Carson on the Psalms
Todd Shaffer at Faith by Hearing has provided links to four addresses by Don Carson on the Psalms – given at the recent UCCF Staff Conference. Each puts the Psalms (Psalm 1, 2, 40, 110) in its Biblical-theological context.
As always: clear, thoughtful, and Christ-honouring.
Biblical theology of Christian Assembly
Back in October 2008, Trevor Cairney, Master of New College at UNSW, posted some thoughts on and a summary of the Sydney Doctrine Commission’s report on “A Theology of Christian Assembly”.
It’s worth reading his summary as a reminder to think about why we meet for church. At the Just in CASE blog.
Opportunity to connect this Easter
It’s been announced that a one hour excerpt from John Dickson’s new documentary, The Life of Jesus, will air across Australia on the Seven Network on Good Friday, 10th April. In NSW, the programme will be broadcast at 1:00pm.
Produced by the Centre for Public Christianity and Anglican Media Sydney, it’s an ideal way to start conversations about Jesus over Easter.
See the programme’s website for a preview – lifeofjesus.tv
Different by Design 2009
Don Carson’s two talks from last month’s mini-conference, Different by Design 2009: A Crucial Call to Faithfulness on Gender Issues, are now available from The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
Shepherds’ Conference 2009 audio
The Shepherds’ Conference at Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California (where John MacArthur is senior pastor) was held earlier this month. The talks covered a variety of topics relevant to preachers. John MacArthur, Al Mohler and Phil Johnson (pictured) were among the speakers.
Todd Shaffer at Faith by Hearing has a summary of the main talks and a link to free mp3 audio file downloads. (You need to set up a free account to access them.)
God’s wide plans
Tasmanian Anglican has posted online audio files from CMS Summerview 2009 held at Port Sorell in January. Ajith Fernando, Director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka, and Simon Manchester, gave the main talks.
(Photo: Ajith Fernando, courtesy Tasmanian Anglican.)
The Anglican credibility crunch
“Institutional complacency is still widespread in England where the momentum of the past is especially strong. Despite the additional strains that General Synod’s move towards the consecration of women as bishops has introduced, there is a tendency to think that on the whole the Anglican crisis is something which is being played out in Africa and on the other side of the Atlantic…” – Charles Raven writes at SPREAD.
Never let the gospel get smaller
“Here is a simple exhortation that I have been trying to implement in our family: Seek to see and feel the gospel as bigger as years go by rather than smaller. …”
– John Piper has encouraging advice – at Desiring God.
Latest 9Marks eJournal: Advice for young pastors
The latest 9Marks eJournal has been released – with a focus on help for ministers who are new to a church. Topics include:
Is this a hill worth dying on? – Matt Schmucker
What I can and cannot live with as a Pastor – Mark Dever
Love the church more than its health – Jonathan Leeman
Should Pastors change anything in the first year? – Phillip Jensen
Worth downloading – from 9Marks (592kb – pdf direct link).
Tim Keller in London: videos
Tim Keller recently spoke at the Newfrontiers Conference in London. Video of his three talks is now available on Vimeo. (h/t Adrian Warnock.)
1. Preaching the Gospel – 77 minutes.
2. The City – 65 minutes.
3. Cultural Transformation – 52 minutes.
Lessons from Little Rock
On the 6th April 1998 TJ Johnston, an Episcopal priest and senior pastor of an unofficial church plant in Little Rock, Arkansas, became a missionary priest of the Province of Rwanda under the oversight of John K. Rucyahana, Bishop of Shyira. …
Though growing, the church was small and did not have much in the way of financial or social muscle, but this courageous stand set off a chain of events which was to lead to the formation of the Anglican Mission in America and create the precedent for other African jurisdictions which are now coming together in the emergent Province of the Anglican Church in North America with over 100,000 regular Sunday worshippers. …
– Charles Raven writes at SPREAD.
Theology at the Keyboard: an idea for Connect09?
Recently, Capitol Hill Baptist Church ran one of its Henry Forums – and pianist Jennifer Jackson spoke on ‘Bach and the Goldberg Variations’.
Sound a bit high brow? Listen to her talk and consider how something similar (yet on a completely different topic!) might be a helpful avenue of gospel outreach for your church.
Breaking up hard to do
“The Anglican Church of Canada has reached the point where its bureaucracy has outlived its compassion. There. I said it. And I can speak with at least some small authority, considering that I was once an Anglican myself, although my observations led to enough disillusionment to see my departure from the Anglican Church. …”
– Walker Morrow writes in The Citizen. h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog. (Crest: Diocese of British Columbia.)
Investing in bookshops
“A personal theological library is a vital tool for anyone serious about serving the gospel. It is important to invest in good Christian books. But have you ever considered the importance of investing in good Christian bookshops? …”
– At the Sola Panel, Lionel Windsor exhorts Christians to think about where they buy their Christian books.
Suddenly it’s over for the Anglican Communion
“Like a dam that has been under pressure for some time, the Anglican Communion has, I believe, suddenly and irrevocably broken. They think its all over? It is now. …
In short, at the structural level in North America, the revisionist ‘Liberals’ have won. …
If the election of a Buddhism-practising bishop can be accepted without a whimper both within TEC and beyond, then clearly the end of the moratorium on consecrating those in active gay relationships cannot be far off.”
– John Richardson on the state of the Communion.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…