Christians flee Iraq

Posted on November 16, 2010 
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ABC Television’s Ben Knight reports from Amman, Jordan on “a frightening picture” for Christians in Iraq.

Related story.

New book on The Thirty-Nine Articles

Posted on November 16, 2010 
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Available now from Moore Books.

A new book: Defining Convictions and Decisive Commitments: The Thirty-Nine Articles in Contemporary Anglicanism – by Michael Jensen of Moore Theological College and Tom Frame St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra, is now available.

They write:

“We firmly believe that the Articles have a continuing place in the life of the Anglican Church of Australia because they deserve such a place. In our view the Articles are a treasury of wholesome doctrine and ought to serve as the basis for assessing new thinking and novel customs. We are convinced that the Articles point to a distinctly Anglican approach to theology and ecclesiology, and are worthy of close attention and sustained study. Rather than have the Articles overlooked in the hope that they might quietly fade from view, we argue that Anglicans ought to pay closer attention to the Articles.   Read more

Heidelberg Conference on Reformed Theology audio

Posted on November 15, 2010 
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The 2010 Heidelberg Conference on Reformed Theology was held (in Heidelberg, of course) October 27–29.

Speakers were Derek Thomas, Carl Trueman, Jon Payne and Sebastian Heck.

The audio of the talks (and some video) is now available on their website.

Very helpful in thinking about what we do in church. h/t Thabiti Anyabwile.

Social Media and Digital Discernment

Posted on November 15, 2010 
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“Almost overnight, the budding world of social media has revolutionized the way our culture communicates. Even our vocabulary has been affected. Suddenly, people are “tagging” each other, “tweeting” about themselves, and “liking” everything they see.

For the first time, it’s possible to have “friends” you’ve never even met. Those conversant in the language of social media rarely use complete sentences or even complete words (since they are limited to 140 characters). All the while, words like “screenager,” “vlog,” and “cyberslacking,” are finding their way into dictionaries like Oxford and Webster’s. It’s funny to consider that, not too long ago, surfing was just a water sport and a yahoo was a crazy person. But not anymore…”

– John Macarthur has some very sensible advice.

‘Diocese of Niagara litigation costs’

Posted on November 11, 2010 
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“For the first time that I’m aware of, the Diocese of Niagara has included the cost of suing ANiC parishes in a financial statement. You can find the statement here and the relevant line shows that in 2009 the diocese, while not preoccupied with distributing free hugs, spent $395,895 on lawsuits…”

– from the Anglican Essentials Canada blog.

Old is new again

Posted on November 11, 2010 
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US-based Christian band Page CXVI will be releasing a new album of hymns (Hymns III) at the end of this month.

They’re posting samples on their blog. So far, Be Still My Soul and Be Thou My Vision are online.

New Emu album to be released

Posted on November 10, 2010 
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Emu Music have announced that their latest album, Undivided, will be available around the end of this month.

“10 excellent new songs for churches from Emu. Produced by Nathan Tasker and featuring songs from Nicky Chiswell, Trevor Hodge, Michael Morrow, Philip Percival, Simone Richardson and Rob Smith, this album reflects Emu’s commitment to putting the Word into song, and reflecting the drive and passion of churches who love contemporary corporate worship.”

Samples and a pre-order form here. Sounds great.

The English Reformers on ministry and worship

Posted on November 9, 2010 
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“The English Reformers faced a formidable task when they began the work of revising the ideas of ministry and worship in the Church. …

In view of the fact that the Reformation is so often regarded as a purely political or social upheaval it is necessary to emphasise that it was essentially a movement inspired by the Bible.”

– Church Society has reprinted the 1992 Churchman article “The Teaching of the English Reformers on Ministry and Worship” by Edgar Dowse. It’s available here in PDF format.

A Portrait in his Actions: Thomas Moore of Liverpool

Posted on November 8, 2010 
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(Re-posted.) Moore College lecturer, Rev Dr Peter Bolt, is launching Part 1 of his biography of Moore College benefactor, Thomas Moore, during the Liverpool Bicentenary celebrations next month.

The book will be launched by the Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO, on Monday 22 November, 5pm at the Liverpool City Library.  Everyone welcome.

