Unpacking the CofE’s plan to bless same sex couples
Posted on November 5, 2023
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From Christian Concern:
“The Church of England will shortly continue its muddle on marriage as the bishops intend to ‘commend’ prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.
Today’s Round the Table saw Tim, Andrea and Ben joined by Rev Dr Ian Paul to clear up the confusion and explain why this matters to Christians who go to other churches in England and beyond.
The Church of England has a disproportionate witness in our culture as the leaders speak – or fail to speak – of Jesus’ teaching to the wider culture.
And its orthodox doctrine on marriage also gives some legal protection to other Christians – if the Church of England gives in to the sexual revolution it will make things harder for all Christians.
Please pray, particularly ahead of the upcoming General Synod, that the faithful Christians would influence the church for good, so that the church would speak boldly of the goodness of God’s call for our lives as his redeemed, sanctified people.”
– With thanks to Anglican Mainstream for the link to the video.
Southern Cross magazine November – December 2023
Posted on November 4, 2023
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The latest issue of the Diocese of Sydney’s Southern Cross magazine for November – December 2023 is online. Download it here.
Printed copies will also be available in churches.
John Newton’s 1767 Diary
Posted on November 3, 2023
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“Some authors wait a long time to see their work reach publication. In Newton’s case, the wait for this one has been 256 years!
Rhys Bezzant, Dean of the Anglican Institute at Ridley College, comments: ‘1767 was a remarkable year in the life of John Newton, not least because he travelled extensively and subsequently moved into a new rectory. In his Diary of this year we learn about his aching soul, his busy schedule, his pastoral heart, and his prodigious correspondence. Here we meet no detached preacher elevated above his congregation, but someone who wrestled with the meaning of a text and engaged honestly with his parishioners concerning his own future in Olney…’
In 1767 John Newton kept a small pocket diary of the sort we might buy today, with one page for recording the week’s events and the opposite page for keeping a record of accounts. You would be excused for thinking that the transcript would be brief, but somehow this has morphed into an illustrated 72-page A4 edition, augmented with illustrations and illuminating footnotes, published by The John Newton Project. …”
– Marylynn Rouse at the John Newton Project in the UK has been working to open windows into the life and thinking of someone who has had a huge influence worldwide.
Read about it at AP, the national journal of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
The Diary for 1767 is available from johnnewton.org/shop.
See also:
Lord hast thou not a time for these poor benighted souls? – John Newton’s prayer for ‘poor benighted souls’ on the other side of the world.
Howard Guinness and the beginnings of evangelical university ministry in Australia
Posted on November 1, 2023
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At an event at Moore College on 1st November, Dr Ruth Lukabyo spoke on the legacy of Dr Howard Guinness –
“Dr Howard Guinness, of the well-known Irish brewing family, was sent to Australia in 1930 by Inter-Varsity Fellowship to develop Christian student groups on university campuses. His visit was the catalyst for the establishment of Sydney University and Melbourne University Evangelical Unions on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
During his later parish ministry in Broadway and Vaucluse, his ongoing involvement in EU missions has left a lasting legacy in university campus ministry.”
– The video is now available to watch. (At time of posting, the event begins 37 minutes and 30 seconds into the video, though the video might later be edited.)
At the end of Dr Lukabyo’s presentation, Mary Jones, Howard’s daughter, shares recollections of her father.
Related:
Defence Sunday — 5 November 2023
Posted on November 1, 2023
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Defence Anglicans has a video and some resources to help us pray for Defence Chaplains and those they serve.
This year, Defence Sunday can be observed on Sunday 5th or 12th of November.
Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, Grant Dibden, asks local churches to partner with the chaplains in prayer, and financially if possible.
Christians now seen as “extremists”?
Posted on October 31, 2023
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In his analysis of US politics, Albert Mohler points out that Bible-believing Christians are now viewed by some as extremists – he is speaking in his The Briefing for Tuesday 31 October 2023.
If interested you can see the relevant section of interview with the new US Speaker of the House here.
A heart issue and skill deficit – addressing deep problems in Mission and Maturity – with Andrew Heard
Posted on October 31, 2023
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“A few weeks ago on The Pastor’s Heart we talked with Zac Veron and Raj Gupta about issues confronting Sydney Anglicans.
The National Church Life Survey shows a drop in newcomers from 9% in 2011 to 5.4% in 2021 – a more than ten year trend of fewer people joining church.
Plus there’s been a 7.5% drop in attendance between 2015 and 2019.
But it’s not just the Sydney Anglicans that need a wake up call. It’s most of us in Australian Evangelicalism.
