Archbishop of Sydney calls for Prayer for the Drought

The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Glenn Davies, has today written to all clergy in the Diocese, asking for prayer in this time of drought.

In part, his letter reads:

Dear brothers & sisters

Greetings in the name of Christ.

I am sure that you all are acutely aware of the drought that has stricken NSW, and indeed much of Australia. While we do have some rural parishes, much of Sydney Diocese is urban and suburban, and while fruit and vegetables might increase in price, we still have food to eat and water to drink. Yet so much of those living in rural NSW do not take such basics as food and water for granted. Farmers need water for their crops and graziers need water for their livestock, just to keep them alive.

We welcome the NSW Government’s announcement this week of an additional $500 million in drought relief, but governments cannot do it all alone. We as Christians with the bounty of our resources should show the generosity of Spirit – generosity prompted by the Holy Spirit – to give to those in need. This week the Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has established an appeal for funds to assist those whose livelihood has been seriously jeopardised by the drought in northern and western NSW. These funds will be distributed through Anglican churches across our State, and I would be grateful if rectors could bring this to the attention of their people this coming weekend.

However, we should also pray for rain. Our heavenly Father delights in his children bringing their requests before his throne, so I would also appreciate it if you could offer special prayers for rain this coming Sunday.

You could use such prayers as you will find on page 92 of An Australian Prayer Book or page 205 of A Prayer Book for Australia.

Or you might care to use the following prayer.

Our heavenly Father, we acknowledge our ingratitude when we have taken your goodness for granted, when the heaven has poured forth rain and the earth has produced its fruit.

Yet now we cry to you for help, as the drought in New South Wales deepens.

Have mercy on our land; have mercy on the people of the land. May your bountiful hand send forth rain upon our parched earth.

Fulfil your promises that while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest shall not cease, so that those in remote and rural areas may find relief from their distress and glorify your name for the provision of their needs.

We ask this in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Related:

New General Manager of Koorong

“Bible Society Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of David Foster as General Manager of Koorong, the largest Christian retailer in Australia. David takes over the reins from Rob Bootes, who steps down on 18th July.

David joins the executive team at Bible Society Australia, with responsibility for Koorong as well as for Crossroad Distributors (also owned by Bible Society Australia). …”

– A press release from Bible Society Australia.

Nungalinya College seeking new Principal

Nungalinya College in Darwin is seeking a new Principal, and it would be good to give thanks for this strategic College and to pray for its continued ministry in a time of transition.

Details here (applications close 20th July 2018).

Moore College welcomes Os Guinness

“Last night the College held a special Centre for Christian Living event with internationally renowned apologist, author and speaker Os Guinness, who delivered a stirring lecture about Christian freedom.

It was exciting to see the Marcus Loane Hall so full, and to discover that even more were watching via livestream around Australia and beyond. …”

– News from Moore College.

Religious Freedom amendments introduced in NSW

On Friday “the Rev the Hon Fred Nile, for the Christian Democrat Party, introduced a Bill to add “religious beliefs or religious activities” into NSW legislation as a prohibited ground of discrimination. The proposed Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms) Bill 2018 will add new Parts 3B and 5A into the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) (“ADA”), making it unlawful in various areas to discriminate on the grounds of religion, or to subject religious bodies to a detriment. The proposals will also make it unlawful to penalise someone for holding views on marriage as the union of a man or a woman, or for holding the view that there are only two genders.

The CDP is a minority Party in the NSW Parliament, and the Bill is a Private Member’s Bill, so it is not clear whether it will be fully debated, let alone enacted. But it is an interesting and worthwhile proposal which may lead to clarity in the future on the need for changes to the law of NSW. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Assoc. Prof. Neil Foster summarises the provisions in the proposed amendments.

Anglican Future Conference — Super Early Bird Registration now open

Get in early to register for the National Anglican Future Conference 2018, to be held in Southbank, Melbourne, 6th – 9th September.

Register here.

