Will there be a ban on sports betting ads?
Posted on August 28, 2023
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“Long-time campaigner for poker machine reform, the Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant, has welcomed the Federal parliamentary report that recommends a ban on online gambling advertising within three years. …”
– Russell Powell reports at SydneyAnglicans.net.
The Death of Church and Pub
Posted on August 27, 2023
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“My annual trip to my home village in England is typically a week when I enter the land that time forgot. Nothing much changes. The shop still sells newspapers and houses the local post office. The view across the valley from my mother’s cottage still reveals nothing—not even a street light or a power cable—that would indicate it has a point of origin in the last century and a half. And the Baptist chapel bell still strikes the hour ten minutes late.
But even in this land where nothing seems to change, some things do bear the unmistakable marks of late modernity. …”
– At First Things, Carl Trueman sees the disintegration of community, and a tremendous opportunity for the church (maybe your church!).
Image: Crossway.
Does NSW really need to ban gay conversion therapy?
Posted on August 26, 2023
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“The Australian state of New South Wales is about to launch into a debate over ‘conversion therapy’. …
Loose talk about ‘conversion practices’ conjures up electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs, exorcisms, ice baths, aversion therapy and so on. There is no evidence of such practices having occurred in Australia for decades. A bill banning them is like a bill banning cruelty to unicorns. …”
– Michael Cook, Editor of Mercator, writes this opinion piece. (Link thanks to Anglican Mainstream.)
Importantly, see also:
Contact your MP – an initiative of Freedom for Faith:
“NSW government just released proposals to ban so-called conversion practices …
Leading up to the election, the Labor Party promised that they only intend to ban damaging practices, without banning prayer, preaching, and spiritual guidance rooted in deeply-held beliefs about gender and sexuality.
“We’re not just going to transpose the Victorian legislation and implement it into New South Wales…. Taking offence at the teachings of a religious leader will not be banned. Expressing a religious belief through sermon will not be banned. And an individual, at their own consent, seeking guidance through prayer will not be banned either.”
– Chris Minns (NSW Premier)
But the proposal, which was developed by the Department of Communities and Justice, is effectively borrowed from Victoria which bans –
• Prayer
• Preaching
ª Counselling
… and any activity that is vaguely deemed as changing or suppressing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Parents, pastors, teachers, counsellors, chaplains, youth leaders could face criminal charges under the proposed law.
The government plans to introduce the legislation by this November. If we do not take action now, we risk allowing our fundamental rights to slip through our fingers.
Imagine a world where parents are afraid to have open conversations with their children, where pastors and teachers fear criminal charges for expressing their deeply-held beliefs, and where our religious communities are silenced by vague and overreaching laws.
The time to speak up is NOW.”
From my study to yours’ — Dick Lucas on Luke 14:16-24 — The great supper
Posted on August 26, 2023
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At his kitchen table, Dick Lucas has been continuing to record reflections on Bible passages, and all are worth hearing and pondering.
“Dick Lucas was Rector of St Helen’s Church from 1961–1998. He was instrumental in the establishment and growth of St Helen’s Bible teaching ministry. Dick continues to speak at various conferences and church gatherings. He has also been at work recording new material. His ‘From my study to yours’ audio recordings are aimed at helping people study and teach the Bible.”
Recently he turned to Luke 14:16-24.
“This parable is both sobering and unsettling. It strikes a tragic note. A personal invitation to attend a great banquet is sent out to many, but all decline. Their places are taken by ‘unworthy’ substitutes. Here, Dick reflects on the work of the evangelist in the light of this tale.”
– Listen here at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate. 11 minutes.
Do not be afraid! — Encouragement from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
Posted on August 25, 2023
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Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel has recorded this message of encouragement for church members.
Watch here on Vimeo – or on YouTube.
North West Network September 2023
Posted on August 24, 2023
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The September 2023 edition of North West Network has been published by the Diocese of Northwest Australia.
Improving our church’s public Bible reading – with Simon Camilleri
Posted on August 23, 2023
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At The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steel speaks with Simon Camilleri:
“We put lots of emphasis and training into becoming better teachers. But how can we improve the clarity, comprehension, conviction and confidence in public reading?
Bad public Bible reading is too soft, too fast, with mispronunciations, lack of preparation, bad pausing, emotionless, lacking understanding of the text, monotone and mono speed.
Good public Bible reading is faithful to text, without errors, understands context, has good eye contact, articulation, conviction, flow.”
Very helpful – and ideal to share with Bible readers and others involved in public ministry.
Also see Simon’s website – publicbiblereading.com
Be careful how you build
Posted on August 23, 2023
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Andrew Heard spoke from 1 Corinthians 3 at Moore College chapel yesterday on being careful how you build.
Most encouraging and challenging – for theological students and pastors in particular.
– Watch here.
The Bible Abhors Domestic Abuse
Posted on August 22, 2023
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“I’ve appreciated the insights shared on the difficult topic of domestic violence by advocates, police, practitioners, counsellors, chaplains, doctors and especially victim-survivors over the years. …”
– With a revised Domestic Abuse Policy and Guidelines to be discussed at Synod next month, Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant reminds everyone that the Bible abhors domestic abuse. At SydneyAnglicans.net.
Book review — Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation
Posted on August 22, 2023
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“This is the best book I’ve read this year. Once I picked it up, I struggled to put it down and went through it front-to-back in three days. It is not a biography in the traditional sense. It does chart aspects of Tim and Cathy’s story but is more interested in tracing the formative influences that shaped their lives and ministry. …”
– At Church Society’s blog, Martin Salter reviews Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen.
From Campus Talks to Bookshelf: Reviewing “The Coming of the Holy Spirit”
Posted on August 21, 2023
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“I think the highest compliment I can pay Phillip Jensen’s The Coming of the Holy Spirit is to say that I found it pretty much what I was expecting because the author had already convinced me of it at an AFES national conference in 1992.
I can’t remember a lot of talks from my university years, but I can remember that series very clearly…”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Andrew Moody hopes that Phillip Jensen’s book will be widely read.
It’s available from Matthias Media.
“Lord, have Mercy” — new song from Emu Music
Posted on August 21, 2023
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Emu Music have released a new single, “Lord, Have Mercy”.
– Listen here.
Vilification claims based on critique of drag queens event dismissed
Posted on August 20, 2023
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“The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, in its decision yesterday in Valkyrie and Hill v Shelton [2023] QCAT 302 (18 August 2023), has dismissed claims of vilification based on sexual orientation or gender identity, made against conservative commentator Lyle Shelton. …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster looks at one decision affirming free speech.
Getting to know CityAlight
Posted on August 20, 2023
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Recently, Sol Fenne, Music Coordinator at 20schemes music in Scotland, spent some time with Rich Vassallo to get to know CityAlight, a music ministry which has blessed many people – at St. Paul’s Castle Hill, across Sydney, and right around the world.
A most encouraging video and a great reminder to pray for the team of CityAlight.
Nungalinya College celebrates 50 years
Posted on August 19, 2023
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Today (Saturday 19th August), Nungalinya College in Darwin celebrates fifty years of working to empower Indigenous Christians for a life of faith and service.
“Nungalinya is the premier Combined Churches Training College for Indigenous Australians. The College is formally supported by the Anglican, Uniting and Catholic churches of the Northern Territory and is situated in Casuarina, a northern suburb of Darwin.”
– There’s an outline of today’s events on the College website.
A new film, Freedom: The Nungalinya Jubilee Story will be shown at the event. Here’s a very encouraging teaser (Facebook).
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…