How to respond to Santa?

Posted on December 8, 2019 
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“Giving and receiving presents is one way in which we teach children how to love people, but if this is all outsourced to Santa, they don’t have any reason to be grateful, nor any opportunity to give. …”

– At Church Society’s blog, posted back in January, Michael Hayden shares some thoughts about Santa and Christmas.

The massive impact Moore College is having worldwide

Posted on December 6, 2019 
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“Moore College’s Preliminary Theological Certificate is used to train people for ministry across the world, and the Diocese’s new Bishop for International Relations, Malcolm Richards, gave Synod members a snapshot of some of the impact it is having across the globe. …”

– Here’s cause for great thanksgiving – and prayer – from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Paul the Apostle does children’s ministry (Ephesians 6:1–3)

Posted on December 5, 2019 
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Children’s ministry is important. Paul’s short instruction to children is deeply soaked in theology, biblical theology, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lionel Windsor turns to an neglected part of Ephesians chapter 6.

1 Kings by John Woodhouse: A review by Hank Lee

Posted on December 4, 2019 
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“What is your favourite book of the Bible?”, I remember somebody asking John Woodhouse during chapel at Moore College, where he was Principal during my time as a student, to which he replied with a grin, “It’s the one that I’m reading right now. I often find that the book of the Bible I happen to be reading at the time is the most important and brilliant book of all.”

Well, John Woodhouse has an uncanny ability to so illuminate the depths of the text that the book that he is reading becomes not only his favourite, but your favourite also. In his most recent commentary, John invites his readers to join him and the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:5) in the experience of having your breath taken away by the treasures and wisdom of the gospel (foreshadowed) in the Book of 1 Kings. …

– At The Australian Church Record, Hank Lee reviews John Woodhouse’s commentary on 1 Kings.

Published by Crossway, the book is available from The Wandering Bookseller and Reformers.

Christmas videos from Speak Life

Posted on December 3, 2019 
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Speak Life in the UK has released three videos for Christmas 2019.

One of them is a response to this year’s Christmas ad produced for the John Lewis department store chain.

“Our Christmas videos are free to use for all churches and individuals.”

Advent 2019 Message from Archbishop Foley Beach

Posted on December 2, 2019 
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“In his Advent letter to the family of global Anglicans, Archbishop Foley Beach reflects on his time in Pakistan, the launch of Gafcon’s weekday devotion ‘Lift Up Your Hearts’, and despite hostility, he encourages us to press forward in Jesus, the Coming King.“

New Anglican Diocese of Bathurst Bishop Mark Calder’s hope for region

Posted on November 29, 2019 
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“Just over eight months after Ian Palmer’s retirement, the Right Reverend Mark Calder was recently appointed as the new bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst and he has a big hope for the region.

Rev Calder was installed as bishop on Saturday, November 23, at the All Saints Cathedral… And just a week into his new rule, he’s made his number one goal as new bishop clear for all. …”

– Story from The Western Advocate.

Photo: Mark and Susan Calder with Archbishop Glenn Davies at the Installation service at Bathurst Cathedral, 23 November 2019. From The Diocese of Bathurst.

Gafcon Ireland pushes back against claims it is un-Anglican

Posted on November 29, 2019 
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Here is a letter printed in the Irish Times in response to the open letter from liberal Irish clergy urging the Irish bishops to reject the election of David McClay as Bishop of Down and Dromore due to his support of GAFCON.

_______

Sir, – It saddens me that once again The Irish Times has allowed its pages to be used to spread vicious and untrue rumours about Gafcon (Analysis, November 18th, Rite and Reason, November 19th). Far from being schismatic, Gafcon has allowed the vast majority of the Anglican Communion to remain united despite attempts from some to tear the very fabric of our common life.

The pleas of brothers and sisters across the globe have been ignored and the plain teaching of Scripture has been abandoned. Instead there has been a persistent and prolonged attempt to drive the Church of Ireland away from its true Anglican heritage shared by millions across the world. It was my privilege to be at Gafcon in Jerusalem last year, the biggest international gathering of Anglicans in over 50 years. Men and women from more than 50 countries gathered in that great city to proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations.

Every Church of Ireland minister is committed to this. At their ordination, they promise to expound the Scriptures and teach the doctrine of the Church of Ireland to all irrespective of gender, race or sexuality.

Anyone reading the Jerusalem Declaration, which sets out the beliefs of the Gafcon movement, will notice that it merely upholds the classical authorities of Anglicanism, the Bible as the word of God written, the Creeds and Councils of the early church, the Articles, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. This is something that every bishop in the Church of Ireland is called to do and what the average church-goer in Ireland expects from their bishop. These are the things that unite us. – Yours, etc,

Rev Timothy Anderson, Chair, Gafcon Ireland

– from GAFCON.

Freedom of religion vs Freedom of Expression

Posted on November 29, 2019 
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From Assoc. Professor Neil Foster, at Law and Religion Australia:

“I presented a paper at a continuing legal education seminar entitled ‘Freedom of Religion vs Freedom of Expression: Critical Legal Issues’. A copy can be downloaded here. And yes, it mentions issues raised by the case of Mr Israel Folau!”

The gospel and marriage part 2: Husbands (Ephesians 5:25–33)

Posted on November 28, 2019 
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“The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches husbands to take initiative to love and give themselves to their wives. This radical teaching involves both actions and attitudes. …”

– At Forget the Channel, Lionel Windsor reaches the challenging exhortations for husband in Ephesian 5.

Sharing the Good News in a World of Fake News

Posted on November 27, 2019 
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“How do Christians move forward in sharing our faith in this environment of fake news, bad news and a general mistrust of claims of truth?”

That’s a question many of us are asking ourselves, and it was the question St. John’s Vancouver, a church in the Anglican Network in Canada, posed to the entire congregation.

“I think every Christian who lives in the West has the sense right now that we are sailing in uncharted waters culturally,” Rev. Canon David Short, the rector of St. John’s, said. “The idea that there might be some sort of truth out there, we [people in our culture] don’t like that idea. And I think the affect for us as Christians has been uncertainty…and some of us, I think, have been silenced.” …

– The Anglican Church in North America points to a helpful initiative at St. John’s Vancouver.

Preparing for GAFCON Kigali 2020

Posted on November 26, 2019 
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Archbishop Foley speaks briefly about why evangelism is a key theme for the Kigali 2020 conference being planned by GAFCON.

When the smoke clears

Posted on November 25, 2019 
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“A journey to Port Macquarie for a funeral, a trip to Mt Tamborine to speak at a convention and a return to Armidale, these trips have more than filled my lungs with smoke. …”

– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers writes to his local community about the fires and the drought.

Why would you?!

Posted on November 25, 2019 
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ACR chats to Uni ministry campus director Ryan van der Avoort about what compelled him to move from South Africa to Sydney to study at Moore Theological College:

“Originally I had not wanted to do live-in theological education. I wanted to do it via correspondence while continuing with local ministry. But looking back, that relational and residential element of Moore deeply shaped and impacted who I was when I returned to SA.”

– Read it at The Australian Church Record.

Archbishop Philip Freier to conclude as Primate on 31 March 2020

Posted on November 25, 2019 
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“The Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Archbishop Philip Freier of Melbourne, has announced that he will not seek reelection as Primate. He will stand down on 31 March 2020 in order to allow sufficient time for an election and for his successor to prepare for the pivotal General Synod in June.”

– David Ould has the news.

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