The Calculus of Christianity — breakfast seminar Oct 30
Posted on October 8, 2024
Filed under Resources Comments Off on The Calculus of Christianity — breakfast seminar Oct 30
“For those who are in or can make it to Newcastle, I am speaking at a breakfast seminar on Wednesday Oct 30 (7:30-8:30 am) in the Newcastle CBD (Nuspace, the Uni city campus) x703. The topic is ‘The Calculus of Christianity’! Here is what it is about:
Both professionally and personally, we are constantly making calculations around risk. What would happen if we were to extend those calculations to the claims of Jesus Christ? Join us at our next Newcastle City Legal as Torts Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Neil Foster uses Wyong Shire Council v Shirt to do just that.
What would a “reasonable person” (for local purposes, the user of the Newcastle Light Rail!) make of the claims of Jesus, and how should they respond?
All welcome, but would be especially good to see local lawyers and anyone else interested in the law!”
– Assoc. Prof. Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia.
Sounds intriguing. See this link to register.
A Day of Infamy for Israel and the Civilised World
Posted on October 7, 2024
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion, World news Comments Off on A Day of Infamy for Israel and the Civilised World
In his The Briefing broadcast for Monday 7th October 2024, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Dr. Albert Mohler comments on what the year since the attacks on Israel has revealed.
– Listen here.
More World news you might not have seen
Posted on October 7, 2024
Filed under World news Comments Off on More World news you might not have seen
AP, the Presbyterian Church of Australia’s national online journal, regularly publishes brief items of world news you likely won’t see in the mainstream media.
From their latest summary (06 October 2024), for your information and your prayers:
“It’s now a year since the brutal Islamist atrocity that ignited the Middle East, the plight of our Christian brothers and sisters continues to worsen. In just the past few weeks the ongoing conflict has spilled over into Lebanon like never before. Christians (around a third of the population) are among the many Lebanese people who do not support the Hezbollah terrorist group. ‘We consider them the oppressors,’ said our project partner.
Some Christians have been forced to flee to the north, where IDPs Camps in some areas of the north are run by Hezbollah …
Please pray for Mojdeh Falahi, a Christian convert from Islam who was arrested on 9 September and at the time of writing was still being held in a detention centre run by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence …”
Bishop Jack Iker — ‘Lion of Fort Worth’
Posted on October 7, 2024
Filed under ACNA, People Comments Off on Bishop Jack Iker — ‘Lion of Fort Worth’
Bishop Jack Iker at GAFCON 2008 in Jerusalem.
“The Rev. Rt. Jack Iker, also known as the ‘lion of Fort Worth,’ died Oct. 5 at the age of 75. …
Iker became the third bishop to serve the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth on Jan. 1, 1995. …
On Nov. 13, 2008, after 13 years in the role, Iker left the Episcopal Church. He became the face of the split within the local diocese that made Fort Worth a focal point in the widening national schism among Episcopalians with opposing viewpoints on ordaining women and gay priests and blessing same-sex unions. …”
– from The Fort Worth Report.
In 2008, Bishop Iker clarified the issues during his address to the Fort Worth diocesan convention:
“‘Contending for the Faith’ is the theme of this year’s Diocesan Convention, and it aptly describes what lies at the heart of the controversy that surrounds us.
Others have argued that it is a matter of contending for property, or contending for the authority of The Episcopal Church over us, or contending for homosexual rights in the church. But these are simply some of the side issues confronting us.
The real issue is the faith. We are taking a stand for the historic faith and practice of the Bible, as we have received them, and against the continuing erosion of that faith by TEC. This Diocese stands for orthodox Christianity. TEC stands for a revisionist and compromised version of what the Church has always taught. …”
See also many previous posts on our website.
A Moderate Argument for Paper Bulletins
Posted on October 7, 2024
Filed under Opinion, Resources Comments Off on A Moderate Argument for Paper Bulletins
“For many, the idea of paper bulletins in church is archaic. …. Yet the mediums we choose can shape our worship in subtle ways.
Here are six reasons paper bulletins, while far from essential, are useful in corporate worship.
It’s been well-documented that reading something on a page rather than a screen encourages clarity of thought and greater comprehension. When we hold a book (or bulletin) in our hands, it engages more of the senses and helps us remember what we read or sing. …”
– At 9Marks, Mike McGregor suggests some advantages in taking a step back to printed church bulletins and orders of service.
Church Society’s St Antholin Lecture 2024 set for 7th November
Posted on October 6, 2024
Filed under History Comments Off on Church Society’s St Antholin Lecture 2024 set for 7th November
“This year’s St Antholin Lecture on Puritan Divinity will be delivered live on the Church Society Facebook page by Dr Rachel Ciano, who is the Dean of Academic Development at Mary Andrews College and lecturer in Christianity in History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College in Australia.
Recently, she was a 2023 Anglican Deaconess Ministries Senior Fellow. She speaks locally and internationally on the intersection between history, theology, and everyday life. Her research and publications are wide-ranging and particularly focus on the sixteenth-century Reformation period.
The subject of this year’s lecture is ‘Evangelicals before Evangelicalism: The use of evangelical in the early English Reformation.’ This is a fascinating topic on how the much-disputed word evangelical first came to be used by enemies of the Reformation, and Dr Ciano will explore what it meant and implied during this formative period in our history. Can you guess who was the first English person to describe people as evangelical? …”
Who am I? The search for identity
Posted on October 5, 2024
Filed under Moore College, Resources, Theology Comments Off on Who am I? The search for identity
At Moore College on Wednesday, 23 October 2024:
“Our culture is obsessed with identity: we’re often told, ‘You do you’ and encouraged to live according to our ‘true and authentic self’, expressing publicly how we feel about ourselves internally.
