Barbieland and the Garden of Eden

“Like millions of others, I fell captive to the marketing genius of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. On the movie’s opening day, I donned my pinkest outfit and joined my friends to see Barbie in all her glittery glory.

But for a movie purporting to be fun and light-hearted, I was fascinated to see how its characters also wrestled with questions of death, gender, and purpose. Barbieland reflects its own kind of Garden of Eden, inviting Christians to compare and contrast the film with Scripture while opening the door for worthwhile conversations. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australian Anna Hoole reflects on how the new Barbie movie could open the door to talk about something that’s truly important.

Moore College Sunday — 6th August 2023

Let’s not forget to pray for Moore College.

Moore College Sunday is coming up on Sunday 6th August and is a great time to remind congregations of the key role of the College in equipping men and women for a lifetime of Christian service.

– Download resources from this link.

The big Barbie movie – a Christian perspective

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“The Barbie movie has started big conversations around the world and is becoming a significant ‘cultural moment’ – opening up and influencing conversations about death, the gospel, the relationships between men & women and worldview.

We explore particularly the evangelistic opportunities and how Christians might best engage.

Caitlin Orr is an Anglican Deacon on maternity leave.

Sophia Russell is a journalist, mum and member of St Paul’s Carlingford in Sydney’s north west.

Jael Riegl is a member at Dapto Anglican Church, to the south of Sydney, and has recently graduated from a degree in English Literature, Law and Philosophy.”

– Watch or listen here.

One & All is all for Jesus

“As Christians around Sydney – and around the world – sing songs written by composers and music groups from Sydney Anglican circles, it’s always exciting to discover another addition to the mix.

One & All, a group born out of the parish centred on Christ Church, Springwood, started in early 2020…”

– Judy Adamson writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Remembering Arthur Stace 56 years on

Like a broken record, we’ve mentioned Arthur Stace on our website once or twice over the years.

In some ways, you might call him Sydney’s best known evangelist, chalking the word Eternity on footpaths across the city for more than 35 years. He inspired thousands to wonder at the meaning of that word – hopefully to contemplate where they would spend eternity – and to be attentive to the gospel.

In addition, Arthur was an open-air evangelist, though few were aware he was also ‘Mr Eternity’.

Arthur was called home to be with the Lord Jesus on this day (30th July) in 1967.

He was eventually buried at Botany Cemetery, now part of Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park.

As we remember this humble man, let’s also be encouraged by his example as he laboured to bring the good news of salvation to his fellow Sydney-siders.

See also these two tributes in song – by Nathan Tasker (video below) and Colin Buchanan.

The book for concerned and confused parents

“The 1960s had the sexual revolution and the 2020s has brought us the gender revolution. So this is a fitting title for a book with the clear purpose to ‘provide the biblical basis for a contemporary Christian response to the complicated feelings and experiences of gender dysphoria’. …”

– Russell Powell writes about The Gender Revolution at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Gender Revolution — book review

“There are times when I receive a new book and find myself saying ‘I don’t think we need a new book on that.’ After all, some topics have been covered so skillfully, repeatedly, and exhaustively that yet another book on the subject could only be overkill.

Yet sometimes I receive a new book and find myself saying, ‘I’m so glad someone has written a book on that!’ There are some topics that may not have been covered sufficiently or that may reflect such new realities that we are still awaiting good analyses.

The Gender Revolution falls squarely in the second category. …”

– Tim Challies draws attention to an important book from an Australian publisher. Most of our readers should be able to find a copy.

Related:

The authors speak with Dominic Steele on The Pastor’s Heart.

 

Review of J. C. Ryle, ‘Christmas Thoughts’

“J. C. Ryle was an unusual clergyman in that he could preach and write, and he could write in different styles while all the time being clear and engaging.

Andrew Atherstone has gathered and edited five of Ryle’s Christmas tracts written during the 1850s and 1860s, and published them for our benefit. …”

– Peter Barnes, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, writes a brief review at AP.

From the foreword of the book:

“This little book contains five of Ryle’s most popular Christmas tracts, originally published during the 1850s and 1860s. They have not been issued in this Christmas form since they were first printed more than a century and a half ago.”

