Mike Ovey responds to the Pilling Report
Posted on December 11, 2013
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“We humans have to live with grey. Sometimes we must weigh whether an action or life-choice is right or wrong. But so often, actions and life-choices are shades of grey rather than simply black or white. …”
– Oak Hill’s Principal, Dr Mike Ovey, responds to the Pilling Report –
Part 1 – God’s work versus God’s will?
Part 2 – Does sincerity grant a veto?
Two (more) reasons to give thanks for Moore College
Posted on December 10, 2013
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Two (more) reasons to give thanks for – and to pray for – Moore College:
1. Now is the moment of opportunity for Moore graduates.
2. Moore College distance education goes viral.
Don Carson at The Castle
Posted on December 10, 2013
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A couple of weeks ago, Professor Don Carson spoke on the First Letter of John – at The Castle in Northern Ireland.
The audio files of his talks have now been made available.
Jesus’ Improbable Plan
Posted on December 9, 2013
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“Jesus and the apostles expected the nations of the world to be won for him. This is a historical statement that is historically true that will stand in the face of even the most stringent, critical analysis.
Consider how improbable such a vision must have been.
‘Make disciples of all nations’ he said but those to whom he said it were but eleven in number, simple uneducated men, without friends in high places. Their own track record had not been good; one was a betrayer, another a denier and all were deserters.
He, their leader, had been handed over by the temple hierarchs and crucified by the Romans.
Yet he expected world conquest, but not achieved by naked power but by mere words backed up by an ethical life. …”
– Bishop Paul Barnett looks at Jesus’ ‘improbable plan’.
Living Out — for Church Leaders
Posted on December 9, 2013
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The people behind the new Living Out website have a message for church leaders. See the 2:35 video here.
Related: EMA 2013 Engaging with an alien world (2) – same sex attraction.
GAFCON Chairman’s Advent Letter
Posted on December 7, 2013
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Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council has released this Advent Letter.
He begins by giving thanks for the meeting in Nairobi, before turning to what’s next –
“We have to come down from the mountain to face the challenges ahead.
And so we have. The Church of England has just released what is known as the Pilling Report, the conclusions of a Working Group commissioned by the House of Bishops to report and make recommendations on issues of human sexuality.
I am sorry to say that it is very flawed. If this report is accepted I have no doubt that the Church of England, the Mother Church of the Communion, will have made a fateful decision. It will have chosen the same path as The Episcopal Church of the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada with all the heartbreak and division that will bring. ”
Outsourcing Life
Posted on December 6, 2013
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“‘Outsourcing’ is an ‘in’ word. It used to be only a business word but now is spreading into life itself. Today people are outsourcing their life.
For some time the business world has used the term to talk of buying goods and services from outside suppliers. Rather than using in-house employees to undertake all the tasks of the business, the company will turn to external suppliers and ’outsource’ the work. …”
– Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, writes about the most amazing ‘outsourcing’ of all.
Advent songs
Posted on December 6, 2013
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In this season of Advent, here are two albums you may enjoy:
Emu Music’s Advent album. released this time last year –
“The songs on this album are each in their own way a celebration of the reality, purpose and implications of the incarnation. It is our hope and prayer that as you sing these songs together, they will bring glory to our great King Jesus and blessing to his people.”
Christ-honouring (with great words and music) as always from Emu.
And Page CXVI in the US have just released their latest album “Advent to Christmas”.
You can hear samples of each before you buy.
Themelios 38.3 available now
Posted on December 6, 2013
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The latest issue of Themelios (November 2013) has just been published.
Australian Church Record December 2013
Posted on December 5, 2013
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The latest issue of The Australian Church Record is now online.
This issue kicks off by interviewing Bishop-elect of North Sydney, Chris Edwards, “The Bishop from Belgium”.
Reform’s ReNew Conference 2013 audio files
Posted on December 5, 2013
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Reform’s “ReNew conference met Nov 26th to 27th, 2013. The conference was predominantly for church leaders and for women in paid positions of ministry in the Church of England. The purpose of the conference was to establish the basis on which Anglican evangelicals can work together and to begin to chart a way ahead.”
– Audio files of the talks are currently being added to the Reform website. The audio is a little over-compressed, but is quite audible and the talks are well worth hearing.
So far they have the talks by –
- Hugh Palmer – Proclaiming the gospel – the urgency of the hour
– 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, - Alasdair Paine – Defending and contending for the gospel – Romans 16:17-20,
- and Vaughan Roberts – JC Ryle – an Anglican Evangelical role model.
Forget the Channel
Posted on December 4, 2013
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“The 21st century saw incredible communication breakthroughs with a soaring use of social media. Social media has given us ways of communicating that is unparalleled in digital history. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, microblogging have all become household terms.
Amongst infinite possibilities, social media has opened up tremendous opportunities for Christians to speak in the world. …”
– The latest from The Australian Church Record.
The important message of Christmas
Posted on December 4, 2013
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“On 3 January 2014, as a member of the SCG, I will get up at 5 am, queue up at the members gate at 6 am and then run from the gate, in what is called the “Paddington gift” to secure my seat for the day, in the Members’ Stand.
I will try to reserve the seat next to me for a friend. He will get up at about 9:30 am, wander into the ground at 10:30 for the start of play, secure in the fact that I have reserved a seat for him. I pay the member’s subscription, I get up at 5 am, queue at 6 am, race at 7 am, I do all the work, he wanders in and enjoys the fruit of my labours.”
– David Cook, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, writes about The important message of Christmas on the PCA website. (h/t Gary Ware.)
High Court reserves decision on challenge to ACT same-sex marriage laws
Posted on December 3, 2013
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“Australia’s first ever same-sex marriages will take place from Saturday, after the High Court reserved its decision on the Commonwealth’s challenge to ACT’s same-sex marriage laws.
The court says it will hand down its decision next Thursday, and in the meantime will allow same-sex marriages to take place in Canberra.”
– Report from ABC News. Photo courtesy High Court of Australia.
Andrew Sach on The New Perspective
Posted on December 3, 2013
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In the latest Preaching Matters from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, Andrew Sach introduces ‘the New Perspective on Paul’, and talks about why he would cover such material in a sermon on Galatians.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…