Amazing Place: The place of ‘Place’ – with Matthew Sleeman

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“What is a biblical theology of place?

Matthew Sleeman is a lecturer in New Testament at Oak Hill Theological College in London. …

Matthew says place is more than point on a map. Place contributes to making us who we are. And we contribute to making the place what it is. We are shaped by our places and we paint ourselves onto places.

Places are locations for ministries, discipleship and living for Jesus.”

– Watch or listen here.

Also from The Pastor’s Heart this week, a very sobering topic:

Processing the Ravi Zacharias sexual abuse scandal – with Dan Paterson.

Christmas is not cancelled, just different

“The latest outbreak of COVID-19, centred on the Northern Beaches, has wrought havoc with Christmas plans but churches have been working frantically to adapt. …”

– Here’s the very latest from SydneyAnglicans.net.

CMS Summer School to be completely online

CMS NSW / ACT has today announced that the CMS Summer School in January will now be completely online.

In an e-mail to people registered for Summer School, the organising team explains:

“Over the last couple of months, we have been working hard to adapt to government restrictions so that we can gather physically for Summer School. We praise God that over 1000 adults and over 600 youth and children registered for the 2021 conference!

However, as a result of the recent COVID-19 outbreak and the tighter restrictions that have been introduced as a result, it is no longer feasible to proceed safely with plans for an on-site program. …

The online-only conference will begin with a livestreamed session on Saturday night at 7pm, and then livestreamed sessions in the KCC Auditorium from Sunday–Thursday.”

Pray that the modified Summer School will be a great blessing to many.

Mike Baird named as new HammondCare CEO

“HammondCare has today announced that Mike Baird has been appointed as incoming Chief Executive Officer and will replace Dr Stephen Judd who is stepping down on August 31, after more than 25 years in the role.

HammondCare Board Chair, John Kightley, said that Mr Baird had been selected after a rigorous search for the critical appointment, that commenced when Dr Judd announced in July 2019 his intention to stand down in 2020. …”

– Read the full news item at HammondCare.

On the Acquittal of Cardinal Pell

“The High Court of Australia, in a unanimous verdict of a 7-member bench, has acquitted Cardinal George Pell of the charges of child sexual abuse for which he has been serving time in prison: see Pell v The Queen [2020] HCA 12 (7 April 2020). He was immediately released. …”

– Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia gives a brief overview of the High Court’s decision today.

“I don’t hate him”. How a Christian worldview changes everything

“I’m writing this about 5 minutes drive away from a tragic event that happened here in Sydney on Saturday evening…”

– David Ould shares something most people would not expect to come out of Saturday evening’s tragedy in Oatlands. (And a good reminder to pray for all affected.)

George Whitefield College gives thanks for 30 years

George Whitefield College in Capetown is giving thanks to the Lord for thirty years of ministry.

Earlier this year they produced a six-minute video overview of the college’s history. Watch, be encouraged, and pray for the college:

And their Spring 2019 Newsletter, which includes some reminiscences, can be downloaded at this link.

“George Whitefield College was founded in 1989 when, at CESA’s request, Rev. Dr. David Broughton Knox came to Cape Town from Sydney, Australia to establish the college.”

Where was the press? The new $23 million Falls Church Anglican sanctuary gets zero coverage

“Near the end of 2006, I was working on one of my biggest stories of the year: The mass exodus of 11 Episcopal churches from the Diocese of Virginia, the nation’s largest Episcopal diocese.

It was a huge story and it wasn’t completely certain that on that sunny, cold Sunday if all the theologically conservative churches in northern Virginia would decide to leave en mass.

They did and this created headlines for weeks after that. The largest church that left was The Falls Church Episcopal (TFCE), a large complex worth about $24.7 million with its new-ish sanctuary, a historic chapel and cemetery on 5.5 acres right in the middle of the city named after it (and only a few blocks from where I lived). Built in 1734, its vestry included George Washington, who was elected in 1763.

Members voted 1,228 to 127 to leave, which doesn’t reflect the fact that some 2,000 people regularly attended there. …”

– At Get Religion, long-time religion reporter Julia Duin gives some context to last month’s opening of the Falls Church Anglican building.

Photo: Falls Church Anglican.

Falls Church Anglican opens new church home

Long-time readers will remember the saga of Falls Church Anglican in the suburb of Falls Church, Virginia, just outside Washington.

After leaving the Episcopal Church of the USA (TEC) over that denomination’s rejection of the Bible’s teaching on human sexuality, in 2012 they lost their historic building and grounds.

Today, after much work, and with great thanksgiving to God, their new church building is being consecrated to be a centre of gospel ministry.

Earlier:

The Costly Faithfulness of The Falls Church – The Gospel Coalition, May 2012.

