Can we talk about Same-Sex Marriage?
Posted on August 29, 2016
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“Can we talk about Same-Sex Marriage?” is the topic for the next Centre for Christian Living event at Moore College.
“There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak, says the Bible (Eccl 3:7). What time is it, then, when the subject of same-sex marriage comes up around the watercooler? Should Christians speak up on the topic—in our personal conversations, and in the public square? And if we do, how can we talk in a way that is loving, gracious and truthful?”
When: 7:30pm — 9:30pm, Wednesday 19th October.
Where: Moore College, 15 King Street, Newtown.
Speakers: Michael Kellahan and Tony Payne.
Book through the Centre for Christian Living.
‘Jesus & the Ten Gospels’ – New College Lectures with Dr Simon Gathercole
Posted on August 28, 2016
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Dr Simon Gathercole is giving this year’s New College Lectures on September 20 and 22.
“Some of the most widely published challenges to the Christian faith today have come in the publicity surrounding the “apocryphal” Gospels not included in the Christian Bible.
The idea that there is nothing particularly special about the four New Testament Gospels has appeared in both the popular media and in Biblical scholarship, from references to the Gospel of Philip in the Da Vinci Code, to the publication by the Harvard Theological Review of the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” fragment.
These lectures will discuss the relevance of these Gospels outside of the Bible, comparing them with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”
– Free entry, but RSVP essential. Details from New College.
Alec Motyer (1924–2016)
Posted on August 27, 2016
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Renowned Old Testament pastor-scholar Alec Motyer has gone home to be with the Lord, at the age of 91.
Justin Taylor has this appreciation at The Gospel Coalition.
Church Society Director Lee Gatiss has posted another:
“Alec was a pillar of the evangelical Anglican establishment in the second half of the twentieth century, and a terrific example of a Reformed evangelical Bible commentator.
As the ‘church militant here on earth’ becomes increasingly bereft of those in that great generation, we must pray fervently for the continuation of their legacy — especially for the production of more Bible-loving, theologically-rigorous resources which feed warm-hearted, Christ-exalting preaching, but also for more Anglicans with his love for the word and for Reformation truths.”
Update: Terry Johnson has also posted this Personal Remembrance at Reformation 21:
“Each weekday the entire college gathered for lunch. The food typically was English-bland, and 30 years after Victory in Europe Day, in war rationing quantities. The fellowship was wonderful, but the highlight (besides the tea) was Mr. Motyer’s closing prayer following a review of the college’s life.
The prayer before the meal was very brief. “For these and all thy mercies we give Thee thanks, O Lord, in our Saviour’s name, amen.” Motyer was devout but not sanctimonious. It was time to eat; no sense delaying the hungry.
The prayer following the meal was long, and worth the price of admission. He was no Prayer Book cripple. He prayed as he preached, with an Irishman’s passion and filled with Scripture. I never missed lunch, despite the food, because I didn’t want to miss the prayer.”
Additional note: His recently-published “Psalms by the Day — a New Devotional Translation”, published by Christian Focus, is a wonderful example of Motyer’s warm-hearted, Christ-honouring approach to Scripture.
(Image: thesermon.co.uk)
Homesick for heaven?
Posted on August 26, 2016
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At The Next Level conference in Sydney, two weeks ago, Professor D A Carson spoke on Revelation 7:9-17 and the need to be ‘homesick for heaven’.
Sober, Christ-honouring, and very encouraging.
Abp of Canterbury and the Pope to celebrate 50th anniversary of Anglican Centre in Rome
Posted on August 26, 2016
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Coming up in October –
“The Archbishop of Canterbury will join Pope Francis for a joint service of Evening Prayer in the church of San Gregorio al Celio. Both men will preach and a Joint Declaration will be read out.
The service will combine elements of Anglican Evensong and Catholic Vespers, and will see the Sistine Chapel Choir joined by the choir of Canterbury Cathedral as they join together in common worship.
The central piece of the service will be the blessing and sending-out of pairs of IARCCUM bishops. The International Anglican and Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission is made-up of pairs of bishops from around the world, who work together in their own countries, to follow Pope Francis’ call that we should walk together as if we were one.”
– from The Anglican Centre in Rome.
Related:
Why the Reformation is Definitely Not Over
and
Is the Pope a Catholic? Understanding the Catholic Church.
Former GAFCON Chairman urges South Sudanese leaders to preserve life
Posted on August 26, 2016
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“The retired Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya and former GAFCON Chairman, together with leaders of All Africa Conference of Churches to South Sudan has urged the political leaders of South Sudan to preserve lives of citizens instead of struggling for power and wealth in the country. ”
David Cook interviewed on the Same-Sex Marriage Plebiscite and Safe Schools
Posted on August 25, 2016
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Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook was interviewed last night (24 August 2016) on Sky News’ The Bolt Report.
While video of the show is not available, the audio can be heard at this link. The segment begins at 5:00 and runs for almost 8 minutes.
David is asked how ministers in the Presbyterian Church might respond to a plebiscite result supporting same-sex marriage, and why Christians believe the issues are so important.
Update: David Cook writes,
“On Wednesday, 24th August, I agreed to appear and be interviewed on the Bolt Report on the Sky news channel, regarding same sex marriage.
The interview was about 10 minutes of which Andrew Bolt took half that time in introducing the issue. I had much more to say, but the constraints of national media, made it impossible for me to say more than I did. I appreciated the opportunity to speak on behalf of the church and for Andrew Bolt’s interest; and here is ‘the more’ of what I had to say, the precis of which I delivered on air…”
Topics included —
- What do Presbyterians believe about marriage?
- If there is a Plebiscite what will be the Presbyterian response?
- What will be the impact of the imposition of the Safe School curriculum on Presbyterian schools?
