The Lord’s Supper in Human Hands — Epilogue

Posted on December 8, 2010 
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Available now from The Australian Church Record.

“Sydney’s discussion of lay and diaconal administration of the Lord’s Supper has occurred for some forty years. After a related legal question was referred to it, the Appellate Tribunal handed down its opinion in August 2010. This legal opinion needs to be set within its proper context, and the biblical-theological discussion about the issue needs to continue.”

How churches lose the plot

Posted on December 7, 2010 
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“I have spent the last few weeks reflecting on the general question as to why churches lose the plot and end up going liberal. Of course, the simple answer is, ‘Because of human sinfulness,’ but that is not particularly helpful as an explanation of why particular churches lose the plot at particular points in time.

Thus, over the next few days I want to offer a series of posts, in no specific order of priority, about more particular, immediate causes for the phenomenon of theological decline within churches. I should add that my reflections are avowedly Presbyterian, and I make no apologies for that; but I do believe that the causes I outline have their parallels within other Christian ecclesiological traditions such as evangelicalism etc.…”

– Carl Trueman has been exploring the question at Reformation21.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Reading Sibbes Aloud Project

Posted on December 5, 2010 
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“The Reading Sibbes Aloud Project provides a growing collection of sermons of the Puritan Richard Sibbes. The great value of Puritan writing continues to be its depth of scriptural insight and timeless application. Please join Mark Dever as he reads through the works of the ‘Prince of the Puritans’ Richard Sibbes.”

– at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. (h/t Faith by Hearing.)

Moore Bolt

Posted on December 3, 2010 
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“Peter Bolt, the brilliant Head of New Testament Studies at Moore College, has published again. It is fascinating the way he has followed the same trajectory as another great New Testament teacher at Moore, Donald Robinson (who would later become Archbishop of Sydney). Like Bishop Robinson, Peter has taught and published landmark works on the New Testament. His The Cross at a Distance: Atonement in Mark’s Gospel (Nottingham: IVP, 2004) comes to mind.

But lately he has added a new passion: study of the early colonial period in Sydney, and in particular the influential gospel men who laid the foundations of Australian evangelicalism…”

– Mark Thompson writes at Theological Theology.

North West Australia prayer notes — Dec 2010 & Jan 2011

Posted on December 2, 2010 
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The latest Prayer Notes for the Diocese of North West Australia – and Bishop David Mulready’s Letter – are now available on their website.

Please be encouraged to use them to pray for those who serve Christ, and those who hear of him, in the North West.

Something funny is happening to our Bible readings

Posted on December 2, 2010 
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“Something funny is happening to our Bible readings at church. I noticed it last week.

We use the NIV at St Michael’s for our public reading of Scripture and preaching. … Everyone on our reading roster knows we use the NIV.

But last week some of the readings were different from what we had in front of us. And others noticed too. What was going on?…”

– Sandy Grant at St. Michael’s Wollongong writes about the changes to the NIV – at The Sola Panel.

Tending the Flock of God

Posted on December 1, 2010 
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“We gather in this Cathedral to ordain twelve persons as priests in the church of God at a time when there is sustained criticism of leadership in our culture. In both the corporate and political worlds leaders have been accused of looking after their own interests and being out of touch.

By way of contrast the readings at this service paint a radically different picture of what leadership should be like in the household of faith. The readings reflect on both the nature and manner of pastoral leadership…”

– Bishop Trevor Edwards preached this sermon at an ordination at St Saviour’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn last weekend.

New Pauline Commentaries

Posted on November 30, 2010 
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“Many of us probably do not realize how spoiled we are these days with so many competent evangelical exegetical commentaries. Such was not the case 50 years ago. This is a grace — a gift — for the church that we should not take for granted…”

– Justin Taylor provides a brief rundown on some new Pauline commentaries, including the Pillar New Testament Commentary on 1 Corinthians, by Roy Ciampa and Brian Rosner.

