a knight’s move: surprising, indirect, coming from the rear, and disrupting the board in ways that force everyone to rethink their position. The game has changed. …”

– In taking a first look at the election of the new Pope, Leonardo De Chirico reminds us that we must not be lacking in ‘evangelical discernment ’. At Vatican Files.

Albert Mohler on the new Pope

In his The Briefing broadcast of 09 May 2025, Dr Albert shares his thoughts on the new Pope and what his election might mean for the Roman Catholic Church.

– Listen here.

See also:

9 Things You Should Know About Pope Leo XIV – How Carter at The Gospel Coalition.

We should not forget the meaning of Easter

“Is the Easter story becoming a myth? You might well think so, if we judge by the recent English Heritage booklet for children, which asserts that ‘Easter started as a celebration of spring’ for ‘honouring the goddess Eostre’.

It’s not difficult to find similar material. Walking through the Canary Wharf shopping centre last weekend, I found the ‘Easter Tree of Life’, a ‘place for reflection and gratitude’ where you can ‘add a leaf to the branches sharing your future wishes [or] cherished memories’. …”

– David Frost, a former foreign policy advisor in the British government, writes a thought-provoking piece in The Telegraph. Worth reading and sharing. Perhaps a good conversation-starter.

Thanks to Julian Mann in the UK for the link!

Conversion Act protest needs to be targeted carefully

“NSW has now joined Victoria in having a Conversion Act come into operation that bans some forms of Christian ministry. The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 No 19 aims to “aims to “ban practices directed to changing or suppressing the sexual orientation or gender identity of individuals”,” and created a civil penalties scheme.

Victoria’s act goes further than the NSW one. Despite the NSW Premier Minn’s promise not to ban prayer, certain types of prayer are now against the law in NSW following Victoria. The Other Cheek reported the then-opposition-leader’s promise: “Labor’s Chris Minns promises no ban on preaching, prayer in conversion therapy bill.“

But the prayer promise was not kept. Prayer with an LGBTQIA individual with the aim for them to be celibate or change orientation is clearly defined as illegal in the NSW Act. In the case of sustained prayer, definitely so. …”

– John Sandeman at The Other Cheek adds more on the ‘Conversion Act’ in NSW.

The Lioness, the Witch and the Wardrobe

“If Narnia was only fiction, I suspect many would muttter but put up with screwing up a great story. But as we know, C.S. Lewis was doing something more with these books; Narnia is a work of allegory. Narnia is theology through story…”

– Murray Campbell responds to reports that Netflix is in discussions with Meryl Streep about playing the role of Aslan in The Magician’s Nephew.

And all the people said… [inaudible mumble]

“I probably said it at church today about 15 times. You might have said it slightly less. It’s a ‘religious’ word. You find it translated in English Bibles 50 times, each time in connection with worship. What am I talking about? It’s the little word: ‘Amen’. …

Nothing saps the spirits like reaching the end of a prayer and getting a whimper of an ‘Amen’. …”

– Simon Arscott at Gentle Reformation reminds us what “Amen” is for. (Link via Tim Challies.)

The Vibe Shift: What does it mean for the Gospel?

“All of the conservative ducks have lined up in a row. Did you notice?  The cultural and political vibe has shifted? Have you felt it?

The vibe has turned against the progressive framework that sought to shut down voices it did not like, including orthodox Christian voices who wanted to speak about ethics. Yes the ducks have lined up, the vibe has shifted and we’re not gonna take it, we’re not gonna take it, we’re not gonna take it anymoooore!

Heady days for many people. It seems we are in for a long period of relative sanity in some areas of life that were previously either insane or being run by those who were. Or we are in for Armageddon, who can tell?

But let’s be positive. Clearly, as many a commentator has pointed out, the vibe has indeed shifted, and with strokes of the pen left, right and centre, the US President is not only changing the vibe in the USA, but across the Western world. Craven tech bros journey up to the new Jerusalem to pay homage.

What was once orthodox, or at least was declared to be orthodox to all and sundry, yet believed by far less than all and sundry, is being banished to the sidelines. …”

– Stephen McAlpine reminds Christians where our focus must be.

