“For the sake of God” — Must we surrender sexual morality?

“One problem faced by the communion is the habitual hesitation and tepid leadership of its leaders, starting with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop has continually spoken of his concern and fears for the unity of Anglicans worldwide, and he has even spoken of his disappointment and frustration with the American church. What is missing from Canterbury is a clear demand that the Episcopal Church correct its unbiblical practices, repent, and submit to the faithful consensus of the global Anglican family.

But now, a most interesting and provocative argument has come from a very different quarter. Columnist Ruth Gledhill of The Times, one of the most seasoned observers of the Anglican scene, now calls for Christians to just stop arguing over homosexuality and get on with whatever the churches are supposed to be doing. Liberals and conservatives, she argues, must now ‘put their differences behind them, for the sake of God, themselves and the common good.’

That is quite a startling argument, but is also an argument that is certain to gain traction in the liberal landscape of Europe and North America. Ruth Gledhill’s argument bears a closer look.”

– Albert Mohler asks if Ruth Gledhill has a valid argument.

Why nobody seems to care

“Revisionist bloggers and some in the mainstream press are atwitter over the lack of interest in yesterday’s consecration. They seem to think that this signals some kind of breakthrough–that consecrating a non-celibate lesbian is the new normal…”

– Matt Kennedy writes at Standfirm on why nobody seems to care about the consecration of Mary Glasspool.

John Newton to Richard Johnson

John Newton to Richard Johnson (first Chaplain to New South Wales):

“I have not been disheartened by your apparent want of success. I have been told that skillful gardeners will undertake to sow and raise a salad for dinner in the short time while the meat is roasting. But no gardener can raise oaks with such expedition.

You are sent to New Holland, not to sow salad seeds, but to plant acorns; and your labour will not be lost, though the first appearances may be very small, and the progress very slow. You are, I trust, planting for the next Century.

I have a good hope that your oaks will one day spring up and flourish, and produce other acorns, which, in due time, will take root, and spread among the islands and nations in the Southern Ocean.”

– Craig Schwarze, who is researching Richard Johnson, posted this on his website. There’s another great quote from John Newton here.

(Photo © Marylynn Rouse / The John Newton Project, used with permission.)

Budget: A restraint too far

“The Treasurer’s zeal for a ‘fiscally responsible’ budget has seen Australians living at the margins largely forgotten yet again”, says Anglicare Sydney CEO Peter Kell.

– See the Anglicare website.

Music from The Village Church

The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, has graciously made available online their new kids album, “Jesus Came to Save Sinners” – for free download.

Their earlier (adults’) album, “Village Worship” and other music is also freely available.

See it here. (h/t Justin Taylor.)

The Silence has been Deafening

“We are now less than six days from ECUSA’s “consecration” of a partnered lesbian to the (ECUSAn, at any rate) episcopacy. As I wrote in this earlier post, in so consecrating Canon Mary Glasspool, ECUSA will shoot itself in the foot. Even so, the silence from Lambeth Palace over the past weeks has been deafening…”

– A S Haley writes at Anglican Curmudgeon.

A marriage which is no longer a marriage

Bishop Gregory Venables:

“First of all although the Covenant is a wonderful effort it looks as if it’s not going to succeed because it doesn’t really get to grips with what the problem is. There are two versions of Christianity: the original version and the new version which isn’t true Christianity. It does not address and we are not going to resolve it. Really the Covenant seems to be a way of holding together a marriage which is no longer a marriage.

Also even if we sign the Covenant and believe that there is enough there to work through the problems, the Anglican Church does not have a structure to implement how it would be worked out. We haven’t got a leadership, we haven’t got anybody who can say right now that we’ve done this, this is what’s going to happen.

And the worst thing about it is that now it looks as if there is going to be a standing committee which could fulfil that role but the standing committee is representative of the problem rather than the solution so it doesn’t look very hopeful.”

– Archbishop Venables sees the proposed Anglican Covenant as dead in the water.

(Quoted by A S Haley in his commentary, The Silence has been deafening. Photo from an Anglican TV video.)

