Archbishop of Sydney calls for Prayer for the Drought

Posted on August 1, 2018 
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The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Glenn Davies, has today written to all clergy in the Diocese, asking for prayer in this time of drought.

In part, his letter reads:

Dear brothers & sisters

Greetings in the name of Christ.

I am sure that you all are acutely aware of the drought that has stricken NSW, and indeed much of Australia. While we do have some rural parishes, much of Sydney Diocese is urban and suburban, and while fruit and vegetables might increase in price, we still have food to eat and water to drink. Yet so much of those living in rural NSW do not take such basics as food and water for granted. Farmers need water for their crops and graziers need water for their livestock, just to keep them alive.

We welcome the NSW Government’s announcement this week of an additional $500 million in drought relief, but governments cannot do it all alone. We as Christians with the bounty of our resources should show the generosity of Spirit – generosity prompted by the Holy Spirit – to give to those in need. This week the Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has established an appeal for funds to assist those whose livelihood has been seriously jeopardised by the drought in northern and western NSW. These funds will be distributed through Anglican churches across our State, and I would be grateful if rectors could bring this to the attention of their people this coming weekend.

However, we should also pray for rain. Our heavenly Father delights in his children bringing their requests before his throne, so I would also appreciate it if you could offer special prayers for rain this coming Sunday.

You could use such prayers as you will find on page 92 of An Australian Prayer Book or page 205 of A Prayer Book for Australia.

Or you might care to use the following prayer.

Our heavenly Father, we acknowledge our ingratitude when we have taken your goodness for granted, when the heaven has poured forth rain and the earth has produced its fruit.

Yet now we cry to you for help, as the drought in New South Wales deepens.

Have mercy on our land; have mercy on the people of the land. May your bountiful hand send forth rain upon our parched earth.

Fulfil your promises that while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest shall not cease, so that those in remote and rural areas may find relief from their distress and glorify your name for the provision of their needs.

We ask this in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Related:

Dr Kendall Harmon and Hell and the Episcopal church

Posted on August 1, 2018 
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The GAFCON media team have been posting interviews recorded at GAFCON 2018 in Jerusalem.

In this 5 minute clip, Dominic Steele speaks with Dr. Kandall Harmon, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of South Carolina, and the man behind the TitusONENine blog.

Specials at Matthias Media

Posted on July 31, 2018 
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Matthias Media has some specials on offer, up until Thursday 2 August, 2018.

Worth checking out. Details here.

Australian Church Record — Winter 2018 — now online

Posted on July 31, 2018 
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The Winter 2018 issue of The Australian Church Record (number 1919) is now available on their website.

It’s a must-read. Be sure to download your copy – and let others know.

From this issue:

“The work that only Christians can do should have first priority for most of us.”

– Dean of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel.

‘Dr David van Gend is only the beginning’

Posted on July 30, 2018 
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“Revelations in [yesterday’s] Sunday Telegraph of Medical Board complaints against Dr David van Gend prove that plans to regulate doctors’ free speech are dangerous.

The Medical Board has received complaints that Dr van Gend’s Twitter does not ‘promote the health of the community’ or the ‘wellbeing of individual patients’ because he has Tweeted his opposition to same-sex marriage and gender ideology. …”

– A media release from The Australian Christian Lobby.

Related:

Doctor code like ‘thought police’ – The Australian: (subscription)

“The Medical Board of Australia is drafting a revised code of conduct for doctors that is being ­attacked for ‘thought policing the medical profession’…”

Doctor’s code implies endorsing harmful cultural beliefs – Family Voice Australia:

“A proposed Code of Conduct, which is open for public submissions until August 3, could force doctors to accept ‘cultural beliefs and practises’ that are opposed to good medical practise, according to a group of doctors.

The Medical Board of Australia draft code of conduct that will apply to all Australian doctors requires doctors to be “culturally safe” and comply with a patient’s beliefs about gender identity and sexuality, with no provision given for a doctor to differ in their professional judgement.

A doctors’ group convened by Dr Lachlan Dunjey of Perth, has expressed concern for the future of medicine in Australia in light of the changes. …”

The promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Posted on July 30, 2018 
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“For how many so ever be the promises of God, in Him is the yea: wherefore also through Him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us” (2 Cor 1:20, R.V.)

Let us see how much we can learn from this one verse about the promises of God. …

– Encouragement from the Rev. Alan Stibbs in The Australian Church Record.

Keep Silent….or Speak Out?

Posted on July 29, 2018 
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“I can see as clear as day what is coming down the tracks. And I don’t want to have on my conscience the Lord’s people in a few years time saying ‘we didn’t see that one coming!’. Some of us did. And we have to speak out before it’s too late.

Whether people will listen or not – that’s not our concern. We have to speak the Word of the Lord.…”

– At The Wee Flea, David Robertson explains why he believes he must speak out.

