Dr Gavin Ashenden resigns as Chaplain to the Queen
“After a conversation instigated by officials at Buckingham Palace, it is with regret that the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden – theologian, academic, columnist and occasional contributor to [The Archbishop Cranmer] blog – has decided to resign his position as Chaplain to the Queen.
It was, he says, “the most honourable course of action” following “attempts to silence or defenestrate” him…”
– News from “Archbishop Cranmer”.
And you can read Dr. Ashenden’s full statement here.
“I have held the position for the last nine years. But over the last few years people who objected to my defending the Christian faith in public wrote to both Lambeth Palace and Buckingham Palace to try to get the association ended. …”
Qur’an in the Eucharist?
“I have just returned from Paris where I was invited to be part of a conversation with three imams sponsored by Lebanese TV.
I thought they were kind, impressive and delightful people. It was a privilege to meet them and talk to them. We had many things in common, but most of all a deep attraction to God who made us, whose intentions towards us, we know, are love and mercy.
The strength of the encounter was the friendship and mutual admiration it produced. The weakness was that we did not speak at all about ‘the problem’. …
What is the significance, then, of a Muslim standing at the lectern in a Christian cathedral and publicly proclaiming words from the Koran which announce that the Gospel writers were engaged in a blasphemous deceit?”
– The Rev. Gavin Ashenden writes at ArchbishopCranmer.com to reflect on a recitation from the Qur’an at service of The Lord’s Supper for Epiphany in the Cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Glasgow.
See also:
In response to the Qur’an recitation in St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow – Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali.
This Qur’an recitation was not the first at Glasgow Cathedral. Carol Service, December 2014.
Church of Scotland votes to allow ministers to be in same-sex marriages
“The Church of Scotland’s highest law-making body has voted to allow its ministers to be in same-sex marriages.
The church’s general assembly, which opened in Edinburgh on Saturday, voted in favour of extending a law passed last May that permits ministers to be in same-sex civil partnerships.
The decision, after years of deliberation, means the church maintains the traditional view marriage as between a man and woman, but allows individual congregations to ‘opt out’ if they wish to appoint a minister or deacon in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership…”
– Story from The Guardian. (Photo credit: Church of Scotland.)
Related (from June 2012): St. George’s Tron, Glasgow, secedes from Church of Scotland.
“We believe the Church of Scotland is choosing to walk away from the biblical gospel, and to walk apart from the faith of the worldwide Christian Church.”
David Cook’s encouraging report from the UK
“We have been in the U.K. now since 13th February, long enough to have some reflections:
In Australia we may think that the Church we see in the Royal weddings or funerals is typical of the church here – formal and lifeless. That is contrary to our experience. We have found the Church to be faithful, creative, lively and very well led.
We are here as part of the 4 yearly Passion For Life and my role has been to either preach evangelistically or to encourage others to do that…”
– Presbyterian Church of Australia Moderator General (and former SMBC Principal) David Cook is in the United Kingdom, where he’s spoken at various places including St. Helen’s Bishopsgate and The Tron in Glasgow. Read his reflections here (you may need to scroll down to 27 March 2014).
Your spiritual appetite
“This day was the best that I have seen since I came to England.… After Dr. Twisse had begun with a brief prayer, Mr. Marshall prayed largely two hours, most divinely, confessing the sins of the members of the Assembly, in a wonderful, passionate, and prudent way. Afterwards, Mr. Arrowsmith preached an hour, then a psalm … Dr. Twisse closed with a short prayer and blessing.”
‘So wrote Robert Baillie, one of the Scots commissioners at the Westminster Assembly, about one of the best days he had in England.’
– Food for thought. Read the whole post by Jeremy Walker at Reformation21 for a challenge, and then, over at the Proc Trust, see Adrian Reynolds brief words.
(Image: University of Glasgow.)
Don’t go it alone!
“It is no accident that so many of the commands given in the New Testament letters involve ‘one another’:
welcome one another; care for one another; bear with one another; forgive one another; submit to one another; admonish one another; exhort one another, and so on. Don’t judge one another, deprive one another, lie to one another, speak evil of one another, envy one another…etc, but do comfort one another, encourage one another, edify one another, and – above all – love one another.
The reason for all these injunctions is quite obvious: clearly, we need one another! …”
– William Philip at The Tron Church in Glasgow with a great reminder about the importance of church. (Photo: Russell Powell.)
How to pray for God’s work
How is your prayer for the Archbishop’s election going?
Dick Lucas preached from 1 Kings 18 at The Tron Church in Glasgow last month. He reminded his hearers that first of all, we must pray that the Lord will be known, and that hearts be turned back to him – a crucial prayer for Glasgow, and a crucial prayer for Sydney. Hear or see his sermon at The Tron’s website. (It starts 38 minutes into the video.) Most edifying.