High Court upholds rejection of inter-state vilification orders

“In a Federation like Australia, different jurisdictions (States and Territories) may have different rules on what amounts to ‘discrimination’ or ‘vilification’, and how those things interact with religious freedom. One of the pressing issues here in recent years has been whether there will be a ‘race to the bottom’ in freedom of speech on religious issues, with one jurisdiction in particular, Tasmania, raising deep concerns with a very broad prohibition on causing ‘offence’ related to matters such as sexual orientation.

Today the High Court of Australia, on appeal from NSW, has affirmed the decision of the NSW Court of Appeal that State and Territory ‘tribunals’ (non-judicial panels usually used in discrimination issues) have no jurisdiction to impose penalties on residents of other Australian jurisdictions under their own local laws. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Assoc. Professor Neil Foster looks at today’s decision.

Archbishop Davies interviewed on 2GB about Israel Folau and freedom of speech

Archbishop Glenn Davies spoke with Ben Fordham on 2GB about Israel Folau and freedom of speech today.

Worth hearing – Listen at the link.

Cricket scandal a lesson in forgiveness — Archbishop Glenn Davies

On Easter Sunday morning at the Cathedral, Archbishop Glenn Davies spoke of forgiveness in the context of the Cricket scandal.

Nine News had this report. Reuters had another.

Food, perhaps, for conversation at work today?

Update on Tathra bushfire disaster from Bp Stuart Robinson – updated

As he prepares to conclude his time as Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Stuart Robinson has posted the latest on the Tathra bushfire disaster –

“Archdeacon Carol believes around 100 homes are now being listed as having being destroyed. This means many hundreds of people are homeless. …”

Update:

The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has opened an emergency appeal to respond to the fires in the Southern New South Wales beach town of Tathra. – Details.

“Irrational and illogical” to believe that sexual orientation can never change: Federal judge

“A judge of the Federal Court of Australia, Justice Jagot, handed down a decision recently in which her Honour said that a Tribunal’s reasoning, based on the assumption that a person could never change their sexual orientation, was “affected by illogicality of the kind required to constitute jurisdictional error” …

The decision … was a sharp reminder that bureaucratic decisions must be based on evidence and not pre-conceived policy stances. The comments may have wider implications for arguments that are often unthinkingly presented about the possibility of someone changing their sexual orientation. …”

– Assoc Professor Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia.

Submission to Religious Freedom Review — Assoc Prof Neil Foster

Associate Professor in Law, Neil Foster, has made his submission to the Religious Freedom Review Panel available for you to read. He writes,

“The Religious Freedom Review Panel, chaired by the Hon Philip Ruddock, has invited submissions from all Australians on the protection of religious freedom in Australia. …

Those who are interested in the area may find it helpful to see the sort of topics that I think ought to be addressed.”

– Check it out at Law and Religion Australia, and consider making your own submission.

Martyn Iles new Managing Director for Australian Christian Lobby

The Australian Christian Lobby has announced that Lyle Shelton is finishing as Managing Director to go into politics and to stand for office at the next election.

He said, “Now, ACL [Aust Christian Lobby] is necessarily non-party-partisan. That’s a great strength, and I agree with that. So, for that reason, I will be making a further announcement about the specifics of what I am doing in a day or two.  … But I … am not leaving the battle for the values that I hold dear…”

In this video, he speaks about his decision, and Board Chairman Jim Wallace introduces the new Managing Director, Martyn Iles.

Related: We Need Thousands To Write To Ruddock.

Prominent Anglicans honoured

“The Reverend Dr David Claydon and Lawyer Garth Blake are among Sydney Anglicans named on the 2018 Australia Day Honours list.

Included in the list are 641 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia who have been recognised for contributions and service to fellow citizens in Australia and internationally. …”

– SydneyAnglicans.net has the details. (Thanks to Ramon Williams for the photos.)

God, History and Australia Day

“I arrived in Australia at the age of seven, in October 1972.  I am tremendously thankful for Australia. I share the experience of thousands of migrants from dozens of countries that Australia has offered freedom to pursue countless opportunities, with few barriers put in my way on account of where I came from.  Most of all, here, God made himself known to me through his gospel, and my local church nurtured my faith.

I am struck therefore with the painful contrast between my experience and that of so many indigenous people of Australia. …”

– Dean of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, reflects on Australia Day and how Christians should think of it. At SydneyAnglicans.net.

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