Memorial service for Chappo at St Helen’s March 1st
If you are within striking distance of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate…
“There’s a UK based memorial service for John Chapman (Chappo) coming up soon. It’s St Helen’s Bishopsgate on Friday 1 March at 3pm and is a good opportunity for those who have been grateful to God for this man of God to acknowledge that together.”
– so writes Adrian Reynolds at the Proclamation Trust.
2013 Priscilla & Aquila Centre conference talks online
Video and audio files from the 2013 Priscilla & Aquila Centre conference at Moore College have now been posted online – at the Priscilla & Aquila website.
Canberra-Goulburn Diocese 150th pilgrimage
“With the Diocese’s 150th birthday pilgrimage set to start in Eden this weekend, Bishop Stuart Robinson will officially receive the 2 metre cross he will carry at 1pm this afternoon (February 14). … it is a compelling invitation to share Jesus’ message of life, salvation and hope with others. ‘My aim is to highlight the ministry of Christ crucified, risen, ruling and returning,’ he said.”
– Stuart Robinson, Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, would be very glad of your prayers as he speaks evangelically at every opportunity during the pilgrimage. Story here.
Guarding the Gospel
Moore College Principal-elect Dr Mark Thompson –
“On one occasion I heard [Archbishop Marcus Loane] remark with concern that a new generation of clergy had no idea at what great cost the diocese of Sydney had been won for the evangelical cause or how easily it could all be lost…”
Read it all here:
I did not know Archbishop Marcus Loane well. I did know, of course, that he was one of the truly great Archbishops of Sydney (there have been a few — Frederic Barker comes to mind, though he was never actually styled ‘Archbishop’, as do Howard Mowll, Donald Robinson and Peter Jensen). Nevertheless, he had retired the year before I entered Moore College as a student and, though over the next twenty years or so I heard loads of Marcus Loane stories (and even more impersonations of his unique voice and speaking style), I had very few opportunities to meet with him. When those opportunities came, though, they always left a deep impression. Read more
Melbourne Thanksgiving service for Stuart Barton Babbage
“About 12 months ago, soon after my appointment as Principal of Ridley Melbourne was announced, I received an invitation to have a cup of tea with Stuart Barton Babbage in his home in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Meeting Babbage was a memorable experience…”
– Dr Brian Rosner gave the address at last week’s Memorial Service in Melbourne for Dr Stuart Barton Babbage. (Photo: Ridley College.)
Archbishop Jensen on the 225th Anniversary of Australia’s first Christian service
Here’s Archbishop Peter Jensen’s sermon given at St. Philip’s York Street on February 3rd 2013. It was the 225th Anniversary of the first sermon preached in the Colony of New South Wales, by the Rev Richard Johnson.
“Today we have little concept of the difficulties and dangers through which the First Fleet passed in order to deliver its cargo to these shores. Its arrival here was a masterpiece of organisation, skill and courage.
Given the ubiquity of modern communications, we can scarcely imagine what it was like to travel so far with little chance of report or cry for help. We forget how rarely European ships had passed this way and how uncharted the sea was. We can scarcely conceive how frail their ships were, how powerful the forces of nature that imperilled them, how lacking in the technical instruments by which the path may be found and the course traversed in safety.
I think we may say that in truth the voyage of the First Fleet was one of the greatest feats of seamanship in recorded history. …”
– Read it all at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Sydney Ordinations 2013
Thirty four candidates have been ordained to various ministries at a service at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Russell Powell has the encouraging story at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Launch of ‘Common Prayer’ — February 6th
The Archbishop of Sydney’s Liturgical Panel and Anglican Press Australia are launching new Common Prayer: Resources for gospel-shaped gatherings on Wednesday February 6 at 4:00 pm.
The venue is the Chapter House at St Andrew’s Cathedral and an invitation has gone to all Rectors and members of ministry teams. RSVP Friday February 1 to Andrew Eisenhauer on 8268 3316.
(Copies of Common Prayer will be available for purchase on the day.)
Court moves to protect Diocese of South Carolina
“No individual, organization, association or entity, whether incorporated or not, may use, assume, or adopt in any way, directly or indirectly, the registered names and the seal or mark of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina as are set out below or any names or seal that may be perceived to be those names and seal or mark.”
– A S Haley, ‘the Anglican Curmudgeon’ quotes the Temporary Restraining Order issued to protect the Diocese of South Carolina.
He explains:
“The order goes into effect immediately, so it will essentially force the remnant group meeting this Saturday to adopt a different name for the entity it will form, and by which it will be known. The governing documents which are scheduled for approval (a Constitution and Canons based on the former diocesan version before changes were approved in 2011 and 2012) will need to be changed to remove all references to “the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina” and “the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.” The order will remain in effect until February 1, when a hearing will be held…”
Moore College ‘Big Day In’ — Sat 2nd Feb
“Moore College is holding its annual Big Day In on February 2 to welcome and orient new students to the college. …
Starting at Moore College you no doubt have a lot of questions and uncertainties, and the Big Day In is designed specifically to familarise you with the campus and culture.”
‘Egyptian court sentences Christian family to 15 years for converting from Islam’
“The 15-year prison sentence given to a woman and her seven children by an Egyptian court for converting to Christianity is a sign of things to come, according to alarmed human rights advocates …”
– Report from Fox News. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net)
Bushfire Appeals
The Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower, has launched the Tasmanian Anglican Bushfire Appeal.
And the Bush Church Aid Society has also launched an appeal. Details from their website.
The Best Christmas Ever
“Christmas 2012 turned out to be the best Christmas ever! Who would have thought that we would have such a large congregation on Christmas night itself! Nearly all our initiatives worked better than anybody expected. In terms of congregational members’ involvement, evangelistic outreach, follow up contact cards, and conducting different gatherings, a whole new way of programming Christmas has been created for 2013.
To call it “the best Christmas ever” is a great claim that is of course slightly ridiculous…”
– Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, looks back at Christmas 2012 at the Cathedral.
Christmas Eve from St. Andrew’s 2012
Watch a recording of the live stream of Carols from St. Andrew’s Cathedral 2012 – here. The service starts around 14 minutes into the recording.
Archbishop Peter Jensen’s Christmas message 2012
With thanks to SydneyAnglicans.net.
And here is the text of the message formatted to A5 (two-up on an A4 sheet) – perhaps you could use it as a church newsletter insert. (180kb PDF.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…