Preaching in tragic times — what will you say on Sunday?
“It is hard to describe the sense of loss pervading London in 1997 following the death of Princess Diana, however, I had been invited to preach at a London church the following Sunday and it was clear that in the midst of such loss and confusion, people were looking for a clear word from God.
It was the same for every preacher, following the Strathfield massacre in 1991 or the September 11 World Trade Centre tragedy in 2001 or the Lindt coffee massacre in Sydney in 2014.
And now the Bondi Junction stabbings. Perhaps it was too late to change the text to be preached the Sunday immediately following those Saturday afternoon murders, but next Sunday people will be coming to church and expecting a clear word from God. …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook has some very helpful words for preachers in these days.
Image: David Cook at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in 2022.
The Heavens Declare
Overnight (Monday night, Australian time), millions of people across North America will have witnessed a total eclipse of the Sun.
Such events are a reminder to us of far greater realities:
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” – Psalm 19:1.
and
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” – Psalm 8.
Photo: This total solar eclipse was viewed across south-eastern Australia on 23 October 1976.
Preaching Paul’s Letters
“As a Spurgeon fan I can recall many of his quotes at will, and one of them is, ‘No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching…’
This would be most relevant in preaching from the Old Testament, where we (should) use our Biblical theology skills, and preach Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old testament text. …
Far too often, nearly always, I hear sermons on the epistles, where the main application, is ‘Be like Paul.’ where Paul is the hero of the passage.
I’m suggesting, that this isn’t handling any passage from Paul’s epistles well…”
– Jim Mobbs writes to encourage preachers – at The Expository Preaching Trust.
Dead to sin and alive to God in Christ
Romans 6:6-11
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
– ESV.
God’s Gift
“Have you considered the legacy you would like to leave? I’m not speaking here of a material legacy for your family but a legacy or gift for the benefit of others.
Writing in The Weekend Australian (March 16-17, 2024), Nicki Gemmell spoke of ‘the ultimate sacrifice’ of Alexei Navalny, the late ‘Russian opposition leader whose sacrifice was driven by a deep love of his country and of his compatriots’. ‘We’re not used to heroes in real life anymore,’ she wrote.
In commenting on Navalny’s life most commentators miss the point that his sense of suffering, even his willingness to lay down his life in the cause of human rights, arose from his Christian faith – something he came to profess in his adult years. Navalny’s heroism echoed in a small way the greatest sacrifice the world has ever known – that of Jesus, the Son of God.
Come with me to the Gospel of John. …”
– At The Anglican Connection, John Mason turns to Scripture to show us God’s extraordinary gift. Good reading this Good Friday.
Praying for the Royal family?
God’s word calls us to pray – 1 Timothy 2:1-4
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – ESV.
Image: Facebook post from the Church of England.
Remembering Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
On 21 March 1556, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer died at the stake in Oxford.
Learn about this towering figure of the English Reformation:
In 1989, Canon Allan Blanch wrote this appreciation of Archbishop Cranmer for ACL News.
In 2001, ACL News interviewed Dr. Ashley Null, recognised expert on Cranmer.
Further reading:
Masters Of The English Reformation by Marcus Loane (published 1954) is an excellent introduction to the English Reformation and five key figures: Bilney, Tyndale, Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer.
Portrait of Thomas Cranmer by Gerlach Flicke. (This is a re-post.)
Theologically rethinking youth ministry
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“How do we speak to children about sin? How can we help youth understand themselves as sinful and in indeed of forgiveness?
What to make theologically of the sense of entitlement in youth culture?
Plus how do we think theologically about the important issue of vibe in youth and childrens’ ministry and in regards to how kids engage with church.
A new book is launched this week ‘Identity, Church Culture and Discipleship in Youth and Children’s Ministry – Australian Evangelical Perspectives on Youth Ministry’.
The papers in the book were first presented at the HOUSE conference for youth and children’s ministers in Sydney.
Three of the thirteen contributors are with us including Ruth Lukabyo, who leads the Youthworks Institute, teaches church history at Youthworks College and has edited this book.
Also with us is Bill Salier, a former Principal at Youthworks College and now heads up the Anglican GAFCON Theological Educators Network.
And Tim Beliharz is on the ministry support team at Youthworks.”
Technology in a post-truth world — CCL podcast with Lionel Windsor
From Moore College’s Centre for Christian Living:
“In our last episode, we heard from Lionel Windsor, who talked about his new book, ‘Truth Be Told: Living truthfully in a post-truth world’.
