St Helen’s Bishopsgate: Mark 10:35-45 — To mark the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II

Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate on London, William Taylor, marked the death of Queen Elizabeth II with a sermon from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10.

The Queen’s faith — in her own words

All Souls Langham Place screened this Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at their services last Sunday.

See also:

The Queen and my father Billy Graham: Their unlikely friendship was built on Christ – Franklin Graham.

In Her Own Words: Queen Elizabeth on Her Faith – Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
– “Throughout my life, the message and teachings of Christ have been my guide and in them I find hope.” (Letter to the Lambeth Conference from Queen Elizabeth II, 2022)

Liturgical resources on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder has made these resources available for use in churches.

They would also be very good to use in your personal prayers! (Click the image for a PDF version.)

Liturgical resources on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

Thanksgiving for Her Majesty’s life and witness

Loving Lord and heavenly Father, we give thanks to you today for the extraordinary life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, especially her very clear trust in Jesus as her Saviour and determination to serve you as Lord. Thank you for her dedication to serving us her people, right to the end of her life. Thank you for her witness to Jesus as her hope and strength.

Although comforted in grief by the certainty of her presence now with you, we ask that we and all who grieve may know the ongoing consolation of your loving presence, and that peace which passes understanding, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Royal Family and all who grieve

We bring before you dear Lord, the entire Royal Family and all who were close to Her Majesty who will feel a great sense of loss. Grant them a good grief, which puts away stoicism and pretence. May they be a comfort and strength to one another. Unite in grief, those who have known conflict and division. Give wisdom to clergy who will minister to them during this time, that they will bring words of hope and life. We pray for those who have not previously known your love for them, that they may in this sad time, be inspired by Her Late Majesty’s trust in you, and turn to you for help. May they find consolation in the assurance of Her Late Majesty’s presence with you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For King Charles III – the traditional prayer for our monarch

O LORD, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lord, King CHARLES; and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that he may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant him in health and wealth long to live; strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies; and finally, after this life, he may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bishop Mark Calder
9 September 2022.

Also see:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

– 1 Timothy 2:1-6 (ESV).

Andy Geers and the team at PrayerMate have distributed this prayer you could use:

Almighty God, Heavenly King, thank you for the long life of your servant, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Thank you that she was a symbol of such stability through the huge changes seen during her seventy year reign. Thank you that throughout her life, her hope in you remained steadfast, as the true King who remains the same yesterday, today and forever. Thank you for her life of dedicated service to others, pointing us to Jesus, the Son of Man, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Comfort all who mourn her death: her family, her subjects, and all who admired and respected her.

Lord God, grant her son, His Majesty King Charles III, great wisdom and humility as king. May he know that he submits to a higher authority, that you are the one “who changes times and seasons; that you remove kings and set up kings;” (Daniel 2:21) May he reign with integrity and dignity just as his mother did before him. May he share the same hope in Christ, in whom there is forgiveness and reconciliation. Grant us all to keep our eyes fixed on you as the source of all hope and comfort in times of change, as the one who “will reign forever… to all generations” (Psalm 146:10). In Jesus’ name, Amen.

So you’ve been told you should read some Old Books…

“In this article I will offer some suggestions that cover various eras from the early church until the late twentieth century.

I should note that these recommendations will tend more toward literature that is devotional than scholarly or purely theological. And I should note as well that there is not a person in the world who will agree with every book I’ve included and every book I’ve excluded—and that is just fine because there is always a degree of subjectivity to these things.

And now, without further ado, here are some Christian classics to consider reading. …”

– Tim Challies points to some Christian books which have stood the test of time.

Synod Briefing Podcast

Hear this year’s ACL Synod Briefing Podcast.

ACL’s President Roger Cunningham, the ACL’s Chairman Robert Tong, as well as Nicola Warwick-Mayo and Phil Colgan guide us through some of the key issues coming up at Sydney Synod this month.

The Making Of The Western Mind — John Anderson speaks with Tom Holland

“John joins Tom Holland in his London home to discuss Christianity’s role in shaping Western civilisation.

