The Bible is a wilderness, not a garden: Lessons from Donald Robinson

“In 2001, a young West Australian skipped Hebrew class to listen to a slight elderly man dressed in bishop’s purple and a clerical collar teach on the Epistle of James.

The class stood as he entered the room and remained standing while he prayed. They addressed him neither by his name (Donald) nor by the title of his most recent posting (Archbishop), but by the clerical order he occupied through the laying on of hands: ‘Bishop Robinson’.

The whole spectacle struck the young West Australian as otherworldly and exotic, though not inauthentic. Its effect was to lull students into a false sense of security – a security quickly removed as this unassuming figure treated the class to an exegetical tour de force, with original and daring insights thrown at the unsuspecting class with a velocity for which none were prepared. …”

– Rory Shiner writes at GoThereFor.com.

(1982 photo via Ramon Williams.)

Mark Short installed as Canberra/Goulburn Bishop

New Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn to be consecrated on Saturday (6th April)

Dr. Mark Short, elected last November as Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, will be consecrated and installed at St. Saviour’s Cathedral in Goulburn on Saturday 6th April.

Please do pray for Mark and the continued progress of the gospel in that area.

Related:

Dr Mark Short to be installed as Canberra/Goulburn BishopGoulburn Post.

“Dr Short said he was surprised to be approached to consider the role. But in many ways it was a ‘coming home’ to the diocese and the cathedral in which he was ordained a priest and a minister.

Born in Sydney, he lived in the Riverina until age five before his family moved to Sydney’s western suburbs. He attended Saint Andrew’s Anglican School where several teachers inspired him to follow Jesus. …”

Prayer for the election of a Bishop of Bathurst

According to the timeline published in the December 2018 edition of Anglican eNews, the steps to elect a new Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst include:

“Synod Members to be invited to propose names of prospective nominees: late February.

Nominations Open: 1 March.

Nominations Close: 31 March.

Interviews, Due-Dilligence and Discernment: April.

Election and Announcement: May.”

Doubtless, all in the diocese would be glad of your continued prayers during this time.

Related:

Sydney helps Bathurst – SydneyAnglicans.net

Bishop Ian Palmer’s farewell address to Bathurst Synod.

Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans New Zealand calls for Nominations for their first Bishop

“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand is a new Diocese in New Zealand.

Because of the rejection of the authority of Scripture by the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia at the 2018 General Synod, a number of parishes and individuals have chosen to disaffiliate from ACANZP and gather together in 12 parishes to form a new expression of Anglicanism.

As a Christ-centred church in the historic Anglican faith and order, we are calling for nominations for our first Bishop. We are seeking a person who has a desire to serve as our Bishop…”

– News from The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand.

The phenomenal impact of Donald Robinson

Last week, on The Pastor’s Heart podcast, Dominic Steele spoke with Rory Shiner about the phenomenal impact of Donald Robinson.

Rory was in Sydney for the launch of Volumes 3 and 4 of the Selected Works of Donald Robinson.

Moore College Graduation 2019 — 107 men and women sent out into the harvest field

“On Monday 11 March, we had the great pleasure of witnessing the graduation of the 107 men and women who most recently completed their courses at Moore College, and who are now serving God in various contexts across the world. …”

Encouraging news from Moore College.

See Simon Manchester’s address above, on Vimeo.

Tasmanian Parliamentary Year Commencement Sermon 2019

Dr. Richard Condie, Bishop of Tasmania, preached at the Parliamentary Year Commencement Service in St. David’s Cathedral Hobart on Tuesday 19th March 2019.

“The events in the past few days remind us of the importance of the task before us, and particularly the task before the Parliament of this State of Tasmania.

The senseless act of violence and murder last Friday in the peaceful city of Christchurch, where now 50 people, one as young as 2 years of age, lie dead as a result of gun rampage.

It reminds us of the sacred trust given to governments, to work for the safety and well-being of the people whom they serve, to provide protection for the vulnerable.

There is an instruction to Christians in the New Testament about prayer for people in positions of ruling authority …”

You can read his full sermon on the diocesan website.

Archbishop of Sydney: Further statement on Christchurch attack

Here’s a further statement from Archbishop Glenn Davies:

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Public Statement

The horror of the massacre of Muslims, praying in a Christchurch Mosque, has resonated with people of all faiths and of none around the world. That anyone, let alone an Australian, could execute such an atrocity and film it for his heinous gratification, is still hard to believe as the extent of this crime became fully known.

