The Importance of Peter
“This year has seen two books published from the hand of Bishop Paul Barnett, my predecessor as Bishop of North Sydney and a distinguished lecturer, author and scholar (whose number of publications clearly surpasses that of his successor!).
The first was his contribution to the Reading the Bible Today Series with the release of his commentary on Philippians and Philemon. The second is his appreciation of the contribution of the Simon Peter to early Christianity…”
– Archbishop Glenn Davies reviews The Importance of Peter in Early Christianity by Paul Barnett – at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Find where you can purchase the book at this link.
Glen Scrivener on evangelism through the local church
“Revd Glen Scrivener, Evangelist with Revival Media, encouraged us to see that our churches are not simply located in villages, towns, and cities up and down the land, but are a theological reality located in Christ.
So although our Church appears weak, God works in the ordinary and we must reach out to the world by church being church.
Glen exhorted us toward preaching, prayer, and pastoral care (starting with our own congregations), instead of relying on various programmes and courses.”
– A most encouraging and challenging talk by Glen Scrivener – via the Church Society blog. (Image: screenshot from one of Glen’s evangelistic videos.)
I cannot wait for heaven — and that’s the problem
“Here’s the thing. I cannot wait for the New Creation. But not in a good way. Not like a patient child waiting for Christmas morning to come. I’m more like the child who sneaks into mum and dad’s room to open the presents early. In my sin and impatience, I want it now. I literally cannot wait!…”
– Mike Leite shares the remedy for impatience for heaven. At The Australian Church Record.
Diocesan BBQ at Gilbulla
A blast from the past – from Southern Cross magazine, September 1966.
(We don’t do Barbecues like that any more!)
What God is Like — Articulate #1 from the ACR
“Welcome to the first in our Articulate series where we open the vault on an extraordinary series of articles from The ACR.
From 1955 until his death in 1961, T. C. Hammond wrote for The ACR on each of the 39 Articles (well, Articles 1-28 to be precise, sadly he died before the series was completed).
Over the coming months we’ll be releasing these articles – T.C. Hammond’s thoughts and reflections – without further comment, for your encouragement. And, as we’ll see, he is a most insightful tour guide for these rich Christian truths. …”
– Read it all – and Archdeacon Hammond’s article – at The Australian Church Record.
Theology does matter
“Although recent attendance figures from the Church of England seem to indicate relentless decline, new research from a team of Canadian secular social scientists could offer hope if we recognise a truth that is all-too-often avoided. As George Orwell once observed, to see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.
Respected new research published this week from Wilfrid Laurier University claims to have discovered that the ‘secret ingredient’ for church growth is clergy and congregations committed to the historic truths of the Christian faith as a revealed religion, while a liberal approach to belief is consistently a predictor of decline. …”
– Rod Thomas, Bishop of Maidstone (and former Chairman of Reform) responds to some recent research. Via GAFCON (Originally here – PDF file.)
John Chapman, Mark Twain and the Twenty Minute Sermon
“John Chapman and Mark Twain both had much and little in common.
Both were great communicators and raconteurs with a razor-sharp wit. But Chappo loved his golf while Twain is thought to have said that golf was a good walk ruined. Chappo’s spirituality was biblical and evangelical. Twain’s was anything but.
However, when it came to preaching, they had something very much in common. They had little patience for preaching that was unnecessarily long – or even longer than twenty minutes. …”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, David Mansfield would love to hear better preaching.
Legal problems with Victoria’s new birth certificate gender laws
“The Victorian Government has introduced a Bill, the Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2016, to amend its law on birth certificates to allow changing the gender on the certificate to be made easier. (The Bill was approved by the Lower House on 15 Sept 2016 and is awaiting consideration by the Legislative Council.)
There are many problems with the policy represented by this legislation … But what I want to focus on here is the interaction of the new law with the law on marriage. In my view the law will create a host of legal uncertainties at best …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster shares some ideas on complications which could arise from the proposed legislation.
Priscilla & Aquila Centre Annual Conference 2017
William Taylor, Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, is the main speaker at the Priscilla & Aquila Centre Annual Conference on Monday 30th January.
The theme: “Luke’s women, and a ministry that builds the church.”
Some excellent ideas for Christmas
Ian Carmichael has some good ideas for connecting with visitors to your church this Christmas.
Democracy Trumps Meritocracy
“In 2016 the sleeping giant of democracy has awakened. In the rise of minor parties in many Western democracies, in the UK Brexit vote, and now in the USA Presidential election – we have witnessed the power of people rejecting the power of the elite who rule over them. This is democracy in action.
However, this kind of democracy has shocked and rattled the complacency of the elite who have ruled unchallenged for most of this generation. The pollsters and pundits as well as the media and markets, have failed comprehensively to predict or even understand what has happened. The big guns were wheeled in to oppose the popular sentiment but it has not worked. In the polling station, in the privacy of the voting booth, the people have voted in ways they weren’t supposed to…”
– Phillip Jensen reflects on democracy, and how Christians should understand it.
ACR website updated
The Australian Church Record’s website has been updated —
“Since 1880 The ACR has communicated with its readers via a newspaper, or newspaper-like, medium. With over 2300 issues produced, The ACR has a rich history on paper – a history we now continue online. Not only do we have a new website, we’ve also restructured how our publications fit together. So here’s what’s new from The ACR:
The ACR Online
The ACR Online is the new blog of The ACR. Here you’ll find a regular stream of short, sharp articles by an array of writers. These articles will cover a variety of topics and issues, each aiming to leave you more convicted of the gospel, keener to serve Christ and more confident on how to do so. In many ways these articles will not be too different from the encouraging and thought-provoking pieces previously found in our newspapers. They will just be more regular!
The ACR Journal
Of course, not everything can be said in a short blog piece. This is where The ACR Journal comes in. Some issues are complex and are best dealt with in more detail. In our journal you’ll find lengthy discussions on relevant and current theological matters within evangelicalism. The ACR Journal will also be used to help inform and educate Sydney Synod members on upcoming Synod meetings.
The ACR Archives
One of the most exciting components of our new website is The ACR Archives. With over 135 years of publication, The ACR has a rich heritage and is an invaluable historical resource. With more than 2300 issues there is a wealth of historical material, such as ordination lists, parish information, and Anglican news, along with thousands of theological articles written by the likes of D. B. Knox, T. C. Hammond, Donald Robinson, Leon Morris, J. I. Packer, Marcus Loane, Graeme Goldsworthy, John Chapman, and many more. We will also be re-releasing many of these articles through The ACR Online via the ‘From the vault’ segment.
In light of these changes, here’s what’s stayed the same …”
See Him Face to Face
From Michael Morrow: “…as part of the Co-Mission network of churches in London I have produced a live worship album, called ’See Him Face to Face’.”
You can preview (and buy, if you wish) the album at Bandcamp. (Many will know Michael as the composer of This Life I Live.)
The heart of GAFCON
“At the heart of GAFCON is communion.
When I became Archbishop of Sydney in 2001, I had a lot to learn. Even though I had been ordained for over thirty years by then, had lived in England for three years and had been the Principal of a theological College with students from many places in the world, there was so much that I did not know.
Two of the many things I had to discover through experience may sound strange and you may wonder where I had been all my life. But I suspect that many of us are in the same position…”
– GAFCON General Secretary, Dr. Peter Jensen, on The heart of GAFCON.
Understanding the electoral forces behind a stunning victory
In his daily broadcast, The Briefing, Albert Mohler turns to the news of the day – the election of Donald Trump as US President.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…