The historical fiction of The Episcopal Church

It is troubling to note the shift of TEC from an institution centered around a long religious tradition to one centered around rules, regulations, and real estate. Even more troubling is watching the leadership of the Episcopal Church act more and more like this is the way it ought to be – the way it has always been – and to watch them feign indignation at those who cling to an historic faith as the proper object of Christian loyalty. …

It is sobering to watch the bishops and clergy of TEC pretend a new history into existence and then equate conformity to this fabrication with faithfulness to the gospel.

– Canon Gary L’Hommedieu comments at VirtueOnline.

Apologise to Charles Darwin?

A senior cleric of the Church of England wants his church to apologize to Charles Darwin in time for the observance of the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth next year. …

Dr. Brown’s apology, offered on the official Web site of the Church of England, and in his role as Director of Mission and Public Affairs, may be ‘pointless,’ but it certainly makes a point about the Church of England. As a matter of fact, it might go a long way toward explaining how a church that once formed the backbone of British life now holds the attention of less than five percent of British citizens on any given Sunday.

People come to church hungry for the Gospel and in order to fear God, not for an apology offered to a self-described enemy of the faith – who believed that faith in God is akin to a monkey’s fear of a snake.…

– Al Mohler on the proposed apology to Charles Darwin.

‘Not to Destruction, but to Salvation’

The most senior California bishops of the Episcopal Church came out in favour of same-sex marriage in the state on Wednesday. The bishops then called on voters to defeat Proposition 8 – the constitutional amendment that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. …

Those beautiful words [in the Prayer Book Consecration service], “not to destruction, but to salvation,” take on a deadly significance in the case of these bishops. They are leading their own church to destruction, and encouraging in the larger society what the Bible condemns as sin. These are shepherds who are leading their own flocks right off a cliff.

– Al Mohler writes on the Diocese of California’s stand in favour of same-sex marriage.
(Photo of Bishop Marc Andrus: Diocese of California.)

RC Sproul on Christless Christianity

Last weekend, at The White Horse Inn, Michael Horton interviewed R C Sproul.

Sproul: “conservatism here in America has not been evangelical for a long, long time.” He also argues that Deism is alive and well in even the most rigorous of American ‘evangelical’ churches.

Watch the video 54 minute here at YouTube or download the full 120MB mp4 file (direct link).

Mark 13 in perspective and preaching Christ today

Recently at the Lowestoft Living Word convention, I chose to speak on Mark 13, sometimes called the ‘Little Apocalypse’ because it appears to anticipate the themes of the book of Revelation (The Apocalypse of John).

I think it is fair to say that most Christian interpretation assumes this passage is about the end of the world…

– Moore College graduate John Richardson blogs at the Ugley Vicar.

G W Bromiley on Nicholas Ridley

Church Society has published online a four-part series on Bishop Nicholas Ridley by Geoffrey Bromiley –

“Nicholas Ridley was one of those three confessor-bishops whose names are linked indissolubly with the English Reformation.

Of the three, Cranmer had the widest sphere of opportunity, and if he lacked the most conspicuous gifts of leadership, he had nevertheless his own capacities which allowed him to exploit many of the advantages of his position. Latimer was an older man. As a contemporary writer put it, “He came earlier in the morning, and was the more ancient workman in the Lord’s vineyard.” Latimer was no great scholar, but he was a moral preacher of singular power, able to catch the ear both of those in high places and also of the common people.

Ridley himself was the youngest of the three, but in many ways he was also the most talented. He excelled not only as a scholar, but also as a diligent and forceful ecclesiastic, and by his activity and learning he came to be recognized in his own day as perhaps the foremost champion of the Reformation movement. …”

– From Church Society.

Tearfund and Archbishop Tutu

“Some of us may be wondering what exactly is happening here. According to Tearfund’s site, AB Desmond Tutu (with Tearfund Director, Matthew Frost, left) gave a stirring speech which encouraged radical Christian commitment and care for the poor, the suffering, the dispossessed, those close to God’s heart. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?

That is not all the good bishop said, however. According to BBC’s account, Desmond Tutu reiterated what has become one of his classic lectures on the evils of homophobia in the church and how issues of human sexuality are not that important in the Big Picture…”

– Dr Lisa Severine Nolland writes at Anglican Mainstream.

See the BBC’s report: Church obsessed with gays – Tutu. (Photo: Tearfund.)

Codex Sinaiticus coming online

Codex Sinaiticus, a hugely important manuscript of the Bible from the middle of the fourth century, is now becoming available in a scanned form online as the result of a major international collaboration.

Part of the manuscript is now on the website, with more to come.
See it here. (Hat tip: Russell Powell.)

Chappo says… Just start talking

In characteristic style, John Chapman says: “This could be just the very thing you’ve been waiting for. It mightn’t be the very thing you’re waiting for – but it’s the very thing you should have been – so if you haven’t been, I’d give it a go anyway.”

John’s commending “Just Start Talking”, a terrific new resource from Sydney’s Evangelism Ministries in time for Connect 09.

Written by Lesley Ramsay and Baden Stace, and presented on DVD by Colin Buchanan and Samantha Boog, “Just Start Talking” is a three week course designed to help ordinary Christians get Jesus into their day-to-day conversations.

Read more about “Just Start Talking” at SydneyAnglicans.net and order copies from Evangelism Ministries (phone 02 9265 1582). To see a video preview, follow this link.

TEC and the Anglican Communion a ‘Post-Modern Fantasy’

The problem with Indabbaing your way through life without addressing the crises that are strangling life (and members) out of the church is that it is based on a post-modern fantasy that the atmosphere is more important than the true state of things.

In the emerging train wreck, it is like focussing on the musical program in the ballroom of the Titanic. In the case of our crisis, there are plenty of life boats available for the people. The problem is that they are being lulled into thinking that the crisis is exaggerated. …

– Bishop Bill Atwood, missionary bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, writes at VirtueOnline. (GAFCON photo: Russell Powell.)

Evangelical – by Phillip Jensen

What is an “evangelical”? There is a series of similar words that are commonly confused such as “evangelical”, “evangelism”, “evangelistic”, “evangelise”, “evangelist” and “evangelicalism”. These words carry so much meaning to the initiated but are quite confusing to others.

They all start with “evangel” for they are all about the gospel. “Evangel” is the anglicised version of the Greek word for gospel. These different English words are just different grammatical forms of the word gospel. …

– Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, Phillip Jensen, unpacks the meaning of “evangelical” in the Cathedral’s weekly newsletter for August 10.

John Piper on abortion

An 8 minute video clip – “Abortion is about God”.

From Desiring God – at YouTube. (Hat tip to Justin Taylor.)

Thinking about the Thirty Nine Articles

“The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal…”

– Thus the Jerusalem Declaration at the conclusion of GAFCON called Anglicans back to the Thirty Nine Articles. But who is familiar with the Articles these days?

At his blog Thirty-Nine, Michael Jensen is writing a response to and commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. He’s has begun working through the Articles and is currently up to number 4. Check it out – you may like to start with the Introduction.