Shadows of the Cross — new devotional book from Mike Raiter
Posted on October 26, 2017
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Shadows of the Cross by Michael Raiter is to be published by Anglican Press Australia in November.
“In these 40 daily devotions, Michael Raiter encourages readers to reflect on the death of the Lord Jesus by exploring how the Old Testament foretold the coming of the death of the Messiah in pictures, poems and prophecies.
While we may not see Jesus as clearly in promise as we do in fulfilment, the Old Testament is like a shadow that points to the reality – the gift of God’s Son which demonstrates the length, breadth, height and depth of God’s love for us. In this way the Old Testament calls all people to put their faith in Jesus.”
– See Christian Education Publications for a preview and ordering details.
Reformation 500 Sunday at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, 29 October
Posted on October 26, 2017
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From St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney:
“As the world celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, St Andrew’s Cathedral marks this extraordinary day on Reformation Sunday – 29th October – the day the church marks 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg church door.
During our 10.30 service the Cathedral Choir of boys and men, and international soloists, Penelope Mills: soprano, Jonathan Borg, countertenor, Michael Butchard: tenor, and Christopher Richardson: bass, will join with our historical-instrument orchestra in bring JS Bach’s monumental celebration cantata no. 80: ‘A Mighty Fortress’ written for Reformation Sunday itself, with words by Martin Luther.
The sermon will be given by Australia’s foremost expert on the Reformation, the Rev. Dr Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore College, Sydney.
A feast for the heart and for the mind, and within the context of our morning service. All welcome!”
New book equips Christians under pressure in the UK
Posted on October 25, 2017
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“This is an unusual book for unusual times.
Reading the timeline the author has constructed connects many events most Christians are already aware of and puts them in a format that allows a proper assessment of the flow of history in our time.
The scenarios the book presents are a clarion call to wake up to the situation we face and a reminder that our sovereign Lord is at work in all that happens. Julian Mann is assisted by contributions from journalist and author Peter Hitchens, and Andrew Symes of Anglican Mainstream.”
– Read about Julian Mann’s Christians in the Community of the Dome at Anglican Mainstream. The book is published by Evangelical Press.
Purposefully porn-free
Posted on October 24, 2017
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“The Archbishop’s Taskforce for Resisting Pornography is preparing an information website for those in the Diocese and further afield who need tools to help support the rejection of porn.
“Many Christian leaders today are declaring that pornography is the single greatest issue confronting the church,” the Rev Marshall Ballantine-Jones (pictured) told members of Synod. …”
– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.
Before we allow Euthanasia, look who the Dutch have killed
Posted on October 24, 2017
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“Have Victoria’s politicians, half way to legalising euthanasia, looked at what’s happened in Holland?
Here are some very troubling cases – plus interviews with the brother of an alcoholic who had himself killed, and a woman with tinnitus who also had herself killed just three weeks later. …”
– Last night’s Bolt Report on Sky News Australia looked at the disturbing Dutch experience of ‘euthanasia’. via The Herald Sun.
Provoking Discrimination
Posted on October 23, 2017
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“Words come and go depending on the times. Recently I heard a man say that he thought with the fall of the Berlin Wall the word ‘Marxists’ would not be heard again. ‘Anarchist’, ‘anarchy’ are words we are familiar with but I am surprised to see a growing trend of wearing it as a badge of honour. And it is these kinds of words that help me appreciate a word like ‘discriminating’, ‘discriminate’ and ‘discrimination’. …”
– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers looks at the use of a loaded word.
Coalition for Marriage ad quoting Safe Schools program ‘deemed too sexually explicit’
Posted on October 23, 2017
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“Material included in radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education programs aimed at kids aged 11-13 years old has been rated MA15+ and deemed too sexually explicit to be shown on television before 8.30pm.…”
– A media release from Coalition for Marriage.
Archbishop Davies on Q@A tonight, 23 October
Posted on October 23, 2017
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Archbishop Glenn Davies will be on the panel of Q&A tonight on ABC television –
“Joining Tony Jones for the Q&A Same-Sex Marriage debate: actress and author Magda Szubanski; Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies; Jesuit priest and law professor Frank Brennan; ‘No campaign’ spokesperson Karina Okotel.
Remembering Martin Bucer
Posted on October 23, 2017
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“On the right-hand side of the chancel floor of Great St Mary’s Church, in the centre of Cambridge, lies a small brass plaque.
The Latin inscription, its obscure location and small size do not make it a very accessible tourist attraction. However, as X marks the spot for pirates’ treasure, so this plaque commemorates one of the most influential sixteenth-century reformers: Martin Bucer. …
Perhaps the most prominent way Bucer influenced the English Reformation was via liturgical reform. He spent 1550, among other projects and lecturing responsibilities, reviewing the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. Bucer’s Censura was a thorough critique of Cranmer’s first attempt to revise the Prayer Book. The result was a much more conspicuously evangelical liturgy in the 1552 edition. ”
– Steve Tong, who is studying at Cambridge, is thankful for Martin Bucer and his legacy. At The Australian Church Record.
