Southern Cross magazine Dec 2023 — Jan 2024

The latest issues of Southern Cross magazine from the Diocese of Sydney is out now.

Copies should be available in churches, and it can also be viewed online or downloaded.

Do take the time to read your copy. Much encouragement.

The Sin of Selfish Ambition in Christian Ministry

“The prophet Jeremiah was inspired by God to write: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it’ (Jer. 17:9).

While it is widely applicable for many things, it functions as a particularly pertinent warning to those who would serve Christ. Even discerning one’s own motives can be a notoriously difficult thing to do. And in this regard, the words of the apostle Paul are especially apt …”

– At AP (The Australian Presbyterian) Mark Powell encourages fellow-pastors to “Take yourself less seriously, have fun, serve Christ…” – and not to promote yourself. Good advice!

Evangelistic Fire

“The Christian gospel is the most significant message ever entrusted to human beings.

It is the message of a love so strong it overcomes every obstacle in order to rescue sinful people from judgment. Jesus is God come to save us, by bearing himself all the consequences of our sin and opening up a new life of hope and joy and peace. This is breathtakingly good news, all the more so because our situation without it is so dire. The gospel of the crucified and risen Messiah changes everything. It is the powerful way God saves people (Rom 1:16). …

A friend of mine asked not that long ago where all our evangelistic fire had gone. Where’s that sense of urgency, that passion for the lost, that clarity of focus on Jesus and the salvation available only through him, which used to characterise Christians in this part of the world? It made me think. Have we become too comfortable or perhaps too fearful? Do we still believe it?…”

– Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson writes this foreword to the latest Moore Matters, Summer 2023. It has the theme of the Urgency of Evangelism.

John Chapman: Encouragement for Evangelism.

The how and why of Bible reading – and why we should do it more

“According to the recent National Church Life Survey, 47 per cent of Sydney Anglicans say they read their Bible every day and 75 per cent of them a few times a week. This is a very encouraging statistic!

During the pandemic, newspapers reported something of a revival in personal “spiritual practices”, including reading “holy texts”, prayer and meditation. No doubt many Christians also found that being forced to stay at home lent itself to reviving personal Bible reading and time with God in a more disciplined way.

The Scriptures emphasise both the importance and also the sheer joy and privilege of meeting God in his word …”

– Archbishop Kanishka Raffel encourages us to continue to hear and respond to God’s word. He writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Wanted: Catholic Pastors

“I was in a meeting not too long ago in which a pastor said that he was going to lead his church to be the first church in history that fulfilled the Great Commission.

That’s a breathtaking claim.

And it reminded me of many other such vision-casting mission statements. One of the most famous slogans has to be the watchword of the Student Volunteer Movement, from over a century ago — ‘The evangelization of the world in this generation!’ That stirring call was used by God to send thousands of evangelical Christians from the English-speaking world around the globe to share the gospel in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

But I have to be honest—I’ve always thought that famous slogan was a mixed bag. …”

— At 9Marks, Mark Dever sees the need for pastors to be more catholic.

What’s your Hope? — Revelation 21 and 22

As the Moore College academic year (its 167th) draws to a close, Principal Dr. Mark Thompson preached on Revelation chapters 21 and 22 at the last College Chapel Service.

He lifts our eyes to God’s ultimate purposes. Most encouraging.

The Summer 2023 edition of Moore Matters is now up on the College website.

Iron Sharpens Iron: An Anthology of Wise Quotations

“Sentences have the power to stay with us. They can come to mind, even years later. As I’ve prepared various talks and lectures in the last few months, I’ve been struck by this, reminding me of the power and beauty of words to deliver truth, to help us feel the truth. In God’s kindness, we can learn from the wise words of Christian brothers and sisters.

Here are some of the one-liners and longer quotations that I’ve benefitted from recently and would like to pass on to you—‘[a]s iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’ (Prov 27:17). …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Jane Tooher shares some wise and encouraging quotations.

Meet the late starter taking up Chappo’s flag

“In Christian terms, Dave Jensen could be considered a late starter. When the figures tell us that 78 per cent of Christians turn to faith in the years up to age 19, conversion in his late twenties has made him a determined spreader of the good news. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell writes of Dave Jensen’s new role.

What is a Christian? — book by Dave Jensen.

Chappo?

Investment in Preaching

“With the Reserve Bank struggling to contain inflation and households facing cost of living pressure and retirees looking for return on capital, it is a good time to think about investment and preaching preparation.

There are two vital areas of investment which will yield healthy returns. …”

– Encouragement from David Cook at The Expository Preaching Trust.

Healthier clergy, families, churches because of five-day working week

“Anglican leaders in NSW believe their full-time clergy have better mental, spiritual, emotional and physical health because of their five-day working week model.

Bathurst and Newcastle dioceses, and Norwest Anglican parish in the Diocese of Sydney say their full-time ministers are able to focus more of their free time on family life and personal recreation under the shorter working weeks. …”

– The Melbourne Anglican speaks with Bishop Mark Calder and others, including Pete Stedman at NorWest Anglican, about a five day working week for clergy.

Keep contending!

“I’ve recently had my 5-year health check, and am waiting for a letter from the NHS promising all sorts of details: blood pressure, pulse rate, cholesterol level and so on. Who knows what it might say!

But as someone who loves eggs, chocolate and cheese, the temptation when it arrives will be to either not read, or totally ignore, the cholesterol part because I don’t want to be told to cut down on foods I like. In actual fact, of course, I shall not only read the whole thing but do that in company with Katie my wife, because I believe doctors know what they’re talking about, and I would need accountability and help with any parts of the letter requiring challenging changes.

Many of us know this same temptation with Scripture. …

This is why I found Lee Gatiss’s ‘Fight Valiantly’ so helpful. He examines all of God’s commands relating to contending, and thereby protects me from simply pursuing what is instinctive …”

– At Church Society’s blog, Andrew Towner commends the new expanded edition of Fight Valiantly.

The post includes a link to a free PDF of Chapter 8.

Getting the time right

“It’s awful when you get the time wrong. Missing a meeting, a party, a flight. I’ve done all those things at various points and it’s not a nice feeling!

It’s important to get the time right. There’s no point applying for a position which has already been filled, or waiting for a bus which has already gone.

But imagine getting the time wrong, not just for little things like that, but for your lifetime: living one’s whole life prioritising one thing, when actually the purpose of that lifetime was something else entirely. It is something which is very possible to do and many, many people have done it. …”

– Annabel Nixey writes at The Australian Church Record.

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.