Growing capacity for Mission and Ministry
“The unrevoked commission of our risen Lord is to multiply disciples wherever we are (Matthew 28:16-20). Literally Jesus said: ‘as you go, make disciples’. This is for all of us in the places where God has put us.
God wants more and disciples whose baptism demonstrates a real turning from self to Christ and whose lives are changed by obeying his word. God wants faithful followers of Christ to transform his world. The risen Christ not only commissions us to continue his mission in the world but also gives gifted people to build the church…”
– Bishop Trevor Edwards gave a presentation on “Growing Capacity for Mission and Ministry” at the Synod of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn last weekend. His notes are now online.
Carl Trueman teaching on preaching
Colin Adams at Unashamed Workman writes:
“Carl Trueman lectures on the theme ‘The Preacher as a Prophet’. I would add a hearty ‘Amen’ to Trueman’s main thesis: Preaching is ”confronting people with God”, not merely conveying information. This lecture deserves a much wider audience than the 40 or so people who originally heard it.”
Important sermons and articles worth reading
“A few days ago I was thinking back to a few classic sermons and essays that have made a significant impact on my own thinking and ministry. They are the sorts of pieces that can get lost in the shuffle in the midst of book recommendations, classic and contemporary. …
So I thought it might be helpful to ask some pastors and theologians what they would recommend as sermons or essays that have had a special impact on them, or that they would seriously urge students and pastors to consider reading.”
– Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds has a very useful list here, with links.
How much has ECUSA spent on lawsuits?
A.S. Haley, The Anglican Curmudgeon, attempts to work out how much the Episcopal Church has spent so far on lawsuits and ‘disciplinary actions’.
The Commission of The Risen Jesus
“We gather in this Cathedral today to ordain five persons as priests in the church of God. In due course they will be reminded in the liturgy of their weighty responsibilities and duties in the household of faith and we will hear their solemn vows and undertakings to fulfil the same. We will join in prayer that God will make them equal to their task. But first we must all listen again to the words of the risen Christ…”
– Two weeks ago, Bishop Trevor Edwards preached on John 20:21 at an ordination in the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn. Read his sermon here.
No need for God? Mohler on Stephen Hawking
“Professor Hawking is out with a new book, and in The Grand Design, he, along with co-author Leonard Mlodinow, now presses his case against God — or at least against any role for God in the origin of the universe or the beginning of time. …”
– Albert Mohler responds to some of the claims in Stephen Hawking’s new book, ‘The Grand Design’.
(As the book may come up in conversations, it’s worth taking some time to become aware of the issues.)
Graeme Goldsworthy on The White Horse Inn
Graeme Goldsworthy was interviewed on last week’s White Horse Inn broadcast (29th August 2010).
(In the next few days it will be archived on this page.)
Hell: Remembering the Awful Reality
“To speak of hell is to speak of things so overwhelming that it cannot be done with ease.
Yet hell exists; this is the testimony of the Scriptures, of the apostles, and of the Lord Jesus himself. The emotionally intolerable is also the truth — and therein lies its awfulness.
It is incumbent on the Christian pastor to be familiar with it, to feel the weight of it, to preach it, and to counsel his flock in connection with its meaning and personal implications.”
– Sinclair Ferguson is one of the contributors to the latest 9Marks eJournal, just released.
Read online – or download as a PDF file – from 9Marks.
Why the Adoption act should not be changed
“A private members bill introduced by the Hon Clover Moore to allow same-sex couples to adopt children will go before the Lower House of the NSW Parliament this week.
The NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally has allowed a conscience vote by Government MPs and the Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell has allowed the same for Opposition MPs.
The bill has been amended to exempt faith-based organisations from having to facilitate adoptions for same-sex couples.
Although Anglicare Sydney welcomes this exemption, it still opposes the bill in principle and urges all MPs to vote against the bill because it diminishes children’s rights.
The Adoption Act makes it clear no adult presently has the right to adopt a child. The Act is based on what is in the best interest of the child. Introducing a right to adopt is contrary to the whole adoption regime.
