Advancing Your Preaching workshop
Posted on February 3, 2015
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Coming up on Thursday February 19, the Advancing Your Preaching workshop is a joint venture of Cornhill Sydney and Moore College. Dr Peter Jensen is speaking on Preaching Christian Doctrine.
RSVP February 12. Details and registration form here.
‘How euthanasia advocates will never stop at the terminally ill’
Posted on February 3, 2015
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“Tom Mortier never paid much attention to the discussion about voluntary death in his country.
‘I was like just about anyone else here in Belgium: I didn’t care at all,’ he said. ‘If people want to die, it’s probably their choice. It didn’t concern me.’
But in April, 2012, ten years after the law changed to allow euthanasia, Mortier, a university lecturer, received a message at work…”
– Anglican Mainstream links to this article in The Telegraph. (Photo: HOPE.)
Kanishka Raffel — Do not lose heart
Posted on February 2, 2015
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In the latest Preaching Matters video, Kanishka Raffel, who has been visiting St. Helen’s in London, speaks about why we should not lose heart as we preach the gospel.
Be encouraged.
New Dean of Armidale announced
Posted on February 2, 2015
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“Chris Brennan is to be the next Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral in Armidale.
In every sense of the word Chris’ appointment is a local one having grown up at Enmore and Yarrowyck, being educated in his high school years at The Armidale School (TAS) and only ever having left the north west to study at the University of Southern Queensland, where he obtained a science degree, and later at Moore Theological College in Sydney. …
Chris will be installed as Dean in a special service at St Peter’s Cathedral on 2 March.”
– Read the full announcement from the Diocese of Armidale. (Photo: Glen Innes Anglican.)
Can we talk about Islam?
Posted on February 2, 2015
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“One thing that most Australian Christians and Muslims share is a frustration with the standard media-driven categories in which nearly all religious claims or subjects are discussed in our society. Clichés, misunderstandings and misrepresentations are common. Even simply talking publicly and clearly about religious teachings and practices is often seen as undesirable, inappropriate and divisive.
Why is that? And could things be different?…”
– An interesting evening coming up at Moore College’s Centre for Christian Living.
Lent 2015 Studies from John Harrower
Posted on February 1, 2015
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Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower has written a series of studies for Lent 2015.
Called The God of Life, you can read the details here.
Archbishop of Brisbane ‘blesses statues’
Posted on February 1, 2015
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“Three stunning hand-crafted sandstone statues were hoisted into the niches of St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane on Wednesday, January 28, 2015. … The statues cost about $45,000 each … The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane, blessed the statues before they were raised by crane.”
– from the Diocese of Brisbane.
The Bishop of Bathurst’s journey to Dubbo
Posted on February 1, 2015
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“From Sunday February 1 to Saturday February 7, Bishop Ian and Liz Palmer will be making a Pilgrimage Walk from Bathurst to Dubbo.
Bishop Ian has said that the walk will serve several important purposes:
It highlights the decision for the Bishop of Bathurst to move out of Bishopscourt in Bathurst, and to take up residence in the Rectory at Holy Trinity Dubbo. Bishop Ian will also be commissioned as Rector of Dubbo on Saturday evening, February 7;
It symbolises Bishop Ian’s and Liz’ commitment to walk with the people of the diocese on the difficult journey ahead;
It provides an opportunity to walk and talk with people from the parishes along the way;
It gives opportunity to reflect on the changing nature of ministry and mission in the Diocese of Bathurst.
While he is not expecting anyone else to walk the 200-plus kilometres, he will welcome anyone wanting to walk part of the pilgrimage with him…”
– See the itinerary from the Diocese of Bathurst.
Challenging the C of E to believe that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’
Posted on January 29, 2015
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“It’s not often that there’s a good Christian article in the otherwise secular press. But today’s Thunderer in The Times is an exception to the rule.”
– Adrian Reynolds writes at the Proclamation Trust.
Jesus Seminar’s Marcus Borg dies
Posted on January 28, 2015
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“Marcus J. Borg, a New Testament scholar, theologian and author who was associated for years with the search for the historical Jesus and who sought to put the New Testament in what he believed was its proper context, died Jan. 21. …
There will be a memorial service honoring Borg’s life at [Portland] cathedral on March 22. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will officiate.”
– Report from The Episcopal News Service. Photo: www.marcusjborg.com
Interview with Deepak Reju on preventing Child Abuse
Posted on January 28, 2015
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“In his new book On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse Deepak Reju (Pastor of Biblical Counseling and Family Ministry at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC) brings the issue to the fore and sets the standard for church preparedness.
Today he talks to us about his new book and his dreadful yet dreadfully important subject…”
– published in two parts by Books at a Glance. Part 1, Part 2. Book availability.
‘Don’t scratch NSW lottery moratorium’ — NSW Council of Churches
Posted on January 28, 2015
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“The NSW Council of Churches has urged state politicians to extend a moratorium restricting the sale of lottery tickets to newsagents and convenience stores …”
A Media Release from the NSW Council of Churches.
GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter — January 2015
Posted on January 27, 2015
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“My dear brothers and sisters,
As I send this first pastoral letter of 2015, receive greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever! …
One of the great challenges for African Christianity is for the many who identify as ‘born again’ to become mature disciples of Christ. This is especially necessary given the challenge of what Pope Francis last week described as ‘ideological colonisation’, which is the practice of tying aid and development resources to the promotion of alien understandings of gender, the family and sexual behaviour.
Money is a very powerful tool and manipulation can happen with varying degrees of subtlety.”
Committed to the Gospel
Posted on January 26, 2015
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At the Thinking of God Conference, held last November, Dr Peter Bolt spoke on Evangelicalism, calling his hearers to be discerning and uncompromisingly gospel-focussed.
Take the time to be challenged and encouraged. Watch or listen here.
Richard Johnson — the background
Posted on January 24, 2015
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“In the summer of 1784, the Newtons took their orphaned niece Eliza to bathe at the seaside for her health.
John Thornton had invited Newton to accompany him to Lymington and the Isle of Wight. A stranger, Charles Etty, invited Newton to stay at his home near Lymington en route.
In December 1783, Richard Johnson had been licenced as curate to St John’s, Boldre, a village in the New Forest only 3 miles from Etty’s home.
It is conceivable that Newton and Johnson may have met there in the late summer of 1784. Certainly they subsequently knew the same group of friends in the Lymington area.
And it was only a few months later, on 25 March 1785, that Newton reported to William Bull:
“Yesterday I put Mr. Johnson in my pulpit,
(who I think gives us an earnest of a judicious good preacher).’…”
– Marylynn Rouse at The John Newton Project has been researching how John Newton came to know Richard Johnson and came to recommend him to be Chaplain on the First Fleet.
It’s a fascinating work-in-progress with more to come – read it here.
Related: St John’s Boldre is having “Australia Day Matins” on Sunday 1st February.
Photo courtesy Google Maps.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…