Will I know my loved ones on the other side?
Posted on March 21, 2015
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“Every pastor has been asked “will I know my loved ones on the other side?”
The intermediate state is the time between our death and the day when Jesus Christ returns and we receive our new body. In that time we are disembodied souls, will we be able to recognise loved ones?…”
– David Cook writes to encourage.
Confident: Why we can trust the Bible
Posted on March 20, 2015
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“Last February and on into March, Mike Ovey and I each wrote a number of little blog posts responding to Steve Chalke’s article, ‘Restoring Confidence in the Bible’. We’ve reworked those posts, added some more material and discussion questions, and the result is a new little book published by Christian Focus and called, Confident: Why we can trust the Bible.
It’s not a finger-pointing, hand-wringing book (Steve Chalke isn’t mentioned at all). Rather it’s a book to encourage and equip Christians…”
– from Dan Strange at Oak Hill College in London. (Availability.)
National Day of Prayer for Defence
Posted on March 20, 2015
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“Each year, the Military Christian Fellowship of Australia hosts a National Day of Prayer for Defence.
This year’s National Day of Prayer for Defence ison Saturday 28 March 2015.
All who have a heart to pray for Defence are welcome to join us in Canberra at the Duntroon Chapel, or remotely in the regions…”
– from Defence Anglicans.
Into all the world — Moore College Graduation 2015
Posted on March 18, 2015
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Moore’s 2015 graduation was held on Monday night, with 109 graduates receiving their awards.
Anglican Aid opens appeal for Vanuatu
Posted on March 17, 2015
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“Anglican Aid has opened an appeal to aid the nation of Vanuatu in the wake of the worst cyclone in memory.
Reports emerging from the Island say Cyclone Pam, which struck on the weekend of the 14th and 15th of March, left unprecedented devestation. Vanuatu’s president Baldwin Lonsdale was in tears as he described the effects of the ‘monster’ storm…”
– Details at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Image: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team.
Pakistan bomb attack — March 15 2015
Posted on March 17, 2015
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“The attacks took place as Christians met together for Sunday morning worship services in the predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Youhanabad in Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The two churches targeted were separated from each other by about half a kilometre…”
– Barnabas Fund has this summary and appeal for prayer and financial assistance.
And the Primate of The Church of Pakistan, Bishop Samuel Azariah, also asks for prayer. (Anglican Communion News Service.)
Presbyterian Appeal for Vanuatu
Posted on March 15, 2015
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David Cook, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, has launched an appeal for Vanuatu:
“The Presbyterian Church of Australia has a unique relationship with the Church in Vanuatu, we have a long history of Ni Vanuatuan students training for ministry in Australia, and have had a strong connection with the Bible Training College in Talua.
At this stage we dont know of about loss at Talua, the worst impact of the cyclone was in the south, whereas Talua is in the north.
Please pray for Vanuatu, pray for relief to be provided, pray that there will be selfless rescue and generous love shown both from those on the ground in Vanuatu and neighbouring nations…”
– from Australian Presbyterian World Mission.
And an update (Monday 16 March) here.
Professor Edwin Judge — Engaging Rome and Jerusalem — book launch
Posted on March 15, 2015
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On March 11th 2015, Bishop Paul Barnett gave this address at the launch of a collection of essays by Professor Edwin Judge. Very encouraging:
(Update: See also Assoc. Prof. Stuart Piggin’s remarks, and ordering details for the book.)
Book Launch – Text of Bishop Paul Barnett’s remarks:
E.A. Judge, Engaging Rome and Jerusalem,
(ed. S. Piggin; North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2014).
In 1966 E.A. Judge, Reader in History at the University of Sydney had a small third year Roman History class of which I was a member, along with a younger Tom Hillard.
Tom has gone on to great things as a Roman historian and I have pursued the study of Christian origins within the canon of Jewish, Roman and early Christian texts. Another in the class, Judith Nicholls, now a senior mature age student, is researching her PhD on Jerome.
Edwin Judge’s office is lined with the higher degree theses of his dozens of supervised students. These volumes are silent tribute to a master teacher’s scholarship but equally to his generosity. Read more
Twin blasts at churches in Pakistan kill 10
Posted on March 15, 2015
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“Bombs outside two churches in the Pakistani city of Lahore killed 10 people and wounded more than 55 during Sunday services, rescue workers said, and witnesses said quick action by a security guard prevented many more deaths…”
– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service. BBC report.
How can we pray for terrorists?
Posted on March 14, 2015
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Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council writes to encourage Christians to pray for those involved in terrorism.
North West Network March 2015
Posted on March 13, 2015
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Keep up with happenings in (and pray for) the churches of the Diocese of Northwest Australia through their latest North West Network newsletter, March 2015.
Download it here as a 900kb PDF file.
‘There is no biblical justification, in any circumstance, for domestic violence.’
Posted on March 13, 2015
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Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney
Media Statement March 13th, 2015
Domestic violence and churches
(response to SMH and ABC)
“There is no biblical justification, in any circumstance, for domestic violence. The classic Christian understanding of a husband’s loving, sacrificial, servant-like leadership leaves absolutely no room for violence or fear.
We would be very open to participating in a cross-denominational survey of domestic violence issues, benchmarked with society in general. Whether or not such a survey is conducted, we will continue to speak out against domestic violence through education, training and advocacy.
I also encourage our ministers to explore this issue further with their congregations, making them more aware of the problem and the necessity of properly dealing with specific cases where-ever they may be found.
Archbishop Glenn N Davies,
March 13, 2015.”
First published at SydneyAnglicans.net.
C. E. B. Cranfield (1915-2015)
Posted on March 12, 2015
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“The Reverend Professor Charles E. B. Cranfield, who has died six months short of what would have been his hundredth birthday, was one of the leading British New Testament scholars of the second half of the twentieth century.…”
– Tom Wright has written this tribute to C.E.B. Cranfield, who died last week.
Oak Hill & Acts 29 to partner in church planting training
Posted on March 12, 2015
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“Acts 29, the global church planting network, and Oak Hill College have entered into a partnership to establish an academy to train people for ministry and church planting in Europe and the 10/40 window…”
– News from Oak Hill College in London.
‘Submission’ to my husband allows us both to flourish in our marriage
Posted on March 9, 2015
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“Recent articles in this newspaper about evangelical churches’ “oppressive” doctrine of male headship reveal a complete failure to understand the Christian psyche…
Some see inconsistency between the Bible’s teaching of “Christian freedom” on the one hand, and female submission on the other.
However, it is precisely the Bible’s teaching on freedom which so transforms a person’s thinking once they become a Christian that they are ready to submit to others.”
– Sarah Colyer writes this helpful opinion-piece in The Sydney Morning Herald.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…