In this episode, we’re going to focus in on one chapter in Lionel’s book, looking at how, as Christians, we can live truthful, godly lives in a world that is becoming more and more technologically complex.
Technology is not all bad; you listen to this podcast through a variety of technologies. But it’s hard to know how to live in such a technologically complex world. Lionel helps us think through some of the core issues that are vital for us to grasp in a world like ours.”
– Listen to Peter Orr speak with Lionel Windsor.
Very helpful – especially for all social media users.
Gambling and Coveting
“I know that Aussies love to have a ‘punt on the ponies’ but it’s becoming a massive community problem that can’t be ignored. For example, in the state where I currently live, the Anglican Church of Tasmania has published an excellent report which makes for sobering reading.
Here’s a quick snapshot of what their research found …”
– Mark Powell writes at AP, the national journal of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
Related:
Other posts on our website on gambling (there are quite a few).
Living in Love and Faith: what now for those who cannot ‘agree to disagree’?
“Yesterday the Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, tried to reset the ongoing Living in Love and Faith (LLF) debate, asking the General Synod of the Church of England ‘to be reconciled with God and show this by being reconciled to one another’.
He talked of the missionary imperative of the Church finding a way to ‘agree to disagree’ and pleaded for Synod to avoid “a series of speeches simply saying, ‘Synod needs to agree with me’, or others just need to change their mind”.
But the problem facing the Church is, as Ed Shaw said, ‘We do not all believe the same things when it comes to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage.’…”
See also:
What do we mean by reconciliation? – Martin Davie.
“The problem with the LLF/PLF debate in the Church of England at the moment is that the majority of the bishops are promoting a truncated form of reconciliation, a form of reconciliation which emphasises quite rightly the virtues of humility, patience and love, but also gives liturgical recognition to sexual immorality in the form of the blessing of same-sex sexual relationships and same-sex marriages and the ordination of those involved in them. …”
Image: Bishop Snow’s call for reconciliation despite holding contradictory beliefs.
The magnificent beauty of God’s design for men and women – with Andrew Leslie
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Andrew Leslie is encouraging us to first take a step back from practical concerns and reflect on the beauty and wisdom of the Bible’s teaching about manhood and womanhood.
In much contemporary debate about gender we focus on practical questions about what different people can do.
However the head of Moore Theological College’s Doctrine Department says the picture of gender in the beginning is not an arbitrary divine imposition that comes with its own set of arbitrary rules and instructions. Rather, the man and the woman together – and only together – irreducibly different and yet one inconceivable without the other, created a microcosm of God’s own very being and character and glory, summing up the wisdom and creative word of God.”
Old Testament case law today
“Friends in Christ, following historic Anglican patterns, at the Cathedral, we are committed to the public reading of Scripture, from both Old and New Testaments.
Our preaching generally seeks to expound (i.e. explain and apply) our systematic readings through one book of the Bible.
The other reading comes from the other Testament. This other reading is not generally selected to complement the sermon passage, but simply to expose us to another part of God’s inspired Word, the Bible.
After all, when Paul wrote that ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness’ (2 Timothy 3:16), he was speaking with special regard to what we now call the Old Testament (since the New Testament was still being completed). Timothy had known these ‘Holy Scriptures from infancy’, and Paul said they were ‘able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 3:15).
But often parts of the Old Testament strike the modern person as far removed from our current culture and expectations. …”
– Sandy Grant, Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, writes to the cathedral congregation about the key place of the Old Testament Scriptures.
The Distorting Power of the Prosperity Gospel
“No one wants to suffer. In my culture, and in most African cultures, suffering is seen as a sign of bad luck; or proof that you did something wrong. Interestingly that was exactly the same thinking as Job’s friends. For example, Eliphaz says this about Job’s situation: “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?” (Job 4:7-8). His point? The innocent don’t suffer.
Everyone wants their best life now. And most would simply settle for a materially better life too.
This view of suffering explains the success of the prosperity gospel across Africa. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Africa, Thomas Endjala at Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary, outlines how the “prosperity gospel” ruins faith.
(Link via Tim Challies.)
Truth Be Told: Sample chapter and pre-order
From Rachel at Matthias Media:
“The book on truth they tried to censor
It became painfully clear during the production of Truth be Told, Lionel Windsor’s new book encouraging Christians to stand out in the world because of their honesty and integrity, just how much it was needed. …”
– Read a sample chapter and pre-order the book.
Lionel Windsor spoke about his book late last year.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…