Preparing for General Synod, I had the blessing of reading Vaughan Roberts’ recent article in Churchman (Spring 2014) on “J.C.Ryle: Evangelical Churchman”*.
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Monthly Archives: June 2014
Drive away and promote – General Synod 2014 Blog 1
Pastoral Ministry, Sola Panel
As a rep at the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia commencing this week, I’m thinking of two key promises I made at my ordination to the ‘priesthood’ (i.e. presbyterate = ‘eldership’) in the Anglican Church almost two decades ago. (more…)
WSB authors welcome print version
Following its publication as an ebook in early May 2014, we are delighted that Women, Sermons and the Bible (WSB) will soon be available in a print version (available from Matthias Media in August). (more…)
God made me this way
Life
The nature/nurture debate is as endless as the determinist/freedom dispute.
The safe position to adopt combines both nature and nurture. Yet that doesn’t end the debate; it simply moves the discussion onto the character of the combination.
Scientific research will not bring a resolution. Not simply because the question is large and complex and the research is narrow and detailed, but because the reason for the debate is the implications of its outcomes. (more…)
Help us help people read Christian books
Resource Talk
“I still believe that sitting down and reading a book is the best way to really learn something. And I worry that we’re losing that.”
When the executive chairman of Google (Eric Schmidt) says this, it’s worth asking: what are we losing as Christians if we don’t read books any more? (more…)
Priceless treasure in cardboard cups
Pastoral Ministry
‘Ministry’ can be a very vague and unstructured idea. The joke that clergy work only one day a week is untrue, but it’s not immediately obvious what they do the rest of the time—are they some kind of spiritual social workers (as the confused mother of my best school friend asked when I quit university to become an Anglican minister)? It’s not really any clearer for those who attend church but are not in paid positions of leadership there. What does ‘ministry’ look like? Lots of coffee (preferably espresso)? Serving on endless rosters? Church politics? (more…)
A Bible for Muslims
Everyday Ministry
Do we simply share the gospel? Not really.
We present the gospel in a way that is understandable to the person we are speaking to; we take their background understanding about God into account. In the book of Acts we see the apostle Paul do this. To the Jews he presented Jesus as the fulfilment of the promises God made through the prophets. To the Gentiles he proclaims that God is the creator, idols do not represent him, and that his true representative is Jesus who he raised from the dead. (more…)
Revelation 5:9-10
Bible 101
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed
Feeling God?
Thought
Do you ever wonder if there’s something more to the Christian life? Maybe you’ve heard of or know people who tell you about having some sort of amazing God-experience—whether it’s been intense feelings of peace and joy, some kind of ecstatic excitement, maybe even visions or voices—and you wonder if you’re missing out. You hear about these things and you think to yourself “I want more”. (more…)