Anglican Network in Canada Easter Message
Posted on April 17, 2014
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“Imagine someone announcing that:
- The problem of death has been dealt with completely.
- The power of sin has also been broken so that complete forgiveness is available to all and so that guilt is gone and the power to live a new and worthy life is now possible.
- Satan and all his demonic realm – who have long ruled this dark world wreaking evil havoc, cruelty, violence, all sorts of injustice and abuse, filling the world with lies – has received a death blow that guarantees his and their condemnation.
This, of course, is exactly the message we bring and would remind you of …”
– Bishop Charlie Masters’ Easter Letter.
Easter messages from Around Oz — 2014
Posted on April 17, 2014
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We’ll add Easter messages from around Australia as we spot them. Please pray that Christian leaders will speak clearly of Christ and the hope he offers.
Paul writes: “pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ… that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” – Colossians 4:3-4.
Canberra & Goulburn – Bishop Stuart Robinson:
Text: “On Good Friday, Jesus took our worst so that on Easter morning we could be reconciled with him…”
Plus a video message.
Newcastle – Bishop Greg Thompson:
“The dying and rising of Jesus provides us with an overarching vision for working for justice in our country…”
Melbourne – Archbishop Philip Freier:
“The crucifixion was God’s great act of solidarity with all those who suffer…”
Tasmania – Bishop John Harrower:
“It is a great comfort to know that there is victory over death. Therefore we can live with the complexities and cruelties of life in the sure hope of eternal life…”
Professor Ian Harper writes for The Australian Financial Review –
“There’s nothing like the death of a close friend to remind you of what really matters. Last week, on successive days, I attended the funerals of an old friend and a young colleague, and gave the eulogy at one of them. Death seems so final; such a full stop at the end of life’s sentence…”
Sydney – Archbishop Glenn Davies:
“…only Jesus can perform the heart operation that brings eternal life, for only he has conquered death on the Cross, once and for all.”
More congregations leave the Church of Scotland
Posted on April 16, 2014
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“Two of the wealthiest Church of Scotland congregations are quitting the Kirk just weeks before the General Assembly over the issue of gay ordination. The move is a new cash blow with the two congregations contributing £315,000 between them to the Church…”
– Report from The Herald Scotland.
What actually happened on Resurrection Day? A clear and simple account
Posted on April 16, 2014
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“Many detractors of the Christian message claim that the four accounts of Jesus’ resurrection contain discrepancies that are irreconcilable and so fatal to the Gospels’ authenticity and truth. Contrary to these claims, the extraordinary events of that amazing day can be told in a clear and simple account.
It was Sunday, the 5th April AD 33, and the action began around dawn with exactly three women involved…”
– Dr. Peter Bolt explores what happened on Resurrection Day.
(Photo: St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)
Tweet #Eastermeans, says Church of England
Posted on April 15, 2014
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“Theologian and religious commentator @vickybeeching said: ‘I’m excited about the #EasterMeans campaign – it encourages Christians to give the world a window into their personal faith; why Easter matters to them and how the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection have impacted their life.’…”
– Good idea, via the Anglican Communion News Service.
Easter: It Really Happened! So What?
Posted on April 14, 2014
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In the lead up to Easter, The Australian Church Record is sharing some encouragement from the Scriptures every few days. From the first article –
“When it comes to the resurrection of Jesus, most contemporary Christian writing has been centred on its historicity. Preaching often tends to focus on the historical details and the fact that it really happened, rather than its meaning. As a result, the average pew sitter might have a robust apologetic in response to the historical claim of the resurrection, but be somewhat cloudy when it comes to its theological significance…”
Remembering Archbishop Marcus Loane
Posted on April 14, 2014
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Today marks the 5th anniversary of the death of Sir Marcus Loane, Archbishop of Sydney from 1966 to 1982 and Primate of Australian 1979 to 1982. (Thanks to Greg Blaxland for the reminder.)
Perhaps it’s a good time to pause to give thanks for him and his legacy in Sydney and beyond.
Here are a few articles from the archives –
- Statement from Archbishop Peter Jensen – 14 April 2009
- Dean Phillip Jensen’s tribute – 17 April 2009.
- Archbishop Marcus Loane photo gallery.
