The Secularisation of the Church of Scotland

“Much to no-one’s surprise, the Church of Scotland General Assembly has just voted to accept the Theological Forum’s report which changes the Churches definition of marriage to include same sex marriages and to apologise to gay people for their previous understanding.

I know there are various caveats and nuances but that is the reality of what has just happened – and although some will say ‘its not over’ – in the eyes of the Kirk, it’s a done deal.

One of the devil’s greatest tricks is that he loves to sow confusion and doubt, and thereby cause division. Yesterday was a great example of that. …”

– At The Wee Flea, David Robertson in Dundee looks what the Church of Scotland General Assembly’s decisions really mean.

Praying for the Muslim world

Ramadan is a great time to pray for the eternal good, through the Lord Jesus Christ, of Muslim men and women the world over. The “30 Days of Prayer” prayer guide is a real help and encouragement to pray.

You can order the Prayer Guide booklet from 30 Days Australia, or purchase a PDF download (in many different languages) from the international site.

Users of the Prayermate app can also subscribe to the 30 Days feed.

“30 Days is a remarkable effort to focus millions of Christians on prayer for the spiritual needs of Muslims.” – Patrick Johnstone, founder of Operation World.

”We want this guide to help followers of Christ see some of the diversity in the Muslim world and learn about the needs of Muslim families across the globe, so that you can pray with a heart of understanding that leads to greater awareness of God’s love for Muslims.” – from the introduction to this year’s Prayer Guide.

The Justification Summit

Coming up in Marcus Loane Hall at Moore College, 1:30pm – 5:00pm on Friday 26th May and 9:30am – 12:00pm on Saturday 27th May 2017 –

“Come along to an in depth look at the central doctrine of the Reformation, justification.

This afternoon and following morning event, held at Moore College, will reflect on the Reformation doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone, and how it bears upon our Christian life today.

Speakers include Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore College, Peter Orr, Will Timmins …

This event is FREE but we ask you to RSVP for catering purposes.”

Details of topics and speakers here.

Maintaining spiritual vitality in the midst of ministry

At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Andrew Heard shares some practical, personal tips that have helped him maintain spiritual vitality in the grind of day-to-day church planting.

Related book: Going the Distance: How to stay fit for a lifetime of ministry by Peter Brain.

Luther, his Friends and his Legacy

“Luther was a gregarious man. During his regime Wittenberg became thronged with people. Thousands flocked to Wittenberg to hear him preach (he preached 4000 times in thirty years). His home was effectively a combination of an inn and a lodging house. When he travelled from Wittenberg to Worms in 1521 he was greeted like a rock star from town to town. Wherever we see Luther, we see a man surrounded by people. …”

– Dr Paul Barnett shares some reflections on Dr Martin Luther, his friends, and his lasting legacy. (Photo via Aquila Press.)

Isaiah in five minutes

“Oak Hill’s third year students have been busy this term producing short video presentations as part of their work on the book of Isaiah.

One of the videos unpacks the message of Isaiah by using Lego characters, and another uses live sketching, and each of them was produced by a team of four students working in collaboration. …”

– Something different – from Oak Hill College in London.

“As it had been the face of an angel”

“The Christian ministry has never been for the faint of heart. The ministry, biblically defined, is combat duty in spiritual warfare. These graduates have been prepared to be front-line officers in that warfare. …

At every Southern Seminary graduation we remind one another of the great and essential fact that the Christian ministry is not a mere profession — it is a divine calling. The ministry is one of Christ’s gifts to his church. it is the most serious and joyous of all callings.

I think often of the venerable words of the old Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England for the ordering of the ministry. These words are spoken to new ministers of the Word:

‘You have heard, brethren, as well in your private examination, as in the exhortation which was now made to you, and in the holy Lessons taken out of the Gospel and the writings of the Apostles, of what dignity and of how great importance this office is, whereunto ye are called. …’ ”

– Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaks at the Commencement of Ministry for this year’s SBTS graduates.

