Victorian ‘Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill’ passes

Posted on February 7, 2021 
Filed under Australia, Culture wars Comments Off on Victorian ‘Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill’ passes

“At 10.37pm on Thursday, February 4, 2021, the Victorian upper house passed the Government’s Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Bill.

The vote was 27 for the Bill and nine against. The affirmative votes included eight Opposition members. …

Concerns about the flaws in the Bill grew exponentially during the last few days leading up to the debate but it was too late to influence the Government. These groups of psychiatrists and doctors, lawyers, religious leaders, feminist and LGB groups who are concerned at the Victorian legislation’s overreach should look carefully at legislation planned for Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.”

– Terri Kelleher, National President of the Australian Family Association, writes about the passing of the Victorian legislation.

Why do we say things together in church?

Posted on February 7, 2021 
Filed under Encouragement, Theology Comments Off on Why do we say things together in church?

“As a teenager, I was deeply impacted by a youth ministry that made a lot of hay out of throwing out traditional, churchy practices. We started a church service on couches and bean bags in the hall where we didn’t do anything like liturgy or set prayers.

I remain deeply grateful for this low-church experience, for I heard the gospel there with a freshness that was God’s gift. But in hindsight, I have mixed feelings about the excitement we felt at doing things differently. For while this stance did grab my attention, it also distanced me from good things…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Andrew Errington shares three ways that saying together “sentences from the Bible, psalms, creeds, and other prayers” can be a real help.

Victoria Bans Conversion Practices Despite Significant Flaws in the Bill

Posted on February 5, 2021 
Filed under Australia, Culture wars Comments Off on Victoria Bans Conversion Practices Despite Significant Flaws in the Bill

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)

“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17)

“What do we do when good is defined as bad? What is a godly reaction to a society that formally deems Christian beliefs as wrong. How can we respond when a Government makes illegal practices that have been part of Christian religion since the beginning of the Church and have their foundation in the teaching and example of Jesus Christ?

To be very clear, I am not talking about aversion practices and nonconsensual activity that stems from pseudo-science and bad theology. Church leaders including myself have repeatedly spoken against such things and believe they have no place in our churches. I am talking about prayer and conversation. What happens when people of faith are prohibited by law from praying and speaking in line with our Christian beliefs, even when people come to us for help and ask? If someone is offended, I can be reported to VCAT. If someone alleges ‘harm’, the criminal charges can be laid. …

During tonight’s debate, on member of the Legislative Council asked the Attorney General,

‘How will the Government up-skill ministers and pastors so that they know where the line in what they can and cannot say to people about sexual orientation and gender identity?’ (my paraphrase of the question)

What a revealing question! The Attorney General indicated that education materials will be made available. In other words, religious people must defer to the Government’s doctrine.”

– Read it all – from Murray Campbell in Melbourne.

“Gay conversion therapy banned in Victoria after marathon debate”

Posted on February 5, 2021 
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“Gay conversion therapy has been outlawed in Victoria following a marathon debate in the upper house on Thursday.

The bill passed the Victorian Parliament 27 votes to nine after a 12-hour sitting in the Legislative Council, where Liberal MPs Bev McArthur and Bernie Finn defied their party’s position and crossed the floor to vote against the government’s legislation. …

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission will also get new powers to deal with complaints that do not meet the criminal threshold, and to launch own-motion investigations into systemic issues as part of a new civil scheme for victims.”

– Report from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Anglican Reality Check updated

Posted on February 5, 2021 
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON Comments Off on Anglican Reality Check updated

GAFCON’s Anglican Reality Check has been updated for the start of 2021.

Check it out here – with the 2021 entry, “Bishops Gear Up For Long Lambeth Walk”.

Are you feeling inadequate?

Posted on February 4, 2021 
Filed under Encouragement Comments Off on Are you feeling inadequate?

“In these days of lockdown livestreams it’s easy to feel inadequate. I’m not surrounded by a gifted staff team with abundant technical resources or an attractive online presence. It’s not hard to feel inadequate when people can tune in with ease to a more exciting online service with a more prestigious preacher (and nobody will ever notice they’re missing a Sunday morning). In my pride I feel inadequate and ashamed of it…”

– At Church Society’s blog, Simon Donohoe shares some encouragement for us all.

Gafcon’s Lift Up Your Hearts Devotional

Posted on February 4, 2021 
Filed under Encouragement, GAFCON Comments Off on Gafcon’s Lift Up Your Hearts Devotional

GAFCON is now publishing podcast versions of the Lift Up Your Hearts Devotional each weekday.

Dustin Messer in Dallas, Texas, is contributing the devotions in February 2021. You can read or listen to them here.

The audio is also available on Apple Podcasts.

Each runs for 3 or 4 minutes.

When Victoria Becomes Babylon

Posted on February 3, 2021 
Filed under Australia, Culture wars Comments Off on When Victoria Becomes Babylon

“A few short years ago almost everyone would be shocked to learn that praying for a person who asks for prayer would be considered illegal activity and lead to 10 years in prison.

That is the situation facing Victorians.