I have conveyed to the leaders of Sydney’s Muslim community our absolute horror and revulsion at these attacks and our determination to stand with them in condemning all acts of violence, especially racially and religiously motivated acts of inhumanity as we have seen. I have also conveyed our condolences to the New Zealand High Commissioner, Dame Annette King, indicating our solidarity with New Zealand.

In St Andrew’s Cathedral today special prayers will be offered for survivors and families of the victims, while a minute’s silence will be observed to commemorate the dead. The NZ Consul General in Sydney, Mr William Dobbie, will be in attendance for this service.

Our hearts cry out to the God of all comfort, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom alone will justice and mercy be found, especially when events such as these overwhelm us.

Archbishop Glenn Davies

17 March, 2019 AD.

– via SydneyAnglicans.net.

Archbishop Glenn Davies’ statement on the Christchurch mosque attacks

“All Christians, as well as people of faith or of none, will be shocked to learn of the mosque attacks in #Christchurch. We long for peace and freedom from violence in our streets, our homes and especially in places of prayer.

Archbishop Glenn Davies, March 15, 2019.”

(Media statement via Twitter.)

(The Archbishop has since contacted Muslim leaders in Sydney to express condolences and support for the Muslim community in Australia and NZ in the face of this atrocity.)

See also:

A statement issued by Bishop Peter Carrell on behalf of the leaders of churches in Christchurch city and Canterbury province – Scoop NZ.

Make a difference in a crisis

“Sunday in Inverell I gathered with people in the Town Hall to pray for rain. Council members and even a Senator joined the gathering and a personal letter from the Prime Minister was read. I was dressed like a civilian and no one knew who I was but everyone knew that people were hurting. With no control of the weather people fell to prayer. Where else does one turn but to God when hope cannot be found in ourselves?…”

– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers knows there is something you can do in a crisis.

Bishop Ian Palmer’s farewell address to Bathurst Synod

“In his Presidential Address to the Synod of Bathurst Diocese, Bishop Ian Palmer has reflected on the challenges and changes of the past six years and pointed to a more positive focus for the future. …

He reviewed the steps that Synod had taken last year that, in conjunction with decisions of the Synod of Sydney Diocese, have provided a more secure future for the Anglican Church in Central & Western NSW. …”

We missed this story when it was published a few weeks back. We are sure that all in Bathurst Diocese would be glad of your prayers.

‘Mandating public funds to end the lives of unborn children is merciless, unjustified and simply wrong.’ Public Statement on ALP announcement on abortion funding

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney Media Release

Public Statement on ALP announcement on abortion funding

“The rights of the unborn child are completely obscured by this policy.

We need to care for and support women who fall pregnant and do not wish to keep their child for whatever reason. But we must do that without jeopardising the life of the child.

A pregnancy is a life given by God. A pregnancy that is unwanted represents not a health problem but a responsibility for the whole society. Mandating public funds to end the lives of unborn children is merciless, unjustified and simply wrong.

We need policies which support the lives of children to be enhanced and nurtured so as to enrich our society.

Archbishop Glenn Davies
6 March 2019.”

– Source: Anglican Media Sydney.

Background:

Labor pledges to tie hospital funding to abortion servicesSydney Morning Herald.

“Public hospital systems would need to provide abortion services to qualify for federal funding under a wide-ranging new Labor plan… ”

Donald Robinson’s Selected Works Book Launch

Coming up at Moore College on Saturday 16th March 2019.

Details and RSVP at the College website.

(Please RSVP for catering purposes by Friday 8th March.)

Anglican Diocese of Sydney: Public Statement on the verdict in the case of Cardinal Pell

“Like many Australians, I am shocked and appalled by this verdict. I am unable to comment on the specifics of the case as the legal process must continue to take its course.

Any abuse of a child is abhorrent and must always be condemned whenever and wherever it occurs. Churches should be at the forefront of protecting children and providing a safe and loving environment.

The Anglican Church in Sydney is committed to zero tolerance of child abuse and we are grateful for the work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which has helped churches expose and deal with this scourge in our midst.

Archbishop Glenn Davies
26 February 2019.”

– Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

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