Ethics at the beginning of life
Dr Megan Best (author of Fearfully and Wonderfully Made) is interviewed in the Spring 2013 edition of Australian Presbyterian.
The issue focusses on abortion and related questions. It’s a 5MB PDF download from their website.
Earlier posts. (Photo: Ramon Williams.)
The Proclamation Bible
Here’s a soon-to-be launched resource from the Hodder & Stoughton in the UK that’s worth checking out.
Includes introductory articles by Christopher Ash, Graham Beynon, Gerald Bray, Simon Gathercole, David Jackman, Karen Jobes, Dick Lucas, Douglas Moo, Peter O’Brien, Adrian Reynolds, Vaughan Roberts, William Taylor, and Chris Wright.
J.C. Ryle’s Evangelistic Strategy
“In April 1880, at the age of 64, John Charles Ryle was consecrated as the first Bishop of Liverpool, a new urban diocese carved out of the diocese of Chester. At a stage in life when many clergymen eagerly await retirement, he was launched into a fresh and demanding field of ministry.
He was already well-known on the national stage as a conference speaker and a prodigious writer of evangelistic tracts which sold in their millions. Since 1844 Ryle’s regular parish ministry had been in rural Suffolk, first in the village of Helmingham (with a population of only 287) and then at Stradbroke (one of the largest and wealthiest parishes in Norwich diocese, with a population of 1500). Liverpool was a completely new challenge…
Taking all the Christian denominations together, eighty per cent of the population still remained unchurched. …”
– Church Society has republished Andrew Atherstone’s terrific article “J.C. Ryle’s Evangelistic Strategy” (PDF file) from Churchman.
It’s full of encouragement and challenges for all Sydney Anglicans. Take the time to read it – and learn from John Charles Ryle. (And don’t forget the coming ‘Jesus Brings’ campaign.)
New album from Sovereign Grace Music
Sovereign Grace Music has just launched their latest album – “Grace Has Come – Songs from the Book of Romans”.
(The link is to the ‘special edition’ with three extra tracks.)
Free AudioBook for August — John Stott’s ‘Basic Christianity’
This month’s free audiobook from Christian Audio is John Stott’s Basic Christianity. The book has been a great blessing to countless thousands since it was first published in 1958.
This audiobook is a 2006 reading by American Grover Gardiner.
Who am I to Judge? The Pope, the Press, and the Predicament
“The Pope did not signal in any way a revolution in Catholic moral teaching. The judgment on homosexuality within the Catholic tradition is consistent and very clear. At the same time, the Pope was trying to differentiate between homosexuality and persons struggling with homosexual inclinations.
When the Pope spoke of a gay Catholic who ‘seeks the Lord’ he was speaking of a gay person who is seeking to live in faithfulness to Catholic moral teaching. …”
– Albert Mohler looks at what the Pope really said.
Is God Anti-Gay?
In the light of today’s comments ascribed to the Pope (“who am I to judge?“), Sam Allberry’s new book Is God Anti-Gay? may be particularly helpful.
“Every minister should read this book and we should endeavour to get it into the hands of as many of our congregation as possible.” – Paul Levy.
More on the book from Justin Taylor – and The Good Book Company has it on special.
First GAFCON 2013 prayer bulletin available
“A series of prayer bulletins is being issued in the weeks leading up to the October conference.
This allows provinces, churches, organisations and individuals to read about the preparations and to uphold GAFCON in prayer.”
– Download the first one from this page.
The St. James’ Massacre remembered
On Thursday evening, the congregation of St. James’ Kenilworth in Cape Town met to remember the terrible massacre of Sunday 25th July 1993.
The sermon preached by the current Rector, the Rev Dr Mervyn Eloff, is now available. Well worth hearing and passing on.
And a ten minute video, made shortly after the massacre, can be seen here (h/t George Athas).
Earlier post by David Manfield.
J.I. Packer’s conversion and C.S. Lewis
“Just this week, J.I. Packer celebrated his 87th birthday. We asked him to explain the formative role and influence of C.S. Lewis’s writings on his teen years, his conversion, and his later ministry, which he explains in this three-minute video.”
– from Tony Reinke at Desiring God.
In what are we united?
“Organizational unity instead of Gospel unity is death. The failure of Christian ministries, be they church or para-church, commences when they lose their direction and become organizations that demand organizational unity over theological unity in the service of the gospel.
We all can see how churches have lost their way over time, but the para-churches can just as easily lose their way.…”
– Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, writes in his weekly column.
Why you can rely on the Canon
“When it comes to the canon of Scripture, are 66, 39, and 27 the right numbers? How can we be sure which books belong and which do not?
Mark Mellinger recently sat down with Michael Kruger, president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, to discuss this ever-relevant issue of Scripture and canon.”
– Read the article and watch the video here.
Related: 10 Basic Facts about the NT Canon Every Christian Should Memorize.
What is an Archbishop?
Phillip Jensen continues his brief series on the coming Archbishop’s election, and asks; “What is an Archbishop?”
“When it comes to electing an Archbishop the natural questions are ‘What does the role involve?’ and therefore ‘What are the characteristics or competencies that we are looking for in a candidate?’ However, the answers to these questions are quite different to most people’s expectations as they are not the most appropriate questions to ask.”
A one-sentence summary of each of Screwtape’s Letters
“In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis masterfully ‘teaches in reverse’ by wryly using demonic points of view to enforce a biblical one. He calls it ‘diabolical ventriloquism.’ Here is a one-sentence summary of each of Screwtape’s thirty-one letters that advise Wormwood how to tempt his ‘patient’…”
– from Andy Naselli.
Remembering the St. James’ Massacre
“Man’s evil trumped by God’s good – always!
Today (July 25) marks the 20th anniversary of the 1993 massacre at St James Kenilworth in suburban Cape Town. A commemorative service will be held at St James today to mark the occasion.”
– David Mansfield writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…