Canadian General Synod meets

Posted on June 5, 2010 
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Anglican Network in Canada member, David Jenkins, reports on the ACC General Synod for the National Post –

“The Church is trying to maintain a delicate balance: on the one hand it has been apparent for well over a decade that the intent of the Anglican leadership is to convince Canadian Anglicans that same-sex attraction is God-given and, therefore, active same-sex partnerships are holy and entirely consistent with Christian principles. On the other hand, there are over 60 million Anglicans that don’t agree and want Anglican provinces like Canada and the U.S. booted out of the Anglican club. It looks as if the finesse that will be attempted at this synod is to squash motions that would publically commit the whole Canadian church to the blessing of same sex unions.

Instead, synod will push for the local option: dioceses and churches that want to proceed can do so – the decision will be delegated down. Even the most naive will be able to see through this ruse, of course: get those who work for you to make the tough decisions so you can’t be held accountable…”

– At The National Post.

(The Saturday session began with several minutes of ball throwing activities. Participants were also given tennis balls, elastic bands and other equipment for ‘community-building’ exercises. You can watch the sessions live here.)

Updated Desiring God website

Posted on June 5, 2010 
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Desiring God has unveiled the public beta of their new website.

See it here.

Leadership: Casting the Right Vision

Posted on June 5, 2010 
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In some Christian circles at the moment there is quite a deal of talk about leadership and vision. It is the language of international politics with aspiring Prime Ministers and Presidents seeking to position themselves as genuine leaders with expansive (and yet still economically responsible) vision. As so often happens, churches then echo the concerns and the rhetoric of the community at large.   Read more

Gifted Individualism is not Leadership — Church Record editorial

Posted on June 5, 2010 
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Editorial from the June 2010 Australian Church Record –

One of the great privileges of being part of the Lord’s people is rubbing shoulders with so many gifted people. Paul’s image of ‘the body’ (1 Corinthians 12) displays such a beautiful picture of the organic unity that exists amongst God’s people. Here we find the Spirit of God has baptised all of us into the body-life of the congregation, and God has richly gifted his people. This is so that the body-life can function well, with security and stability, thus promoting the movement towards ‘growing up into the head (Christ)’, our ultimate maturity (Ephesians 4).

At least two factors in the last half-century have placed ‘giftedness’ firmly on the agenda, especially when it comes to discussions of ‘leadership’. The first is within ‘Christian culture’, namely, the influence of neo-pentecostalism. This has made it almost axiomatic for Christians to wonder about the gifts the Spirit may have distributed to them. The second (and related) factor comes from general culture, namely, the so-called ‘sixties revolution’, a phenomenon which simmered across the decade, came to a head in 1968, and then continued to bring massive cultural transformation across the seventies and beyond.   Read more

Resources from the PCQ

Posted on June 4, 2010 
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The Presbyterian Church of Queensland has a useful collection of resources – both audio and PDF files.

Among them is a challenging talk by Dr. Bruce Winter on ‘Paul’s Worldview expressed to the Corinthians’. (Part 1 – part 2 not online.)

Worth checking out.

‘The Spirit seems to be saying…’ — Schori

Posted on June 3, 2010 
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Katharine Jefferts Schori has released a ‘pastoral letter’, in which she refers to Archbishop Rowan Williams’ Pentecost letter:

“We live in great concern that colonial attitudes continue, particularly in attempts to impose a single understanding across widely varying contexts and cultures. … As Episcopalians, we note the troubling push toward centralized authority exemplified in many of the statements of the recent Pentecost letter…”

– Her letter is available here.

And Joe Carter at First Things writes –

“I realize I may be expressing latent colonialist tendencies and committing spiritual violence by imposing a singular understanding of basic logic on Bishop Schori, but it appears that she is forcing us to choose between two alternatives…” Read here.

Help for Paraburdoo/Tom Price?

Posted on June 3, 2010 
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Bishop of North West Australia, David Mulready, writes to say that the Parish of Paraburdoo/Tom Price will be vacant from January 2011.

“I would love to hear from anyone who might be interested in the possibility of serving in this Parish, supported by BCA. A profile on the Parish will be available soon.”

