Southern Cross magazine November – December 2023
The latest issue of the Diocese of Sydney’s Southern Cross magazine for November – December 2023 is online. Download it here.
Printed copies will also be available in churches.
John Newton’s 1767 Diary
“Some authors wait a long time to see their work reach publication. In Newton’s case, the wait for this one has been 256 years!
Rhys Bezzant, Dean of the Anglican Institute at Ridley College, comments: ‘1767 was a remarkable year in the life of John Newton, not least because he travelled extensively and subsequently moved into a new rectory. In his Diary of this year we learn about his aching soul, his busy schedule, his pastoral heart, and his prodigious correspondence. Here we meet no detached preacher elevated above his congregation, but someone who wrestled with the meaning of a text and engaged honestly with his parishioners concerning his own future in Olney…’
In 1767 John Newton kept a small pocket diary of the sort we might buy today, with one page for recording the week’s events and the opposite page for keeping a record of accounts. You would be excused for thinking that the transcript would be brief, but somehow this has morphed into an illustrated 72-page A4 edition, augmented with illustrations and illuminating footnotes, published by The John Newton Project. …”
– Marylynn Rouse at the John Newton Project in the UK has been working to open windows into the life and thinking of someone who has had a huge influence worldwide.
Read about it at AP, the national journal of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
The Diary for 1767 is available from johnnewton.org/shop.
See also:
Lord hast thou not a time for these poor benighted souls? – John Newton’s prayer for ‘poor benighted souls’ on the other side of the world.
Howard Guinness and the beginnings of evangelical university ministry in Australia
At an event at Moore College on 1st November, Dr Ruth Lukabyo spoke on the legacy of Dr Howard Guinness –
“Dr Howard Guinness, of the well-known Irish brewing family, was sent to Australia in 1930 by Inter-Varsity Fellowship to develop Christian student groups on university campuses. His visit was the catalyst for the establishment of Sydney University and Melbourne University Evangelical Unions on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
During his later parish ministry in Broadway and Vaucluse, his ongoing involvement in EU missions has left a lasting legacy in university campus ministry.”
– The video is now available to watch. (At time of posting, the event begins 37 minutes and 30 seconds into the video, though the video might later be edited.)
At the end of Dr Lukabyo’s presentation, Mary Jones, Howard’s daughter, shares recollections of her father.
Related:
Defence Sunday — 5 November 2023
Defence Anglicans has a video and some resources to help us pray for Defence Chaplains and those they serve.
This year, Defence Sunday can be observed on Sunday 5th or 12th of November.
Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, Grant Dibden, asks local churches to partner with the chaplains in prayer, and financially if possible.
A heart issue and skill deficit – addressing deep problems in Mission and Maturity – with Andrew Heard
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“A few weeks ago on The Pastor’s Heart we talked with Zac Veron and Raj Gupta about issues confronting Sydney Anglicans.
The National Church Life Survey shows a drop in newcomers from 9% in 2011 to 5.4% in 2021 – a more than ten year trend of fewer people joining church.
Plus there’s been a 7.5% drop in attendance between 2015 and 2019.
But it’s not just the Sydney Anglicans that need a wake up call. It’s most of us in Australian Evangelicalism.
And if you are a senior pastor watching from around the world – it’s highly likely that there will be a massive overlap between your problems and our problems.
Andrew Heard leads the large and influential EV church on the Central Coast of New South Wales. He’s also the key person behind the influential Reach Australia movement. And is a leader in the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.”
– A wake-up call. Watch here.
What is Reformation Day?
“A single event on a single day changed the world.
It was October 31, 1517. Brother Martin, a monk and a scholar, had struggled for years with his church, the church in Rome. He had been greatly disturbed by an unprecedented indulgence sale. The story has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Let’s meet the cast. …”
– At Ligonier Ministries, Stephen Nichols reminds us what it was about.
