The Puzzle of Secularism
“…the funny thing is that I, and all my generation, could have sworn that puritanism was a church disease. With the decline of church influence, then the old stiff and bossy rectitude would collapse. And, indeed, it has, if we are talking about Christian concerns about alcohol, gambling, pornography, promiscuity and the like.
But the tolerant society we were promised by secularists has not emerged – far from it. It is just that a new set of commandments, inspired by autonomy and an optimistic individualistic anthropology, has arrived with a vengeance.”
– Church Society has published on its website an excerpt from Archbishop Peter Jensen’s editorial in the latest issue of Churchman. (Peter is now the Editor of Churchman.)
In defence of Lent
“It was Ash Wednesday when I first preached at our church’s Wednesday service. And truth be told, I’d never given Lent much thought before.
So what were my options? Should I ignore it? Call them all popish fiends? Or should I try to articulate a Reformed, Anglican understanding of the season?
Well, I aimed to do the latter, and here is how I tried. …”
– ACL Council member Dan McKinlay writes at The Australian Church Record.
(Image from the 1552 Prayer Book.)
Good Friday – not just good, but glorious
“Childhood impressions linger, don’t they? I’m so grateful for (most of) them. My earliest memory of 1950s church life is full of happy thoughts, good people and full Sundays. Sunday mornings, afternoons and evenings – there was always something engaging and purposeful to do (yes, Sunday afternoons: Christian Endeavour).
As helpful as all that was, there are someone boyhood memories that need tweaking or straightening out later.
Each year, our evangelical Baptist church gave huge attention to Palm Sunday, followed five days later by a much more sombre Friday morning service. Even without specific instruction, this pattern taught me to celebrate the joy of Palm Sunday but to tone it down on Good Friday. This was the order of things, from glory to gloom: after the glory of the triumphal march into Jerusalem we must move to the gloom of the Cross. Which prompted, of course, that perennial childhood question: “Dad, why is Good Friday good? Isn’t it bad, what they did to Jesus?”
Reflecting on this glory to gloom transition, I now wonder if it needs correction. …”
– Presbyterian Moderator-General, John P Wilson, reflects on why Good Friday is glorious.
Love for a full life
“Life in three words doesn’t sound like much of a life unless the words are faith, hope and love. Big words for a full life.
Woodstock was in 1969 and I was 11 and still sent to Sunday School by parents who prided themselves on being good rather than being thankful for being forgiven. It was one year off the 70’s and one year off my teenage rampages which were tame by comparison to those of teens today. It was the era of music and for so many of us, love.
Of course Woodstock was more than a concert on a farm hill. It proved to be a revolution for a world bent in on itself. …”
– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers writes about love.
30 Days of Prayer 2019
The 2019 Australian edition of the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World booklet is now available for order from OM Australia.
“Ramadan [May 6 – June 4, 2019], a key month of religious observation on the Islamic calendar, gives us, the Body of Christ, a prayer focus for compassion, understanding and respect for our Muslim neighbours, in the hope that they will be touched by God.
30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World booklet is a great practical guide to help Christians engage. The booklet is a collection of articles, photos and prayer points from around the world. It will help you pray for Muslim families and learn more about them as you pray.”
– Details here.
The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits
“It began as an assignment. It ended as a milestone in my Christian life. My church history professor assigned the class to memorize the Apostles’ Creed. Obediently, I began to memorize this historic affirmation of the Christian faith word by word, phrase by phrase, truth by truth. Within a few hours I had committed the Apostles’ Creed to memory, ready when called upon in class to recite it. But even at that time I knew that something else had happened. …
It was the most important class assignment I ever had. …”
– Albert Mohler has shared this excerpt from his about-to-be-published book, The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits.
Mark Dever at Nexus 2019 — Let’s Do Evangelism Better — watch
Mark Dever spoke at today’s Nexus 2019 Conference. The vitally important theme was “Let’s Do Evangelism Better”.
You can watch the whole thing at this link. Mark’s session began at around 59 minutes into the video.
His second session begins at 6h 44m, and there is plenty to watch in between.
The entire conference was challenging, encouraging and helpful. Do take the time to watch.