Lambeth Diary from the First Week of the Lambeth Conference July 18-25, 1998

Posted on July 28, 2018 
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From Dr. Stephen Noll:

“This is the 20th anniversary of the historic 1998 Lambeth Conference.

I was present there, representing the American Anglican Council (AAC). In this capacity I filed a three-week ‘Diary’ of the Conference. I am posting this diary without revision, except for the final week.”

– Here is the first instalment. Fascinating reading.

GAFCON Jerusalem 2018 Videos

Posted on July 28, 2018 
Filed under GAFCON, Resources Comments Off on GAFCON Jerusalem 2018 Videos

“A number of videos from GAFCON 2018 in Jerusalem are now available to view!

They have been organised in the following order:

  1. Full day livestreams from each of the five days (Monday 18th June 2018 – Friday 22nd June 2018).
  2. Bible Exposition and Plenary Teaching Sessions
  3. Interviews
  4. Miscellaneous videos including the reading of the Final Statement ‘Letter to the Churches’, a number of highlights videos summarising the conference and more.
  5. The conference programme so you can see what happened on each day.”

– Many thanks to the GAFCON Communications team for making these available.

(Photos: GAFCON Media.)

 

The night John Newton ‘attended an eclipse of the moon’

Posted on July 27, 2018 
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On Tuesday 30th July, 1776, John Newton observed a lunar eclipse.

The experience prompted a diary entry and a hymn!

“The moon in silver glory shone,
And not a cloud in sight,
When suddenly a shade begun
To intercept her light.

How fast across her orb it spread,
How fast her light withdrew!
A circle tinged with languid red,
Was all appeared in view. …”

– Read it all at the John Newton Project. (Linked from their home page.)

If you would like to see tomorrow morning’s total lunar eclipse (Saturday 28th July 2018) – from Sydney, look to the west before sunrise.

Partial Eclipse Begins at 4:25 am AEST
Total Eclipse Begins at 5:30 am (That’s when the Moon moves fully into the Earth’s shadow)
Maximum Eclipse at 6:21 am (That’s the deepest part of the eclipse.)
Moon sets at 6:55 am – which is the same as sunrise.
Twilight will wash out any subtle colours before sunrise.

Watch, and be encouraged by John Newton’s example to draw some meditations from the experience.

(Photo: 15 April 2014 lunar eclipse over Parkes, courtesy John Sarkissian.)

How to preach to the occasion

Posted on July 27, 2018 
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“How do you preach at a wedding? How do you give a funeral message? How do you prepare a graduation or ordination address?

Over the last few years I’ve had opportunities to speak at these special occasions. Here are some focus areas I’ve found that help get me in the right zone, rather than accidentally preparing another Sunday sermon. …”

– At GoThereFor.com, David Martin shares some helpful thoughts.

The worst sermon on the Internet?

Posted on July 26, 2018 
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Tim Challies has been exploring “great sermons that have made a widespread impact and stuck around for the long haul”.

In this final entry in his series, he turns to a sermon which is not so great.

What the Leyonhjelm Euthanasia Bill means for the Vulnerable

Posted on July 26, 2018 
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“If the Leyonhjelm bill passes federal parliament one thing is guaranteed: the ACT will implement euthanasia legislation.

As reported in the ABC today, Chief Minister Andrew Barr has written to all but the staunch objectors to euthanasia in federal parliament urging them to support the bill. …”

– Media release from The Australian Christian Lobby.

Commentary on the 2018 GAFCON Letter to the Churches – Part 5: Reforming God’s Church

Posted on July 26, 2018 
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“The second main section of the Letter is titled ‘Reforming God’s Church‘. It should come as no surprise that ‘Reforming God’s Church’ should be the longest section of the Letter to the Churches from a Conference held as a result of a ‘tear in the fabric’ of the church catholic and of the Anglican Communion.

For this reason, I shall devote two posts to this section under the headings ‘Reforming God’s Church’ and ‘Reordering the Anglican Communion’. …”

– Dr. Stephen Noll has published the fifth of seven posts on the GAFCON 2018 “Letter to the Churches”.

The earlier posts can be seen here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Heroes at drinking wine (aka intoxicated masculinity)

Posted on July 25, 2018 
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“Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!” (Isa 5:22-23)

The battle-lines have been dug in the conflict about Christians and alcohol, with entrenched positions generating pamphlets, sermons and even denominations.

But those trenches are now largely empty. Most of the fighting has already taken place; and the fortifications are largely abandoned with only a small cadre of hold-outs remaining, fighting for abstinence. And while I am not one of those who argues practically for this position, I do see their wisdom. The cost of new generations moving on from this discussion, is that unexamined worldliness seems to be winning. In interest of deeper healing, let’s reopen the wound…”

– Andrew Barry looks for true heroism and valour – at the Australian Church Record.

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