Christmas Thoughts is published by Banner of Truth.

New to Ryle? See –

His Sermons Roused a Sleeping Church – John Piper.

Euthanasia in Canada. MAiD in hell?

“More people are being euthanised in Canada than anywhere else in the world. In the last official report, for 2022, 10,064 people died through what Canadians call ‘medical assistance in dying’ (MAiD). …”

– Michael Cook writes at Mercator. Link via Anglican Mainstream.

Heresy! Why Christians must confront false teaching

“Jesus warned his disciples that false doctrine and false teachers would arise within the Church. He spoke of thieves, robbers, strangers, hired hands and wolves (see John 10) and of himself as a good shepherd, protecting the flock. So it ought to come as no surprise when the Church becomes something of a battleground, and all kinds of heresies spring up. This has happened throughout history. …”

– Church Society’s Lee Gatiss writes for Premier Christianity.

1 Timothy 2 and the scholarly debate

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“1 Timothy 2:8-15 might be the most controversial New Testament passage.

There has been an enormous amount of scholarly attention on this section of scripture, especially over the last few decades, and there are practical questions that we can’t ignore in church life.

Lionel Windsor is a New Testament lecturer at Sydney’s Moore Theological College. Lionel teaches the pastoral epistles to third year students. So is abreast of the scholarly debate.

Lionel gave a super helpful seminar a few months ago at the Priscilla and Aquila Conference held by Moore College.  We have linked to that seminar and Lionel’s notes here.

What are the elephants in the room – Culturally, Philosophically, in Scholarship.

What are the issues of interpretation? How do we approach the passage?
What issues surround 1 Timothy?
What is the significance of ‘quietness’?, ‘let her learn’?, ‘to teach’?
What is the connection between teaching and authority?”

– Watch or listen here.

Two very differs approaches to ‘Babylon’

Here are two unrelated stories – but both about Christians responding to ‘Babylon” –each response will generate a range of reactions.

John MacArthur’s “The Essential Church” film documents Grace Church’s stand against satanic tyranny – Not the Bee.

Anglican leader welcomes Pope’s vigil for Christian unity – The Catholic Leader.

What’s really going on? – Revelation 1

Moore College Principal Mark Thompson, preaching in the College chapel on Friday, began a series on the Book of Revelation.

He starts in chapter 1, asking, “What are you afraid of?”. He points out that the Book of Revelation is not a code book, but a revelation given to bring blessing to those who will listen.

– Watch here.

“The Surprising Genius of Jesus” — Peter Williams

Tyndale House Principal Peter Williams gives three lectures at the Southern Baptist Seminary.

The title for his talks, “The Surprising Genius of Jesus“, is drawn from his forthcoming book.

Fascinating and enlightening. Well worth setting aside the time to watch and listen.

I am now a Culture Warrior

“‘I was wrong’.  This is not a phrase I use a lot!  At least when it comes to major subjects.   Over the years I have been aware of significant changes in thinking that have had an enormous practical impact for me – baptism, Calvinism, the European Union, socialism, worship and environmentalism being the main ones I can think of.  Recently I have been forced to change my view on the question of culture wars.

I often used to say that I did not want to get involved in culture wars and that it would be a mistake for the Church to do so.  Recently I have been compelled to rethink.  The trouble is that the term ‘culture wars’ is itself a product of the culture wars.  Here in Australia, we look askance at some of the culture wars that are going on in the US, and most of us want nothing to do with them.  It is a negative term associated with white nationalism, Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson,  and suggests that Christians are some kind of political force whose mission in life is to combat the Left.  No thanks.  We want to influence the culture, to win the culture,  not to fight it.  Besides which if we engage in culture wars then won’t we alienate people from the Church and the message of the Gospel?  Doesn’t the Scripture itself tells us that our weapons are not the weapons of this world? …”

– David Robertson writes compellingly at AP, the national journal of the Presbyterian Church.

Related:

Tucker Carlson reads the Bible. (Not the Bee)

The trans culture wars vs lovingly pastoring gender incongruent church members – with Rob Smith

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