And allowing same-sex couples to adopt children is not a test of civil rights – upholding the rights of children to have a father and mother when they have no say in the matter is.
Anglicare’s 12 reasons for opposing the Bill were sent to all State MPs. You can view them here.
With this issue now upon us, I strongly urge you to write to or email your local MP and request them to vote against Ms Moore’s Bill, with reference to ANGLICARE’s reasons.
Children’s rights are precious – they should never be a political football for others.”
– Peter Kell, CEO of Anglicare Sydney writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Vacation Reading 2010
“Every summer on vacation, I try to read a variety of things. Here is a thumbnail on each of the books from this past week in South Carolina…
Peter O’Brien’s Consumed by Passion (1993) where he carefully and convincingly argues from 1 Cor 10:33-11:1 and elsewhere against David Bosch and others who maintain that Paul did NOT expect other Christians to evangelize. Paul did, O’Brien argues. Good book on the gospel and evangelism. Careful treatment of key passages. Anything by O’Brien is worth reading.”
– Mark Dever shares thoughts on just some of the books he’s been reading during the northern Summer vacation.
The Archer and the Arrow
“If you are a pastor and haven’t yet read The Trellis and the Vine, you will want to do so. And then you will want to read the follow-up as well. The books are a powerful one-two punch looking first to the big picture of ministry and then focussing in on that one area of utmost importance…”
– Tim Challies reviews The Archer and the Arrow by Phillip Jensen and Paul Grimmond.
Soldiers are not like Macadamia Nuts!
“I have often thought that the typical Aussie bloke is a bit like a Macadamia. You know there is a soft kernel somewhere inside, but the shell is so hard that is seems impossible to crack. So too with soldiers. No doubt there is a spiritual side to them, but the shell is like reinforced concrete. Or so I thought…”
– Ridley College graduate Chaplain Andrew Grills writes about the spiritual openness he has discovered among those to whom he ministers. On the Defence Anglicans website.
And what advice are military chaplains giving Defence Force members looking for churches? It’s a challenge to see if our churches measure up.
(Defence Force Chaplains are always on the lookout for faithful and innovative clergy.)
The Wind of Change: All Africa Bishops Conference, Uganda
“In February 1960, British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan delivered his historic ‘wind of change’ speech in Cape Town, heralding the end of Great Britain’s colonial presence in Africa. Fifty years on, there is a spiritual ‘wind of change’ blowing in Africa which promises to end the predominance of London based institutions in the leadership of the Anglican Communion and the current All Africa Bishops Conference in Entebbe convened by CAPA (the Council of the Anglican Provinces of Africa) provides the clearest evidence yet of this change in the spiritual weather.
It must have seemed to Lambeth strategists that the Archbishop of Canterbury’s presence at this high profile African conference with an agenda dominated by uncontroversial humanitarian issues would be a golden opportunity to portray the Anglican Communion as back to ‘business as usual’ after Rowan Williams’ decision to invite the consecrators of Gene Robinson to the 2008 Lambeth Conference led to the principled absence of some 230 mainly African bishops.
If so, they badly misjudged the mind of the conference. After the first day, the public relations dream is threatening to turn into a nightmare and Dr Williams may well by now be wishing that he had stuck to being a merely virtual presence by video as at April’s South to South Encounter in Singapore.…”
The Gospel Song — an Animation
At Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin shares an animated video by Chris Powers – based on Sovereign Grace’s ‘The Gospel Song’, and some words from John Piper.
(The song is also available on that page as a free download.)
‘The heresy of Oakeshott’s hero’
“Your story says Peter Cameron was found guilty of heresy for supporting the ordination of women (”Uncompromising heretic caught in the national spotlight”, August 24). This is untrue.
I quote from the press release at the time… ‘The matters at issue in the judicial process have related to Dr Cameron’s view of the Bible and its authority…’”
– In today’s Sydney Morning Herald, two letters respond to yesterday’s story about the independent MP Rob Oakeshott. On the Letters page – near the bottom.
(Photo: Rob Oakeshott.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…