And if you are a senior pastor watching from around the world – it’s highly likely that there will be a massive overlap between your problems and our problems.
Andrew Heard leads the large and influential EV church on the Central Coast of New South Wales. He’s also the key person behind the influential Reach Australia movement. And is a leader in the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.”
– A wake-up call. Watch here.
What is Reformation Day?
Posted on October 30, 2023
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“A single event on a single day changed the world.
It was October 31, 1517. Brother Martin, a monk and a scholar, had struggled for years with his church, the church in Rome. He had been greatly disturbed by an unprecedented indulgence sale. The story has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Let’s meet the cast. …”
– At Ligonier Ministries, Stephen Nichols reminds us what it was about.
Howard and Dorothy Mowll – Global Anglican Pioneers
Posted on October 30, 2023
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Published recently by Latimer Publications in the UK, “Howard and Dorothy Mowll – Global Anglican Pioneers” is sure to be of interest to many.
From the Latimer Trust website:
“God’s blessing upon the Diocese of Sydney in the election of Howard Mowll as its sixth Diocesan Bishop in 1933 is clearly evident in these pages.
Despite the inadvertent loss of his personal papers, the authors of this fine anthology provide an insightful and informative account of the ministry of Archbishop Mowll across four continents. These scholarly chapters provide a rich tapestry of the outstanding leadership of Mowll not only in the Diocese of Sydney but throughout Australia and beyond. His zeal for a robust theological education, energetic evangelism and a vision for youth ministry made a formidable impact on Evangelical Anglicanism in Sydney.
This book is long overdue in celebrating the legacy of Howard Mowll, arguably the most significant and effective Archbishop of Sydney of the twentieth century.
Glenn N Davies, Archbishop of Sydney 2013-2021.”
The book has its origin in the 2021 Moore College Library Day and is edited by Erin Mollenhauer, Senior Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Moore College’s Donald Robinson Library.
It’s available direct from Latimer Trust – and also via these booksellers.
“Jesus has come to invade the realm of darkness”
Posted on October 29, 2023
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“Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has visited the Diocese’s newest Anglican building, Leppington Anglican Church, celebrating ministry to what has become known as the ‘new southwest’. …
The church’s opening was disrupted by COVID and the service was the first opportunity to mark the event. …”
– Leppington opens as ‘new SouthWest’ emerges.
Russell Powell writes of Hope Anglican Church at Leppington.
Embedded in the article is the video of the service, including an interview with the Archbishop, and his sermon. The Archbishop reminds us, “Jesus has come to invade the realm of darkness”.
New College Lectures 2023 with Chris Watkin
Posted on October 28, 2023
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The recent 2023 New College Lectures with Assoc. Professor Chris Watkin have now been made available on their YouTube channel.
The topic: A Christian Critical Theory?
See also:
Interrogating identity: From philosophical theories to Biblical wisdom – with Chris Watkin
The Wandering Bookseller is also having a sale this weekend
Posted on October 28, 2023
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The Wandering Bookseller has 25% off all stock this weekend (28-29 October 2023).
(Again, this is not a sponsored post, but we thought you might be interested.)
Thought Crimes
Posted on October 28, 2023
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“Footage obtained by ADF UK shows an officer employed by West Midlands Police issuing a fine to a Christian standing still and praying silently within an abortion facility ‘buffer zone’ in Birmingham on 18th October.
The praying individual in the footage was Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the volunteer who has already been vindicated twice for having committed no crime by silently praying inside a ‘buffer zone’. …”
– From ADF UK – link via Anglican Mainstream. The officer asks, “Are you here to pray?”
See also:
When Prayer is Illegal, Are We Free? – Glen Scrivener Reacts to Abortion Buffer Zones.
Tribute to Roger Beckwith
Posted on October 26, 2023
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“Latimer House’s warden from 1962 was an up-and-coming evangelical theologian, James I. Packer. His deputy from 1963 as Latimer House librarian was Roger Beckwith, a young church historian and liturgist.
An Oxford graduate, Beckwith had served his first curacy at St Peter’s, Harold Wood, in east London, a parish with a long evangelical history, followed by four years as tutor at Tyndale Hall, Bristol…”
– For the Latimer Trust, Andrew Atherstone has written this tribute to Roger Beckwith, who was called home last Saturday.
Matthias Media warehouse spring clean
Posted on October 26, 2023
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Matthias Media is having a “spring clean” sale for orders within Oz. Many books and tracts on special. Ends 31 October.
They’re not sponsoring this – we just thought you might like to know.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…