- Remembering with gratitude Sir Marcus Loane, on the Centenary of his birth – 14 October 2011.
- Sydney Synod gives thanks for Marcus Loane – 18 October 2011.
- The Marcus I Knew and Loved – an appreciation by Greg Blaxland.
‘First gay clergyman to wed plunges Church into crisis’
Posted on April 14, 2014
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“A senior Church of England clergyman yesterday became the first to enter into a gay marriage – in direct defiance of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby – plunging the Church into a fresh crisis.
Canon Jeremy Pemberton tied the knot with Laurence Cunnington under new laws allowing same-sex marriages pushed through by David Cameron in the face of bitter opposition from backbench MPs and the Church…”
– from Mail Online.
Together for the Gospel Conference 2014
Posted on April 14, 2014
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Talks from the 2014 Together for the Gospel conference have now been posted at their website. The theme is The Pastor and Evangelism.
Listen to or watch the talks here.
The Final Days of Jesus: Palm Sunday
Posted on April 13, 2014
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Justin Taylor introduces the first of a series of videos to be released this week on the theme of “The Final Days of Jesus”.
Professors Douglas Moo (pictured) and Andreas Köstenberger provide valuable background to the events of Holy Week.
They are an accompaniment to the book “The Final Days of Jesus”. (Availability.)
The Australian Church Record — April 2014
Posted on April 12, 2014
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The latest issue of The Australian Church Record, April 2014 (No. 1913!) is now out.
From this edition –
Noah Starts a Deluge for Holy-Wood
“Russell Crowe plays a dark and troubled Noah, in a dark
and troubled film, whose special effects have earned it the description ‘Lord of the Rings meets Transformers’.”
The Danger of Mission Drift
“The danger of mission drift recently came to the fore on the international stage, with the public flip-flop of the American World Vision organisation concerning same-sex marriage. … But despite the significant hullabulloo, one of the key lessons of the sorry saga has been the danger of public Christianity drifting with the cultural tides of the day.”
Grab it from their website.
A Season of Intolerance
Posted on April 12, 2014
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“As the leaders and foot soldiers of the gay agenda push forward, they intend eventually to deprive those who won’t sign on to their cause of their jobs and ability to earn a living as well as their freedom of speech and freedom of religion. It is figuratively a picture from the Bible’s book of Revelation when you will need to have the number ‘666’ stamped on your body to buy or sell or conduct everyday life. Will it really get that bad?…”
– Bishop David Anderson, President of the American Anglican Council, writes in his weekly newsletter.
Bullies and Censorship
Posted on April 11, 2014
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“The fear of words is rational because words are powerful. But censorship is generally the response of irrational fear by powerful people.
The powerful person who is fearful is the person most to be feared. Out of fear they attack any perceived threat, as they use their power to protect themselves. They fear others and do not understand how powerful they are, or how other people perceive their power or how they are misusing their power in self-interest. Sadly, even Christians have misused power for self-protection.
Censorship is one of the tools of powerful people or groups. History is replete with tyranny-censoring criticism, for censorship is the tool of fear: fear of ideas; fear of truth; fear of words…”
– Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly newsletter for the Cathedral.
‘Australia’s Anglican Archbishops express ‘profound disquiet’ about children held in detention this Easter’
Posted on April 11, 2014
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Here’s a media release issued this afternoon –
The Anglican Archbishops in Australia will commence Holy Week with a call for more humane treatment of refugees, particularly children in detention.
The Archbishops have released the following statement deploring the fact that recent figures suggest that around a thousand children will spend Easter in Australian sponsored detention.
“As leaders of the Anglican Church of Australia we wish to put on record our profound disquiet that at the end of February this year there were more than 950 children in detention facilities and alternative places of detention in Australia, and a further 177 children in offshore detention in Nauru. The average time people spend in detention is more than eight months. …”
The Day Death Died — Cathedral Easter Convention 2014
Posted on April 11, 2014
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This year’s Easter Convention at the Cathedral is a very worthwhile way to spend Good Friday afternoon.
Phillip Jensen and Mark Thompson are the speakers. Good Friday, 2:00 – 5:00pm. Early Bird Rate $15. ($20 after 13th April.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…