Five Foundations that Lead to Compromise on Sexual Ethics

Posted on August 4, 2021 
Filed under Culture wars, Theology Comments Off on Five Foundations that Lead to Compromise on Sexual Ethics

“Even if all roads eventually lead to the sexual-ethics-line-in-the-sand, they don’t all originate in the same place. It’s helpful to consider some of the different, subtle shapes Christianity can take that at first might seem benign – but will later set up a Christian for compromise.

From what I’ve observed, most deconstructing Christians who shift on sexual ethics come from a faith background that has one (or more) of these precarious foundations…”

– Brett McCracken at The Gospel Coalition seeks to help Christians stand against the tide.

What should we say about vaccines + vaccination passports for church?

Posted on August 3, 2021 
Filed under COVID19, Resources, Theology Comments Off on What should we say about vaccines + vaccination passports for church?

At The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele speaks with Phillip Jensen, Ray Galea and John McLean on what pastors should say about vaccination. An helpful discussion with plenty of food for thought.

Five Tips to help you through an extended Lockdown

Posted on August 2, 2021 
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“Greater Sydney is enduring an extended two-month lockdown (which could be extended even longer).

In this video, TGCA interviews Psychologist and Chaplain Sarah Balogh as she gives five tips to help you through an extended lockdown…”

– Very timely, from The Gospel Coalition Australia.

Australian and English evangelicals show different approaches to Anglican institutional revisionism

Posted on August 1, 2021 
Filed under Church of England, Opinion Comments Off on Australian and English evangelicals show different approaches to Anglican institutional revisionism

“On the same day (19th July) that Gafcon Australia publicly unveiled their plans to establish an alternative Anglican jurisdiction in response to the trajectory of revisionism in the Church of Australia, the Church of England Evangelical Council issued a statement about the Bishop of Liverpool’s address to the MOSAIC campaign group, in which he called for same sex marriage in the Church of England. The difference in the two statements is symptomatic of more general differences between the way that orthodox Anglicans are engaging with the national church in both countries.

The CEEC statement begins with an appreciation of Bishop Bayes’ subsequent apology for his attack on those who believe the historic teaching of the church on sex and marriage …”

– At Anglican Mainstream, Andrew Symes makes some very interesting comparisons. He has a strong challenge to his UK readership.

Andrew’s sentiments would probably have been shared by the late John Richardson. Twenty-eight years ago, the ACL’s newsletter published his article “UK Evangelicalism: Optimistic?“. John consistently argued that evangelicals in the Church of England need to fight for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, rather than act like gentlemen playing cricket.

And, for good measure, here’s a brief clip of John speaking about the significance of his 1993 year at Moore College.

Image of Andrew Symes: Christian Concern.

Southern Cross for August 2021

Posted on July 30, 2021 
Filed under Encouragement, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Southern Cross for August 2021

Once more, it’s not possible to distribute printed copies of Southern Cross magazine (in fact, it wasn’t printed this month) – but Anglican Media Sydney has posted the full issue online.

From Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s column (Sickness, COVID and the hope to come, page 15):

“John’s Gospel records an episode in the life of Jesus that is both deeply personal and powerfully universal.

As far as Scripture records, Jesus never experienced illness himself. He did, however, experience hunger, thirst, the barbarous physical cruelty of flogging and crucifixion. And of course, Jesus experienced death.

Jesus is famously recorded on numerous occasions being swamped by people who were ill or suffering from some mental, physical or demonic affliction. His reputation as a healer was documented even by non-Christian ancient sources.

In John chapter 11 we are given a window into how Jesus was affected by the sickness of others. …”

Thanks to Jane Tooher, there’s also a profile of “A woman who did not give in to fear” – Dorothy Mowll. (page 16).

 

Read online (or download the PDF file) at magazine.sydneyanglicans.net.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s message for churches for Sunday 1st August 2021.

Posted on July 29, 2021 
Filed under COVID19, Encouragement, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s message for churches for Sunday 1st August 2021.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has recorded this message for churches for their online gatherings on Sunday, 01 August, 2021.

We’re sure you’ll find it an encouragement.

Russell Powell has more at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Should Christians be opposed to vaccination?

Posted on July 29, 2021 
Filed under COVID19 Comments Off on Should Christians be opposed to vaccination?

“‘The blood of Jesus is my vaccine’, read one protestor’s sign during the recent Sydney anti-lockdown demonstration. It’s such a pious statement, but it’s a misguided one too, propagating a position that is neither well-founded nor widely embraced by Christians. In my view, Christians protesting vaccination campaigns need to be challenged, because they are contending for a position that is both scientifically and theologically misinformed. …”

– Chase Kuhn, Chair of the Social Issues Committee of the Diocese of Sydney, and Lecturer at Moore College, writes for ABC Religion and Ethics.

Related:

Distorting the Christian message doesn’t help anyone – Murray Campbell.

Faith

Posted on July 29, 2021 
Filed under Good News, Theology Comments Off on Faith

“It must be heart-breaking for someone with a life-threatening condition to know about a new treatment but have no access to it.  Family and friends will campaign and fundraise.  Every effort will be made by them because they know that there is a solution to the problem, and that they just need to get hold of it somehow.

For Christians, salvation is like that …”

– George Crowder at Church Society begins a series of posts on the Christian essentials of faith, hope and love.

