Oak Hill Commentary magazine — Summer 2013
Posted on July 21, 2013
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The latest issue of Oak Hill’s magazine is available for download.
What’s So Great about the Doctrines of Grace? — free eBook
Posted on July 20, 2013
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“During the month of July, Reformation Trust is giving away the eBook edition of Richard Phillips’ What’s So Great about the Doctrines of Grace.” – might be worth checking out.
Same-sex marriage bill granted Royal Assent
Posted on July 18, 2013
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“The Daily Telegraph and BBC reported yesterday afternoon that royal assent has been given to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Billl, paving the way for the first same-sex weddings next spring in England and Wales.
The Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, gave her formal approval to the Bill yesterday afternoon.” – from Evangelicals.org.
Seminar audio files from the 2013 EMA
Posted on July 18, 2013
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From Adrian Reynolds at the Proclamation Trust –
“The audio of seminars from the 2013 EMA [Evangelical Ministers Assembly in London] is now available to download for free here.”
The Archbishop’s Election: A Political Process
Posted on July 18, 2013
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“As people have spoken of my involvement in the election of our next Archbishop I thought it may be helpful for friends, especially those on synod, to understand how I view the election of Sydney’s Archbishop. …”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes the first of several articles designed to help Synod members think through the issues behind the election of a new Archbishop.
Related:
“The ACL confirms its longstanding practice of not promoting a preferred candidate for the Archbishop’s election.” – February 2013.
Prayer suggestions (PDF file).
Archbishop-in-waiting – profile from Southern Cross, July 2013.
Packer: Playing the Numbers Game
Posted on July 17, 2013
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“I have found that churches, pastors, seminaries, and parachurch agencies throughout North America are mostly playing the numbers game—that is, defining success in terms of numbers of heads counted or added to those that were there before…”
– J. I Packer, via Justin Taylor.
Mark toolkit – last two instalments
Posted on July 16, 2013
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If you’ve been following the videos of Andrew Sach and his Mark Toolkit, the last two video files are now available. These are part of the video resources from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, and are ideal for all who teach or who lead Bible studies.
The Archbishop of Canterbury on a coming royal birth
Posted on July 15, 2013
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“When this baby is old, it will be the 22nd Century. Yet he or she will be able to tell children about a great grandmother… who served in the Second World War.
By then, the 1940s will be as far away as the Crimean War and the charge of the Light Brigade is today.”
– Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby reflects on the hope a new baby brings. In Mail Online.
‘Irreconcilable’ understandings of the nature of God
Posted on July 13, 2013
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John Richardson in the UK writes,
“There aren’t many things that qualify in my view as ‘must read’ articles, but this from Colin Coward, Director of Changing Attitude, is one of them. Here is a taster:
“The Church of England knows it has a crisis on its hands. It thinks the crisis might be solved by gently persuading enough conservatives to overcome their convictions and vote yes for women bishops. I am convinced the problem is far deeper than that. I think we hold dramatically different understandings about the nature of God and they are irreconcilable.”
For a rather different perspective from that of Changing Attitude: Rosaria Champagne Butterfield on DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) and the Rock.
“Epic mini-series” coming to Australia
Posted on July 12, 2013
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It’s been announced that the US “epic mini-series”, The Bible, will be screened on the Nine Network from next week. Perhaps 100 million people saw it in the US earlier this year.
It was produced by Mark Burnett (Survivor, Celebrity Apprentice, The Voice) and his wife, actress Roma Downey (starred in Touched by an Angel).
It’s a great opportunity to get the Bible into your conversations.
However, before it screens, it’s probably important to get some background.
See this article by Andy Naselli – “Three reasons I don’t enthusiastically recommend the ‘The Bible’ miniseries”. Being aware of that can help us to discuss what it portrays, and encourage our friends to read the Bible for themselves.
The Bible Society of Australia will be following the mini-series as part of their ‘Daily Bible’ email service, from Tuesday 16 July. (Image: Bible Society.)
Retirements and Beginnings
Posted on July 12, 2013
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“As I write this article I am preparing to give what will most likely be my last Mid Year Conference Talk. It is a sad moment for me.
This has been a week of retirements. On Thursday my brother Peter officially retired as the Archbishop of Sydney. With him the Chancellor of the Diocese Acting Judge Peter Johns has also retired…”
– Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, reflects on the changing of the guard.
‘Value Vision’ — Bishop Rick Lewers
Posted on July 11, 2013
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“This is NAIDOC Week. Its theme ‘We value the vision’ reflects decisions made in the past that now are captured in legislation.
Better than a vision captured in legislation would of course be a vision captured in the heart. …
Of course, God had a vision in which He would so love this world that He would give His only Son to the world so that all who trusted in Him would not perish but have eternal life.”
– Bishop of Armidale, Rick Lewers, writes on the diocesan website.
Ten Passages for Pastors to Memorise
Posted on July 10, 2013
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“Here’s one way to cool down warm up during a sizzling hot freezing July: ice-cold memorization to warm your heart.
Grab an iced tea a hot chocolate, find some air-conditioned cozy warm space, and put these ten passages to memory. You’ll never regret any extended time given to memorizing God’s word — especially when it’s the passages that come up again and again as particularly useful in the Christian life and in ministering to others.”
– from Desiring God (more or less).
How to pray for God’s work
Posted on July 9, 2013
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How is your prayer for the Archbishop’s election going?
Dick Lucas preached from 1 Kings 18 at The Tron Church in Glasgow last month. He reminded his hearers that first of all, we must pray that the Lord will be known, and that hearts be turned back to him – a crucial prayer for Glasgow, and a crucial prayer for Sydney. Hear or see his sermon at The Tron’s website. (It starts 38 minutes into the video.) Most edifying.
It’s also a good reminder to continue to pray for the saints in the Tron, for all of these reasons.
‘The New Theist’
Posted on July 7, 2013
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“When, during a conversation in a swank hotel lobby in Manhattan, I mentioned to Richard Dawkins that I was working on a story about William Lane Craig, the muscles in his face clenched. …”
– from a story on William Lane Craig in The Chronical Review. (h/t Tim Challies.)
Related: Dr. William Lane Craig and Prof. Lawrence Krauss will be debating in Sydney on Tuesday 13th August.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…