Remembering with gratitude Sir Marcus Loane, on the Centenary of his birth

Marcus Loane was born in Tasmania one hundred years ago – on 14 October 1911.

He grew up in Chatswood in Sydney, becoming a Christian at the age of thirteen. After completing school, he worked as a shipping clerk while studying at Sydney University in the evenings.

In 1932, he entered Moore Theological College, with a view to ordination for parish ministry. He excelled academically in the Th.L and also earned an MA in English from Sydney University.  Read more

Some previous posts you might have missed

Here are some posts you may have missed in recent weeks:

• Thanks and prayer requests from North West Australia – Bishop David Mulready completes his episcopal ministry in DNWA this week.
• Hope for Life: Provincial Mission Convention – to be held in Canberra, January 2012.
• Another Attack upon Sydney Anglicanism. – book review by Dr Mark Thompson.
• Peter Adam at the John Stott Memorial Service in Melbourne.
• ACL tribute to John Stott.

Exploring Effective Ministry conference

The upcoming Exploring Effective Ministry Under God conference (at Moore College on Wednesday 23 November), looks to be a very useful time for all who want to better understand our ministry situation in Sydney, and move forward. See the website for details. The videos are particularly helpful.

True Feelings Conference audio

The recent School of Theology at Moore College was about “True Feelings: Emotions in Christian Life and Ministry”.

The audio files of the talks have now been made available. Speakers were Richard Gibson, Andrew Cameron, David Peterson, Gerald Bray, David Hohne, Peter Bolt, Keith Condie, Michael Jensen, Rhys Bezzant and Rob Smith. (h/t Michael Jensen.)

Synod Dinner and Resources for Sydney Synod Members

For Sydney Synod members –

The Synod Survival Guide – by Robert Tong.
Introduction-to-Synod videos.

Connecting, Evangelising, Enfolding — video

Here is the fourth in a series of short introduction-to-Synod videos from the ACL.

Why are Connecting, Evangelising, and Enfolding diocesan mission priorities? Archie Poulos, who lectures in Ministry at Moore College, explains.

Most encouraging.

A curious document from Charleston

In his weekly e-mail update, Bishop David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council, wonders about the allegations against South Carolina Bishop Mark Lawrence –

“When one sees the incredibly detailed and ridiculous document comprising the list of charges that was supposedly submitted by a group of loyal (to the Revisionists) people in South Carolina, it certainly doesn’t look like something a group of casual Charlestonians threw together while preparing shrimp and grits on the side.”

Read more

Christians know what the world does not

“I am writing this essay on an Apple laptop computer. I am listening to the strains of Bach playing from my iPad via an AirPort Express. My iPhone sits on my desk, downloading a new App from iTunes. Steve Jobs has invaded my life, my house, my office, my car, and my desktop — and I am thankful for all of these technologies.

But unerring taste, aesthetic achievement, and technological genius will not save the world…”

– Albert Mohler gives thanks for Steve Jobs – in perspective.

A world without Jobs — the gospel of a secular age

We posted this link back in January 2011. This might be a good time to revisit it:

“As remarkable as Steve Jobs is in countless ways—as a designer, an innovator, a (ruthless and demanding) leader—his most singular quality has been his ability to articulate a perfectly secular form of hope.

Nothing exemplifies that ability more than Apple’s early logo, which slapped a rainbow on the very archetype of human fallenness and failure—the bitten fruit—and made it a sign of promise and progress.…”

– Plenty of fuel for a gospel conversation in this article by Andy Crouch.
(Photo: Apple. Thanks to Justin Taylor for the reminder.)

Some thoughts on ministering to the sick

“I am no expert in ministering to people in suffering. It is a privilege to be with the sick and dying, but it can also be scary, hard work. I have great respect for chaplains, calling pastors, solo pastors, and other believers who spend a lot of their time comforting the sick and suffering with the gospel. …”

– Kevin DeYoung shares some practical advice.

The Elephant in the Room

Does theology matter? Of course it does – and even more so when someone is a teacher and preacher who claims to speak the words of eternal life.

Over the last few days, quite a storm has developed over the invitation extended to a ‘Word of Faith’ preacher to speak at a high profile event in the US. You can read a summary by Tim Challies about the controversy. Carl Trueman also offers some thoughts.

Related: Word of Faith preachers. (Photo: Tim Challies.)

On hearing and responding to Christ’s word

At the Better Gatherings website (run by the Archbishop of Sydney’s Liturgical Panel), there’s a helpful short article by Dr David Peterson – on considering what we do when we meet around Christ in church. You can read it here (be sure to check the other resources on the site!).

The value of a theological education

John Richardson wonders about the future of theological education for ordination candidates in the UK. It seems some are suggesting that ‘on the job’ learning instead is the way to go.

“For a lot of what passes for ministry is not a ‘theological’ ministry at all. ‘Pastoral’ ministry in the Church of England is ‘helping people with their problems’, not bringing people to the knowledge of God in Christ.”

In reflecting on this, he draws attention to a booklet he wrote in 1993, after a year at Moore College:

“What I found at Moore was a Christian community committed to the pursuit of intellectual excellence by every student, where it was assumed that the ordinary parish clergyman both should and could be conversant with the most ‘academic’ of theological thinking. I soon realized that in this country we have been setting our sights far too low.”

Read his post here, and then the booklet, A Little Knowledge (PDF).

Paul, Chronology and the Unity of 2 Corinthians

“It is generally agreed that Paul’s engagement with the church in Corinth was extensive and intensive, more so than with any Pauline congregation. This short paper addresses the question of the chronology of Paul’s relationship with the church in Corinth and the related issue of the unity of Second Corinthians. …”

– Bishop Paul Barnett has posted a very interesting and helpful paper he presented at the Society for the Study of Early Christianity at Macquarie University in August.

(Related: Society for the Study of Early Christianity website.)

We have all your stuff now, but we think you owe us more!

“I’d like to share with you a letter from the Bishop and Diocesan Council of The Episcopal Church’s (TEC) Diocese of the Rio Grande. But first, a little background so that you can appreciate the letter in all its fullness.

This time two years ago, approximately 80% of the parishioners of St. Mark’s on-the-Mesa (TEC) left the parish and formed Christ the King Anglican, Albuquerque, NM (Anglican Church in North America). When those parishioners left the parish, the Diocese of the Rio Grande, and the Episcopal Church, they left everything… they walked away and began a new life together as Anglican followers of Jesus Christ at Christ the King Anglican Church. …

Fast forward two years to August 31, 2011 (about three weeks ago). The congregation’s rector, the Rev. Roger Weber, former priest at St. Mark’s, received this letter from TEC Bishop Michael Vono of the Diocese of the Rio Grande…”

– Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council shares the tale of this extraordinary request made to a congregation which had left the TEC.

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