The Budget: Being Economical with the Truth
“Did Tony Abbott lie? Did Julia Gillard lie? Do all politicians lie? Do they have to lie in order to run the country? Were John Howard’s non-core promises, lies? Was Bob Hawke’s “no Australian child will be living in poverty”, a lie?
Were these national leaders untruthful or unfaithful? What is the connection between truth and faith or between faith and faithful? …”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly column for the Cathedral.
Why so many churches hear so little of the Bible
“It is well and good for the preacher to base his sermon on the Bible, but he better get to something relevant pretty quickly, or we start mentally to check out.” That stunningly clear sentence reflects one of the most amazing, tragic, and lamentable characteristics of contemporary Christianity: an impatience with the Word of God.
The sentence above comes from Mark Galli, senior managing editor of Christianity Today in an essay entitled, “Yawning at the Word.” In just a few hundred words, he captures the tragedy of a church increasingly impatient with and resistant to the reading and preaching of the Bible. We may wince when we read him relate his recent experiences, but we also recognize the ring of truth. …
– Albert Mohler writes on the famine of hearing the Word of God.
Willful blindness vs social media traction
“Now, the story which has been almost completely ignored for the last two weeks is beginning to gain traction in the media.
It’s not because the mainstream media have suddenly gotten either religion or conscience, it is because every day crowds of demonstrators are marching in front of media outlets and government offices carrying placards in places like Lagos, Abuja, and London that say things that read, “Our girls are not for sale,” and “Bring them home.”
– Bishop Bill Atwood writes at The American Anglican Council.
(GAFCON photo: Russell Powell.)
From The Dean’s Wife
“Peter tells husbands to live with their wives understanding her physical hardships in life, as one with whom we share an inheritance (1 Peter 3:7). Here is an edited version of an article on the topic that my wife, Helen wrote some years ago for the Equal But Different Journal.”
– Phillip Jensen introduces this article by Helen.
Bob Carr
“If ever a preacher had a challenge it was Bob Carr’s statement: ‘The thing that puzzles me about Easter is why the sacrifice was required. … No preacher has ever explained to me why the death of Jesus had to happen, why it was mandated, why any message from God to man had to happen by that route.’
He expressed no doubt that the Scriptures recount Jesus’ death as a sacrifice, he just could not see the reason for it. So in response there is no point simply rehearsing the content of the Scriptures, rather it requires showing their logic. So here are two lines to follow – one personal the other explanatory.”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes on former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, and the Cross of Christ.
Firing Rome’s Canon
“The church at Rome just determined that these two popes exceeded God’s expectations for obedience. These men not only were able to escape the punishment of purgatory, having no need to purge their sins, having already achieved the holiness necessary to enter heaven.
Not only that, but all the merit they achieved which was beyond what was required was deposited, along with the merit of Christ, into the Treasury of Merit. This merit can become yours, via the purchase of indulgences…”
– Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr. looks at the theology behind the canonisation of Popes John and John Paul.
Anzac and Easter 2014 — Phillip Jensen
“Easter is a moveable feast. The latest day upon which it can occur is Anzac day. But not till 2038 will Easter and Anzac day coincide. Frequently, as in this year, Easter is close to Anzac Day. Inevitably they cast a shadow upon each other. Both are about paying the supreme sacrifice.
Australians, together with our cousins across the Tasman, remember the sacrifice of so many of our armed forces on Anzac day each year. It is right and proper to do so. …”
– Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly newsletter for the Cathedral.
Abp of Melbourne on ABC News 24
The Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr. Philip Freier, was interviewed on ABC News 24 this morning – on the meaning of Easter and a compassionate society. Watch it here.
Related: Jesus Christ’s resurrection relevant to all Australians, Sydney Archbishop says in Easter message.
The Most Dangerous Idea
“Which dangerous idea has the greatest potential to change the world for the better?
This was a question put to the panellists at the end of a QandA show during the “Festival of Dangerous Ideas” last year.
One of the panellists asked time to think of an answer. That, in itself, is an extraordinary event in a show that censors anything above a sound bite…”
– Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, points to the most dangerous idea of all.
Mike Baird elected Premier of New South Wales
“Committed Christian and father of three, Liberal MP Mike Baird has been elected Premier of New South Wales.”
– Story from Eternity Newspaper.
and Miranda Devine at The Telegraph gives some background –
“[Mike Baird] became involved in Anglican church fellowship, where he met his wife, Kerryn, whom he married at age 21. …
His investment banking career was flourishing at Deutsche Bank when he began to wonder: ‘Is that all there is? Should I be just about accumulating money?’ So in 1994 he told Kerryn he wanted to go to Bible college and within a year they were in Vancouver at Regent College…”
(Photo: Parliament of NSW.)
The Final Days of Jesus: Palm Sunday
Justin Taylor introduces the first of a series of videos to be released this week on the theme of “The Final Days of Jesus”.
Professors Douglas Moo (pictured) and Andreas Köstenberger provide valuable background to the events of Holy Week.
They are an accompaniment to the book “The Final Days of Jesus”. (Availability.)
A Season of Intolerance
“As the leaders and foot soldiers of the gay agenda push forward, they intend eventually to deprive those who won’t sign on to their cause of their jobs and ability to earn a living as well as their freedom of speech and freedom of religion. It is figuratively a picture from the Bible’s book of Revelation when you will need to have the number ‘666’ stamped on your body to buy or sell or conduct everyday life. Will it really get that bad?…”
– Bishop David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council, writes in his weekly newsletter.
Bullies and Censorship
“The fear of words is rational because words are powerful. But censorship is generally the response of irrational fear by powerful people.
The powerful person who is fearful is the person most to be feared. Out of fear they attack any perceived threat, as they use their power to protect themselves. They fear others and do not understand how powerful they are, or how other people perceive their power or how they are misusing their power in self-interest. Sadly, even Christians have misused power for self-protection.
Censorship is one of the tools of powerful people or groups. History is replete with tyranny-censoring criticism, for censorship is the tool of fear: fear of ideas; fear of truth; fear of words…”
– Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly newsletter for the Cathedral.
News this week from the UK
“The state of things in the UK is primarily then, a theological problem and only the theological antibiotic of the gospel can provide the solution…”
– David Cook, former SMBC Principal and now Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, sends a report from the UK. (Posted 8 April 2014.)
The weekend when Britain changed
“Saturday 29th March will go down in history as the day when same sex couples exchanged marriage vows on live TV and radio, and when a large proportion of the debate was taken up by what Christians believe. The official voice of the Church of England, and the establishment-leaning voice of evangelical and catholic orthodoxy were virtually silent on the weekend itself and in the days leading up to it. …
My own article of two weeks ago, suggesting that Christians disturbed by current developments at this time could turn to prayer, was picked up by veteran Guardian religion correspondent Andrew Brown as an example of swivel-eyed loony reactionary opposition to the march of progress and civilization. I was grilled about my article on Premier Christian Radio, formerly a strong voice for evangelical Christianity but now sadly increasingly a mouthpiece for the views of Steve Chalke and Brian Maclaren. …”
– The Rev. Andrew Symes writes at Anglican Mainstream.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…