Expecting what God promises

Richard Baxter:

“What keeps us under trouble is either we do not expect what God has promised [suffering], or we expect what he did not promise [an easy life]. We are grieved at crosses, losses, wrongs of our enemies, unkind dealings of our friends, sickness, or for contempt and scorn in the world. But who encouraged you to expect any better?” (Voices From the Past, 138)

– quoted by Stephen Altrogge at The Blazing Center.

The Good News We Almost Forgot

“The Good News We Almost Forgot is Kevin DeYoung’s attempt to introduce the Heidelberg Catechism to a new generation. And it seems that at a time when so many people are describing themselves as “Reformed” it is worthwhile looking to the historic roots of the Reformed tradition. Though the catechism was published almost 450 years ago, it remains relevant. The gospel it professed at the time of the Reformation is the very gospel we treasure today.”

– Tim Challies reviews the book. Get it from Reformers Bookshop or Moore Books.

Related: More Catechesis, Please.

Time to end the Nanny Church?

“In our area… we have been told to come up with a deanery mission strategy. But we cannot control our budget and we cannot control our staff — the ‘quota’ we pay to diocesan central funds is set by the diocesan centre, and is increasingly beyond the reach of dwindling congregations of elderly people. But we are rated as a ‘rich’ area, so the level is set accordingly.

At the same time, however, the number of clergy we are allowed to deploy is restricted to what we are allowed by the bishops, so we cannot increase the workforce who might increase the membership…”

– John Richardson also wonders about the future of the Church of England.

The next big question

“Taking stock after the American Episcopal Church has consecrated its second bishop  in a same sex relationship, and doubtless not the last, certain things seem to be clear; the North American revisionists are striking out regardless of the rest of the Communion, the Anglican Covenant has been effectively abandoned by the Global South as a means of restoring order and the Archbishop of Canterbury is an increasingly peripheral figure, as underlined by his silence on the Glasspool consecration this past weekend and his inaction beforehand.

But these clarifications bring to the foreground a question which many have so far been reluctant to face. According to Archbishop Peter Jensen, reflecting on last month’s Fourth Global South to South Encounter in Singapore, the Communion is now in a ‘post crisis phase’, but where does that leave the Church of England, the mother church of the Communion?…”

– Charles Raven wonders about the future of the Church of England.

“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.

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