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

Posted on September 16, 2022 
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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

Posted on September 16, 2022 
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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)

Official Cathedral Services to mourn Queen Elizabeth II

Posted on September 16, 2022 
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St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney has published details of official services to mourn Queen Elizabeth II.

Update: See also

The funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – SydneyAnglicans.net

The post includes some prayers you could use this week. (PDF)

Loving Jesus exposes our hearts

Posted on September 15, 2022 
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“No matter how many times I read Luke’s Gospel, it always impacts me. This is because we meet Jesus as he meets with different people.

Although it is a little hard to choose, I think my favourite encounter is Jesus’ interaction with the woman who was a sinner from Luke 7:36-50. There is so much to unpack in this story, but let me share with you just three things that struck me. …”

– Ben George writes at The Australian Church Record.

Post-Truth Post-Lambeth

Posted on September 15, 2022 
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“In August 2022, Archbishop Justin Welby told the assembled bishops of the Anglican Communion at the Lambeth Conference that,

‘I neither have, nor do I seek, the authority to discipline or exclude a church of the Anglican Communion. I will not do so. I may comment in public on occasions, but that is all.’

I was astonished by this. Because it is simply not true. …”

Church Society Director Dr Lee Gatiss spoke at their AGM on 31st August 2022.

Watch or read at the link.

Bathurst thanks Sydney Synod

Posted on September 14, 2022 
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This video was shown in Sydney synod on Wednesday night 14 September 2022, as part of Bishop Calder’s presentation to thank Sydney for their generous support and humbly ask that it might be renewed.

Much to give thanks for – and much to continue to pray about.

Background:

Sydney helps Bathurst – SydneyAnglicans.net, 15 October 2018.

We see the crowds

Posted on September 14, 2022 
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“Representatives of Sydney’s Anglican churches sitting in the church’s parliament have endorsed a three-way approach to an urgent need for ministry in new areas of Sydney.

Following a challenge from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel in his Presidential Address to ‘see the crowds’ of people moving to greenfields areas of southwestern and northwestern Sydney, Synod voted to continue contributing two per cent of parish receipts to a land fund for another 10 years. …”

– Read Russell Powell’s report from Synod at SydneyAnglicans.net, and watch the encouraging 3 minute video – ideal for showing in church!

Link to download.

The Bible in the hands of the Sovereign

Posted on September 14, 2022 
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“At the Coronation of the Boy-King, Edward VI, in 1547, three swords were placed in his hands, one each to represent his right to the realms of England, Ireland, and France.

But to the great surprise of the prelates and statesmen in the Abbey, Edward declared that there was another sword which had been overlooked; and in answer to their astonished inquiries, he said that this was the Word of God. …

On the eleventh birthday of the Princess Elizabeth in 1937, the personal gift of the Queen to her daughter was a beautiful Morocco bound copy of the Bible. …”

– The Australian Church Record has republished this piece from their archives – The Royal Law – by the Rev. Canon M. L. Loane, M.A., Vice-Principal of Moore College, May 28, 1953.

____________

Click the photo for a larger version: Archbishop Marcus Loane escorts Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh outside St. Andrew’s Cathedral in October 1973. Acting Dean of the Cathedral, Canon Stuart Barton Babbage, is following behind. The Queen was in Sydney to open the Sydney Opera House. With special thanks to Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.

The cracks widen in the Australian Anglican Church

Posted on September 13, 2022 
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“Archbishop Raffel’s ‘Do you see the crowds’ address at Oran Park was mission driven and gospel focused, particularly asking how to reach the new housing estates where 30 new churches are needed to reach the hundreds of thousands of people who are moving into the Greenfields areas to the west of Sydney.

There was no mention of Brisbane.

It was a stunning contrast to South East Queensland Archbishop’s Phillip Aspinall’s hand grenade presentation, attacking evangelicals and Sydney Anglicans, which has so far led to the resignations of two of his ministers and the splitting of two Brisbane congregations.

The second minister to resign in Brisbane is Peter Judge Mears. …”

– At The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele highlights Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s Synod Presidential Address on Saturday. He also speaks with Peter Judge-Mears who has just announced his resignation from the Diocese of Brisbane.

Related:

Archbishop Aspinall’s 2022 Presidential Address here (PDF file).

Bishop Glenn Davies’ Address at the ACL Synod Dinner 2022

Posted on September 12, 2022 
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The Rt Rev Dr Glenn Davies spoke tonight, 12 September 2022, at a packed ACL Synod Dinner.

His topic?  “Where to from now? The place of Sydney Anglicans in Australia”.