The Trumpet Gives an Unclear Sound

“ ‘Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?’  (1 Corinthians 14:8)

The reaction to the bishop of Washington’s sermon at the President’s inauguration tells us as much about the confusion in the Western Church today, as did the reaction to bishop Curry’s sermon at the royal wedding. …”

– At AP, David Robertson examines some of the reactions to the recent ‘sermon’ by the Bishop of Washington.

Image: Bishop of Washington Mariann Edgar Budde.

Make America pro-life again

“Christians across America have been praying for the incoming administration. Regardless of our personal politics – we have been praying for the leadership of this nation, that they govern with wisdom, integrity, and a heart for the Lord.

This week, you had your new President and Vice President inaugurated in the Capitol. Again, putting party politics aside, because this has nothing to do with who we like or who we do not like – this has entirely to do with living in a Christian nation, living by Christian values, with a Christian moral compass. …

In less than a week, this has already become the most pro-life government in history.”

– Anglo-Catholic priest Calvin Robinson, now a resident of the USA, prays that governments around the world will be inspired to emulate recent actions of the new Administration.

(via Anglican.ink.)

Related: 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

Justin Welby: a professional obituary

“Monday 6 January marked the last working day of Justin Welby as Archbishop Canterbury.

His resignation was forced on him after his failure to act competently in the oversight of a devastating sexual abuse scandal. But it would be unfair to take that single act of incompetence and use it as a lens to judge his entire performance as Archbishop. Tragic though the end of his tenure was, we need to look at the other elements of the way he held office in order to assess it fairly. …”

– Gavin Ashenden – former Anglo-Catholic bishop and now member of the Roman Catholic Church – shares his personal evaluation of Justin Welby’s tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury. At Christian Today.

Photo: Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.

The Problem with the King’s Gospel — David Robertson

“In a year when the Archbishop of Canterbury was forced to resign, and with continued decline in attendances in the Church of England and yet more scandals, I listened with interest to the titular head of that Church, King Charles, giving his Christmas message. Would he speak of the real challenges the Church and society are facing? Would he offer some kind of meaty message, rather than the saccharine sap we are so used to hearing? Would his message stimulate thought or provide hope to those who are in great need of it? …

I was particularly disappointed at this speech because it came only a few weeks after the King attended a church I used to belong to – St Thomas’s Anglican in Sydney – and heard a sermon from the excellent evangelical Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel. …

We continue to pray that King Charles would come to know and love the King that his mother so clearly loved and served. We need the Good News, not the wishful thinking of a fanciful ideology which ultimately helps no one.”

– At The Wee Flea, David Robertson gives his take on King Charles’ Christmas Message.

(See the full message from King Charles here.)

Why I am not Catholic

“Speaking at the Leonine Forum in D.C. recently, I was asked a friendly but pointed question: ‘Why are you not a Catholic?’ The questioner noted that in my talk I had expressed a love for the early Church Fathers, admiration for Thomas Aquinas, and an approach to ethics that resonated with John Paul II’s theology of the body.

It’s hard to answer such a question in brief compass at the end of a lecture. Many issues are important in my commitment to Reformed Protestantism: authority, salvation, the nature of the ministry, and the significance of sacraments are just a few of the more obvious. And while I am open to the criticism that Protestantism hasn’t given Mary her due, I believe the Catholic Church has given her a significance that is well beyond anything the Bible would countenance. But above all, at the current moment, Catholicism doesn’t appeal to me because of the man at the top: Pope Francis. In my answer, I did try to be respectful of my audience, but I could not help but observe that the present pope seems to be nothing more than a liberal Protestant in a white papal robe. And as a Protestant, I am acutely aware of the damage such people do. …”

– Carl Trueman writes at First Things.

Photo courtesy Grove City College.

Gambling in America is Booming

In his latest The Briefing broadcast (12 December 2024), Dr Albert Mohler looks at the American gambling epidemic.

He reveals the breathtaking statistic that gambling in the USA has grown from $7 Billion in 2018 to $150 Billion projected for 2025.

Listen here.

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