Praying for Belgium

“On Good Friday night, a performance of the Messiah at St Andrew’s Cathedral was dedicated to the people of Belgium.

Here is a transcript of the introduction by the Dean of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel…”

– read it at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Archbishop Glenn Davies interviewed on Sydney Radio for Good Friday

Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, was interviewed by Chris Smith on Sydney’s 2GB this morning, Good Friday 2016.

Listen here. 15 minutes.

Messiah ‘dedicated to the people of Belgium’

“Anglican Diocese of Sydney
Media Alert

Good Friday, 2016

A performance of Handel’s Messiah tonight at St Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney is to be dedicated to the people of Belgium…”

– From SydneyAnglicans.net.

Because the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, crucified, risen and reigning, is the only hope for men and women everywhere.

‘Bathurst Anglican church forced to sell property to meet contested CBA debt’

“The Anglican diocese of Bathurst is being forced to sell church property following a NSW Supreme Court order to settle an outstanding debt of up to $25 million to Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

The diocese, which covers one-third of the area of NSW, is likely next month to approve the first sale of properties at a synod, or governing council, after losing a lengthy battle in which it argued it did not have the authority to sell property it held under trust structures…”

– Report from The Australian Financial Review.

Archbishop Glenn Davies’ Easter Message 2016

Archbishop Glenn Davies has released his 2016 Easter message.

Watch the 90 second video on Vimeo.

And here is a story and summary from SydneyAnglicans.net –

The leader of Australia’s largest Anglican Diocese, the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has spoken of the power of the Christian symbol, the cross, and the threat to religious freedom, in his Easter Message.

“The most universal symbol of all is the cross. Even that is being targeted now in China, where authorities are removing crosses from churches. In fact, religious freedom is under threat around the world.” Dr Davies said in his annual Easter message.

“It is strange that the cross should be feared for its power, because in Jesus’ time a cross meant execution – it meant failure and death. But the great power in the symbol of the cross for us is that is is empty. Yes, Jesus died on the cross but he was raised from the dead.”

Archbishop Davies will preach at the Cathedral on Easter Day (Sunday).

In his Easter Message, Archbishop Davies stressed the resurrection of Jesus which he said “was not merely a resuscitation, because he rose not to die again but to inaugurate a new era beyond this age of death, disease and decay.”

“The resurrection of Jesus means a second chance for all of us, if we will accept it — a chance for new life, eternal life, as our sins are nailed to the cross so that we too shall rise with him.”

Dr Davies also commented on plans for a fixed date for Easter. Dr Davies spoke with the Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, about the issue in Cairo last year. Anglican Primates are close to agreeing on a fixed Sunday for Easter. Dr Davies said “I believe it will be of significant witness to the world if all Christians could unite together with a common date to celebrate this ‘empty’ cross and the inauguration of the new aeon when Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death once and for all.”

Bishop Greg Anderson’s Easter Message 2016

Bishop_Greg_Anderson_NT “Political commentator Mungo MacCallum recently described Malcolm Turnbull’s performance in the top job as ‘a hugely disappointing resurrection’. Maybe it is good that the word resurrection still has some place in today’s media. But the first resurrection sets the benchmark. All other so-called resurrections, including the PM’s, are inevitably hugely disappointing. They all, in the end, run out…”

– Bishop of the Northern Territory, Greg Anderson, shares his Easter message for 2016.

SUEU votes 71-1 against changes to controversial membership requirements

“An extraordinary general meeting of the Evangelical Union (EU) has seen the organisation formally reject proposed changes to its constitution that would remove a mandatory faith-based declaration for new members.

In a secret ballot, members voted 71-1 opposing the proposed changes, well short of the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments.

A packed Holme Reading Room heard over an hour of speeches from members who supported the declaration, most claiming it is inextricably linked to the society’s identity. Not a single speaker spoke in favour of its removal…”

– News from Honi Soit.

Eternity Newspaper has this report.

Earlier:

Easter messages 2016

Easter is a wonderful opportunity to speak with clarity about the meaning of the Lord Jesus’ death, and the implications of his Resurrection.

Please pray that church leaders will communicate that message as they should, that Christ will be honoured, and that men and women will turn to him in repentance and faith.

Here are some of the messages we’ve spotted so far.

