Rochester Cathedral opens crazy golf course to tee-up younger generation

“Not content with offering a venue for weddings, baptisms and holy communion, Rochester Cathedral in Kent has added crazy golf to its repertoire. …”

– Story from Sky News. Image: Lesley Olley via Rochester Cathedral.

A Prayer for the Protection of Unborn Children

Next week, a new bill to make abortion more available in New South Wales will be debated in NSW Parliament.

Archbishop Glenn Davies has urged Christians to pray, and to contact local MPs, who will be in the process of deciding how to vote on the legislation.

Archdeacon Kara Hartley has written a prayer you could use at home, or in church:

Heavenly Father, Lord of life, We thank you and praise you that you are the author and sustainer of life and that every person is created in your image and is precious in your sight.

We pray today knowing that our Parliament is considering significant changes to abortion law in this state.

Father, we pray for those among us for whom this is a very personal issue and a source of deep distress. Strengthen and uphold those who grieve the loss of their child. May the love, forgiveness and hope found through Christ be their comfort. As a Christian community give us compassion and understanding for any among us who have faced this situation.

We pray for our politicians, as they come to vote on this issue next week. May they show courage and commitment to the dignity and sanctity of each human life.

We also pray for ourselves. Help us to speak with grace and sensitivity to one another, among our friends and neighbours and with our local MPs. Help us to be courageous and wise in defending unborn children. Help us not to shy away from our convictions, but boldly stand firm in the truth that all life comes from you and is precious in your sight.

For Christ’s sake and in his name, we pray.

Amen.

Also available as a PDF file. (Photo of Kara Hartley courtesy Sam Law.)

O church of God – rise up and pray

“Pray for our brothers and sisters in NSW who are seeing diabolical legislation being introduced into state parliament this week – legislation that permits abortion, regardless of pregnancy term, with only the most generalised and barest of provisos to be met first.

Our church stands with the unborn child: ‘human life is a gift from God from conception’. That’s what’s being attacked – life in the womb. Hear the wailing voice of the unborn – give them a choice. …”

– Presbyterian Church of Australia Moderator-General, the Rev John P Wilson, urgently calls on Christian people to speak up, in prayer, and in messages to members of NSW Parliament, in behalf of the not-yet-born.

Abortion bill to be introduced into NSW State Parliament this week — Public Statement from Archbishop Glenn Davies

Anglican Diocese of Sydney

Public Statement

I appeal for a respectful debate concerning abortion and I urge MPs to use their conscience vote to reject this bill. It is not appropriate to rush this bill without widespread community consultation.

Abortion is available in New South Wales and the criminal code provisions have not prevented women from seeking abortions. Rather, the law strengthens the protection of women from pressure, medical malpractice and safeguards the consciences of doctors. In the rare cases that criminal sanctions have been applied, it was clear the circumstances warranted prosecution.

Further, the laws are being proposed at a time when those who wish to speak against abortion, including many women, are being denied that opportunity.

In particular, signs sponsored by the Emily’s Voice group were recently ordered off buses for simply stating a medical fact – that an unborn child’s heart is beating at four weeks.

When has a democratic society prevented the publication of facts?

A respectful debate needs to hear all sides of the issue, including those who wish to speak on behalf of those yet to be born.

Dr Glenn N Davies, Archbishop of Sydney, 29 July AD 2019.

Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

See also: ‘Speak on behalf of those yet to be born’ – SydneyAnglicans.net.

Related:

Controversy surrounding Emily’s Voice billboard.

The last death throes of cultural Christianity and what’s next — with Phillip Jensen

“Former Anglican Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen says to understand the issues fronting Christians today we will best start with understanding the history.

Phillip, who now heads up Two Ways Ministries, takes us on a helicopter journey through fifty years of cultural and Christian history…and considers where to from here?”

– Whether you were there, and remember it, or weren’t and don’t, this is a fascinating overview of the last 50+ years, with gospel encouragement for the future.

Watch Phillip at The Pastor’s Heart with Dominic Steele.

Proposed Victorian Bill is likely to harm not help women

“The State of Victoria wishes to be at the vanguard of the sexual devolution. Sadly, Victoria is already becoming an unsafe place for vulnerable children who struggle with gender dysphoria.

Just as with the recent passing of euthanasia laws, concerns expressed by the medical fraternity were overlooked in favour of radical political and gender theorists…

In their latest effort, the Victorian Government has decided that transgender women are being discriminated against under current laws.”

– Murray Campbell in Melbourne warns about the proposed Victorian legislation.

The State of Biblical Orthodoxy in the Anglican Church of Canada

“The Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) was in the news last week. Most reports missed the big story. That the forces of biblical orthodoxy narrowly won a battle was correctly reported. What was missed was that those same forces lost the war. How they lost the war is significant for those of us in orthodox denominations. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Canada, George Sinclair, one of the first ministers to join the Anglican Network in Canada, explains how the Anglican Church of Canada has moved further and further away from Christian orthodoxy – and how your denomination can do the same.

From our website, March 2008:

“The Rev George Sinclair, despite relinquishing his licence for ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC), has been issued a Notice of Presumption of Abandonment of the Exercise of the Ministry according to ACoC Canon XIX by the Bishop of Ottawa.

He joins good company with Dr J I Packer and the rest of the Vancouver-area ANiC clergy who received the same notice earlier from the Diocese of New Westminster. …”

Advocating for the suffering church

“80% of the people who are persecuted in the world today are Christian,” stated Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali.