It’s also a good reminder to continue to pray for the saints in the Tron, for all of these reasons.
Church of Scotland claims ‘common ground’ in sexuality debate
“The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in a groundbreaking decision called for the Church to maintain its historic doctrine in relation to human sexuality but, in line with the Kirk’s historic position of allowing congregations to call their own minister, to permit an individual Kirk Session to call a minister in a civil partnership if it chooses to do so. The Legal Questions Committee and the Theological Forum will bring reports to next year’s General Assembly about how this will be achieved. In the meantime courts and committees of the General Assembly will maintain the status quo. …”
– This report from the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly claims ‘common ground’ in continuing to allow congregations to ignore its own official doctrine.
Related: Church of Scotland votes to allow gay ministers – The Scotsman.
Earlier stories – including:
“We believe the Church of Scotland is choosing to walk away from the biblical gospel, and to walk apart from the faith of the worldwide Christian Church.” – St. George’s Tron, Glasgow, secedes from Church of Scotland (June 2012).
The Kirk without the People
“In PR terms it has been a disaster for the Church of Scotland and one entirely of their own making.”
– Peter Robertson at St. Peter’s Free Church in Dundee writes a detailed response, from his outside perspective, to the Church of Scotland’s public statement on the departure of the congregation of St. George’s Tron.
Related: A new home for our church family
“The Tron church family has moved. Sunday morning 9 December 2012 was our last meeting in the St George’s building in Buchanan Street and we are now preparing to formally hand over the building as soon as possible to the Presbytery of Glasgow as requested. We have begun a new stage in our life as a church family, meeting as normal but in our new location: 25 Bath Street. It’s just a block away from the old building and we’ll have all our services there from now.”
(To see something of the building, check this video.
And please pray for the members of The Tron.)
Tears as Tron congregation leave church for last time
“The pews of St George’s Tron in Buchanan Street were busy as 500 worshippers came to hear its minister, the Rev Dr Willie Philip, deliver the final sermon. …
Before beginning his sermon yesterday, the minister told members that all further services were being held at a hall in nearby Bath Street.” – Story from The Scotsman.
Meetings now to be held at 25 Bath Street, Glasgow.
Related:
- Dr William Philip’s last sermon in the old building (am 9th December 2012).
Life Investment with Jesus. Matthew 10:16-42. - Bob Fyall (pm 9th December 2012). Loving the Institution and Hating the Gospel. Jeremiah 71–8:3.
St George’s Tron last Sunday in Church of Scotland
“The congregation of a Glasgow church has held its final service before leaving the Church of Scotland. …”
Some questions for the new Archbishop of Canterbury
Mark Thompson does us a great service by respectfully raising key questions for the next Archbishop of Canterbury –
“There is a great deal that is wonderfully hopeful in this appointment. Bishop Welby self-identifies as an evangelical. He is able to communicate clearly and winsomely. However, as he prepares to take up this challenging role at a very challenging time, one characteristic that has not been attributed to him is ‘courage’. So there are a number of questions which I would like to put — or at least have someone put — respectfully but seriously, to the next Archbishop of Canterbury.”
Full text here – Read more
‘Mediation call in gay clergy row’
“Dr Peter Jensen, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, has voiced support for the 500 worshippers at St George’s Tron in Glasgow and their minister Dr William Philip, who faces losing his home, and has called on the Kirk to halt its legal action. …”
– from Herald Scotland. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net.)
Earlier: Report: Glasgow Presbytery to ‘recover all property and assets’ from St George’s Tron.
TEC moves against Bishop and Diocese of South Carolina
“On Monday, October 15, 2012, Bishop Mark J. Lawrence, the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina was notified by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, that on September 18, 2012 the Disciplinary Board for Bishops had certified his abandonment of The Episcopal Church.
This action by The Episcopal Church triggered two pre-existing corporate resolutions of the Diocese, which simultaneously disaffiliated the Diocese from The Episcopal Church and called a Special Convention. That Convention will be held … on Saturday, November 17, 2012. …
The Diocese has not received a signed copy of the certification and also remains uninformed of the identity of those making these charges.”
– It only took a month to let the good Bishop know.
Details from the Diocese of South Carolina including relevant documents.
Related, from last week:
Report: Glasgow Presbytery to ‘recover all property and assets’ from St George’s Tron.
Walking in opposite directions
From St. George’s Tron in Glasgow:
“Download Walking Away from Jesus by Willie Philip and Walking with Jesus by Dr J.I. Packer.
Over a year ago, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland took the decisive step of walking away from the historic, orthodox Gospel. These reflections on that decision were written by Dr Philip for the Tron Times of May 2011.
By re-publishing them now, alongside the article by Dr Packer, we see clearly that the situation faced by our church family in recent days is shared by many in the world-wide confessing church today. There is great encouragement to know we don’t stand alone.”
– Download here. (PDF)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…