From defensive to offensive in the religious freedom debate
Posted on August 8, 2024
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Religious Freedom leaders are calling on Australia’s Government to quickly bring a Religious Discrimination Act to the parliament.
Mark Sneddon says the Religious Discrimination Act is not about granting unlimited freedoms, but about preventing adverse treatment of religious individuals and organizations.
He says there needs to be a fair compromise that the rights of all involved, which should be supported by both sides of politics. …”
The Most Pro-Abortion Presidential Ticket in U.S. History
Posted on August 7, 2024
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Albert Mohler gives his take on the latest in the US elections, in his The Briefing for 7th August 2024.
Related:
Jesus Is the Way to Sanity This Election Season – Daniel Seabaugh (link via Tim Challies):
“During this election season, the most important thing Christians can do is get close to Jesus, stay close to Jesus, and never take their eyes off Jesus.”
A Short History of Linking Jesus and Dionysus
Posted on August 7, 2024
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“Controversy was stirred by a tableau vivant (‘living picture’) in the Paris Olympic Games Opening Ceremony that performed (or parodied) da Vinci’s The Last Supper. The scene was enacted by a cast of drag queens and a peculiar near-naked man painted head to toe in blue. Enough has been said about the event itself; I want to talk about that man in blue.
The Opening Ceremony’s creative director has since explained that this man represented none other than the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. It raised the question, what was this scene? A mockery of the sacred, or a celebration of the pagan?
I find myself oddly well placed to talk about this.
Two years ago, I completed my doctorate at Cambridge University. My thesis? A contrast between the Gospel of John and the portrayal of Dionysus’s opponents in Euripides’ tragedy, The Bacchae. For three years I immersed myself in this play and took as many classes as I could on Dionysus. And now I discover that my thesis on Greek poetry has real-world application! It’s every doctoral student’s dream come true!…’
– Moore College’s Tom Habib writes at The Gospel Coalition Australia.
It just might be something you could use in conversation.
He notes:
“Two millennia ago, the ancient world began to exchange Dionysus for Jesus. And it seems as though the world now wants to swap back. The tableau vivant at the Opening Ceremony was indeed a living picture of our world today.”
Visit the Sick!
Posted on August 6, 2024
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“Friends in Christ, in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus taught us via the parable of the sheep and the goats.
It reminds us that heaven and hell are on the line in our response to Jesus’ teaching. The evidence of our faith in King Jesus and his message will be revealed by how we treat others, especially brothers and sisters in Christ.
Today I want to focus on one example from this parable in Matthew 25 …”
– In his Cathedral Newsletter, Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant has some simple, practical, encouragement.
Good to read and good to share with others in the church.
The Collapse of the Anglican Church of Canada
Posted on August 5, 2024
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“New numbers for the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) are out, and they show that Canada is the first major province of the Anglican Communion to have collapsed.
This is highly significant, both for Canada and for other Western provinces following its trajectory. …
First, this is not a church ‘in decline’ or ‘close to collapse.’ This is what collapse looks like. Ecclesial collapse includes large falls in attendance and financial woes.”
– A sobering story from The Living Church.
Related:
In July 2024, Dr Ian Paul warned the Church of England’s General Synod of what will happen if the C of E continues its redefining of sexual ethics. (Link to his speech.)
Image: Map of dioceses and provinces of the Anglican Church of Canada.
On use of the Lectionary
Posted on August 5, 2024
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“Way back when I was 10 (55 years ago), I used to grab dad’s lectionary before we went to Evening Prayer on a Sunday so that I could bookmark the readings in my Bible and have them ready to find during the service.
I recall even then that there were many Sundays where the readings used were different from those in the lectionary. ‘Why don’t they use the set readings dad?‘ ’Because Mr Goodhew (our rector), likes to work through a whole book at a time.’…”
– In an “From the Bishop’s Desk” article (PDF file), Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder explains why some churches use the Lectionary, and some don’t. Which might be most helpful?
It might not be a question you are asking – but, then again, it might be! And it is an encouragement to all of us to treasure God’s word and to seek to grow to maturity in Christ.
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 –
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…