This is not hyperbole. This isn’t exaggeration. Next week the Victorian Legislative Council will vote on one of the most extraordinary pieces of law ever proposed in our nation’s history.

Imagine an Australia where two people are having a conversation about life issues and they are trying to encourage and persuade one another. The police are called, one person is taken away and charged because they sought to persuade the other with the Bible’s view of sexuality. …”

– Published a few days ago, Murray Campbell in Melbourne writes a ‘must read’ post about the legislation before the Victorian Legislative Council.

See also:

Victoria’s Conversion Practices Bill is as bad as they say it is – Assoc Prof Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia.

Liberal rift deepens over bill banning gay conversion therapy – The Age, 01 February 2021.

Canadian Anglican archbishops sign anti-conversion therapy declaration – Anglican Journal, 03 February 2021. (Note the varying definitions used.)

Love, grief and identity

Posted on February 3, 2021 
Filed under People, Resources Comments Off on Love, grief and identity

“You learn a lot about what a person meant to you when they’re taken away. Separation magnifies all the intricate and beautiful nuances of what you had, and absence pries open memories that may have lain dormant for years. Songs, sights, smells. The faintest hint evokes a cascade of reminiscence. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Scott Millar has been sharing some very personal reflections on grief and the Christian. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

The truth about secularism – with Rory Shiner

Posted on February 2, 2021 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on The truth about secularism – with Rory Shiner

“Christianity in Australia is in decline. The narrative is we had a few golden years at the start, where 96% of the population identified as Christian, but that has been on a gradual decline for decades.

But if that’s the case:

– Why does Christianity in Australia go up, not down, after Darwin?

– In Australia, why does it go up after WWII?

– If the Church was so strong in the middle ages, why was church attendance so sketchy then?

This week, Rory Shiner joins us to discuss the ways that modern understanding is wrong about secularism. Rory believes we’ve accepted a narrative that isn’t true, and are making massive pastoral and missional mistakes because of it. …”

– A challenging and encouraging episode of The Pastor’s Heart.

Continually trying to improve your prayer life?

Posted on February 2, 2021 
Filed under Encouragement, Theology Comments Off on Continually trying to improve your prayer life?

“How is your prayer life going? Many of us feel this part of our faith lives could improve for a variety of reasons, but the Rev Stephen Shead says not all of these reasons are good. …”

– Here’s some encouragement for you, via SydneyAnglicans.net.

A conversation with Dr. Carl Trueman on the modern self and the sexual revolution

Posted on January 31, 2021 
Filed under Culture wars, Resources Comments Off on A conversation with Dr. Carl Trueman on the modern self and the sexual revolution

“Like all historical phenomena, the sexual revolution didn’t cause itself. It arose out of a set of cultural and social conditions that were already in place. For ideas like gay marriage or transgenderism to be acceptable and plausible in society, a whole host of other ideas must have already been given authority, become plausible, become accepted by that society.

The story in my book looks at how the ideas that made the sexual revolution plausible, even desirable, emerged in the West. …”

– Carl Trueman speaks about the topics covered by his new book (The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self) with Jason Thacker.

Also see these reviews of the book.

“I believe in the Holy Spirit”

Posted on January 29, 2021 
Filed under Theology Comments Off on “I believe in the Holy Spirit”

“Two years ago, while preaching through Deuteronomy and the instruction given there for Israel’s calendar, I was convicted of the usefulness of having times in our church year, where we remember God’s great saving acts and rejoice before him—celebrating his kindness to us in Christ.

It would give a pattern to our year and make prominent what was core in our confession of Christ, and would help us remember, and not forget, that we are the Lord’s people, saved by His grace to live for Him.

We already celebrated Christmas and Easter. What would we add? It was a no brainer: Pentecost, the coming of the Spirit on the first disciples recorded in Acts 2; an event of fundamental importance to the individual and collective life of Jesus’ followers. …”

– Moore College graduate, and Minister at Bundoora Presbyterian Church in Melbourne, Neil Chambers, writes the next article in the series commissioned by The Gospel Coalition Australia on The Apostles’ Creed.

Restrictions easing for churches, with promise of more

Posted on January 27, 2021 
Filed under COVID19 Comments Off on Restrictions easing for churches, with promise of more

“The New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berijiklian, has announced that caps on numbers at church services have been eased, although the 4m2 rule is still in force.

The Premier has announced the easing will take place on Friday, 29th January. …”

– Report from SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Year of the Un

Posted on January 27, 2021 
Filed under Encouragement, Resources Comments Off on The Year of the Un

“2020 has been the year of the Un. The unusual, the uncommon, the unparalleled, the unprecedented.

Hope springs eternal and we now enter a new year, 2021, which promises to be the year of the Re. The recovery, the restoration, the renewal, the revival.

According to one of my grandchildren, when asked which Bible book would be best to preach in the year of the Re, she suggested the book of Revelation – a good idea but not what I had in mind. …”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook suggests preaching through Acts. He gives four reasons why this would help.

Related:

David spoke about preaching through Acts in this Preaching Matters video from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.

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