St Helen’s Bishopsgate, fears ‘repercussions’ for newly commissioned leaders
Posted on August 3, 2024
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“The names of the seven men commissioned as ‘leaders’ at a service in St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, last week, are not being publicised out of concern about ‘repercussions’, the Rector of the church, the Revd William Taylor, said on Wednesday.
Mr Taylor told the Church Times that he was concerned that those who had been commissioned might be sanctioned by bishops in their dioceses. …”
– Report from Church Times – via Anglican Mainstream.
Image: Scene from the Commissioning service included in the video of William Taylor’s explanation of the event.
Reflections on Preaching Conferences
Posted on August 3, 2024
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“Preachers around our city, country and world stand up each Sunday to echo God’s life-giving and powerful Word to gatherings of sheep. They stand before people in need of nourishment, in need of encouragement to press on in Jesus’ footsteps, in need of assurance that trust is rightly placed in Him, in need of a clear word to call them back from straying, in need of a seeing again the Lord God, Father, Son and Spirit in all His glory, love, wisdom and grace. They’ve laboured in the text and on their knees, with the Spirit to guide, and made use of some tools to understand what God says and to bring it on Sunday with conviction and engagement.
Sometimes they go home on Sunday, gladly spent from their labour and love for the flock, not just this day but the hours in their study, in prayer, and at kitchen tables and hospital bedsides. They’ll start again tomorrow …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, Janet Riley reflects on the value and encouragement of Preaching Conferences.
Image: Rod Chiswell and David Cook at one of the recent preaching conferences. (There’s one at Wahroonga coming up.)
Cross Cultural Sydney
Posted on August 2, 2024
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“In many ways in Sydney, mission has come to us. Nations all around the world have come to our doorstep providing us with an abundance of opportunities to share our faith with them. There is a joy in knowing that we are all one people in Christ Jesus. But ministries focussed on a specific culture or people group can also be highly beneficial and effective. I myself became a Christian through going to an ethnicity-based church. When you are reminded every day that you stand out from the crowd, being with others who stand out with you can be a strong drawcard in building a community.
At Moore, we benefit from the wisdom and experience of people who continue on this work of evangelising a specific people group. Their insight, knowledge and research are generously shared with us to grow the next generation of gospel workers reaching the nations. I look forward to gathering before the throne of the Lamb with every nation, tribe, people and language (Rev 7:9) and singing his praises with these, and many other, people groups. …”
– The Rev Susan An, Dean of Women at Moore College, helps us to get to know some of the people groups of Sydney.
Bishop of Ebbsfleet’s Regional Conferences Talks
Posted on August 1, 2024
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From Church Society:
“On Soundcloud now are uploaded talks from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet’s regional conferences.
Eleanor Hayden on positive ministry relationships.
Are we in our churches reflecting well the beauty of God’s complementarian design in our mixed ministry teams? Eleanor examines the biblical ideal God is calling us to, some of the challenges we face in living it out in 21st-century England, and ends with some questions to help us face our weaknesses and blind spots.
Lee Gatiss on biblical ministry oversight.
Conservative evangelicals are profoundly uneasy about the current state of the Church of England and deeply concerned about its trajectory. Do we need to question the whole structure of having bishops in the first place? But let us not throw out the ‘baby’ of episcopacy with the ‘bathwater’ of current failings.
Rob Munro preaches on Acts 20: 17–38 and reflects on the crisis of ministry in the Church of England.
He explains that at the heart of biblical ministry is the principle of self-sacrifice.”
Bishop of Bathurst’s Newsletter — Winter 2024
Posted on July 31, 2024
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If you are praying for the churches of the Diocese of Bathurst (or if you’d like to start!), the Bishop’s Newsletter for Winter 2024 is a great help.
– Download your copy (PDF file) from the Bathurst website.
Expressive Individualism and Church Music — with Philip Percival and Alanna Glover
Posted on July 31, 2024
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“What does Expressive Individualism mean for churches? And what specifically does it mean for church music?
Here is the expressive individualism worldview: ‘Truth comes from inside me. It’s important that I look inside to discover who I truly am’ and ‘I need to express my individuality and personal truth to the world around me to receive validation.’
That truth comes from within is the unspoken assumptions of guests who come to our churches.
And it’s a worldview that has impacts inside the church, including inside our music teams and inside the heads of the songwriters who write the songs that we sing.
Philip Percival and Alanna Glover lead the work of Emu Music, focussing on writing congregational songs and the training of church musicians and leaders.
Alanna is doing a masters research project in Expressive Individualism and Music, and Philip’s PhD is in the biblical theology of worship.”
And from the discussion, Philip Percival is asked about the playlists of songs in a number of evangelical churches –
“I can see that there’s a trend towards wanting to sing songs that are more songs of adoration.
Now, there’s nothing at all wrong with singing songs of adoration – that fits within our biblical model for singing – but that should be balanced with other songs that are teaching us, other songs that are allowing us to sit and be challenged and admonished by God’s Word. We want to be singing songs of confession and creedal songs where our singing is doing more than just giving me a voice to express my faith. …
So, are the songs that we’re singing rich in God’s Word?
Do they help us to teach and admonish one another?
Are the songs that we’re singing affectionate? Do they allow the Holy Spirit to shape our emotions and feelings and responses by the gospel?
Are our songs giving us a voice for praise and thanksgiving which is driven by the Word of Christ?”
Related:
Faithful listening – Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant.
