Yesterday New York signed off on Toxic Humanity

Posted on January 24, 2019 
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“Forget toxic masculinity. Don’t even mention toxic femininity. Yesterday’s move by the New York legislature to enshrine abortion up to full term in New York State is a prime example of one thing: toxic humanity.

But more than that. The true toxicity is not in the signing of the legislation, but in the unadulterated celebrating of it. …”

— Stephen McAlpine writes with sadness of celebrations in New York.

Another call for Margaret Court Arena to be renamed

Posted on January 24, 2019 
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“Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has used a speech at an Australian Open event to call for the Margaret Court Arena to be renamed, in light of the tennis star’s opposition to same-sex marriage. …”

— Report from ABC News.

For Australia Day: Analysing popular stereotypes on the foundation of Christianity in Australia

Posted on January 24, 2019 
Filed under Australia, History Comments Off on For Australia Day: Analysing popular stereotypes on the foundation of Christianity in Australia

In 2015, Associate Professor Stuart Piggin gave this fascinating address at a gathering to commemorate the First Christian Service in Australia.

The event, in Richard Johnson Square on 3rd February, was close to where the Rev. Richard Johnson conducted the first Christian service in the Colony, on 3rd February 1788.

With Dr. Piggin’s permission, we published this at the time. We think it is well worth reading again.

“The preacher at that service, held under a ‘great tree’, beginning at 10 o’clock on 3 February 1788, a hot midsummer’s day, was the Rev Richard Johnson, Australia’s –

  • first minister,
  • first educator,
  • first carer for orphans,
  • first carer for aboriginal children.

With all those firsts, he was quite a pioneer – and John Newton, author of the much loved hymn ‘Amazing grace’, who recommended Johnson to MP William Wilberforce who recommended him to PM William Pitt, bestowed on Richard Johnson the title, ‘Patriarch of the Southern Hemisphere’, that is, if you will, founding father of the Christian movement in Australia.

Now, since this was the site of the first school house, it is surely fair to put a question to you. Here is the question:

If Newton gave Johnson the title ‘Patriarch of the Southern Hemisphere’, what title did the Eora people, the Aboriginal people who lived in the Sydney Basin, give Richard Johnson?

Well, class, I don’t see a forest of hands of those keen to answer the question. But I ask it to make a point. The basic question asked by the organisers of this event is:

‘Does our heritage matter?’ What they really mean is ‘does our Christian heritage matter?’

Well surely we must know what our Christian heritage is before we can decide if it matters. But I doubt if we have ever found what our Christian heritage is – we are in great danger of losing it before we ever find it. Nobody has ever told us.

Has anyone ever told us what title the Eora people gave Richard Johnson? I will tell you at the end of this address, but my point is that there are parts of our Christian heritage we just don’t know because no-one has ever told us.

Then there are other matters which we think we do know. We have been told them so often they have become stereotypes.

But maybe they are false stereotypes.…”

Do read the whole address. (PDF file.) Photos courtesy Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.

Related:

Richard Johnson’s Address To The Inhabitants Of The Colonies (PDF file).

See also:

John Anderson’s Conversations: Featuring Associate Professor Stuart Piggin (June 2018). Take the time to watch.

and

The Fountain of Public Prosperity – Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1740–1914, published by Monash University Publishing.

Same-sex Marriage ‘compromise’ moves ahead in Episcopal Church

Posted on January 24, 2019 
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Two current stories from the Episcopal News Service illustrate the outworking of General Convention’s ‘compromise’ vote, Resolution B012, which gave same-sex couples “unfettered access” to trial-use marriage rites in all of its domestic dioceses.

‘Today feels like a miracle’ for same-sex couples in two Dallas parishes.

“The talk over the weekend in two Episcopal Diocese of Dallas parishes was of history being made, dreams coming true and miracles happening as 24 same-sex couples received what they had longed for: their home church’s recognition and blessing. …

[Dallas Bishop George] Sumner decided that he could not be in a pastoral relationship with parishes that wished to perform same-sex marriages. He negotiated with Missouri Bishop Wayne Smith to provide Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight, or DEPO, to those parishes, relinquishing oversight but not diocesan authority. …”

Tennessee bishop recruits neighboring colleague to implement same-sex marriage rites.

“Bishop John Bauerschmidt announced Jan. 18 that neighboring Bishop Brian Cole of East Tennessee will ‘provide pastoral support’ to Tennessee couples, clergy and congregations who want to solemnize same-sex marriages. …”

Photo: Retired Bishop Gene Robinson presides at a service in Dallas. ENS photo.

Why consider gender and the local church?

Posted on January 22, 2019 
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“God’s creation of human beings as male and female is a gift; gender is one of the gifts God uses to mature believers and build his kingdom. It has been great to consider this more and to think through ways we can encourage and challenge women and men to use their gender for God’s glory. …”

– The Australian Church Record speaks with Jane Tooher about the thinking behind, and the ministry of, Moore College’s Priscilla and Aquila Centre.

A Tale of Two Levels – and Good news for Gnostics

Posted on January 20, 2019 
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At Church Society’s blog, Stephen Walton looks at the connection between two current stories in the Anglican Communion –

“What do these two stories have in common? Many things, but I want to concentrate on just one, that these are two new manifestations of a very old error: Gnosticism.”

–  You can follow his argument here.

Aberdeen congregation votes to leave Scottish Episcopal Church

Posted on January 19, 2019 
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“A congregation in the north-east Scottish coastal city of Aberdeen is preparing to leave the Scottish Episcopal Church. Members of Westhill Community Church voted last night (Thursday) by 83 per cent to 13 per cent to leave the Anglican Communion’s province in Scotland following what they say is the ‘continued liberal trajectory’ of the Church.

