The Unseen God

Posted on April 23, 2011 
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“[W]ithin weeks of the crucifixion, Christ was being proclaimed to the world as Saviour and the cross as the very proof of the immensity of God’s love. And to this day, it is the form of the cross which visually declares the presence and influence of Christianity.

But despite this, even Christians find it hard to keep the cross in focus, often treating it as a mere passing phase: tragedy giving way to triumph, shame giving way to glory, darkness giving way to dawn. This is understandable. We serve a living Lord, a risen Saviour, a reigning King. But when we relegate the cross to the margins, the result is as undesirable as it is unexpected. For the more we seek to find God truly in triumphs, glories and light, the less we find of the true God. And the demonstration of this is always found in our encounter with suffering…”

– John Richardson writes in his book “The Eternal Cross: Reflections on the Sufferings of Christ” — posted at The Ugley Vicar.

Of First Importance — The Cross and Resurrection at the Centre

Posted on April 23, 2011 
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“The Christian faith is not a mere collection of doctrines — a bag of truths. Christianity is a comprehensive truth claim that encompasses every aspect of revealed doctrine, but is centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, as the apostolic preaching makes clear, the gospel is the priority.

The Apostle Paul affirms this priority when he writes to the Christians in Corinth. In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul sets out his case…” – Albert Mohler writes with a reminder of what is of first importance.

Why God Created the Universe — for Good Friday

Posted on April 23, 2011 
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John Piper was asked why his preaching has become more Christocentric over the years.

Here’s his answer.

Archbishop Peter Jensen’s 2011 Easter Message

Posted on April 22, 2011 
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Archbishop Peter Jensen’s 2011 Easter Message has been released —

People talk glibly about ‘death with dignity’. I can take the idea of a heroic death, a quiet death, an early death, even at a stretch a peaceful death – but ‘death with dignity’ just seems like a cover up, like wishful thinking.

There is nothing dignified about the pain, helplessness, loss and anxiety of death. It is undignified. It takes God’s noble, glorious creation of a human being and turns us back to dust. It strips us of achievements, history, honours, dignity and relationships and destroys our bodies.

By way of undignified deaths I can scarcely think of a worse case than crucifixion. It was capital punishment designed to humiliate and intimidate. When God became man and joined us, that is how he was murdered. But out of the shame of Jesus’ death has come a never ceasing flow of mercy and forgiveness, sufficient even to deal with my faults and sins. And after the indignity of death he left the grave in glory.

I can’t imagine the indignity of my own death. It may come over a long period of time; it may be terribly painful; it may be as a result of accident and be instantaneous. Who can tell?

But this I do know – and you can know it too – my Saviour Jesus has walked this way ahead of me. He has walked it in the worst of all ways. And this I know – that he has been raised from the dead and walks not only ahead of me, but with me, every step of that road. And this I know – that out of my indignity will come the glory of being with him for ever.

— Dr Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney, Easter 2011

Watch Archbishop Jensen’s message at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Easter Convention 2011: Putting Evil to Flight

Posted on April 21, 2011 
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Friday, 22 April 2011,  2:00pm — 5:00pm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.

Details here.

‘What’s so good about Good Friday?’

Posted on April 21, 2011 
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Phillip Jensen and Kel Richards discuss this most important of questions — on Vimeo, with thanks to Audio Advice. Many may be surprised to discover that popular traditions associated with Good Friday are quite novel. So what is Jesus’ death really all about?

28 minutes well spent! (Downloadable from Vimeo as a 159MB mp4 file.)

Missing the point of Good Friday

Posted on April 21, 2011 
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From the Anglican Journal — the national newspaper of the Anglican Church of Canada:

“The almost magical confluence of Good Friday and Earth Day on Apr. 22 presents an opportunity for Christian environmentalists to ponder humankind’s crimes against the planet. And at this time of penitence, sacrifice and redemption, to reflect on ways to reverse our unremitting exploitation of the created world.

The Greening Anglican Spaces task group … has compiled a ‘Good Friday Earth Day Reflection’…”.

(Image: Anglican Journal.)

More from the Sydney Family Album

Posted on April 20, 2011 
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Over the last few weeks, more has been added to the ‘Sydney Family Album’ at Theological Theology –

Learn about William Cowper, and his son William Macquarie Cowper (guest posts by Peter Bolt), and Frederic Barker.

‘Dirty, rotten lies’

Posted on April 19, 2011 
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“The Clubs industry in Australia has just launched a $20 million lie – if we believe them, we will miss a once in a generation opportunity to radically transform the way we care for those who are addicted to gambling…”

– Over at SydneyAnglicans.net, Anglicare Sydney CEO Peter Kell doesn’t mince his words on poker machine reform.

ANZAC Day more important than Easter?

Posted on April 19, 2011 
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“This year Anzac day and the Easter Monday public holiday coincide. For the first time since 1859 (and for the last time until 2038), Easter Monday falls on April 25th – the ANZAC Day public holiday.

For almost 2000 years the Easter ‘Holy Days’ have been the central religious event in the calendars of the Western world, but the clash this year is timely for it signals a deeper reality. ANZAC Day is increasingly staking a claim to replace Easter as the major religious holiday in 21st Century Australia.”

– At Defence Anglicans, Chaplain Andrew Grills asks how Christians should view ANZAC Day.

Gospel Coalition Conference 2011 audio

Posted on April 18, 2011 
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You can now listen to the talks from the plenary sessions at last week’s Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference in Chicago – here.

The conference theme: “They Testify about Me” – Preaching Jesus and the Gospel from the Old Testament. Speakers included Don Carson, Tim Keller, Al Mohler and Alistair Begg.

Abp Ben Kwashi on BBC Radio Sheffield

Posted on April 18, 2011 
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Archbishop of Jos, Dr Ben Kwashi, was interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield about why he stays in Jos.

The 7 minute interview was broadcast on Sunday (April 17) on Sunday Breakfast with Sarah Major. It starts at 1 hour 10 minutes into the programme and is available for 7 days on the Radio Sheffield website.

(h/t Julian Mann. Photo: Anglican Diocese of Jos.)

Congregationalism – real, radical, or imaginary?

Posted on April 18, 2011 
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“The attacks on the Anglican Diocese of Sydney will probably never go away. It is  almost certainly right that they don’t. We are far from perfect and our mistakes will always leave us open to criticism. Yet I’m convinced there’s much more to rejoice in than to criticise.

What is more, often the most virulent attacks come from the most predictable places…

Nevertheless, it is worth engaging with the criticism rather than dismissing it out of hand…”

– Mark Thompson asks if the picture that’s painted of Sydney Diocese is a fair one – at Theological Theology.

Illustrations of Compromise in Church History

Posted on April 15, 2011 
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Church Society has republished an important 1988 Churchman paper by D A Scales. He looks at –

The Arian Controversy, The Colloquy of Ratisbon of 1541, The Evangelical C of E bishops debate about sacerdotal vesture in 1912, the 1922 debate about Liberalism within the Church Missionary Society in Britain, and the ‘new evangelicalism’ at Keele, 1967.

If you don’t normally think much about Christian history, this would be a good article to read to be alerted to the ever-present danger of losing the gospel.

Download it here as a PDF file.

The Praise Factory — resources for discipling children

Posted on April 11, 2011 
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We’ve mentioned this before — but Connie Dever’s Praise Factory website is well worth checking. New material has been recently added.

(Connie, and her husband, Mark, are at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington DC.)

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