12 Questions to ask before you watch ‘Game of Thrones’

Posted on June 21, 2014
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“The closer I get to death and meeting Jesus personally face to face and giving an account for my life and for the careless words that I have spoken (Matthew 12:36), the more sure I am of my resolve never intentionally to look at a television show or a movie or a website or a magazine where I know I will see photos or films of nudity. Never. That is my resolve. And the closer I get to death, the better I feel about that, and the more committed I become…”

– Perhaps ‘Game of Thrones’ isn’t your thing – but this is still good advice from John Piper.

Related: “Foxtel says about 500,000 Australians watch each episode via a paid subscription, while another half a million download it illegally…” – ABC News.

God made me this way

Posted on June 20, 2014
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“The nature argument is expressed: ‘I was born this way.’ ‘This is how God made me.’ ‘I can’t help it; it’s not my fault; it’s in my DNA.’ …

The nurture argument is expressed: ‘I am free to do whatever I like, however I like to do it.’ ‘You mustn’t restrict me from, or require me to do, anything because of my race, sex, or biology.’…”

– Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly column for the Cathedral newsletter.

Presbyterians Church (USA) to allow gay marriage ceremonies

Posted on June 20, 2014
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“At their gathering in Detroit, the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States voted to allow their clergy to perform same-sex marriages…”

– Report from USA Today.

And for something quite different, the June edition of The Pulse, magazine of the Presbyterian Church in NSW is well worth a look.

Moore College School of Theology 2014

Posted on June 20, 2014
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Moore College’s 2014 School of Theology is set for Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th September.

The focus is on the Gospel of Matthew.

Registration is now open – and there’s a list of Contributors and their topics at the link!

Oh, and if you are a user of the College Library, note that it’s closed June 23rd to July 11th, inclusive.

High Court strikes down chaplaincy funding

Posted on June 19, 2014
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“Funding for school chaplains has been declared constitutionally invalid for the second time by the High Court of Australia…

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reassured the community of the government’s commitment to the program when he said it ‘very much supports [the program] and wants it to continue’. It follows the announcement in May to continue to fund the program a further $244 million over four years.

In the Senate Question time today, Senator Brandis said “It is important to note that in arriving at that conclusion, the Court did not deal with the merits of the program, merely that the question of whether it fell within a particularly constitutional definition”…”

– Report from The Australian Christian Lobby.

New Moore College faculty member appointed

Posted on June 18, 2014
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“The Governing Board of the College has approved the Principal’s nomination of Rev Dr Lionel Windsor to the faculty from 1 January 2015. Dr Windsor is a graduate of the College who is currently serving as Assistant Minister at St Augustine’s Anglican Church, Neutral Bay…”

– News from Moore College.

Archbishop Aspinall to refocus on Brisbane

Posted on June 17, 2014
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“In a few weeks my nine year term as Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia will come to an end…

The Board to elect a new Primate will meet in Adelaide on Saturday, June 28. I will then preside over the 16th General Synod from June 29 to July 4, immediately following which I will hand over the reins to the newly elected Primate.”

– Archbishop of Brisbane Phillip Aspinall reflects as he nears the end of his time as Primate – in the June – July 2014 issue of FOCUS from the Diocese of Brisbane. (Page 2, see also page 15ff.)

Learning to pray

Posted on June 17, 2014
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Dr Michael Spence, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sydney, spoke movingly at this year’s Sydney Prayer Breakfast about his own prayer life after his wife died.

His talk has been made available at Eternity Newspaper.

Latest ‘New Life’

Posted on June 16, 2014
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The latest issue (15 June 2014) of New Life newspaper, published in Melbourne, is now up on their website. (PDF file.)

It has a good spread of international news you might not see otherwise. In addition, there’s mention of a new commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah by Moore College graduate Greg Goswell (now Academic Dean at Christ College in Sydney).

The Pen is mightier

Posted on June 15, 2014
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“A student entering a lecture room today would consider taking notes on a laptop entirely natural. Why would anyone in their right mind question that activity?…”

– a thought-provoking piece from George Whitefield College.

‘Why Christians are under pressure to exit Iraq’

Posted on June 15, 2014
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“The Archbishop of Mosul Amel Nona said that in the 11 years following the 2003 US-led overthrow of Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein, Christians in Mosul had declined from 35,000 to 3,000. This week, Mosul’s last remaining Christians had left their homes, he said.”

– This report from World Watch Monitor summarises the precarious situation for Christians in Iraq. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

Thanksgiving service for Margaret Rodgers

Posted on June 13, 2014
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It’s been announced that there will be a Thanksgiving service for Deaconess Margaret Rodgers (who died on 31st May) at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney at 2:00pm on Thursday 19th June.

Breakfast with Dick Lucas

Posted on June 13, 2014
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“While we were away in the UK, Her Majesty the Queen turned 88 years old, having been born on 21 April, 1926.

This makes the Queen six months younger than Dick Lucas, who for nearly 40 years was the Rector of St Helen’s, Bishopsgate in London. Dick used to be a regular visitor to speak at Christian conventions in Australia. Dick is still mentally and physically active, preaching most weeks. The day I visited he was working on Jude and had his language aids and thesaurus at hand. …

Maxine and I had breakfast with Dick at Joe’s Eats, a local café near where he lives … in between orange juice and coffee and a hearty serving of eggs benedict, these are Dick’s insights after so many years of Christian ministry. …”

– David Cook shares them at The Moderator General’s Comments (11 June 2014).