“The Falls Church is one of hundreds of congregations across the country that have given up their buildings rather than stay affiliated with a branch of their church they believe denies the final authority of Scripture. …”

Stories of sacrifice from the USA – GAFCON, May 2017.

“Despite the split, [the Rector, John] Yates II and his bishop almost reached an agreement in which The Falls Church Anglican could keep their property and continue in gospel centred mission. However, disaster struck when newly elected presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori directed TEC to adopt an aggressive stance with ‘rebel’ congregations.

The deal was off, and as with The Good Shepherd, a long and costly legal battle ensued. The outcome was seemingly disastrous. Everything was lost, the prayer books, the sound equipment, and the $2.8 million in cash that members had donated to church accounts specifically designated not to go to the Episcopal Church. They were also forced to vacate their colonial building and the Yates’ lost their rectory. It was all gone.

What happened next? Well, their response can be summed up in two words – church planting. …”

Related posts.

Photo: Falls Church Anglican.

‘Sri Lanka is dear to us all and these attacks have wounded us all’

“Three Christian leaders from across denominations came together with the Sri Lankan community in Sydney for a Service of Commemoration for those affected by the bombings in Sri Lanka.

‘Sri Lanka is dear to us all and these attacks have wounded us all,’ said Dean Kanishka Raffel, his voice breaking with emotion as he introduced the service on Saturday 27th April at St Andrew’s Cathedral. …”

– Story and image from SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Queen’s Christmas message for 2018 – and other recent news

Here’s is Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Message.

In other news you might have missed the last few days:

Jesus shows how to lay power aside for the sake of the foreigner – Dean of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, in The Australian Financial Review.

“The 2000-year-old story of the Middle Eastern family of modest means seeking a safe lodging place speaks to the weariness of the modern world with a surprising relevance. Because it is at heart, the story of the laying aside of power for the sake of the lowly. God comes to us, so that we may come to him. …”

Russell Powell, CEO of Anglican Media Sydney, had this published in the Letters section of The Sydney Morning Herald on December 24 – in response to Elizabeth Farrelly’s regular column.

“Farrelly states that the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney had ‘reaffirmed … the ban on divorced people – even women divorced after being abused by clergy – being remarried in church’. There has never been such a ban.

The link embedded in the online story shows the resolution carried by the Synod: ‘Synod, noting that it is the prerogative of the Archbishop or a Regional Bishop, in accordance with the laws of this Church, whether or not to approve the remarriage of a divorced person, requests the Archbishop and Regional Bishops to consider approving the remarriage of a divorced person, where that person has been abused physically or emotionally by their former spouse.’

The effect of the motion was simply to urge bishops to be vigilant on this issue. The fact that Bishops have permitted the remarriage of victims of domestic violence shows there is no ban.”

Canberra-Goulburn Episcopal Election set for 8-10 November

In the October 2018 issue of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn’s Anglican News, Canon Robert Arthur provides an update on the episcopal election process: (Note: the names of the nominees has not yet been made public).

“The Episcopal Election Nominations Committee is preparing for the Electoral Synod to be held from 8 to 10 November.

It has recently met with the Prospective Nominees and is now preparing an information package on each Nominee for confidential distribution to Synod members prior to the meeting. The package will include the Episcopal Selection Criteria, which were prepared by the Committee after consultations around the Diocese and an online survey.

At the September Synod, in preparation for the decision they will make in November, Synod members broke into groups to discuss the Selection Criteria and to assess the weight they would give to each of the 24 Criteria on a scale of 1 to 10. Three criteria were given weights of 9.0 or more. These were:

to encourage and enable the ministry of women and men in lay and ordained ministry within the life of the church, including to the three orders of ordained ministry;
to develop teams of leaders, delegating effectively, and being collaborative, supportive and strategic; and
to be a person of prayer, whose spirituality arises from engagement with God’s Word and who relies on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for their salvation, daily life, and future.

Please continue in prayer during the next month for God’s guidance and wisdom in the choice to be made.

A bible study and other resources prepared by the EENC are available on the Diocesan website.”

– From page 2 of Anglican News (PDF file).

Director of St Mark’s National Theological Centre, the Rev. Dr. Andrew Cameron, has written a series of Bible studies for members of the diocese as they pray and think about the election (PDF file).

Hitting the right note

“A music ministry stream is to be added to Moore’s Advanced Diploma of Bible, Mission and Ministry course.

… designed for music ministers, for all who serve in music ministry and those preparing and leading church services …”

– News from Moore College.

David Peterson on Romans — one of Albert Mohler’s ’10 Books Every Preacher Should Read’

“Dr Albert Mohler, theologian and current President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, sees the personal collections of preachers as an indication of their preaching priorities, style and engagement. In his annual book review for Preaching Magazine, he highlights the ten books that he believes essential in 2018 for pastors to be reading, reflecting on and shaping their own ministry now and into the future. …”