Speaking to the Anglican Communion News Service, the Rector of Westhill, Canon Ian Ferguson, said: ‘We have been on a journey for many years – when I say “we” I mean a group of evangelical Episcopal rectors – in talking to bishops about the trajectory the Scottish Episcopal Church has set itself on going. This culminated in a number of decisions that the SEC took which some of us found that we could not accept. …”

– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service.

And from the Westhill newsletter for 20 Jnauary 2019:

“The result of the vote on Thursday 17th January asking whether you agree with the leaders and vestry that Westhill Community Church should leave the Scottish Episcopal Church was 87% Yes and 13% No, with 2 spoiled papers.

There will be no immediate changes. We as a Church need to take time to catch our breath and pray about the way forward.

Thanks to everyone who assisted with the process including everyone who came out on such a cold night to vote and everyone who stayed to pray together.

With every blessing, on behalf of the Leaders and Vestry.”

The elusive joy of Christian community — CCL event

Posted on January 19, 2019 
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Coming up on Wednesday 27th February at Moore College’s Centre for Christian Living –

“We all want our churches to be more than clubs, more than institutions and more than events that we turn up to each week. We want to experience the joy of real community with other Christians.

But let’s face it: that joy is elusive. Our churches often feel more like clubs, institutions or events than genuine communities. Why is that? And what can we do about it?

In this Centre for Christian Living event, we’re going to explore what Christian community really is, how it is created and sustained, and what each one of us can do to experience its joys.”

– Chase Kuhn and Tony Payne speaking. Details and booking here.

Esther: For such a time as this — new book from Peter Adam

Posted on January 18, 2019 
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“Esther: For such a time as this” is the title of a new book from Peter Adam in the Reading the Bible Today series.

It will be released soon, and is available for pre-order from Christian Education Productions.

This volume joins a wide range of commentaries already in the series.

And so… Dr. Peter Jensen’s parting blog post as GAFCON General Secretary

Posted on January 17, 2019 
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“On January 1st Archbishop Ben Kwashi became General Secretary of Gafcon in succession to me.

I cannot say how pleased I am to welcome him into this role. I admire him very much as a wise man of God, and think that his passion for prayer and the sharing of God’s word will be an immense encouragement to the Gafcon movement as we seek to, ‘proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations.’ God has also endowed our brother with spiritual perceptiveness and courage – gifts he will certainly need.

When I think of the message of Jerusalem 2018, ‘Proclaim Christ Faithfully to the Nations’, I am always so glad that the word ‘faithfully’ appears. All our churches have many failings and even scandals. We are very far from perfect. But the aim of proclaiming Christ faithfully gives us a purpose, a goal, and a character.

Why? …”

– Read all of Peter’s letter at the GAFCON website – and do pray for Peter, and for Archbishop Kwashi.

Here is Dr. Jensen’s message suitable for printing. Formatted to print on both sides of A4 paper and then cut in half. (Emphasis has been added.)

180kb PDF file.

World Watch List 2019

Posted on January 17, 2019 
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Open Doors has released their World Watch List for 2019.

Fuel for prayer.

Anglican Unscripted episode 477

Posted on January 16, 2019 
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This morning David Ould spoke with Kevin Kallsen of Anglican TV about the controversy involving Dr. John Shepherd and the Anglican Centre in Rome.

They discuss the significance of Dr. Shepherd’s statement – released yesterday – affirming that he believes in the Resurrection. (See also davidould.net’s response to the statement.)

Five tips for reading daily Bible reading and prayer

Posted on January 15, 2019 
Filed under Encouragement, Resources Comments Off on Five tips for reading daily Bible reading and prayer

“The most important resolution you can make this year is to read your Bible and pray each day – this, along with meeting with God’s people, is what makes a Christian’s heart beat.

However, by this point in January most of our resolutions will have failed – including our daily quiet time. We’ve started to get busy, missed a few mornings and it’s starting to feel like 2019 will be very similar to 2018 after all. But just because you didn’t read your Bible yesterday, doesn’t mean you need to give up.

So here are my top five tips for starting and maintaining a regular quiet time in 2019…”

– These tips from Tom Habib might be just what you need. At The Australian Church Record.

Also from the ACR: Biblical mentoring: its pattern and place – Mike Leite.

‘WA Anglicans rally behind former church head over resurrection furore’

Posted on January 14, 2019 
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“The Anglican Archbishop of Perth, Kay Goldsworthy, described Dr Shepherd as an outstanding member of the WA church community and said she was surprised people had been making ‘statements of concern’ about a sermon from 11 years ago.

‘If that happened to every preacher in the Church we would all be in trouble, frankly,’ she said. ‘There is a statement that people have picked out, whoever the people are, and have sort of wanted to make some example of. …”

– Story from The West Australian.

Could it be that Dr. Shepherd’s words were ill-considered lines picked out from among many things he taught as the Dean of the Anglican Cathedral in Perth?

See this official Perth Cathedral Easter message, recorded by Dean Shepherd for Easter 2008. Courtesy David Ould.

Related:

Good News that is also True News – Bishop Paul Barnett.

Gospel Truth (book) – Bishop Paul Barnett.

Is the New Testament History? (book) – Bishop Paul Barnett.

A Short Book About Jesus the Man from Heaven (book) – Bishop Paul Barnett.

The Bible’s guide to time travel (part 3): Don’t forget to change your clocks

Posted on January 14, 2019 
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“We are living in resurrection season, waiting for the rest of the harvest to come. This means we need to change our clocks.

No longer are we counting up the years, months and days. No longer are the events of our own lives the primary points of reference for where we stand on the timeline.

Now we are counting down to the day of Jesus’ return. It is the events of his life that orientate where we fit in. And that changes things. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, read part 3 of Annabel Nixey’s series on time.

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