Sydney at Gallipoli
“This month marks the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli by Australian and New Zealand troops as part of a larger allied invasion force in April 1915…
Historians have noted how the Australian involvement at Gallipoli gained Australia the right to be treated as an independent nation. Thus, Australia was allowed its own independent seat at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and was not simply part of the British Empire delegation.”
– This article by Dr Colin Bale (Head of Church History at Moore College) tells the story of two Sydney Anglicans in the Great War. It was published in the April edition of Southern Cross, and has also been posted online by SydneyAnglicans.net.
Sticks and stones: why words matter
Matthias Media has made the first chapter from Steve Morrison’s book Born This Way available to read online.
Read it here, and also watch Steve talk about the book.
Learn biblical Hebrew?
Why learn Biblical Hebrew?
“The job of a pastor-teacher is to be gripped and transformed by God’s word, and so to speak God’s word faithfully and appropriately into the various life situations of those under your care. If you are serious about devoting your life to the ministry of God’s word, you can’t afford to be shallow in your engagement with it.” – Lionel Windsor at Moore College. (And see his interview with Michelle Philp.)
and George Athas, also on the Faculty at Moore College:
“I’m often asked by people going to theological college or seminary, “Why should I study Hebrew?’ Less often, they ask, “Why should I study Greek?”
They’re good questions. Vital questions. To answer, I want you to imagine this scenario…” Read it all here.
How to destroy freedom one wedding cake at a time
“Those Christian bigots are at it again. And this time it’s those Gun-Lovin’, Bible Thumpin’, Cousin’ Marryin’ conservative rednecks over in Indiana.
On March 26th, Mike Pence (the Governor of Indiana) signed into law the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (or RFRA as it’s known). Many people got quite upset by this new law, and immediately both mainstream media and social media went beserk…”
– At Thinking of God, Akos Balogh provides some background to help understand what’s been happening in the US.
No Regrets, No Retreat
“I don’t use the television much anymore. There was a time when I watched a lot of movies and a lot of programs, but these days there isn’t a lot that catches my attention enough to actually dedicate the time to it. There isn’t much that promises more value than I would get from the same time spent with a good book. But I always make an exception for Dispatches from the Front…”
– Tim Challies highlights the latest video from Tim Keesee.
You might have missed — 10th April 2015
Here are some posts you may have missed in recent weeks:
Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism? – ACL conference audio.
When to make a stand (PDF) – Dr Mark Thompson.
David Ould interviews Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and Dr. Ashley Null at the Anglican Future Conference in Melbourne.
Dr Wesley Hill speaks at Moore College.
New collection of essays by Professor Edwin Judge launched.
ACL Regional Information Nights, coming up on 27th April and 4th May.
The dead end of sexual sin
“Indwelling sin is a parasite, and it eats what you do.
God’s word is poison to sin when embraced by a heart made new by the Holy Spirit. You starve indwelling sin by feeding yourself deeply on his word. Sin cannot abide in his word. So, fill your hearts and minds with Scripture…”
– Rosaria Champagne Butterfield writes about what she learned from John Owen about our status in Christ as we struggle with sin.
Honest Evangelism — new book from Rico Tice
Rico Tice (founder of ‘Christianity Explored ’) has a new book out, ‘Honest Evangelism’.
David Ould has the links – including where you can get a copy. This looks to be a very helpful resource.
The interview (8:50) is well worth watching.
Preaching Colossians
In the latest Preaching Matters video from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, Charlie Skrine talks about preaching through Colossians – and the normal Christian life. Watch it here.
The Empty Tomb and the Risen Christ — The Centrality of the Resurrection to the Christian Faith
“The pattern of the Christian year is an exercise of the Church’s annual remembrance and proclamation of the Gospel. The annual celebrations of Christmas and Resurrection Day help the Church to ponder again the truths of Christ’s incarnation and resurrection from the dead.
Christians understand that every Lord’s Day is Resurrection Day, but this Sunday is the festival which draws all Christians face to face with the empty tomb and the truth of the resurrected Lord…”
– Albert Mohler reminds us that “Christianity stands or falls with the empty grave”.
Jesus Christ and the Revolution of Destiny
“In this series of three lectures, we will be exploring the identity of an individual: an individual who lived and wrote almost 2,000 years ago, but whose writings still challenge and convict countless millions today.
That individual is the apostle Paul, and his writings are in the pages of the Bible, in the New Testament.”
– Holiday reading in the form of a lecture given by ACL Council member Dr. Lionel Windsor.
Archbishop of Sydney’s Easter message 2015
“It is a measure of our society’s fast pace (or perhaps commercialism) that this year, hot cross buns came on sale just after New Year’s Day.
By now, three months later, we have become so used to them that we forget they are marked with a cross.
The speed of our lives leaves us little time to reflect on the timeless truth of this symbol.
You may eat and enjoy your hot cross buns without ever noticing. But if you stop and think about it, the cross is out of place on such a treat.
Because the cross is an instrument of torture. The cross means pain. The cross means death. So why was Jesus, God’s righteous son, on a cross at all?
The Bible tells us that on the cross, Jesus took the judgment that we deserve. He died, was buried and three days later, rose again.
What does the cross mean to you?
For followers of Jesus, the cross is now empty because Jesus has risen from the dead and offers us new life.
This Easter, the mark of the cross can mark a new beginning for you, too.”
Dr Glenn N Davies
Archbishop of Sydney
Easter 2015 AD.
Watch the video from Anglican Media Sydney.
Read the text (PDF will download to your device).
And the story from SydneyAnglicans.net.And here’s a version formatted as two to an A5 page, suitable for printing to insert in your church newsletter this weekend. (115kb PDF.)
Why the Creeds are good
“To too many the creeds are a dusty vestige of a happily distant past. They were written centuries ago, born out of abstract battles whose players we can’t even name. Isn’t it just better to love each other and not get caught up in all those silly questions?…”
– In an age where creeds play little part in many church gatherings, R.C. Sproul Jr says that creeds are good guards of the faith. (h/t Gary Ware.)
When to make a stand
“Three great ‘stands’ in the history of the church:
- the stand of Athanasius over the person of Christ;
- the stand of Martin Luther over the authority of Scripture and justification by faith alone;
- the stand of the GAFCON Primates over the priority of Christ and his mission, the authority of Scripture over denominational processes, revisionist theology, and ethical practice. …
Being prepared to make a stand has characterised genuine Christian leadership throughout the last two thousand years. But why? And when? And how?”
– Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson gave this talk at a seminar during the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Conference in Melbourne last week.
Very helpful. Download it here as a PDF file.
(Picture: Detail from ‘Luther at the Diet of Worms’, by Anton von Werner, 1877.)
The visible Church of God — Article 19
In his latest video on The Thirty Nine Articles, for the American Anglican Council, Canon Phil Ashey looks at Article 19 and the Visible Church of God.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…