No, I don’t trust you — The importance of accountability, structure, and submission
Posted on July 31, 2024
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“There are two people I would never trust: myself, and anyone who trusts himself/herself.
What do I mean by this, and why do I say it? …
When the parish of which I was vicar, the West Hamilton Anglican Parish, left the ACANZP ten years ago, many resisted the idea of joining up to another denomination. Why not be an independent church – pure, and freed from the shackles of a parent body? My response: ‘You’d be crazy to place that sort of trust in me or the vestry!…’”
– Vicar General Michael Hewat, reminds us of the need for accountability – in the latest e-mail update from the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand.
Faithful listening
Posted on July 30, 2024
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“What to do if we find the preaching we’re fed Sunday by Sunday is biblical, yet quite standard, and maybe a bit dull? … When we hear nothing really new to us, except the old, old story of Jesus and his cross?
Are we so well fed, that these become meals we feel we can skip as we feel like it?
Here’s an old hymn (#49, Olney Hymns) by John Newton, of ‘Amazing Grace’ fame. He often wrote a new hymn each week, while ministering in the parish of Olney!
But these days I doubt anyone is singing this one! …”
– In the St. Andrew’s Cathedral Newsletter, Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant draws attention to a little-known hymn by John Newton. (Sadly, we don’t hear many new Christian songs like this one!)
The hymn may be found on page 386 of the PDF version of Olney Hymns published by Christian Classics Ethereal Library. (Click on Download, then select PDF.)
This painting of John Newton by John Russell hangs in the CMS building in Oxford. Photo © Marylynn Rouse / The John Newton Project, used with permission.
Songs for the Summer – Psalm 1
Posted on July 30, 2024
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At The Anglican Connection (and writing for a North American readership), John Mason shares two reflections on Psalm 1 for his Word on Wednesday –
Part 1: Happiness, Part 2: The Path to Life.
Hey Christian – Be Vexed by the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Be very Vexed.
Posted on July 29, 2024
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“I just assume now that any public performance across the Western world that is staged by super smart, progressive creative designers will contain some element of blasphemy. And it should vex us. …”
– Stephen McAlpine has some thoughts about the Olympics opening ceremony.
Significant Commissioning Service at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate
Posted on July 28, 2024
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On Wednesday 24th July 2024, a Commissioning Service took place at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London.
It was made necessary by the actions of the Church of England’s House of Bishops and the General Synod in pushing ahead to bless same-sex unions.
The next day, William Taylor, Rector of St. Helen’s, recorded this explanation of the event. In part, he said,
“This act of commissioning has been made necessary due to the tragic failure of the majority of bishops in the House of Bishops of the Church of England.
Our archbishops and most bishops have failed doctrinally.
They have failed to uphold faithful biblical doctrine, to guard the gospel of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus and to show loyalty and love for Jesus and his people by teaching the scriptures faithfully.”
The full video includes supporting statements from many evangelical Church of England leaders.
Related:
Alternative Spiritual Oversight – CEEC.
On Reading and Studying as a Pastor
Posted on July 28, 2024
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“Protestant pastors don’t read or study very much these days, and most churches don’t encourage them to do so. There are fewer pastor-readers than ever before (and surfing the web, dabbling in this oddity and that, doesn’t count!).
Church members and even officers sometimes have a hard time appreciating how much time a good message from God’s word takes to develop, and furthermore don’t see the importance of the pastor studying for anything other than preaching and devotions. There is a strong dose of anti-intellectualism in our circles and it doesn’t encourage a man to do the hard work of developing the mind and expanding his knowledge.
But precisely because our people are bathed in trivial information in this day and age, they need a shepherd with real knowledge, much discernment, and a nose for truth.…
Furthermore, Paul gives Timothy a sterling example of studiousness from his own practice and priorities.”
– Ligon Duncan at Reformed Theological Seminary encourages pastors to sound learning. At 9Marks.
Drag Queens Parody the Last Supper During Olympics Opening Ceremonies
Posted on July 27, 2024
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“Drag queens parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s rendition of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday evening, creating international outrage. …”
– Story from National Review.
Elite sports chaplain Ashley Null: ‘The gospel is the antidote to performance-based identity’
Posted on July 27, 2024
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“We’re not two minutes into our interview before Rev Canon Dr Ashley Null starts weeping gently.
It is not what I was expecting.
The danger with the relentless researching of your subject in preparation for an interview is that you’re bound to make some assumptions. My first was that Null, a Yale and Cambridge alumnus who is a leading expert on Thomas Cranmer and the theology of the English Reformation, might be intimidatingly intellectual and inaccessible to us mere mortals.
My second was that this might make for a difficult interview with an overly fastidious subject.
I was wrong on both counts. …”
– At Premier Christianity, Emma Fowle speaks with Ashley Null. Take the time to read. (Link with thanks to Anglican Mainstream.)
Related:
Chaplaincy on Track – SydneyAnglicans.net.
Photo courtesy Gafcon.
Meet Jesus: A Mid-Year Progress Update
Posted on July 27, 2024
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“After a pastor prayed for his friends, one of them rang him up the next day and said: ‘I’m not really sure why I am ringing you, but I thought I would touch base’. The pastor replied: ‘I know why you are ringing me. It is because I prayed for you’. And he shared the gospel with his friend over the phone!
A student in Sydney used sausages at her frisbee team’s BBQ to draw the pictures from Two Ways to Live … and explain Jesus to her friends. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Richard Chin shares some encouragement from the AFES-initiated “Meet Jesus” mission.
Photo: Richard Chin speaking at Moore College earlier this year.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…