See also: Celebrating the Reformation: Its Legacy And Continuing Relevance, edited by Mark D. Thompson, Edward Loane and Colin Bale.
The beauty of normal boring liturgy
Posted on October 22, 2017
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“A visitor to our church came up to me at the end of the meeting last Sunday and said to me, ‘That was great, where I go to church we don’t normally do that.’
‘Normally do what?’
I asked, casting my mind over what element of the church service was out of left field or could be considered something unconsidered.
‘Read the Bible. Longer bits of it.’
‘You mean the Bible readings?’
‘Yes. Where I go, they don’t do that.’…”
– Stephen McAlpine has a challenge for your church.
The ‘Good Fellows’ Myth
Posted on October 22, 2017
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“The ancient Egyptian, so I have read somewhere, did not think of sin as rebellion against God, but simply as an understandable aberration. The ancient Greeks had no idea of the wrath of God, but conceived of their various deities as passionless beings, above being concerned with what man does. The modern Australian accepts both heresies. …”
– Leon Morris addresses our inbuilt tendency to assume that we’re all OK. From the vaults of The Australian Church Record, 19 January 1956.
British PM: Gay marriage is not enough
Posted on October 20, 2017
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“School children should learn about LGBT issues in sex education classes, Theresa May has said, as she declared there is ‘much more to do’ after introducing same-sex marriage.
The Prime Minister also reiterated plans to make it easier for people to ‘change sex’ at an LGBT awards dinner last night.
And she challenged countries that did not share the same views on LGBT issues. …”
– Story from The Christian Institute. Image: tmay.co.uk.
Freedom to provide religious instruction in Australian schools
Posted on October 20, 2017
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Associate Professor Neil Foster writes,
“I am presenting a paper on this topic at the University of Notre Dame (Sydney) Law School’s Second Annual Religious Freedom Conference, “Freedom of Belief, Freedom of Action”.
The paper is linked here: Freedom to Provide Religious Instruction paper, for those who would like to read it. It surveys recent challenges to the provision of special religious education in public schools, from a religious freedom perspective.”
– from Law and Religion Australia.
Euthanasia: Bill passes Victoria’s Lower House after 24-hour debate
Posted on October 20, 2017
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“Victoria’s controversial voluntary euthanasia legislation has been passed in the Lower House of Parliament after a marathon debate that lasted more than 24 hours. …
The bill will now go to the 40-member Upper House, where the numbers are also tight, for debate in a fortnight.
If it gets through the Upper House, terminally ill people over the age of 18, in severe pain and with only a year to live will be able to access lethal drugs.”
– Story from ABC News.
Please reject euthanasia: Church to Victorian Parliament
Posted on October 20, 2017
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Here’s a media release from the Diocese of Melbourne:
October 20 2017
Please reject euthanasia: Church to Victorian Parliament
Melbourne Anglicans have pleaded with the Victorian Government not legalise medically assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia.
The church’s synod discussed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill last night at their annual synod at St Paul’s Cathedral as a few blocks away Victorian MPs debated the bill in State Parliament.
Medical ethicist Denise Cooper-Clarke told the synod the bill’s proposed safeguards were inadequate, that it was inherently discriminatory, and that improved palliative care was a much safer and more compassionate way to address “bad deaths”.
She said the bill would fundamentally change attitudes to suicide at a time when the Government was trying to reduce youth suicide
Social Responsibilities Commission chairman Gordon Preece noted that media coverage advocating euthanasia was usually accompanied by links to BeyondBlue and Lifeline – an odd contradiction.
The synod voted to urge the Government to better resource palliative care, especially in regional and remote communities, Aboriginal communities and nursing homes, and to provide more palliative care training for health professionals. It resolved to oppose introducing a legal framework for “assisted dying”.
Dr Cooper-Clarke said the legislation would not cover only the small number of extreme cases but a much broader range of circumstances, where the suffering of the patients may not involve severe pain or physical symptoms at all. Overseas studies had shown pain was not the primary reason for requests for assisted dying but psychological factors: depression, hopelessness, being tired of life, loss of control and loss of dignity
“Elderly, frail and sick patients are especially vulnerable to implied or explicit messages from relatives that they are a burden and that they would be ‘better off dead’. It is naïve to assume that people always have the best interests of their relatives at heart. Elder abuse is prevalent in our society,” she said.
“Many people support assisted dying because they believe it is a compassionate response to suffering. But how is it compassionate to agree with someone who is so distressed that they wish to end their life that yes, their life is not worth living, and yes they would be better off dead?”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…