Australia Day Honours 2014

In the 2014 Australia Day Honours List, Deaconess Margaret Rodgers has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Margaret has served in a number of important positions in Sydney Diocese and also in the General Synod Office. Most notably, she was Principal of Deaconess House 1975-85, CEO of the Anglican Media Council 1994-2003 and the Archbishop of Sydney’s Media Officer 2004-2007.

The award is for “significant service to the Anglican Church of Australia through governance and representational roles, and to ecumenical affairs”.

dr-timothy-hawkes-oam Others to receive Australia Day honours include:

Dr Timothy Hawkes (Medal of the Order of Australia, OAM) – Headmaster of The Kings School, “for service to education, and to professional organisations” (pictured),

Mr Peter Achterstraat (AM), member of Warrawee Anglican Church, “For significant service to public administration through financial management and governance roles, and to the community” and Mr Allan Ezzy (AM), member of St. John’s Parramatta, for “significant service to local government in New South Wales, and to the community through law enforcement, church and service organisations”.

Our congratulations and best wishes go to all. SydneyAnglicans.net has more.

(Photos: Mary Andrews College and Ramon Williams, respectively.)

Being on message for Jesus without projecting yourself

Nathan Campbell, who blogs at St. Eutychus, interviews David Ould about his appearances on TEN’s The Project –

“… I applied for the show the first time around with the line that normal Christians don’t get a fair play in mainstream media. I almost dared them to take me on on that basis. I felt no need to play down – in fact – quite the opposite, I felt like that was the gimmick in having me on, not just a Christian, but a minister in fact.”

– Read it here.

‘Lord’s Prayer should remain a part of opening parliament’

Here’s a media release from The Australian Christian Lobby –

“The Australian Christian Lobby believes the support of mainstream politics for the Lords’ Prayer in Parliament means the latest Greens’ push to remove it will fail.

ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton said Labor and the Coalition have consistently told ACL, through its election questionnaires over the past three federal elections, that they support parliament opening with prayer and will not change this…”

– full statement here.

High Court throws out ACT’s same-sex marriage laws

“Same-sex couples who wed in the ACT will have their marriages annulled after the High Court ruled against the laws. … today the High Court in Canberra unanimously ruled that the laws were inconsistent with the Federal Marriage Act, and were therefore unconstitutional.”

– Report from ABC News.

Related: Legality and Validity – Mark Thompson.

Legality and Validity

“Does something become legitimate by virtue of legislative enactment? Does the decision of a parliamentary majority or of a court of law suffice to settle the question of whether a course of action is appropriate, or legitimate or valid? Can Christians recognise the legal or constitutional reality of a situation without for a moment consenting to its reality in a deeper sense — something that legitimately exists in a world constituted by God’s word?

Two recent developments in Australia raise this question in stark terms for us.

The first is the conduct of same sex ‘marriage’ services in the Australian Capital Territory last weekend. …

The second development is the consecration of women as bishops in the Anglican Church of Australia.”

– Moore College Principal Mark Thompson writes an important post at Theological Theology. Challenging times ahead.

Two (more) reasons to give thanks for Moore College

Two (more) reasons to give thanks for – and to pray for – Moore College:

1. Now is the moment of opportunity for Moore graduates.

2. Moore College distance education goes viral.

High Court reserves decision on challenge to ACT same-sex marriage laws

“Australia’s first ever same-sex marriages will take place from Saturday, after the High Court reserved its decision on the Commonwealth’s challenge to ACT’s same-sex marriage laws.

The court says it will hand down its decision next Thursday, and in the meantime will allow same-sex marriages to take place in Canberra.”

– Report from ABC News. Photo courtesy High Court of Australia.

Young Christian surfer killed in shark attack

“Christian surfer Zac Young has died following a shark attack near Coffs Harbour on Saturday. The 19-year-old was just about to start an apprenticeship with Christian Surfers and Youth for Christ, and has been described by his pastor as wanting to “give his life over to telling the whole world about Jesus”. …

Zac’s church held a memorial service for him yesterday, which was attended by more than 500 people.”

– from Eternity Newspaper. (Photo: Dave Malvern, Christian Surfers.)
ABC News report.

(At last night’s gathering at The Point Community Church, Ed Springer spoke about what changed Zac – about 20 minutes from the start of Ed’s sermon on Ecclesiastes 7:1-14.)

Governor-General backs ‘gay marriage’

“Governor-General Quentin Bryce has publicly backed both Australia becoming a republic and gay marriage in a landmark speech in Sydney…”

– Report from ABC News. (Photo: Governor-General website.)

Tasmanian Parliament decriminalises abortion

“Tasmania has joined Victoria and the ACT in removing abortion from its criminal laws after seven months of deliberations in Parliament. …

Anti-abortion campaigners in Tasmania are warning some doctors may resign over the law.”

– report from ABC News.

And in NSW: Zoe’s Law to protect foetuses passes NSW Lower House.

Australian Christian Lobby welcomes defeat of NSW same-sex marriage bill

“The Australian Christian Lobby welcomes the defeat of the NSW same-sex marriage bill 21 to 19 votes in the upper house today. ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton said it was time for state parliaments to stop using parliamentary time to debate a federal issue. …” – Media release from the Australian Christian Lobby.

High Court challenge to ACT same-sex marriage set for December 3 & 4

The Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton sent this 90 second video update from outside the High Court in Canberra.

MAF Pilot attempts 140 takeoffs to raise money for second East Timor plane

“An Australian pilot is today attempting to complete a record number of takeoffs in one day to raise enough money to buy aid agencies in East Timor their second plane.

Since the withdrawal of the United Nations last year, aid agencies in East Timor have only one plane left to do their work. The plane is used by 30 non-government organisations working in the developing country.

Which is why, at Parkes in the central west of New South Wales today, pilot Ron Watts will attempt to take off 140 times to set a new Australian record.”

– from ABC News. Watch the MAF video on Vimeo. Donation page.

Background: A little on the church in Timor Leste – via APWM.

Richard Gibson to be Principal of Brisbane School of Theology

“Richard Gibson has been appointed Principal of Brisbane School of Theology. Richard has a long association with Moore, first as a student at Moore in 1986 and then as a teacher for the past twenty years.