Holland prompts us to reflect on the intricate moral web our society still upholds today and consider the intertwined history of the Western imagination and Christianity.”

– A fascinating interview.

Related:

Review: War on the West, by Douglas Murray – at John Anderson.net.au

Anglican Aid launches Emergency Flood Relief for Pakistan

From Anglican Aid in Sydney:

“Anglican Aid is working with local partners to provide relief to the people of Pakistan, as floods devastate the nation. Christians on the ground report that hundreds of people have been forced to set up temporary camps on roads and highways, which are typically raised off the ground. The price of tarps has skyrocketed. Anglican Aid is working with our existing long-term partners in the region, including One2Another in Multan, and the Diocese of Hyderabad, to provide much needed relief. 

For more information, or to give, go to anglicanaid.org.au/pakistan-flood-relief.”

Elegant Orthodoxy: The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion

“A new visitor to our parish recently told me, ‘I read your Thirty-nine Articles, and I was underwhelmed. It just seems like a basic Christian statement of faith.’

A basic Christian statement of faith. Exactly.

The Anglican Church’s Thirty-nine Articles of Religion aren’t comprehensive. They don’t answer every theological or ecclesiastical question a follower of Jesus might have. But there’s an elegance in the Articles’ brevity and simplicity that both roots us in the historic church and is timely today. …”

– At the Gospel Coalition, D. J. Marotta, Rector of Redeemer Anglican Church in Richmond, Virginia, introduces the Thirty-nine Articles to a wider audience.

It’s Not About You: How Biblical Theology Transforms Bible Study

Nancy Guthrie spoke at Christ College in Sydney on 18 August 2022. Her topic? – “It’s Not About You: How Biblical Theology Transforms Bible Study”.

The college has now published the video.

After introductory matters and Nancy is interviewed, her address begins at 28’34”.

A very helpful and encouraging talk and well worth your time.

She encourages us not to take our understanding of Biblical Theology for granted, or to assume an understanding of it in our churches.

How do we make church accessible to all?

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“How can we as church leaders develop and implement plans to care for people affected by disability – so that they can hear the gospel clearly and engage in Christian fellowship.

What are the theological foundations for disability ministry?

How do we in our hearts/attitudes welcome or distance those with disability?

What language should we use?

How do we include people on the autism spectrum? What are the complexities welcoming people with mental health challenges?

Louise Gosbell is Principal of Mary Andrew’s College in Sydney and has worked with the Sydney Anglican Social Issues Committee to produce a set of guidelines to help churches.”

– Watch or listen – and download the guidelines – at The Pastor’s Heart.

Open Week + Open Night — 29 August – 2 September

Moore College Open Week is on:

Open Week (29 Aug – 2 Sept):

Come and visit our Newtown campus, experience an actual lecture and meet faculty and students. You will be greeted by a student who will give you a tour, introduce you to other students and take you to class. You can drop in for a day or part of any day during this week plus share in a morning tea and lunch.

Open Night (Monday, 29 Aug) – “Into the World” (includes live-stream option):

Open Night looks at how our graduates are prepared to take the gospel into the world. Speakers include Mark Thompson, Simon Gillham, Kara Hartley and Paul Grimmond. You will have an opportunity to have your questions answered in our Q & A session. Dinner and supper are provided.

– All the details you need – including links to RSVP – are on the College website.

Living as God’s woman in God’s world

“Some of the biggest questions you can ever ask yourself  as a human on this planet are: who am I? why am I here? what is my purpose?

We ask those questions because we are human, and we ask them as women. And how we answer them determines how we live our lives, how we see ourselves, how we relate to each other, how we treat each other, and above all, how we respond to God.

Let me begin with two affirmations:

1) that we were created for God, for God’s  glory – created to bring glory to God; and

2) that it is only as we live as God intended that we are truly free.

So the questions we need to ask ourselves are:

• what do we learn about who God is?
• what do we learn about ourselves, as humans and as women?
• what do we learn about how God wants us to live in His world? …”

– At Equal But Different, Lesley Ramsay has been posting on the theme of Living as God’s woman in God’s world –

Part 1 – Living as God’s woman in God’s world: Confusion.

