What is the Standing Committee? – video

This is the first in a series of short videos from the ACL aimed at helping Sydney Anglican Christians understand what Synod is all about.

These videos will be of particular interest to those newly elected to Synod.

Here, the Rev. Phil Colgan explains what the Standing Committee is and does.

Easter Eggs in the Year of Our Lord

“I love chocolate. I don’t think I’m unique in this respect. Most people I have met share this love. So the popular celebration of Easter with chocolate suits me. It combines so many loves at the same time – holidays, chocolate and Christ.

Jesus should be associated with chocolate, for he made every good thing for our enjoyment. He created the world, including chocolate, to be received with thanksgiving. If you like chocolate then eat it with gratitude to the creator of all good things – Jesus Christ our Lord…”

– Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Phillip Jensen writes on Easter and “the lowest common denominator of public agreement” – on the Cathedral website.

The Unseen God

“[W]ithin weeks of the crucifixion, Christ was being proclaimed to the world as Saviour and the cross as the very proof of the immensity of God’s love. And to this day, it is the form of the cross which visually declares the presence and influence of Christianity.

But despite this, even Christians find it hard to keep the cross in focus, often treating it as a mere passing phase: tragedy giving way to triumph, shame giving way to glory, darkness giving way to dawn. This is understandable. We serve a living Lord, a risen Saviour, a reigning King. But when we relegate the cross to the margins, the result is as undesirable as it is unexpected. For the more we seek to find God truly in triumphs, glories and light, the less we find of the true God. And the demonstration of this is always found in our encounter with suffering…”

– John Richardson writes in his book “The Eternal Cross: Reflections on the Sufferings of Christ” — posted at The Ugley Vicar.

Of First Importance — The Cross and Resurrection at the Centre

“The Christian faith is not a mere collection of doctrines — a bag of truths. Christianity is a comprehensive truth claim that encompasses every aspect of revealed doctrine, but is centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, as the apostolic preaching makes clear, the gospel is the priority.

The Apostle Paul affirms this priority when he writes to the Christians in Corinth. In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul sets out his case…” – Albert Mohler writes with a reminder of what is of first importance.

Why God Created the Universe — for Good Friday

John Piper was asked why his preaching has become more Christocentric over the years.

Here’s his answer.

More from the Sydney Family Album

Over the last few weeks, more has been added to the ‘Sydney Family Album’ at Theological Theology –

Learn about William Cowper, and his son William Macquarie Cowper (guest posts by Peter Bolt), and Frederic Barker.

‘Dirty, rotten lies’

“The Clubs industry in Australia has just launched a $20 million lie – if we believe them, we will miss a once in a generation opportunity to radically transform the way we care for those who are addicted to gambling…”

– Over at SydneyAnglicans.net, Anglicare Sydney CEO Peter Kell doesn’t mince his words on poker machine reform.

ANZAC Day more important than Easter?

“This year Anzac day and the Easter Monday public holiday coincide. For the first time since 1859 (and for the last time until 2038), Easter Monday falls on April 25th – the ANZAC Day public holiday.

For almost 2000 years the Easter ‘Holy Days’ have been the central religious event in the calendars of the Western world, but the clash this year is timely for it signals a deeper reality. ANZAC Day is increasingly staking a claim to replace Easter as the major religious holiday in 21st Century Australia.”

– At Defence Anglicans, Chaplain Andrew Grills asks how Christians should view ANZAC Day.

Gospel Coalition Conference 2011 audio

You can now listen to the talks from the plenary sessions at last week’s Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference in Chicago – here.

The conference theme: “They Testify about Me” – Preaching Jesus and the Gospel from the Old Testament. Speakers included Don Carson, Tim Keller, Al Mohler and Alistair Begg.

Congregationalism – real, radical, or imaginary?

“The attacks on the Anglican Diocese of Sydney will probably never go away. It is almost certainly right that they don’t. We are far from perfect and our mistakes will always leave us open to criticism. Yet I’m convinced there’s much more to rejoice in than to criticise.

What is more, often the most virulent attacks come from the most predictable places…

Nevertheless, it is worth engaging with the criticism rather than dismissing it out of hand…”

– Mark Thompson asks if the picture that’s painted of Sydney Diocese is a fair one – at Theological Theology.

Illustrations of Compromise in Church History

Church Society has republished an important 1988 Churchman paper by D A Scales. He looks at –

The Arian Controversy, The Colloquy of Ratisbon of 1541, The Evangelical C of E bishops debate about sacerdotal vesture in 1912, the 1922 debate about Liberalism within the Church Missionary Society in Britain, and the ‘new evangelicalism’ at Keele, 1967.

If you don’t normally think much about Christian history, this would be a good article to read to be alerted to the ever-present danger of losing the gospel.

Download it here as a PDF file.