Howard and Dorothy Mowll – Global Anglican Pioneers
Published recently by Latimer Publications in the UK, “Howard and Dorothy Mowll – Global Anglican Pioneers” is sure to be of interest to many.
From the Latimer Trust website:
“God’s blessing upon the Diocese of Sydney in the election of Howard Mowll as its sixth Diocesan Bishop in 1933 is clearly evident in these pages.
Despite the inadvertent loss of his personal papers, the authors of this fine anthology provide an insightful and informative account of the ministry of Archbishop Mowll across four continents. These scholarly chapters provide a rich tapestry of the outstanding leadership of Mowll not only in the Diocese of Sydney but throughout Australia and beyond. His zeal for a robust theological education, energetic evangelism and a vision for youth ministry made a formidable impact on Evangelical Anglicanism in Sydney.
This book is long overdue in celebrating the legacy of Howard Mowll, arguably the most significant and effective Archbishop of Sydney of the twentieth century.
Glenn N Davies, Archbishop of Sydney 2013-2021.”
The book has its origin in the 2021 Moore College Library Day and is edited by Erin Mollenhauer, Senior Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Moore College’s Donald Robinson Library.
It’s available direct from Latimer Trust – and also via these booksellers.
New College Lectures 2023 with Chris Watkin
The recent 2023 New College Lectures with Assoc. Professor Chris Watkin have now been made available on their YouTube channel.
The topic: A Christian Critical Theory?
See also:
Interrogating identity: From philosophical theories to Biblical wisdom – with Chris Watkin
The Wandering Bookseller is also having a sale this weekend
The Wandering Bookseller has 25% off all stock this weekend (28-29 October 2023).
(Again, this is not a sponsored post, but we thought you might be interested.)
Matthias Media warehouse spring clean
Matthias Media is having a “spring clean” sale for orders within Oz. Many books and tracts on special. Ends 31 October.
They’re not sponsoring this – we just thought you might like to know.
Freedom23 — Freedom for Faith National Conference
The 2023 Freedom for Faith National Conference is coming up at Village Church Annandale on Monday 6th November.
Details and booking from their website.
Are You Listening to Yourself?
“A verse that encourages me greatly, in preaching, is Jesus’ words in John 10:27:
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
When we communicate God’s word, it gathers the sheep, the sheep come to listen, they recognise Jesus voice.
Its encouraging, because God’s truth attracts God’s people, so when I am discouraged by small numbers, this verse reminds me – God’s people listen to God’s voice, and want to hear Him speak to them through His word, and faithful preaching. …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, Jim Mobbs encourages preachers to listen to their own sermons.
Picture: Detail from “The Evangelist”, a painting of Arthur Stace preaching in the open air, by artist David Lever.
The promise of life — some thoughts on 2 Timothy
“What is the primary role of the Christian pastor?
The question might yield a variety of different responses today. For the definitive answer, however, we need look no further than 2 Timothy.
As Paul sends final instructions to his ‘child’, his own execution imminent, priorities are set forth with unequivocal lucidity.”
– St. Helen’s Bishopsgate has published the latest audio reflection on 2 Timothy by Dick Lucas. An encouragement for pastors as well as members of churches. 14 minutes.
(Dick turned 98 last month. Do give thanks for him and pray for him in his continuing ministry of gospel encouragement.)
Related – from ten years ago:
Judgement, Salvation & the Living and the Dead – Dick Lucas Sermon Jam
Halloween Interview – Ian Carmichael
“Ian Carmichael is a publishing consultant for Matthias Media and author of the publishing company’s first Halloween-themed tract.
The ACR caught up with Ian to hear about some of the opportunities we can take advantage of at this time of year. …”
– Read the interview at The Australian Church Record.
D. A. Carson’s Theological Method
“In 2011, the Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology published my article ‘D. A. Carson’s Theological Method.’
In 2023, Crossway has published a book of essays by D. A. Carson in which I update my 2011 article, and Crossway has graciously granted me permission to upload a PDF of my updated essay on my website…”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…