However, the very concept of personal identity is inherently slippery. It encompasses things like ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, religion, belief, educational background, profession and personality, but it’s not fixed: it can change through time, circumstance and even self-invention.
How should Christians regard identity? …”
Why so many new Anglican denominations?
Posted on October 4, 2024
Filed under GAFCON, GAFCON Australia Comments Off on Why so many new Anglican denominations?
“There are multiple Anglican denominations all over the world and even here in Australia – that is nothing new. For instance, have you ever heard of the Free Church of England in Australia, or the Anglican Independent Communion Australia or The Traditional Anglican Church in Australia? …
In March this year, I was in Rwanda for a meeting of the GAFCON primates’ council. In the room were church leaders, some recognised by both GAFCON and by Canterbury, together with another group of leaders whose churches are only recognised by GAFCON. …”
– Bishop Malcolm Richards answers the question of “Why so many new Anglican denominations?” – at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Image: SydneyAnglicans.net.
Rev Dr Dan Cole appointed as next Principal of Trinity Theological College, Perth
Posted on October 4, 2024
Filed under People Comments Off on Rev Dr Dan Cole appointed as next Principal of Trinity Theological College, Perth
“Trinity Theological College is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev Dr Dan Cole as the next Principal of the College. Dan, who currently serves at Trinity as Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Greek, will take over from Rev Dr Don West who has been Principal for 21 years. …”
– Good news from Perth. Read the full announcement here.
Books of the Reformation: a Sydney Rare Book Week event
Posted on October 4, 2024
Filed under History Comments Off on Books of the Reformation: a Sydney Rare Book Week event
“Printing played a pivotal role in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. The development of the printing press enabled the mass production of written materials, which made it possible to disseminate ideas and religious texts rapidly and widely throughout Europe. The easy access to printed materials allowed people to share theological ideas, which sparked a transformative era in European history.
Take a closer look at early editions of key Reformation texts in Moore Theological College Library with Moore College’s Principal Rev Dr Mark Thompson and Head of Church History Rev Dr Mark Earngey.
Due to its interactive nature, this event will not be livestreamed.”
– from Moore College.
Anglican Aid’s 2023-24 Annual Report
Posted on October 3, 2024
Filed under Resources, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Anglican Aid’s 2023-24 Annual Report
The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid recently published their 2023-24 Annual Report.
If you haven’t already seen it, download your copy here – food for your prayers and cause for thanksgiving.
The lessons Bluey can teach greedy developers and politicians about resurrecting the true Australian dream
Posted on October 2, 2024
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on The lessons Bluey can teach greedy developers and politicians about resurrecting the true Australian dream
“Australian politics is not family friendly – and it’s time the major parties woke up to this. …”
– At Sky News Australia, Kel Richards shares some thoughts after watching a popular kids TV show.
Parenting in God’s family
Posted on October 2, 2024
Filed under Encouragement, Resources Comments Off on Parenting in God’s family
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“What is Christian parenting? How do we do family Bible time well?
How can we prioritise church, even when it’s hard? Navigating social media with teens?
And how to parent teens who are doubting, drifting or deserting?
Parenting is joyous, magical, tiresome, boring, stressful and complicated.
Harriet Connor is editor of ‘Parenting in God’s family: Biblical wisdom for everyday issues.’. Kat Ashton Israel is a contributing author.”
A prayer for the Middle East
Posted on October 1, 2024
Filed under Sydney Diocese, World news Comments Off on A prayer for the Middle East
At SydneyAnglicans.net, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has posted this prayer which you could share, and use in your own prayers:
“Lord of the Nations,
We pray for the Middle East.
We pray for women, children and men who have been caught up in a war not of their own making. We pray for people separated, displaced from their homes and grieving the death of family, loved ones and neighbours. May they know your help, comfort and hope.
We pray for the release of those held hostage, for those impacted by rockets and missiles and for those traumatised and helpless. We pray for the restraint of evil, for peace and justice.
We pray especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon. Please preserve them in the knowledge and love of your Son. May they be ambassadors of reconciliation among their own people.
We pray for Australians trying to get home from the war zones. We pray for our neighbours, friends and fellow citizens here in Australia who are grieving, anxious and fearful for their loved ones in other places or themselves. Comfort and sustain then, may they know your peace and presence. Help all Australians to live in respect, harmony and peace with one another.
And banish from the leaders of the nations the spirit that makes for war. We ask it in the name of the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
1 October 2024.”
– from SydneyAnglicans.net, where you will also find a Downloadable PDF file to print and share.
Sovereign Grace Music Podcast with Colin Buchanan (part 1)
Posted on October 1, 2024
Filed under People Comments Off on Sovereign Grace Music Podcast with Colin Buchanan (part 1)
Sovereign Grace Music has just published Part 1 of an interview with Colin Buchanan for their Sound Plus Doctrine podcast.
“Colin Buchanan is widely known in Australia both as a country musician and a writer of Christian songs for kids. He is extremely funny and a joy to be around, but more importantly loves introducing children to the riches of God’s Word and the gospel through song. We had the opportunity to record two podcasts with him.
In this first episode, David and Bob talk to Colin about his history and how he got connected with Sovereign Grace Music.”
– Watch here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…