9Marks Journal July 2021 — The Ordinary Means of Grace — Or, Don’t Do Weird Stuff

Posted on July 27, 2021 
Filed under Resources, Theology Comments Off on 9Marks Journal July 2021 — The Ordinary Means of Grace — Or, Don’t Do Weird Stuff

“For several years now, erstwhile 9Marks editor and now full-time pastor Sam Emadi, with a wink, has summarized our ministry, “Yeah, I just tell people, 9Marks exists to tell pastors not to do weird stuff. Just do what’s in the Bible.”

Not a bad summary, that.

If you’ve not heard the term “ordinary means of grace” before, Sam has captured what many pastors today need to hear: don’t do weird stuff in your church. Don’t take your growth cues from a marketing team. Don’t lead church services that would make P. T. Barnum or J. J. Abrams proud.

Don’t, in short, think you can offer something extraordinary based on your creativity or ingenuity, or that you can manufacture the extraordinary through reverse-engineering the results you want.

The Spirit has already revealed everything we need for gathering and growing churches. And, yes, it’s pretty ordinary stuff. …”

– Jonathan Leeman at 9Marks introduces the latest 9Marks Journal. Very encouraging.

Bishop Julian Dobbs interviews Bishop William Love

Posted on July 27, 2021 
Filed under GAFCON, TEC Comments Off on Bishop Julian Dobbs interviews Bishop William Love

“At the 2021 Provincial Council for the Anglican Church in North America, Bishop Julian Dobbs of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word had an opportunity to interview Bishop William Love.

As you will hear, this was a pivotal time for Bishop Love as he was being welcomed into the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word as an Assisting Bishop having resigned from the Diocese of Albany in The Episcopal Church.”

– From GAFCON.

Background:

No Love in the Episcopal Church – October 26, 2020
includes links to earlier posts.

John Anderson with Carl Trueman on Hedonism and the Modern Psychological Self

Posted on July 25, 2021 
Filed under Culture wars, Resources Comments Off on John Anderson with Carl Trueman on Hedonism and the Modern Psychological Self

In his latest “Direct” interview, John Anderson speaks with Carl Trueman:

“They discuss the modern self in an age of culture wars, including the societal shift of the perception of happiness and gratification, the technological revolution, and the sexual revolution and its ties to authoritarianism.”

– At johnanderson.net.au.

(The video file on YouTube is indexed to allow you to jump to the various topics covered.)

Related:

Review: ‘The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self’ by Carl Trueman.

Sunday Morning Encouragement

Posted on July 25, 2021 
Filed under COVID19, Resources Comments Off on Sunday Morning Encouragement

With thanks to CityAlight and Colin Buchanan.

‘Caught Up in God’s Epic…’

Posted on July 24, 2021 
Filed under Theology Comments Off on ‘Caught Up in God’s Epic…’

“Everyone loves a story. Stories grab our attention and draw us in. Some stories don’t satisfy – perhaps because there’s no conclusion, or injustice and evil succeed. Great epics, such as Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings stir our imagination and touch our inner longings for a better world. We don’t want epics like this to end: we become involved with the characters and the plot. But they do end, and we have to come back to earth.

Significantly, in a world that is crying out for identity, there’s a very real interest in the ‘story’ of family forebears, or culture.

The Bible has been described as the greatest story ever told. But it is an epic with a difference – it is set in the context of real events that point to a future. …”

– At The Anglican Connection, John Mason is continuing to share his challenging and encouraging “Word on Wednesday” meditations. He’s currently writing on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.

Advance Australia Where?

Posted on July 23, 2021 
Filed under Australian dioceses, GAFCON Comments Off on Advance Australia Where?

“The creature we know as the Anglican church has a history replete with knotty problems and gritty solutions. And when it comes to the matter of problems, it is something of an understatement to say that the Anglican Church of Australia has a very serious one on its hands at present: the dioceses of Wangaratta and Newcastle have resolved to pursue the practice of blessing of same-sex marriages. This, of course, has pushed them away from a good swathe of the wider national church and further structural estrangement has the potential to rend the (already weakened) fabric of the national fellowship asunder.

Into the breach the recent Appellate Tribunal has come. Through an unusual definition of ‘doctrine’ and some eccentric exegesis the majority opinions imply that the Australian Anglican family can adopt these changes and keep toiling together in the same constitutional territory. Such opinions have stunned the many onlookers who believe precisely the opposite. Indeed, the vast majority of the submissions to the Appellate Tribunal, the Board of Assessors report, and the guidance of the House of Bishops all said in unison, words to the effect of ‘no!’…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Dr Mark Earngey explains that “the GAFCON movement is precisely what is needed for a time such as this”.

His article, republished from the Autumn 2021 ACR Journal, was written before Archbishop Raffel’s election, and before this week’s announcement from GAFCON Australia.

See also:

Dr Robert Tong on the Appellate Tribunal Opinion – 12 November 2020.

Preliminary thoughts on the Appellate Tribunal ruling – Dr Mark Thompson, 11 November 2020.

Bathurst’s “Ministry is for everyone” Conference to be in new format due to COVID

Posted on July 22, 2021 
Filed under Australian dioceses, COVID19 Comments Off on Bathurst’s “Ministry is for everyone” Conference to be in new format due to COVID

The Diocese of Bathurst’s “Ministry is for everyone” Diocesan Conference has had to be reconfigured due to the COVID-19 restrictions now in force.

In the video above, Bishop Mark Calder explains that they’ll be running all the elements of the conference online, over seven Monday afternoons and evenings, beginning Monday 2nd August.

And do pray for the churches of Bathurst Diocese, pray that this conference now might be a blessing to even more people.

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