The Archer and the Arrow

Posted on August 27, 2010 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on The Archer and the Arrow

“If you are a pastor and haven’t yet read The Trellis and the Vine, you will want to do so. And then you will want to read the follow-up as well. The books are a powerful one-two punch looking first to the big picture of ministry and then focussing in on that one area of utmost importance…”

– Tim Challies reviews The Archer and the Arrow by Phillip Jensen and Paul Grimmond.

Soldiers are not like Macadamia Nuts!

Posted on August 26, 2010 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Soldiers are not like Macadamia Nuts!

“I have often thought that the typical Aussie bloke is a bit like a Macadamia. You know there is a soft kernel somewhere inside, but the shell is so hard that is seems impossible to crack. So too with soldiers. No doubt there is a spiritual side to them, but the shell is like reinforced concrete. Or so I thought…”

– Ridley College graduate Chaplain Andrew Grills writes about the spiritual openness he has discovered among those to whom he ministers. On the Defence Anglicans website.

And what advice are military chaplains giving Defence Force members looking for churches? It’s a challenge to see if our churches measure up.

(Defence Force Chaplains are always on the lookout for faithful and innovative clergy.)

The Wind of Change: All Africa Bishops Conference, Uganda

Posted on August 26, 2010 
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on The Wind of Change: All Africa Bishops Conference, Uganda

“In February 1960, British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan delivered his historic ‘wind of change’ speech in Cape Town, heralding the end of Great Britain’s colonial presence in Africa. Fifty years on, there is a spiritual ‘wind of change’ blowing in Africa which promises to end the predominance of London based institutions in the leadership of the Anglican Communion and the current All Africa Bishops Conference in Entebbe convened by CAPA (the Council of the Anglican Provinces of Africa) provides the clearest evidence yet of this change in the spiritual weather.

It must have seemed to Lambeth strategists that the Archbishop of Canterbury’s presence at this high profile African conference with an agenda dominated by uncontroversial humanitarian issues would be a golden opportunity to portray the Anglican Communion as back to ‘business as usual’ after Rowan Williams’ decision to invite the consecrators of Gene Robinson to the 2008 Lambeth Conference led to the principled absence of some 230 mainly African bishops.

If so, they badly misjudged the mind of the conference. After the first day, the public relations dream is threatening to turn into a nightmare and Dr Williams may well by now be wishing that he had stuck to being a merely virtual presence by video as at April’s South to South Encounter in Singapore.…”

– Read it all at SPREAD.

Lutherans follow Anglicans down rocky road of dissent

Posted on August 26, 2010 
Filed under News Comments Off on Lutherans follow Anglicans down rocky road of dissent

“Hundreds of congregations have held votes on leaving the denomination. Others have cut off funding to the national church. Bishops in Africa have condemned the actions taken by their North American counterparts. And this week  disaffected members are gathering to found a new breakaway denomination. …

… as of August 3, 504 congregations have already held first votes on leaving, with 384 passing.”

– A report from Canada’s National Post on the disintegration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The Gospel Song — an Animation

Posted on August 26, 2010 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on The Gospel Song — an Animation

At Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin shares an animated video by Chris Powers – based on Sovereign Grace’s ‘The Gospel Song’, and some words from John Piper.

(The song is also available on that page as a free download.)

‘African bishops say Anglicans in West strayed from God’

Posted on August 25, 2010 
Filed under News Comments Off on ‘African bishops say Anglicans in West strayed from God’

“The Anglican church in the West no longer adheres to the word of God, African bishops said Tuesday at a continental conference [at Entebbe] attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury. …

‘Today, the West is lacking obedience to the word of God,’ Reverend Ian Ernest of Mauritius, the head of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, told journalists…” – Report from The Nation, Kenya.

See also ‘Archbishop Duncan Joins Leaders at All Africa Bishops Conference’.

‘The heresy of Oakeshott’s hero’

Posted on August 25, 2010 
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on ‘The heresy of Oakeshott’s hero’

“Your story says Peter Cameron was found guilty of heresy for supporting the ordination of women (”Uncompromising heretic caught in the national spotlight”, August 24). This is untrue.