Will our messages to the world this Easter be as simple and clear as the sign in the photo? –

Diocese of the Northern Territory, Bishop Greg Anderson –

“Political commentator Mungo MacCallum recently described Malcolm Turnbull’s performance in the top job as ‘a hugely disappointing resurrection’.

Maybe it is good that the word resurrection still has some place in today’s media. But the first resurrection sets the benchmark. All other so-called resurrections, including the PM’s, are inevitably hugely disappointing. They all, in the end, run out…”

Diocese of Armidale, Bishop Rick Lewers –

“What is surprising about Easter is that the death of Jesus on the cross is all about clemency. Not His, but ours. It is where God would take upon himself the sins of the whole world, accepting the blame for what we have done in preference to leaving us stranded in our blameworthiness with no hope of forgiveness…”

Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook –

“Toplady’s hymn expresses it well:

‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked turn to you for dress;
Helpless look to you for grace;
Foul I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.’

By dying on that cross, Jesus won our salvation…”

Diocese of Melbourne, Archbishop Philip Freier –

“What is the resurrection promise of Easter Day? – God’s love will endure and continue, no matter what. Christians look to Jesus’ rising from the dead as not just an historic action but as the promise of his presence with us today – even in the worst of circumstances…”

Australian Baptist Ministries, National Ministries Director Keith Jobberns –

“The Easter celebration is a reminder that humans have been given a second chance. The Easter narrative records that in Jesus, and through relationship with Him we can find freedom from the shackles of fear, acceptance despite our faults and the opportunity to begin anew with God and our fellow humans…”

Diocese of North Queensland, Bishop Bill Ray (PDF)–

“Yes, Christians believe that ‘on the third day Jesus rose from the dead’, but Christianity is more than just believing, it is living this new life in Christ and bringing it to others…”

(Photo: Bicycle bearing a gospel message, in Federation Square, Melbourne, with St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in the background, 19th March 2016.)

‘Outback Bishop : Divine Stage’

“When the Anglican Church couldn’t find a bishop to fill an Outback posting, it sought divine assistance from head office.

Enter stage left from London Reverend Rob Gillion, a former professional actor. As the Bishop of Riverina, he’s taken on his most important role yet and on his biggest stage: a fair swathe of New South Wales.…”

– The ABC’s Landline ran a profile on the Diocese of Riverina’s Bishop Rob Gillion.

Runs for 22 minutes. Image: ABC.

Tasmania’s new bishop wants to rebuild trust in the Church

“Tasmania’s new Anglican bishop wants to rebuild trust in the church.

Bishop Richard Condie was installed to the role on Saturday at a service in Hobart attended by 700. One of his first tasks was to meet a victim of child sexual abuse…”

– Report from The Examiner. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net)

Richard Condie to be installed as Bishop of Tasmania this Saturday

Please uphold in prayer Richard and Helen Condie, as Richard is installed as the twelfth Bishop of Tasmania at St. David’s Cathedral in Hobart tomorrow, 19th March.

Related: Diocese of Tasmania.

Peter Bolt to take on role at Sydney College of Divinity

News from Moore College:

“Dr Peter Bolt, Head of New Testament at Moore College, is to become the Academic Director at the Sydney College of Divinity.

Peter has been teaching at Moore since 1990, during which time he has not only passed on a love of the Gospels to hundreds of students but has written numerous books and articles and brought to birth the College’s own PhD program.

‘We owe an enormous debt to Peter’, said the College’s Principal, Mark Thompson. ‘He is an extraordinary exegete, a first-class scholar and has led our New Testament department with distinction for the last fifteen years. While his departure is a very significant loss for the College and for many of us personally, we trust the Lord is opening up an opportunity for Peter to use his exceptional gifts more widely for the advance of his kingdom.’

Please pray for Peter as he makes this transition and for the College as we look for someone to build on Peter’s legacy.”

– Source. Related: Sydney College of Divinity.

Sydney University Evangelical Union ‘facing deregistration’

“A five-year tussle between the University of Sydney Union and the Evangelical Union has finally reached an impasse, with the university now unequivocally stating that the EU must remove the requirement for members to sign a faith-based declaration, and threatening them with deregistration from the clubs and societies program if they fail to comply by 31 March…“

– This report from Eternity newspaper.