This astounding statistic echoed throughout the week in meetings held around the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C. The U.S. State Department held the 2nd annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom around the world and Bishop Michael and Bishop Andudu were asked to participate in Ministerial side events to help shed light on the worldwide persecution of Christians. …

– Read it all, with more videos, from GAFCON.

Diocese of the Arctic now in “impaired communion” with other Canadian dioceses

“To all people in the Diocese of the Arctic,

Greetings in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, who is God Almighty.

General Synod 2019 has just finished. After taking time to meet as bishops, to seek the Lord’s will for our Diocese, to pray, listen and talk, we have prepared this statement for our Diocese and for the Anglican Communion at large. …

We understand that many have walked away from our Anglican Church of Canada’s doctrine, but we have not.”

– Bishop of The Arctic, David W Parsons, and his fellow bishops in that diocese, have released a statement in which they take a stand for the truth.

Read it all, with a clarifying statement, at Anglican Samizdat.

Statement from the ANiC House of Bishops – on the Anglican Church of Canada 2019 General Synod

“Our dear friends,

For the last while many of us have been much in prayer, knowing that the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) would be convening July 10-16, 2019 in Vancouver for some very significant decisions.

Among them was the second vote potentially to confirm the decision of the 2016 General Synod to change the Marriage Canon. …

The outcome was the motion was defeated by the narrowest of margins because, although the laity and clergy houses both had votes far exceeding the 66.6 % vote required, the House of Bishops only had just over 62% which meant the motion was defeated.

In reflecting on this outcome, while knowing that many Dioceses have already gone ahead for years and have no intention, it would seem, of changing, the ANiC House of Bishops would humbly like to share the following thoughts…”

– from The House of Bishops of the Anglican Network in Canada.

Anglican Church of Canada resolves to remove prayer for conversion of the Jews

“An effort to remove a prayer for conversion of the Jews from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and to replace it with one for reconciliation with the Jews has passed its first major hurdle at General Synod.

On July 15, a resolution to amend Canon XIV passed its first reading at the 42nd General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. The amendment would delete prayer number four in ‘Prayers and Thanksgivings upon Several Occasions’ from use and future printings of the BCP, and replace it with a prayer entitled ‘For Reconciliation with the Jews.”’

The resolution passed by nearly unanimous votes in all three orders. …

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, outgoing primate [pictured], invited Primate-elect Linda Nicholls to sign a copy of the resolution to amend Canon XIV and present it to Rabbi Stein following the passing of the resolution by General Synod.”

– Story from the Anglican Church of Canada’s in-house Anglican Journal.

(One wonders what the Apostle Paul might say to this.)

Anglican Church of Canada Same-sex marriage vote fails

“The Anglican Church of Canada has defeated a motion allowing for same-sex marriages, despite overwhelming support from both the denomination’s laity and clergy. …“

– Report from The Vancouver Sun.

However, according to Anglican Samizdat, several dioceses will continue to marry same-sex couples. Image: Anglican Samizdat.

Open Letter from the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Australia

“Dear friends,

I’m sure you are aware of the current discussion about freedom of religion legislation.

There is a great opportunity at present for us to have a positive influence in the legislative process, and I’m calling on you to consider how you can respond and encourage your congregation to get involved as well.

I’m suggesting three ways in which you can act:

1. I urge you to read the pastoral letter (Download from here) and consider distributing it to your congregation, asking them to contact their federal MP.

2.  I’m inviting you to download and print the petition (Download from here). As you do, please consider collecting signed copies of the petition and arranging for them to be mailed to Senator the Honourable Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, PO Box 886, Wollongong NSW 2520. (Note that only originals of the signed petition may be submitted to the Senate, so copies must be mailed).

3.  I also draw your attention to an excellent briefing paper released this week by Freedom for Faith (Download from here). It will help you understand some of the complexities of the discussions about freedom of religion. It is aimed at ministers and leaders, so please circulate it to anyone you think would be interested. (Note that while Freedom for Faith supports the appointment of a Freedom of Religion Commissioner, while the submission the Presbyterian Church made the Ruddock enquiry was cautious about that proposal).

with warm regards,

Rev John P Wilson BSc, DipEd, BTh, DMin
Clerk of Assembly, PCV
Moderator-General, Presbyterian Church of Australia.”

– Also posted at presbyterian.org.au. Download all files (Zipped archive.)

The Uniting Church of Victoria/Tasmania votes to use Euthanasia

“The Uniting Church has been chasing after the culture ever since its creation in 1977. While there are evangelical churches and ministers within Australia’s 3rd largest Protestant denomination, they are relatively few, and these have been engaging in formal discussions to review their association within the denomination. If the final nail in the coffin hadn’t already been laid, surely it has after today’s proceedings.

Today, the Uniting Church (Synod of Victoria and Tasmania), voted in support of motions to allow euthanasia in their agencies. …

The Uniting Church has already littered the landscape with graves where there were once churches, and now they are giving consent for their health agencies to sanction euthanasia. It is one thing for a Government to legalise euthanasia, but for an association of Christian churches to stand together and vote in favour of their own agencies to allow this practice? And then have the audacity to attach the name of Jesus to this?”

– Murray Campbell shares the distressing news, and has some strong words.

(Image: UCA Vic/Tas.)

No forgiveness for Folau’s sins

“It is testament to the blinkered arrogance of political correctness, and of those who do its bidding, that these people could not see the profound moral contradiction at the heart of their chilling statement. In the name of preventing ‘vilification based on race, gender, religion or sexuality’, they vilified Folau on the basis of his religion. …”

– Brendan O’Neill, editor of Spiked, writes this opinion piece in today’s The Australian.

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