Dr Davies, former Archbishop of Sydney, is Deputy Chair of Gafcon Australia and also Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Speaking of the Anglican Church of Australia, he said there is a fracture in unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity – a tear in the fabric.

Take the time to hear his very informative address:

 

or download the 11.5MB / 23 minute mp3 file. (right click on the link to Save As.)

News from Brisbane: Peter Judge-Mears to resign and join the Diocese of the Southern Cross

Posted on September 12, 2022 
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Peter Judge-Mears, the Rector of St. John’s Wishart in the Diocese of Brisbane, has posted this announcement on the church’s Facebook page –

“Dear brothers and sisters at St Johns,

It is with deep sadness that I announce my resignation as Rector of St Johns, Wishart. I have found it a great privilege to serve in this church over just under 14 years as Associate Minister, Priest in Charge and Rector. Sybil and I, along with our children, have been partners with you in proclaiming the gospel to the local community. As a family, we have been blessed by your generosity and friendships. Sybil and I have been privileged to walk alongside you through times of deep sorrow and times of great joy.

Sadly, over these 14 years, I have witnessed the increasing divergence between received Anglican theology and the theology of the diocese. This culminated in the Archbishop’s Synod address and the changes to Faithfulness in Service.

Although I have appreciated the time and graciousness that the Archbishop has extended to discuss my concerns, my concerns have not been allayed. Neither has the recent resignation of the Archbishop, who merely gave a clear voice to the theology now taught in our theological college and from the pulpits of our churches.

Most of you have known the struggle I have had since synod and are aware that this decision has been one I have wrestled long over. I am concerned that the mission of Jesus with which we are charged should be delayed no longer. I am grateful to the Archbishop’s Commissary (Bishop Cameron) who has allowed me to move far faster than the required 3 months. Accordingly, my final Sunday will be Sunday 18th of September, after which I intend to take a short break before commencing services on October 2nd under the Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,
Peter.”

Please do pray for Peter and his family and for the church at Wishart.

Image from Peter’s announcement to the congregation on Sunday 11 September 2022. (video)

From the church website:

“Peter has been the minister of St John’s since 2010. He graduated from Moore College in 1997 and was ordained in New Zealand in 1999.”

Related:

In July 2022 Peter published an open letter to Archbishop Phillip Aspinall in response to his Address to the Brisbane Synod. Read the full letter here (PDF file).

And read Archbishop Aspinall’s Presidential Address here (PDF file).

Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s Presidential Address to the Synod in the Greenfields

Posted on September 11, 2022 
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Yesterday (Saturday 10 September 2022) the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney met at Oran Park in South West Sydney.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel gave his first Presidential Address – a strong, encouraging and stirring call to obey the Lord Jesus and to love our neighbours.

He said, “Do you see the crowds? Crowds of people who will come to Sydney. People who will move into greenfields areas. Crowds of young people, hungry for love.”

Please do take the time to watch and think and pray and act.

And here is a report from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net –

Do you see the crowds?

“In his first Presidential address to Synod, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has made a stirring and emotional appeal for visionary planning in the greenfields areas of Greater Sydney.

For the first time in more than a century, the Synod address was given away from inner Sydney at Oran Park Anglican College in the town centre of Oran Park in the Southwest. This week, the Synod will consider a proposal to extend the contribution parishes make to funding land purchases in new areas, for a further ten years. …”

Bishop Mark Calder: Thanks for Her Majesty

Posted on September 11, 2022 
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In this short video, Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder gives thanks for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her trust in Jesus.

Assembly of Confessing Congregations — UCA situation is ‘untenable’

Posted on September 11, 2022 
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The Assembly of Confessing Congregations National Assembly has been meeting on the Gold Coast this weekend. Chief among their discussions was their position within the Uniting Church when that organisation’s Assembly holds to two contradictory doctrines on marriage.

This statement has been posted today on the Assembly of Confessing Congregations Facebook page:

“The ACC National Council has come to the conclusion that the situation we are in is ‘untenable’. We cannot continue to live within the illusion of so called ‘two integrities’. The position of the UCA Assembly on the one hand, and that held by orthodox Christian members, congregations, networks and Presbyteries on the other, represent two contradictory and mutually exclusive understandings of truth, salvation, and therefore also of mission. This situation raises an essential impossibility of pursuing a common mission between these two respective positions.

This weekend, the ACC National Assembly has now put in place a mechanism of action towards navigating its way to a process of a collection of action items to be decided in an upcoming decision in March 2023.”

– Source of the text and photo.

Earlier:

A message to Uniting Church members about the decision on marriage from Uniting Church President Dr Deidre Palmer  – 20 July 2018.

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

Posted on September 9, 2022 
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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.

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