Rico Tice preaches at the St. Helen’s Insurance carol service
Yes, Christmas is over, but it is always wonderful to hear Christ preached.
Rico Tice spoke from Matthew 2:1-12 at the St. Helen’s Bishopsgate Insurance Carol Service in December 2021.
Be encouraged to likewise share the news of Christ.
Roman Catholicism as a “Temptation” for Evangelical Theology
“The Presidential Address at the Evangelical Theological Society is a helpful barometer to measure where the wind blows in North American evangelical theology. This year (on November 16), President Al Mohler dedicated his address at the 73rd annual convention in Fort Worth, Texas, to the four temptations for contemporary evangelical theology.
In Mohler’s view, present-day evangelical theology faces these temptations: Fundamentalism, Atheism, Roman Catholicism, and Liberalism.
These words are not to be taken lightly; the trajectory of evangelical theology has not always been peaceful. What is interesting is to understand the main dangers surrounding it.
Let me briefly comment on three temptations and then focus on Roman Catholicism…”
– At Vatican Files, Leonardo De Chirico is thankful for Albert Mohler’s clarity.
(Link via Tim Challies.)
Related:
Article XIX of The Thirty Nine Articles.
Amazing Grace — a hymn for the New Year
John Newton wrote his most famous hymn, Amazing Grace, 249 years ago.
Learn more at The John Newton Project.
“The words of Amazing Grace were etched on Newton’s heart daily.
But we assume that he first wrote this hymn for his New Year’s Morning sermon of 1 January 1773, for it fits his sermon notes so closely and the text he chose to write above it in the Olney Hymns, 1 Chronicles 17:16,17, is identical to the sermon’s text.”
You can also hear some of the earliest tunes used to sing the hymn.
Preserving preaching Christ – with Michael Stead
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“The whole concept of a tolerant society is being spun around.
Sydney Anglican Bishop Michael Stead says there are moves afoot to block Christians from being able to say that ‘Christ is the only way to heaven.’
It’s also being claimed by Equality Australia that to say ‘marriage is between a man and woman’ is an offensive statement.
Bishop Stead says he wants to protect moderately expressed statements of religious belief. …”
– This is a very big issue. Watch or listen here.
Priscilla & Aquila Conference 2022 — The one another commands
Peter Orr is the keynote speaker at the 2022 P&A Conference at Moore College on 31 January. (Also via livestream.)
Recently, The Australian Church Record asked P&A Director Jane Tooher what to expect. There’s a lot planned, including ten afternoon electives.
Christmas morning encouragement
With thanks to Emu Music.
The easiest conspiracy theory to debunk this Christmas
“Are you feeling a bit apprehensive about your conversations with family and friends this Christmas?
The restrictions and lockdowns of the last few years have helped to keep us safe physically, but they’ve also played a role in dividing us socially. The combination of physical isolation, fears for safety, and the overwhelming stream of digital information at our fingertips have opened us up to all sorts of problems…”
– Dreading talking about COVID or US politics over Christmas lunch?
Lionel and Bronwyn Windsor have a suggestion for you. At The Australian Church Record.
Submission to Parliamentary committee on the Religious Discrimination Bill
From Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia:
“The submission of Freedom for Faith to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry into the Religious Discrimination Bill is now available for download here. I prepared the submission with input from other board members.
Submissions to this committee can be made at their website here, but only until 5 pm Tuesday 21 December.
There is also a short survey that the Committee have released which it would be good for anyone concerned with religious freedom in Australia to fill in before that same deadline.”
Image: Diocese of Sydney. (Emphasis added.)
Five misleading Untruths about the Federal Religious Discrimination Bill
“Would a Federal Religious Discrimination Bill (RDB) allow a nurse to say to a patient with HIV that AIDS is a punishment from God?
Would the RDB allow a disability worker to say to a disabled girl that her disability is caused by the devil?
Would it allow a doctor to refuse treatment to a gay patient just because he’s gay?
These are some of the claims being made about the Religious Discrimination Bill that’s before Federal Parliament. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia Akos Balogh takes a look at some of the claims which have been made about the Religious Discrimination Bill.
See also:
Your voice needed on Religious Discrimination Bill – SydneyAnglicans.net.
Parliamentary survey open to all until Tuesday December 21.
Sunday Morning Encouragement
With thanks to Emu Music.
Does God Care? — from Quiz Worx
“Christmas is meant to be a time of fun, excitement and parties. But sometimes there is also sadness, uncertainty and worry.
In our mixed up world, do you ever wonder ‘Where is God when sad and bad things happen? Why doesn’t he do something?’
This Christmas, the Quiz Worx team are excited to bring you a brand new Christmas show called Does God Care?.
Using fun, animations and puppets we unpack the Christmas story from the Bible to show that ‘YES – God Does Care! …”
– If you haven’t already seen it, check out this Christmas resource from the wonderful Quiz Worx.
Statements on the nature and development of the Anglican Communion from the first Lambeth Conference to the Anglican Covenant
“The fact that the Lambeth Conference is going to be held next year means that in the coming months there will be much discussion about the nature of the Anglican Communion.
In order to provide a historical perspective on these discussions, I have decided to post a paper I first wrote in 2011 which uses primary sources to trace the development of Anglican thinking about the nature of the Anglican Communion from the time of the first Lambeth Conference in 1867 up to the issuing of the proposed Anglican Covenant in 2009. …”
– Anglican theologian Martin Davie posts the first of a three part series to give some historical perspective to the coming (and ignored by many) Lambeth Conference.
What to measure in church life
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“It’s time to review what’s happened this year and have robust informed conversations about what we will do next year. What won’t we do again? How we will do things differently? And why?
To make realistic decisions, we need to know what’s helpful to measure. And what isn’t.
Not everything that’s measurable matters. And not everything that matters is measurable.
Mike Hastie has been serving on the team at Newtown Erskineville Anglican Church, and is about to become the senior pastor of Toongabbie Anglican Church.”
Devotionals I recommend for a New Year
Tim Challies writes:
“With 2021 quickly waning, many of us are beginning to think about a devotional approach for the year ahead. Some are looking for a resource that will serve as the main component of their devotions and others for something that will be merely supplementary.
Either way, I’ve collected some of the resources I most recommend and hope you find something here that will serve you as you devote yourself to reading the Word of God in 2022.”
Sunday morning encouragement
The Night Song – another beautiful song, just out, from CityAlight with Colin Buchanan.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…