Virtue Viewpoints: Bishops Schofield & Cox Deposed…
It was a week that saw further disintegration and separation from The Episcopal Church of its godly remnant.
The House of Bishops met in Camp Allen, Texas, and did a number of predictable things. …
David Virtue has posted his roundup of this week’s events in the Anglican Communion at VirtueOnline.
Critical look at the Dalai Lama’s teaching
CASE (The Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education) at New College, UNSW, is holding its first Quarterly Seminar for the year on Tuesday April 1st.
Mike Wilson, the Cross Cultural Ministry Coordinator for the Presbyterian Church of NSW, is speaking on, “A happy ending or the ending of happiness? A critical look at the Dalai Lama’s teaching.” Details from the CASE website.
Making your life count for eternity
So often, those for whom this world has little regard are the ones the Lord uses to bring honour to Christ.
From our Resources section, here’s the story of one man who sought to make a difference for eternity.
The Christ Files screening Good Friday
The Christ Files, a one hour documentary hosted by Dr. John Dickson, airs across Australia on the Seven Network at noon on Good Friday (March 21).
Many Sydney Anglicans will have heard of the Good Friday special, and also the accompanying 4 part series (now available on DVD), but have you considered how you could use them to speak with your friends about the Lord Jesus?
To watch a preview and to order the DVDs, visit thechristfiles.com.au.
John Stott’s ‘Final Public Address’
Though delivered last July at the Keswick Convention, many may not have read Dr. John Stott’s final public address before his retirement from public ministry at the age of 86.
His topic? ‘The model – becoming more like Christ’.
Read the text of his sermon from the Langham Partnership’s website.
Background story here. (Photo: Langham Partnership.)
Five Books to Read Before Easter
Tim Challies, widely respected Christian blogger from Toronto, is suggesting five books to read before Easter. That doesn’t leave much time! Perhaps starting one book would be more realistic.
One of Challies’ recommendations, Pierced for Our Transgressions by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach, has been described by J. I. Packer as ‘an epoch-making tour de force’.
Dr. Peter O’Brien writes – ‘This is a very significant book… Every major objection to penal substitution has been considered, and courteously but firmly answered.’
Dr. Mark Thompson writes – ‘Pierced for our Transgressions is carefully argued and richly edifying.’
What better time than Easter to turn your thoughts to the saving work of Christ on the Cross. (For Challies’ five suggested books, see Challies.com.)
The World in which we now live – Dick Lucas
An address by Dick Lucas, Rector Emeritus at St Helen’s Bishopsgate, from Psalm 14.
He was speaking to the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship 2007 Annual Conference in London.
A great many in Sydney have benefitted from the ministry of Dick Lucas over the years. Hear his address (17MB mp3 file) from the LCF website.
Ecclesiastical Fascism Rearing its Head
“The fictional ‘abandonment of communion’ used by revisionist Episcopal bishops to deny and dump orthodox priests has now become a standard mantra by those who want to retain power and repress those who would uphold the faith, demanding that they accept the church’s new fangled theology, and bless same-sex marriages…”
This week’s commentary by US-based Kiwi David Virtue.
On Life and Ministry with J.I. Packer
In October 1999, Mark Dever spoke with Dr James Packer about life and ministry.
Well known to many as the author of Fundamentalism and the Word of God, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God and Knowing God, Dr. Packer is a member of St. John’s Shaughnessy which has recently voted to break ties with the Anglican Church of Canada.
This fascinating and informative interview sheds light on the recent history of evangelical Christianity and its continuing battle with liberalism.
The 64 minute audio (mp3) file is available here as a 29MB download.
(Photo: Martin Dee / Regent College, Vancouver.)
Paul, Peter and moderate Baptists
Former president Jimmy Carter convened a large assembly of moderate and liberal Baptists in Atlanta a few weeks ago, meeting under the banner of a “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant”…
Tragically, however, these Baptists do not even agree on the Gospel. … while there was a call for unity around the Gospel and even appeals to spread the Good News, a breakout session demonstrated the lack of clarity, to be as charitable as possible, concerning the nature of Gospel.
– Opinion piece by James A. Smith on Baptist Press. (Any lessons for Anglicans here?)
(Photo of former President Clinton, who was also present, from the New Baptist Covenant.)
Relations with Rome
David Phillips, General Secretary of Church Society, has written a 3 page critique of ARCIC and IARCCUM.
“When was the last time you praised and blessed Mary as the handmaid of the Lord? According to the ARCIC report on Mary it is something Scripture leads us to do. …”
Published in Crossway earlier this year, it is now available on the Church Society website. (120kb PDF file.)
Fathers and Sons
Os Guinness seeks to set the record straight about Francis and Edith Schaeffer by critiquing Frank Schaeffer’s book ‘Crazy for God’ –
“I have never met anyone anywhere like Francis Schaeffer, who took God so passionately seriously, people so passionately seriously, and truth so passionately seriously. The combination was dynamite … The idea that such a man was ‘crazy for God,’ let alone a two-faced con man, is and will always be utterly anathema to me. I was there. I saw otherwise, and I and many of my friends have been marked for life. …”
The review is available in Books & Culture at ChristianityToday.com.
Thinking about what we do in church (ii)
‘Back to the Basics of Reformed Worship’
This article, by Jon Payne, was written to encourage Reformed churches to think about what they do in Sunday church.
While the historical background of Anglican Churches is a little different, there’s much to reflect on in this brief essay – from Reformation21.
Thinking about what we do in church (i)
In an age when many Anglican churches make little use of the Prayer Book, careful thinking about what should happen during a Sunday gathering is more important than ever.
In an interview on the Nine Marks website, Mark Dever (Capitol Hill Baptist Church) speaks on “the Use and Importance of Corporate Prayer”.
This interview provides food for thought for all involved in leading public worship.
Helpful resource: bethinking.org
The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship’s apologetics website – bethinking.org – has a wide range of audio and text resources to help Christians give an account of their faith. Recommended.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…