Part 2 – Living as God’s woman in God’s world: Old Testament Clarity.

Part 3 – Living as God’s woman in God’s world: New Testament Clarity.

– with the promise of more to come!

She also recommends God’s Good Design 2nd Edition by Claire Smith (Matthias Media 2019).

‘Learn the Gospel’ book and videos

A new study book and videos from Matthias Media:

“Whether building a house or building a life, solid, square and true foundations are vital.

If you’re just starting out in the Christian life – or considering it – you want to get those foundations in place from the start. Even if you’ve been a Christian for a while, it’s important to occasionally check your foundations – they might have shifted or been attacked by white ants, or perhaps they weren’t laid quite as straight as you originally thought.

In this Learn Together book, we’ll thoroughly inspect our gospel foundations and make our understanding of that gospel sound and biblical.

Through reading, studying the Bible, watching some video input and discussing what we’re learning together, we’ll go deep into the gospel of Jesus Christ – understanding each of its parts, how they fit together, and what implications the gospel has for our lives.

This is Two Ways to Live grown into a study book for small groups and classes. Each of the six points are fleshed out with Bible study, discussion and video and text input.”

– The book is available from Matthias Media.

Plus you can watch or download the accompanying videos here.

Jesus Club Community opens disability-inclusive ministry for adults at Tamworth

Here’s a press release from Jesus Club Community:

Jesus Club Community, an evangelical Christian organisation, has partnered with Oxley Vale Anglican Church to open a new Bible-reading club for adults with intellectual disabilities (I.D.) in Tamworth, NSW.

Jesus Club Tamworth is in Oxley Vale, just minutes from Tamworth, with a population of over 63,000, of which 5.6% or around 3000 have some form of disability. The club is the region’s only ministry dedicated to sharing God’s good news to adults with I.D. in a meaningful way.

Simon and Margaret from Oxley Vale Anglican Church approached Jesus Club in March this year with this idea for their community. At the time, they had four people with disabilities in their congregation and they wanted to set up a dedicated Christian ministry for people with disabilities to have fun, form genuine friendships and learn the gospel in a way they could understand.

What attracted her to the Jesus Club program were its gospel-centred vision and extensive library of over 100+ Biblical-teaching resources for adults with I.D.

“I like that [Jesus Club] provide the [teaching] material… and that there are a number of programs written already, that include suggestions for songs, craft, and worksheets. We didn’t have to keep reinventing the wheel… It just makes running [a disability ministry] so much easier!” said Margaret.

The other big plus was Jesus Club’s newly developed online training program which helped their volunteers quickly train up in the ins and outs of disability ministry.

“We viewed the recommended videos over four or five sessions and read [the corresponding] parts of the orientation book… [Their training] is very comprehensive,” said Margaret.

So when Jesus Club Tamworth opened in May, the club’s volunteers felt thoroughly prepared, having trained in everything from the Jesus Club vision to information about different forms of intellectual disabilities, safe ministry and helpful practices for communicating and relating to adults with intellectual disabilities.

Their club now meets once a month, and the first report from volunteers was very encouraging:

“We were all very pleased about our first meeting. All aspects went without a hitch, with six members, six leaders, and one carer. The feedback from members was that they enjoyed the singing, the game, the dressing up and the video of the Great Banquet… Next meeting, we may have three potential new members!” said Margaret.

About Jesus Club:

Jesus Club’s purpose is to make Christ known to adults with I.D. so they can have a friendship with God forever. Since 2017, they have helped many churches grounded in the gospel to establish disability-inclusive ministries that share God’s good news with adults with I.D.

It now equips 20 churches to run the Jesus Club program and has a network that spans from Lower Mountains to Northern Beaches and Turramurra to Albury. Their new online training allows them to set up a Jesus Club anywhere in Australia.

Here’s their website.

CMS Summer School 2023 registration is now open

Registration for the NSW & ACT CMS Summer School 2023 at Katoomba is now open.

← Previous Page — Next Page →