Jordan Peterson, Caroline Farrow and the death of free speech
“There are certain values which are so foundational to our society that we take them as a given and always assume that they will remain. But when the foundations are being destroyed perhaps we need to sit up and pay attention – and strengthen what remains before it dies.…
Three events this past week in the UK serve as warnings that these basic freedoms are under threat. This threat comes not from Muslim extremists, or far right terrorists or any external political ideology. No, this threat has arisen from within.“
– David Robertson writes at The Wee Flea.
On the Conviction of Cardinal Pell
“The recent conviction of Cardinal George Pell on five counts of child abuse has shaken the Roman Catholic Church in Australia and around the world.
Cardinal Pell was Australia’s most famous Roman Catholic leader – elevated to a position of high responsibility in the Vatican after a significant career in Australia, which including serving as Archbishop in Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. …”
– Assoc Professor Neil Foster reflects on Cardinal Pell’s case from a Biblical and legal perspective – at The Gospel Coalition Australia.
Captivated by Scripture: A personal reflection on D. W. B. Robinson’s legacy for biblical studies
Dr Lionel Windsor has shared the paper he gave at at the legacy day and launch of Donald Robinson Selected Works Volume 3: Biblical and Liturgical Studies & Volume 4: Historical Studies and Series Index at Moore Theological College, today, 16 March 2019.
“What made Robinson such an inspiring and influential teacher for generations of students? I’m sure there were multiple factors: many of those here today will have their own insights into this question. But one factor that I want to focus on this morning – a factor that comes through particularly clearly in his writings – is Robinson’s commitment to being captivated by Scripture.
The impression that keeps coming through in these volumes is that Robinson was so confident in the divine inspiration of Scripture, and so assured that God’s purposes are revealed to us in Scripture, that he was prepared to follow Scripture wherever it led him.
And when Scripture led Robinson on strange paths, paths that others had barely trod, on journeys where even he could not discern the destination, he enthusiastically trod those paths, knowing that wherever Scripture was leading him, it must be important. In this way, Robinson’s approach to Scripture is faithful in a deep sense: full of faith in God’s purposes revealed to us in his inscripturated word.”
– Read it all at Forget the Channel.
Prayer following the act of Terrorism in Christchurch
The Rev. Mark Charleston has written a prayer you may wish to use – in your own prayers, or in church.
We’re grateful to Mark for sharing it.
Tactics, not truth, over same-sex marriages
“It would seem that the response by the bishops of the Church of England to the latest attempt in the House of Lords to force clergy to conduct same-sex weddings was driven by tactical considerations rather than by transcendent truth.
Although the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft [pictured], resisted the amendment by Lords Faulkner and Collins to remove the CofE’s exemption from solemnising same-sex marriages, his remarks were notable for their political tone…”
– The Rev. Julian Mann discerns an attempt by the Bishop of Oxford to placate the 100+ evangelical clergy in his diocese who signed a letter ‘of grave concern’ in January.
A Christian Code of Ethics for Using Social Media
“The following is a simple code of ethics (5 Questions) for the follower of Jesus to consider before one clicks the ‘enter’ button.
It is intended for the follower of Jesus to remember that even in cyber-space we are witnesses (either for good or for bad) for Jesus Christ modelling a life which is supposed to emulate him. …”
– Archbishop Foley Beach shares five questions to ask yourself.
Dr. Stuart Piggin to speak on Australia’s Christian heritage
In an event in Parramatta on Monday 1st April, Professor Stuart Piggin will speak on the key influence of an evangelical Christian worldview in the shaping of Australia.
See Family Voice Australia for details and registration.
(See also, The Fountain of Public Prosperity – Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1740–1914, by Stuart Piggin and Robert D. Linder, from Monash University Publishing.)
Help for Responding to Sexual Abuse in Church Settings
Dr. Peter Adam writes,
“There are few more painful, complicated, difficult, demanding, divisive and stressful issues to deal with than sexual abuse in your church.
If you are already dealing with it, you will find this extended essay very helpful.
If you are not yet dealing with it, you need to read it, so that you are more alert to the signs of its presence, aware of the issues, and be prepared to deal with it.
The author, a good friend of mine, has had extensive experience counselling victims of sexual abuse, and helping church leaders to respond to sexual abuse in their churches. She prefers to remain anonymous, for good reasons. I encouraged her to write this essay, so more people could learn from her hard-won wisdom…
The essay is not an easy read, but is highly recommended. I wish I had read it 50 years ago!”
– Do take the time to read the full post from Dr. Adam, and then download the resource from the Gospel Coalition Australia.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…