The Sarum Mass compared with the 1549 Prayer Book

Posted on November 29, 2010 
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Church Society has republished one of the old Church Association Tracts – this one comparing and contrasting the mediaeval Sarum mass and the 1549 Prayer Book.

“Compared with the Missal, the First Book was a highly Protestant production: yet it was, after all, ‘a compromise which satisfied nobody.’”

The 1549 Prayer Book (the First Prayer Book of Edward VI) is well recognised as an important step towards Cranmer’s enduring legacy in the much more reformed book of 1552.

Interested in learning more? The Tutorial Prayer Book by Neil and Willoughby – (reprints from various sources, including Book Depository, also second-hand – and online) – is worth a look.

Planning underway for GAFCON 2

Posted on November 29, 2010 
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“The GAFCON/FCA Primates Council has announced a leaders conference is being planned for 2011 and the second ‘GAFCON’ for 2012.

The announcement was part of a wide-ranging statement from its October meeting in England, dubbed the ‘Oxford Statement’.

Among its 14 points, the leaders of around two-thirds of the Anglican Communion have come to a common mind on the proposed Anglican covenant…”

– Russell Powell, at SydneyAnglicans.net, reports on The Oxford Statement.

Online bargains this weekend and Monday

Posted on November 28, 2010 
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This weekend, many online stores in the US are having sales (‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’).

Tim Challies has compiled a helpful list. Of interest will be downloadable albums from Andrew Peterson and others.

(Bear in mind Monday specials will extend into Tuesday Australian time.)

The hole in our holiness

Posted on November 25, 2010 
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Does Bishop J.C. Ryle’s call to holiness (example) seem a little quaint these days? Kevin DeYoung:

“I find it telling that you can find plenty of young Christians today who are really excited about justice and serving in their communities. You can find Christians fired up about evangelism. You can find lots of Generation XYZ believers passionate about precise theology. Yes and amen to all that. But where are the Christians known for their zeal for holiness? Where is the corresponding passion for honoring Christ with Christlike obedience? …

When is the last time we took a verse like Ephesians 5:4–“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving”–when is the last time we took a verse like this and even began to try to apply this to our conversation, our joking, our movies, our you tube clips, our t.v. and commercial intake?…”

– Kevin DeYoung is writing in a US context – doubtless with much relevance here too.

GAFCON/FCA Oxford Statement released

Posted on November 24, 2010 
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The GAFCON/FCA Primates Council, which recently met in Oxford, has released ‘the Oxford Statement’.

Read it here (PDF file) – there is an introduction from Archbishop Gregory Venables which pertains to the latest developments in England and the current meeting of the General Synod.

Also available on the GAFCON website.

New website for Reformers bookshop

Posted on November 24, 2010 
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Reformers Bookshop at Stanmore has an updated website with lots of improvements.

Ethics Classes announcement ‘impoverishes education’

Posted on November 24, 2010 
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Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney Media Statement
Ethics Classes announcement ‘impoverishes education’

Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church in New South Wales, Dr Peter Jensen, says the decision to allow the introduction of ethics lessons during time set aside for Special Religious Education (SRE) is “a bad decision, made under political pressure, which will impoverish the education of many NSW public schoolchildren.”

“Philosophical ethics is not a real alternative to the study of religion and it is unfair to confront parents with the dilemma of having them both taught at the same time. The ‘examined life’ starts with a well-rounded education.” Dr Jensen said.

“Our concerns are for the children who now will be denied an introduction to the great questions posed by the faith-traditions. For example, even though the ethics lesson plans were not publicly released, it is apparent that they did not include clear guidance on right and wrong.”

“I congratulate Barry O’Farrell and the Liberal and National parties for their opposition to this change and their commitment to take seriously the other solutions the Premier and the Minister declined to consider” the Archbishop said.

“The Anglican Church is committed to the future of public education. The thousands of volunteer scripture teachers and helpers will continue to do their utmost to deliver an orderly, challenging and educationally-rich program in schools, week by week, for all ages.”

23rd November 2010 AD

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