I quote from the press release at the time… ‘The matters at issue in the judicial process have related to Dr Cameron’s view of the Bible and its authority…’”

– In today’s Sydney Morning Herald, two letters respond to yesterday’s story about the independent MP Rob Oakeshott. On the Letters page – near the bottom.

(Photo: Rob Oakeshott.)

Scottish Episcopal Church goes for inclusive language

Posted on August 24, 2010 
Filed under News Comments Off on Scottish Episcopal Church goes for inclusive language

“The Scottish Episcopal Church’s College of Bishops has approved inclusive language prayers, authorising optional changes that remove ‘Lord’, ‘He’, ‘his’, ‘him’, and ‘us men’ from its 1982 Eucharistic Liturgy…”

– George Conger reports for The Church of England Newspaper.

(Photo: Scottish Episcopal Church College of Bishops celebrate the Eucharist at this year’s Synod.)

Why aren’t ‘Emerging Adults’ emerging as Adults?

Posted on August 24, 2010 
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on Why aren’t ‘Emerging Adults’ emerging as Adults?

Albert Mohler writes about a significant shift in US culture (it’s also happening in Australia).

Related: The Spirituality of Emerging Adults.

Tasmanian Anglican August 2010

Posted on August 24, 2010 
Filed under News Comments Off on Tasmanian Anglican August 2010

The latest edition of Tasmanian Anglican (August 2010) is now available from  the Diocese of Tasmania. Use it as a reminder to pray for Christ’s church in Tasmania.

The Gospel for those broken by the Church

Posted on August 23, 2010 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on The Gospel for those broken by the Church

This talk by Dr. Rod Rosenbladt (known to many through The White Horse Inn broadcast) on the topic ‘The Gospel for those broken by the Church’ is well worth your time.

It runs for 50 minutes and is available from New Reformation Press (direct link to 36MB mp3 file).

“For all of you who have been given morality lessons instead of the Gospel, hear how Dr. Rod Rosenbladt succinctly presents Christianity as first and foremost a genuine truth claim about Christ as our righteous substitute, instead of a never ending list of popular religious recipes for personal success.”

(Photo: Bryan Johnson.)

The Castle on King

Posted on August 21, 2010 
Filed under News Comments Off on The Castle on King

Need to lighten up after the election? Enjoy this video from the recent Moore College Review. It’s a parody of the Australian film The Castle.

Trivia served up for the twittering classes

Posted on August 20, 2010 
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on Trivia served up for the twittering classes

“Saturday night will be the first election in 33 years that I won’t be behind a microphone for an election coverage. For the first time, I’ll experience an election party and probably turn to the internet for updates…”

– Russell Powell has some reflections on the coverage of the election campaign in his weekly roundup at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Also, don’t forget the resources for comparing policy statements at Australia Votes from the Australian Christian Lobby.

Anglican Church is broken, says Orombi

Posted on August 20, 2010 
Filed under News Comments Off on Anglican Church is broken, says Orombi

“The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi, yesterday said the Anglican Church today faces many challenges which have made it dysfunctional.

‘What I can tell you is that the Anglican Church is very broken,’ Bishop Orombi said. ‘It… has been torn at its deepest level, and it is a very dysfunctional family of the provincial churches.…’

Speaking at the opening of a three-day provincial Assembly in Mukono, the head of the Church of Uganda noted that the church has lost credibility…”

– from a brief report in Uganda’s Daily Monitor. (Photo Stephen Otage.)

Vancouver churches ordered to pay court costs

Posted on August 17, 2010 
Filed under News Comments Off on Vancouver churches ordered to pay court costs

“St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Abbotsford and three Vancouver parishes have been ordered to pay about $120,000 in court costs to the Diocese of New Westminster.

Justice Stephen Kelleher issued the ruling in the Supreme Court of B.C., as part of an ongoing case involving a battle over same-sex blessings. … In addition to ruling that the churches pay costs to the diocese, Kelleher directed St. Matthew’s Church to permit one service a week by a priest chosen by diocese Bishop Michael Ingham. …

Also included in the legal battle are St. John’s Shaugnessy, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and St. Matthias and St. Luke’s – all based in Vancouver.”

– Story from the Abbotsford News via Anglican Essentials Canada.

← Previous Page — Next Page →