Letter to the Archbishop of York: Please consecrate a second Reformed Anglican Bishop

“Your Grace, It would be quite understandable for you to be less than enthusiastic about receiving a missive from a ‘conservative evangelical’ in the light of the recent consecration of the episcopally licensed Curate of Jesmond Parish Church as a missionary bishop by the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church in South Africa. But I am writing if I may to set forth the case for a second conservative evangelical bishop, in addition to the southern-based Bishop of Maidstone, to serve as senior pastor to churches and ministers in the north of England who desire his episcopal care. …”

– Julian Mann, Vicar of The Parish Church of the Ascension, Oughtibridge, in South Yorkshire, writes an open letter to the Archbishop of York.

He also responds to comments made in the last week by Church Society’s Lee Gatiss and by Gavin Ashenden.

(Photo: Julian Mann with Bishop Dr. Ben Kwashi.)

Why so many churches hear so little of the Bible

“In many churches, there is almost no public reading of the Word of God. Worship is filled with music, but congregations seem disinterested in listening to the reading of the Bible.”

– Albert Mohler writes at the Southern Seminary blog. We would hope things are better in Sydney.

Duty to Die? — ‘Australian Presbyterian’ on Euthanasia

In the light of today’s news of a proposed “Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill” to come before NSW Parliament (ABC News story here), the current issue (Winter 2017) of Australian Presbyterian magazine is particularly timely as it addresses the issue of euthanasia.

Article 1: Opening Pandora’s Box. Why Christians must stand firm against euthanasia. An interview with Dr. Scott Rae.

Article 2: A bad move. By Moore College graduate Dr Neil Chambers.

(In addition, Marylynn Rouse from the John Newton Project reflects on John Newton’s experience of God’s amazing grace.)

The issue is available as a PDF file at this link.

Related posts on our website.

Gospel Presentation and Eulogies: Part 1

“One reality of ministry is that funerals come along and impose themselves on our carefully planned out diaries. Sometimes you go for a while without many and then five or six come in quick succession. Other times they come in a steady stream.

No matter when they come along they are a wonderful opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel and the love of Christ to those who are grieving. It is easy to overlook how significant these opportunities are to pastor and reach out to those who rarely, if ever, come to church.…”

– At Church Society’s blog, Adam Young discusses the opportunities for ministering good news at a funeral.

Camino Faith and Christian Faith

“With some friends I recently traversed the beautiful and famous Camino Trail in Spain. Some of our group walked the shorter stretches of the trail but we mostly travelled in the comfort of our coach.

The journey provided opportunity to visit some amazing Cathedrals. The standout was the Cathedral in Leon whose colour-glazed windows were breathtaking.

Some of the pilgrims were walking to meet the athletic challenge of the Camino. For others it was a spiritual exercise, a time of reflection based on the journey of St James Zebedee all those years ago. …”

– In his latest post, Bishop Paul Barnett compares the stories concerning St. James with the historical evidence for Jesus.

Why bother with women’s conferences?

“In the run-up to women’s conferences, I often hear the ‘why bother?’ question. I think the underlying thoughts are that Christian conferences generally are useful – but why do we need to have a conference just for women? And why do we need to have only female preachers at a women’s conference? Don’t we just want the best preacher for the job, regardless of whether they are male or female? …”

– At GoTherFor.com, Kirsten McKinlay suggests there is real value in creating a context for women to preach to women.

Why do good works?

“The first question that arises when the Doctrine of Justification by faith only is clearly set forth is: What then is the place of good works in the Christian economy?”

– The Australian Church Record continues to republish Archdeacon T.C. Hammond’s thoughts on The Thirty Nine Articles.

Related: A city’s care, two ways – SydneyAnglicans.net.

Social change and gospel preaching

“How does a disciple-making agenda fit with the need for us to express our love for our neighbours through engagement in social action?

This interview between Kel Richards and Phillip Jensen is full of enormously helpful insights on this question, both for individuals and for churches. It is well worth the investment of 28 minutes.”

– GoThereFor.com points us to a conversation between Kel Richards and Phillip Jensen recorded a few years back. As they say, well worth the investment of your time.

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