Eternity at the Cathedral

The theme for the Queen’s Birthday Convention III at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney is Eternity.

Monday 14th June 2010, 10:00am – 5:00pm.
Details here.

(Related: The story of Arthur Stace.)

Planning for the Lord’s Day

“In his book Expository Listening Ken Ramey offers a list of ways you can ‘Plan Ahead, and Schedule Your Week Around the Ministry of the Word.’

‘For the majority of people, even church members, church is not the priority of their week. Too often school, work, sports, and other activities take precedence over going to church. They make the mistake of letting their time be ordered by the world, which views the weekends as a time to relax, to play sports, to stay up late and sleep in.

For Christians, however, Sunday should be the most important day of the week. You should try to schedule your work, activities, get-togethers, and vacations around church.’…”

– Tim Challies posts some of Ramey’s helpful suggestions we could all learn from.

Try not to be cool like this

This satirical video from North Point Media in the US says it all.

(h/t Justin Taylor.)

Why expository preaching protects preachers

Many of our readers will be convinced of the importance of expository preaching. Here’s some more encouragement – Tony Reinke writes:

“During the second T4G panel discussion Mark Dever and Al Mohler discussed evangelism, preaching, and the hesitancy among some Christians to speak openly on tough subjects like God’s judgment…”

– At the Sovereign Grace Ministries Blog.

On shooting oneself in the foot

A.S. Haley last week reflected on the consequences of the imminent consecration of Mary Glasspool –

“The image of a ham-fisted gunslinger, unable to keep from pulling the trigger before he can draw his Colt .45 from its holster, fits ECUSA to a T. It has recklessly ridden into the middle of the Anglican Communion and proceeded to shoot the place up, just as in a Hollywood grade-B Western. While everyone else ducks and runs for cover, ECUSA whoops it up, gets drunk on its cheap imitations of Scripture, and tosses its collective miter in the air to celebrate its raucous belligerence. It is still big and powerful enough to do considerable damage, but it is the rest of the Communion who will have to pick up the pieces.

Meanwhile, the local sheriff hides away in his home, and announces that just as soon as the bully has left, he will sponsor another round of indaba at the local saloon. Talk will go on, accomplishing nothing, but what the sheriff has not noticed is that there are fewer and fewer people at the table.”

– read it all at The Anglican Curmudgeon.

The Heart in the New Testament

Barry Newman is still working away on his posts on ‘the heart’ – he’s now looking at ‘the heart’ in the New Testament, and is up to part 7.

Prayers for pastoral ministry

Serving in the bush — especially if you the bishop — can involve a great deal of travel. Bishop David Mulready of North West Australia writes:

“On May 7, we leave Geraldton again and fly to Perth in order to fly to Broome, Kununurra and Wyndham for our annual visit. Whilst at Broome, I will drive 600km with Tim Mildenhall to visit Michael and Faye working in the Looma Community, then Derby to visit Pastor Timothy Iga. After a few days in Broome, we’ll fly 1200km to Kununurra to visit the ministry team and Congregations in Kununurra and Wyndham.

On May 14 I will Induct Gary Alexander as the Minister-in-Charge of the East Kimberley Parish and Ordain Andrew Hadfield who is working amongst Indigenous people in Oombulgurri, Wyndham and Kununurra. We fly home via Perth on May 17.

Late June and most of July will be huge with the three week visit of Bishop Joseph and Ann Abura from our link Diocese of Karamoja in Uganda.

On top of that, Maureen and I will be on the road for four weeks visiting Parishes in the Pilbara and Gascoyne, driving 4,000+kms.

That gives you a small taste of what we’ll be doing in the weeks ahead.”

Please keep David and Maureen and those they serve in your prayers.

(More from the DNWA website. Photo with thanks to Outback Magazine.)

Col Marshall, MTS, The Trellis and the Vine, and Cricket!

Mark Earngey recently interviewed Col Marshall for his podcast (Pilgrim’s Podcast number 30).

Among other things they speak about his book The Trellis and the Vine – hear it here.

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