More info and order form from the Moore College website.

Dr Megan Best’s Synod speech on the Euthanasia motion

Posted on November 8, 2010 
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In the ongoing debate on Euthanasia, Dr Megan Best’s speech at Sydney Synod last month is well worth reading and circulating.

“I speak as a palliative care doctor. Palliative care is specialty care for terminally ill patients.

Our state and federal parliaments have been asked to consider changing the law to allow euthanasia. We are told that 85% of Australians support such a change. I believe that what this shows us may not be so much how many people support euthanasia, so much as the fact that many people don’t actually know what it is.

Having discussed euthanasia on talkback radio many times over the years, I have come to realise that misconceptions are rife amongst the general public. Confusion abounds regarding what the legalisation of euthanasia means. But first we need to know what euthanasia is not…”

Read Dr Best’s full speech here (PDF file).

The text of the motion to which she was speaking can be seen on pages 1 and 2 of the Business paper for October 19 2010 (PDF).

Stuart Townend on Corporate Worship — notes

Posted on November 8, 2010 
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On Friday, songwriter Stuart Townend gave a seminar on Corporate Worship at Oak Hill College in London.

Mike Gilbart-Smith (Twynholm Baptist Church, Fulham) has shared his very helpful notes from the seminar at his blog, Loving Church.

Don Carson’s evangelistic talks in Melbourne

Posted on November 7, 2010 
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Don Carson spoke evangelistically in Melbourne in August.

The “Christ-Expo” was part of the celebrations of Ridley College’s Centenary. The audio files of Dr Carson’s talks are available on the Ridley website:

Monday: How can we see God?
Tuesday: How can we start over again?
Wednesday: How can God Have a Son?
Thursday: How to get the Best Bread in the World
Friday: How can I believe Jesus Rose from the Dead?

He also spoke at St. Alfred’s Blackburn North on Suffering: a theological response.

Sanctions against the Southern Cone — 2

Posted on November 6, 2010 
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“The significance of +Tito Zavala’s election as Primate seems clear – it is a rebuke to Secretary Kearon’s letter and sanctions. It is an affirmation of +Zavala’s role as a leader who is in fact faithfully representing the official teaching of the Anglican Communion on human sexuality and holy orders as stated in Lambeth Resolution 1.10 (1998).

Did Secretary Kearon assume the authority to remove +Zavala as a member of IASCUFO? Or was he directed to, and if so, by whom?…”

– Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council continues his thinking about the sanctions applied against the Province of the Southern Cone. (part 1 here.)

Next Primate of the Southern Cone

Posted on November 5, 2010 
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“The tenth Synod of the Province of the Southern Cone of America, meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 1-5 November, 2010, has elected Bishop Hector ‘Tito’ Zavala of Chile as its next Primate replacing Bishop Gregory Venables. Bishop Zavala becomes the province’s first Primate of Chilean extraction.

The role of Primate is a three year renewable term in the Cone. Bishop Venables is not retiring, but will maintain his present position as Bishop of Argentina and Northern Argentina.

In another closely followed vote, the possibility of allowing women’s ordination to the priesthood in those dioceses that so affirmed to move ahead (local option) was turned down by the house of clergy; the other two houses voted in favour.

The Province of the Southern Cone comprises the seven dioceses of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Northern Argentina, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.”

– from the Anglican Communion News Service. (Photo of Bishop Zavala: CMS UK.)

Audio: Reformation Conference with Stephen Nichols

Posted on November 4, 2010 
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Last weekend, at the Omaha Bible Church in Nebraska, Stephen Nichols spoke at their Reformation Bible Conference.

All the audio files have been posted here, thanks to Erik Raymond. Total 67MB. Or links to individual talks below:

The Road to Worms: Jan Hus, Martin Luther, and Sola Scripture
Wittenberg: The Life of Luther and Commitment to the Church
Flossenburg: Martin Luther to Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cross and Discipleship
Marks of the True Church with Question & Answer
Sunday morning sermon: Spare Everything But the Word

History comes alive. Great to pass on to members of your church while memories of Reformation Sunday are fresh.

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