Divorce, annulments and dissolutions in the Catholic Church
Posted on December 7, 2015
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“On the 25th October the general assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome concluded what was popularly known as the Synod on the Family. …
The Synod finished with a consensus document that passed with a narrow two-thirds majority…”
– At GoThereFor, Mark Gilbert provides some insights into the Synod on the Family, and when grace is replaced by law.
Preaching Jesus in the Gospels
Posted on December 6, 2015
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In the latest Preaching Matters from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, William Taylor speak about bringing out the author’s purpose, making Jesus the central focus, when preaching from the Gospels. Do we jump to personal application too quickly?
Dr Michael Stead consecrated in Sydney
Posted on December 5, 2015
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Dr Michael Stead has been consecrated in Sydney as the new Bishop of the Southern region. All ACL members will wish Michael well as he takes on this demanding new role.
Russell Powell has a report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
The message of Galatians: Dick Lucas to the St Helen’s Staff
Posted on December 4, 2015
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From St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London:
“Having just turned 90 in September 2015, Dick Lucas is still firing on all 48 cylinders.
In late October he came to address the staff team on the message of Galatians. The session is introduced by William Taylor.
Highly recommended listening!”
Report on the Good Governance Workshop
Posted on December 4, 2015
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Following Rob Bell: The Edges of Orthodoxy and the Center of the Zeitgeist
Posted on December 2, 2015
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“This past Sunday, Kent Dobson, successor at Rob Bell’s famous Mars Hill Bible Church, stepped down as teaching pastor. He opened his announcement/sermon by reading the Scriptural story which gives name to the church, the account at Mars Hill. …”
– Even if you’ve never heard of Rob Bell’s successor, this piece by Dustin Messer at Reformation21 is challenging and disturbing. (Image: Mars Hill Bible Church.)
Good Governance Workshop — Report
Posted on December 2, 2015
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The Anglican Church League takes a special interest in finding gospel-minded Christians to serve on the many councils and committees of the Sydney Diocese, and in assisting those elected to serve well.
To support our brothers and sisters, the ACL organised and ran a Good Governance Workshop on Thursday evening, 26th November.
The evening was open to all, and its purpose was to help members of boards and councils – especially newly elected members – to think about how the gospel shapes the way we practice governance. It was well attended, with more than forty people coming to increase their skills in governance and to share their wisdom and insights with others.
The basic concepts of evangelical governance established on the evening could easily serve as the basis for future workshops of this sort exploring these matters further for boards and committees, and even parish councils.
For more detail and our summaries of insights from each of our excellent speakers, read on! Read more
Good News of Great Joy — daily readings for Advent
Posted on December 1, 2015
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John Piper has re-released a book of daily Bible readings for Advent. First published in 2013, it’s a great way to meditate on the truths of Scripture this Advent season.
Download it (in various formats) from Desiring God – and be encouraged to pass on the link.
From the Vault: What’s really important
Posted on December 1, 2015
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Richard Condie Bishop-elect of Tasmania
Posted on November 28, 2015
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“The election board of the Diocese of Tasmania has just elected the Ven. Dr. Richard Condie, currently vicar of St Jude’s Carlton and Archdeacon in Melbourne, as its next bishop…”
– David Ould has the news. (Richard is Chairman of FCA Australia.)
Here’s the Media Release from the Diocese of Tasmania. (PDF)
And here’s a letter from Richard to the churches of the diocese. (PDF)
Photo: SydneyAnglicans.net
Undermining the Reformation
Posted on November 27, 2015
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“Is the Reformation over? Was it a mistake? These are questions we may ask ourselves a number of times over the next two years, as the 500th anniversary of Luther’s 95 Theses approaches in October 2017.
I found myself wondering about them after the recent fiasco surrounding the Lord’s Prayer ‘advert’, and after General Synod…”
– At Church Society’s blog, Director Lee Gatiss quite rightly wonders what on earth is going on (to paraphrase him a little) in the Church of England.
Need Ministers be Theologians?
Posted on November 26, 2015
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At Church Society’s blog, Kirsty Birkett (who now teaches Pastoral Counselling and Youth and Children’s Ministry at Oak Hill College) reminds readers of a 1994 Churchman article by the much-missed John Richardson.
In his article, John draws some important conclusions for evangelicals in the Church of England, reflecting on his year of study at Moore College.
(Readers can also rightly give thanks to Almighty God for the growth of Oak Hill College in London in the years since John wrote that article.)
The Coming Darkness: An Interview with Archbishop Glenn Davies
Posted on November 26, 2015
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At his blog, Akos Balogh (Moore College graduate, and currently working with AFES) asks Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies about the biggest challenges facing Western Christians:
“The top challenge for the Church at a social level would be same-sex marriage. Any change to societal principles that God has put down in the Bible is always a challenge to Christians. Because marriage is a creation ordinance of God, and not for Christians only, then I think that we as Christians have a responsibility to inform society of the dangers of moving away from the time honoured definition of marriage…”
What was the Star of Bethlehem? — is this the answer at last?
Posted on November 25, 2015
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“Readers should be appropriately skeptical any time they hear about a new theory revealing the true star of Bethlehem.
But reading the comments below from various experts – in biblical studies and apologetics and science and cometography – should encourage readers to give Colin Nicholl’s groundbreaking work, The Great Christ Comet: Revealing the True Star of Bethlehem, serious attention…”
– Justin Taylor on a fascinating new book – and there’s an 85 minute interview of the author, Colin Nicholl, by Eric Metaxas.
From the book:
“When it comes to claims of major advances in the understanding of long-debated Biblical mysteries, many people are naturally very skeptical. We have all seen too many television documentaries on mysteries of the Bible. A grandiose claim is made at the start of the program, and we wait patiently – or, more often, impatiently – through commercials and a long, drawn-out build-up for the narrator finally to unveil the supposedly great discovery. When the program does eventually get there, almost without exception we end up rolling our eyes and regretting that we have just wasted an hour of our lives. The most common, but by no means the only, problem is that key details of the Biblical text have been twisted or ignored in order to accommodate the featured hypothesis.”
– from this excerpt (PDF) on the Crossway website.
C of E Prayer website promotes Hail Mary and prayers to St. Christopher
Posted on November 25, 2015
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The Proclamation Trust’s Adrian Reynolds is rather glad the Church of England cinema ad for The Lord’s Prayer was banned – for several reasons. [Watch the ad here.]
One reason relates to the website advertised by the ad:
“For there, on a protestant site, are prayers to pray including the Hail Mary and a prayer addressed to St Christopher for travelling mercies.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…