Revising the C of E Baptism services (again)

Posted on June 5, 2011 
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“When the Common Worship services were produced in 1995 the problems about baptism within the wider church came to the fore. The Liturgical Commission set about the service with a particular rationale but this did not find favour with the General Synod, as a result a Revision Committee, and the Synod itself… changed the services significantly. The resulting service, authorised in 1997, was unsatisfactory to many people and is confused theologically. …

The discontent surfaced again in 2005 when further changes were made. Now, another six years on a third attempt is being made to revise the services…”

– in this article (PDF file) for Cross†Way, Church Society General Secretary David Phillips provides several glimpses into the state of liturgical reform in the Church of England.

2011 Moore College Library Lecture

Posted on June 5, 2011 
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“Simplicity and Integrity : the King James Version of the Bible in the church and the world” is the theme of this year’s Moore College Library Lecture. Thursday July 7th 2011, 9.30am – 4:00pm at Moore College in Newtown.

Details and a registration form here.

Thinking helpfully about the Muslim billboards

Posted on June 3, 2011 
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John Dickson and the Muslim billboard campaign organiser Diaa Mohamed will speak with Leigh Hatcher on Sunday night (June 5th) at 8:00pm on “Open House”, on Hope 103.2FM in Sydney and on other stations across Australia.

Related: ‘Why the Muslim billboards are good for Jesus’, John Bales in this story from Eternity newspaper.

“Ask people: ‘Have you seen the billboards? What did you think about it? Do you know who Jesus really is? Have you read the gospels?’ And so rather than react negatively to it we can take it as an opportunity for sharing our faith.”

False Prophets, False Teachers, and Real Trouble

Posted on June 2, 2011 
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“Andy Warhol was wrong. Fame doesn’t last just fifteen minutes. After all, Harold Camping is still in the news, more than a week after his prophecy that the world would end on May 21 at 6:00p.m. turned out — as expected — to be false …”

– Albert Mohler writes on the fallout from Harold Camping’s predictions.

Dr Peter Adam to resign as Ridley Principal

Posted on May 31, 2011 
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“Canon Dr Peter Adam will resign as Principal of Ridley Melbourne at the end of study and long service leave in January 2012.

In announcing his decision, Board Chair, Claire Rogers, reflected on Dr Adam’s service to Ridley: ‘Peter has exercised significant biblical and theological leadership across Australia and internationally. His distinguished service of the College over several decades includes Board Member, Adjunct Lecturer and most recently as Principal.’…”

– from the Board of Ridley College, Melbourne. (h/t Wayne Schuller.)

The Sydney Family Album — 6

Posted on May 30, 2011 
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“Thomas Moore came to Australia from England at the age of thirty. Until recently, little was known of Moore’s origins.…”

– In a guest post at Theological Theology, Peter Bolt introduces us to Thomas Moore, after whom Moore College is named.

Hearing the voice of Satan

Posted on May 30, 2011 
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“The Bible clearly teaches of the devil, but referring to Satan in polite society is prone to miscommunication. The community’s level of confusion about spiritual realities is so great that any casual reference to Satan is doomed to misunderstanding…”

– Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, reminds us of the reality and the tactics of Satan – and the best response to him. Via SydneyAnglicans.net.

May 2011 Australian Church Record

Posted on May 26, 2011 
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The latest issue of The Australian Church Record has been released on their website.

It’s available as an 820kb PDF file.

Request: Help for the church in Broome

Posted on May 25, 2011 
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Bishop of North West Australia, David Mulready, is urgently seeking help for the church in Broome. Opportunities abound, but finance is lacking –

“We urgently need generous partners who might catch the vision to have a significant and specialist Indigenous ministry in Broome.”

Read all the details in this PDF file.

Foundations journal now online

Posted on May 25, 2011 
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Foundations is the journal of evangelical theology published twice a year by Affinity (formerly The British Evangelical Council).

It has now become an online journal, and the first digital issue (1.4MB PDF file) is online with articles by Carl Trueman Greg Beale and others. (h/t Reformation21)

‘The key to Postmodern Evangelism’

Posted on May 24, 2011 
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“The key to evangelizing our postmodern generation is forming relationships and faithfully proclaiming the gospel. We can not wait for people to come to us; we must take the gospel out to them.

The course called Christianity Explored began when Chris Hobbs, former curate at All Souls Church in London, England, brought Michael Bennett’s Christianity Explained course to England in 1990. …”

– Rico Tice introduces Christianity Explored to the (mainly American) readers of the White Horse Inn’s Modern Reformation magazine.

And Michael Horton at the White Horse blog is enthusiastic about the updated version of Christianity Explored –

“‘Christianity Explored” – especially with this newly revised edition – is exactly what we’ve needed for a long time. My prayer is that churches faithful to getting the gospel right will become just as known for getting the gospel out. And ‘Christianity Explored’ is the best supporting resource I know of for helping us to do that.”

(The Christianity Explored course materials are available in Australia via The Good Book Company.)

The Father-in-law I never knew: Alec Simpson

Posted on May 23, 2011 
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“His epitaph could have been, ‘his deeds follow him ’ (Rev 14:13). Fifty-five years later Alexander Simpson’s deeds do follow him, ‘embodied’ in the older Brazilian believers converted through him and the younger ones converted through them.

Alec was forty when he died 1950 in Uberaba in the interior of Brazil having come there as a missionary from Scotland with his wife Janet in the late thirties. …”

– Bishop Paul Barnett shares this story about a life not wasted.

The story of Harold Camping

Posted on May 22, 2011 
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Robert Godfrey, President of Westminster Seminary California writes:

“If you were to drive the freeways of southern California, you would see from time to time billboards proclaiming the Judgment Day on May 21, 2011 and declaring that the Bible guarantees it. To understand these signs we must know something of the history as well as the theology of Harold Camping.

I am in a somewhat distinctive position to write on this subject since I first met Camping in the late 1950s. I learned a great deal from him then, and so I find what follows a very sad story. I pray for him that the Lord will deliver him from the serious errors into which he has fallen.…”

He sketches out Harold Camping’s drift from orthodox Christianity in a series of five articles on the Westminster Seminary California website. (Reflection on this background may prove useful in conversations this week.)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5. (h/t Todd Pruitt at 1517.)

Five thoughts on worship

Posted on May 21, 2011 
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“There is no shortage of good books (and bad!) on the theology of worship. The best is David Peterson’s Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship (IVP, 1992). Peterson’s book is not a practical how-to on worship planning, but rather an in-depth, exegetical look at the biblical understanding of worship.

Worship, according to Peterson, is first of all a whole life lived to the glory of God…”

– so writes Kevin DeYoung at the Gospel Coalition blog.

Engaging with God is available from Moore Books (who currently have a stock reduction sale).

Unity from division: A personal account of the crisis in The Episcopal Church

Posted on May 21, 2011 
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The School of Christian Studies at Robert Menzies College is hosting an evening talk and discussion with the Rev. David Sandifer on the current situation in the Anglican churches of the United States, entitled Unity from division: A personal account of the crisis in The Episcopal Church.

Tuesday, May 31st at 7:30pm, with a discussion chaired by Bishop Glenn Davies. Details from the SOCS website.

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