Ashley Null on Cranmer’s Collect for the Second Sunday after Easter

Posted on April 27, 2020 
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“Cranmer’s Collect for the Second Sunday after Easter reminds us of his perennial concern to link justification to sanctification. In so doing, he answers the all-important question for Christians: where do we find the motivation to be more like Jesus?

An original composition, the prayer makes clear that the secret to godliness lies in gratitude for the free gift of salvation. …”

– Ashley Null continues his post-Easter devotions for GAFCON.

Gospel Presentation by Bishop Rick Lewers

Posted on April 26, 2020 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjS0eLlv5ys&feature=emb_logo

Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers shares the heart of the Christian faith.

Give thanks for bishops who know and tell the gospel!

Coronavirus and Christ

Posted on April 26, 2020 
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“In Coronavirus and Christ, John Piper invites readers around the world to stand on the solid Rock, who is Jesus Christ, in whom our souls can be sustained by the sovereign God who ordains, governs, and reigns over all things to accomplish his wise and good purposes for those who trust in him.”

– Here’s a new, and very timely, resource from John Piper at Desiring God.

It’s available in printed, text and audio formats, and in multiple languages. See his video explanation at the link.

Treasurer clarifies JobKeeper rules

Posted on April 24, 2020 
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In a press release this evening, Federal Treasurer, The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, announced,

“Changes will allow JobKeeper Payments to be made to religious institutions in respect of religious practitioners (with the exception of those that are students only), recognising that many religious practitioners are not ‘employees’ of their religious institutions.”

– JobKeeper update 24 April 2020.

Meditating on the glory of Christ

Posted on April 23, 2020 
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“In an earlier post, I suggested that the confinement of the COVID-19 crisis might provide Christians with an opportunity to recover the art of meditating on Scripture to prepare ourselves for our greatest act of faith – coming to terms with our finitude and ultimately handing our bodies over to Christ in death.

Doing this requires the cultivation of habits and disciplines on our part. At the very least it involves setting aside time, removing distractions, turning off the technology, together with prayer and patience.

A while back a friend and I tried to set aside a couple of hours individually each month for this, and then got together to compare notes together afterwards. …”

– Dr Andrew Leslie at Moore College writes in The Australian Church Record.

A man for such a time as this

Posted on April 22, 2020 
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“In his Easter sermon, the new Anglican Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, spoke about his grief over what had been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and how he yearned for the restoration of normality.

And yet at the same time, he can see how God has gone before him, preparing him for just such a time as this when churches across the nation are closed.

Before entering ministry, Calder’s professional background was as a video editor. …”

– Eternity News has this profile of Bishop Mark Calder.

It’s a good reminder to pray him and also for the people of the diocese of Bathurst.

Anglicans and pandemics: 101 years on

Posted on April 22, 2020 
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“This is not the first time that the ACR has seen a pandemic.

From 1880, the Church Record, as it was known, reported on all the news relating to the Anglican Church in Australia and New Zealand. So I did a bit of research and trawled through the archives to find out what the Church Record said about the 1919 influenza epidemic.

I discovered that the ACR has ‘seen this movie before’ and has some wise advice for us today. …”

– Bronwyn Windsor shares the encouragement she discovered. At The Australian Church Record.

ANZAC Message from the Anglican Bishop of the Australian Defence Force

Posted on April 21, 2020 
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Bishop Grant Dibden, the Anglican Bishop of the Australian Defence Force, has recorded this ANZAC message.

He’s also recorded this Prayer for ANZAC Day.

(Both are also available here.)

Maybe you could use them in your online services this weekend.

Thanks to Russell Powell and Anglican Media Sydney.

See also:

ANZAC Day Resources – Defence Anglicans.

Mike Baird named as new HammondCare CEO

Posted on April 21, 2020 
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“HammondCare has today announced that Mike Baird has been appointed as incoming Chief Executive Officer and will replace Dr Stephen Judd who is stepping down on August 31, after more than 25 years in the role.

HammondCare Board Chair, John Kightley, said that Mr Baird had been selected after a rigorous search for the critical appointment, that commenced when Dr Judd announced in July 2019 his intention to stand down in 2020. …”

– Read the full news item at HammondCare.

Moore College Open Night – Online!

Posted on April 20, 2020 
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11 May 2020, 7:30pm – 9pm

A night to meet online, get an insight into Moore’s in-depth theological training, plus have your questions answered by faculty and students. A live Q&A session is available.

RSVP here.

Easter Around the World

Posted on April 19, 2020 
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GAFCON has compiled this video montage.

Church meetings and COVID-19 in Australia

Posted on April 19, 2020 
Filed under COVID19, Resources Comments Off on Church meetings and COVID-19 in Australia

“For most believers in Australia, ‘law and religion’ issues have been interesting but not part of their regular experience. But in this unprecedented time of the coronavirus pandemic, the simple activity of attending regular church services or home groups has been, like much of the rest of life, turned upside down. We now find that our normal weekly gatherings are potentially illegal!

In this post I want to review some of the recently-made laws that impact church meetings in Australia.”

– Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia summarises the implications of the current health orders for churches.

Peter Jensen: Why I am still a Christian

Posted on April 17, 2020 
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“I still remember learning to swear. It was in my first year at secondary school. I was aged 13. My parents never used bad language – at least, not in front of their children. I did hear my father say “bloody” once, but that was when I brought him my final school report. But in order to impress my peers I had to speak their language and so I did.

Not the greatest sin in the book, and the experience of virtually all of us. Not worth remarking on, except for one thing. When, after a while, I tried to rein myself in and stop, I found that I was powerless to do so. It was not the fact of a relatively trivial sin but the power of sin which impressed itself on me. It was as if I had given up my freedom to join a club. When I read the words of Jesus, ‘Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin,’ I understood them at once. …”

– Dr Peter Jensen, now Editor of Churchman, shares his story – at Church Society.

Most encouraging and good to share. (Image from The Pastor’s Heart.)

Corona Crisis — a Five week series from the Bishop of Bathurst

Posted on April 15, 2020 
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Next Sunday, the Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, begins a 5 week special sermon series addressing issues raised by the crisis.

This weekend, he turns to Psalm 13.

Do pray that this series might be a blessing to many across New South Wales, and further afield.

Protestants and Plagues

Posted on April 15, 2020 
Filed under COVID19, Resources, Theology Comments Off on Protestants and Plagues

“The present pestilence of COVID-19 is often described as ‘unprecedented’ in the modern Western media, and understandably so.

However, the presence of pestilence was a familiar reality throughout early modern Europe. Our Reformation forebears so frequently encountered the plague that it would not be too much to say that the entire course of religious history, at times, hung by the thread of a mere matter of breaths.

Unsurprisingly, though contrary to the popular opinion in the modern blogosphere, our Reformers had a wide variety of responses to the plague. This lecture aims to explore the impact of the plague upon the Reformers, and explain the differences and similarities in their responses. This, of course, will be instructive to our own set of responses to COVID-19 today.”

Watch Dr Mark Earngey’s overview of some of the intellectual, theological, and practical responses to the plague throughout the early period of the Reformation.

Available now at the Moore College website.

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