Disorganised Doubt

Posted on June 2, 2010 
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Charles Raven:

“It seemed to me that pretty much all that needed to be said about Rowan Williams’  Pentecost letter ‘Renewal in the Spirit’  had been said, with general agreement that his rebuke of the American Episcopal Church for proceeding with the consecration of Mary Glasspool was little more than a token gesture. Although his admission that the Communion has not ‘found a way of shaping our consciences and convictions as a worldwide body’ was surprisingly frank, he had nothing new to offer for the future beyond a plea for diversity and ‘mutual exploration’ within the framework of the now widely discredited Covenant process.

Yet when I heard the first of this years’ BBC Radio 4 Reith lectures by the eminent cosmologist and astrophysicist Professor Martin Rees, his description of the scientific enterprise as ‘organised doubt’ set in motion a train of thought which led me to think that the term ‘disorganised doubt’ could shed some light on why Dr Williams and the other ‘instruments of unity’ are incapable of restoring coherence to an increasingly disordered Communion…”

– read it all at SPREAD.

John Woodhouse on 1 Samuel at Christ the Center

Posted on June 2, 2010 
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Recently Moore College Principal John Woodhouse was interviewed on 1 Samuel for the Christ the Center programme.

It’s at 21MB download – see the small [»] play and [?] download links at the top of this page. Variable audio quality, but well worth hearing.

“Any faithful exposition of God’s word will proclaim Chrust.”

(h/t Faith by hearing.)

Girls Gone Wise: reviewed

Posted on June 1, 2010 
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“I read a lot of books targeted for Christian women. Many, if not most of them, will include a token mention of the gospel: a page and a half (if that) ABC explanation followed by “Pray this short prayer and you’re in the family of God.” Blech!

I counted two separate times in which Kassian explains the gospel, not as “by the way, here’s what Jesus did for you,” but within the context of the chapter. She begins with the holiness of God and ends with repentance and faith. Yes, she actually describes repentance. She even differentiates justification and sanctification. Folks, I just don’t see much of that in books written by women for women, and I appreciate it when I do.”

– Leslie Wiggins reviews Mary Kassian’s Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild – at Discerning Reader.

June 2010 Australian Church Record online

Posted on May 30, 2010 
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The June 2010 edition (number 1899) of The Australian Church Record is now online – it’s a 1MB download.

Articles include: ‘On the Lookout for a New Archbishop? Seven Imperatives to start the Shopping List’.

Some thoughts for Trinity Sunday

Posted on May 30, 2010 
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“In the Church of England’s calendar, today is Trinity Sunday, but time was when the Church of England seemed to become a bit embarrassed about this.

Indeed the calendar was re-written so that Sundays after Trinity, which run from now until the run-up to Christmas became Sundays after Pentecost. Pentecost seemed much more in keeping with the new mood of the Church. Pentecost was about experience — present experience of the Spirit in the life of the Church and the believer. Trinity seemed to be about an obscure doctrine rooted in the Church’s past…”

– John Richardson writes.

‘Archbishop of Canterbury imposes first sanctions’

Posted on May 29, 2010 
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“Dr Rowan Williams announced that areas which had ignored ‘pleading’ for restraint would be banned from attending inter-faith dialogue events and prevented from voting on a key body on doctrine. …

But the move will also hit orthodox provinces in the developing world – known as the Global South…”

– from The (UK) Telegraph.

Related: Archbishop of Canterbury’s Pentecost letter to the Anglican Communion.

Diocese of Tasmania Synod now on

Posted on May 28, 2010 
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The first ordinary session of the 51st  Synod of the Missionary Diocese of Tasmania is now meeting (28-30 May 2010) and members would doubtless value your prayers as they discuss how to reach Tasmanians for Christ.

Business papers are available on the diocesan website.

Christ Centred Communion – further thoughts (part V)

Posted on May 28, 2010 
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“…in all future Passover meal celebrations, the disciples could do nothing other than see in such meals remembrance events that focussed on the death of Jesus rather than on the Exodus event.”
– Barry Newman recaps on his earlier posts on Christ Centred Communion.

Barry’s blog is very helpful in encouraging readers to think about the meaning of Scripture.

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