- Why is this issue so important?
The C of E: Limits to diversity and the inevitability of separation?
Posted on August 24, 2016
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“Is the Church of England basically orthodox in its beliefs, and if so, is this a good thing for the Church’s mission to the nation and in fact its very survival? …”
– At Anglican Mainstream, Andrew Symes asks what is the future of the Church of England if so many in its leadership see orthodox belief as a stumbling-block to connecting with the nation.
Reformation History Tour
Posted on August 24, 2016
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From Moore College:
“In 2017, the Reverend Dr Michael Jensen, Rector of Darling Point Anglican Church, will be leading a tour of the key Reformation sites of Europe. The tour will run from 26 April to 12 May and is being organised by 316 Tours Faith Travel. The group will travel from Prague, through Germany and Switzerland, finishing in England.
Moore College MA (Theol) students can participate in this study tour as a component of the Reformation History Tour unit, lectured by Dr Ed Loane (Lecturer, Theology and Church History).”
– Interested? Details here.
Evidence–based debate about LGBT issues?
Posted on August 24, 2016
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“If you all you know about gender and sexuality comes from reading headlines, it’s an open and shut case. …
So the nature of homosexuality and transsexualism is settled, incontrovertible, and beyond dispute? Yes, but only in newspapers, not in academia.
A landmark survey of decades of research by two eminent scholars working in the United States claims that many of these assertions are simply not supported by the weight of evidence in scholarly journals. …”
– Report from MercatorNet – with a link to ‘Sexuality and Gender: Findings from the Biological, Psychological, and Social Sciences’ – and an introductory video.
From the Archives: Evangelical Religion — by Bishop J.C. Ryle
Posted on August 22, 2016
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“Since many religious disputes have arisen solely because there has been a lack of accurate definition, I am beginning this paper by explaining exactly what I mean by ‘Evangelical Religion’.
I want to consider that religion which is peculiar to those within the Church of England who are normally called “the Evangelical Party”. Whether we like it, or not; whether it is right or not, it must be agreed that there are varying schools of thought within the Church of England, with many divisions and shades of opinion even within the various parties. Here I am concerned with the unmistakable and undeniable tenets of the Evangelical school which, I maintain, are worth contending for…”
Bishop Ryle wrote these words in the 1870s, but they could just as well have been written yesterday.
His main headings:
WHAT EVANGELICAL RELIGION IS
WHAT EVANGELICAL RELIGION IS NOT
WHAT MAKES MUCH RELIGION APPEAR TO US NOT EVANGELICAL?
THE PRESENT DUTIES OF EVANGELICALS.
Read it in our Resources section.
The best foundation for long-term cross-cultural ministry
Posted on August 21, 2016
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Simon Gillham, Head of the Department of Mission at Moore College, asks, “what kind of foundation prepares a person best for long-term cross-cultural ministry?”
See his thoughtful and encouraging answer at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Slip, slop, slap for sustainable sacrifice
Posted on August 20, 2016
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“I keep hearing heartbreaking reports of burnout among Christian ministers.
Christopher Ash’s book Zeal without Burnout is a very short, but very good, biblical and pastoral reflection on the topic. He talks about his own experience of burnout, and includes lots of stories from others in Christian ministry.
He argues that we should be thinking in terms of “sustainable sacrifice,” i.e. “the sort of self-giving living that God enables me to go on giving day after day” (p. 26).
His chapter titles are nuggets of gold in and of themselves …”
– Lionel Windsor begins “a series of blog posts about how I try to put ‘sustainable sacrifice’ into effect on the ground”. Keep an eye on it at Forget the Channel.
After “Shared Conversations” what Gospel will the Church of England share?
Posted on August 20, 2016
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“In Nairobi, Kenya I still remember a Sunday lunch Archbishop Eliud Wabukala hosted for Archbishop Justin Welby and other Archbishops, bishops and honored guests gathered the day before GAFCON 2013 began.
During that lunch, Archbishop Peter Jensen gave the opening remarks. He reminded all those present—and as he looked directly at Archbishop Justin Welby—that he and other GAFCON Primates had been asked not once, not twice, but three times to go back to their Bibles and reread what it had to say about issues of sexuality. Archbishop Peter Jensen said that he and the GAFCON Primates had done so, and had concluded that God’s word on homosexuality and same-sex marriage was clear, authoritative and unchanged. On the eve of GAFCON 2013, he cited this conviction as among the principal reasons he and others in GAFCON were standing for Biblical clarity and authority.
Immediately following, Archbishop Welby was invited to give remarks. He came forward and thanked Archbishop Jensen for his stirring speech. He then gave brief remarks that concluded with, “please don’t forget lost people.” And then he sat down.
The Archbishop of Canterbury failed to engage Archbishop Jensen’s remarks about Biblical clarity and authority. In that context, his plea not to forget lost people reveals the false dichotomy that seems to be at the heart of Canterbury’s thinking and the ‘Shared conversations.’ It is just this: that if we hold fast to the clarity and authority of the Bible, we will never reach lost people…”
– American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey writes about a revealing incident in Nairobi, and the apparent thinking behind the Church of England’s Shared Conversations. Emphasis added.
(Photo: Canon Ashey reporting from Nairobi in 2013.)
Watch the Annual Moore College Lecture livestream tonight
Posted on August 19, 2016
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If you couldn’t get to Moore College for the first evening of this year’s Annual Moore College Lectures, you can watch it from 8:00pm via the college’s livestream.
“Dr Paul Williamson is our speaker for this year’s Moore College Lectures on the topic of Death and the Life Heareafter. Join us to think through the big questions of death, heaven and hell, beginning with a public lecture on the evening of Friday 19 August, and continuing with 5 morning lectures from Monday 22 to Friday 26 August. This is a free event with no registration required.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…