No blogging time

 

I’m off to Canberra for a week. No blogging for me (well – apart from one scheduled post tomorrow on why we should read the bible in church). 

Saturday night will be the 20th anniversary of the first ever Focal Point (the mid year conference of the FOCUS group. I remember being there hearing about the Death of Jesus and how it changes everything. So I’m much indebted to David & Fiona McDonald and their amazing team. Looking forward to catching up with old friends over the dinner.

 

John Calvin turns 500

One of the great joys of Moore College was reading through Calvin’s Institute’s. (A tip – don’t buy a cheap version or attempt to read online, the Battles translation is worth every cent) I’ve gone back to it many times. It is no accident that it has stood the test of time. There are plenty of online misrepresentations and caricatures of Calvin and so it is best to read for yourself. I’m proud to say how indebted I am to him.

His 500th will produce a sway of conferences and fetschcrifts and biographies.Tell us what you’re doing for his 500th (anyone growing a beard?)

Let me also commend to you Lee Gatiss’ great birthday edition of The Theologian which has these goodies:

Sing Calvin’s own hymn!

Three translations of the Reformer’s hymn for use by congregations (two of which are exclusive to The Theologian).

Calvin and the Gospel (mp3)

by Martin Foord

To celebrate the 500th Birthday of John Calvin we take a look at some key aspects of his life and teaching. Here Martin Foord examines Calvin’s view of the gospel itself, with some penetrating application for today’s preachers and theologians.

Ephesians 5 sermon (mp3)

Read by Lee Gatiss

Calvin’s sermon on Eph. 5:28-30 contains application to marriage and social action as well as reflections on union with Christ and the role of the Spirit.

Calvin & Preaching (mp3)

by Peter Adam

Peter Adam presents some tough challenges for our preaching from the Genevan Reformer.

Calvin and Drive-by Theology

by Mark Garcia

A look at Calvin’s doctrine of union with Christ and a warning against misrepresentating it in polemical “blog theology.”

Calvin and the English Reformation

by Augustus Toplady

Contrary to revisionist claims, Calvin had a huge influence when the Church of England was reformed.

Calvin on Communion

by Matthew Mason

What did the great Reformer teach concerning the Lord’s Supper? How is it less than a sacrifice and more than a memorial?

 

How successful churches lose urgency

Some of Jesus’ strongest words are directed against the church in Laodecia that says “I am rich, I have acquired wealth, and do not need a thing.” He wants to vomit them out of his mouth (Reveation 3.16). Apparent wealth or a great reputation (Revelation 3.1) don’t fool Jesus.

We need to heed this warning. If you think your church (or the Diocese) is strong and mighty – then watch out! There is a very real danger that historic successes can give rise to pride.

Historical success can be a threat to faithful ministry today. Churches with a good reputation, good growth, that are financial viable aren’t always as ‘hungry’ or prayerful as the newly started and very vulnerable plant.

Churches that have been succesful face these challenges:

• the larger size means more time is spent on internal coordination and management of internal ministries
• Christians will be attracted to join your church which can allow growth to happen without mission to the local community
• an internal focus can develop – decisions are made for the sake of the community already present rather than taking missionary steps to the unchurched community around the church

There is wisdom to be gained from business here. Most organisations fail. Those that do survive and grow are then threatened by their success. John Kotter claims success creates an inward focus which kills a sense of urgency:

Enterprises that grow over a sustained period of time are seen as successful. With success a “we knows best” culture easily develops. And why not? The evidence seems to suggest that managers and employees do know best. Over time, pride easily shifts to overconfidence of arrogance. When people think they have the answers and others don’t, they tend not to pay attention to those others – especially outsiders – because it seems like a waste of time…. success creates size, market power, and an entitlement culture, all of which in turn, create an inward focus, a lack of understanding of external reality, and a total lack of urgency to correct the problem

We should:

1. thank God for the way he has grown his church in the past,
2. come before Him in prayer
3. have a right sense of urgency to see old churches reformed and re-vitalised and new churches planted

This post will appear at sydneyanglicans.net on July 8, 2009

 

Peter Jensen speaks at London launch of FCA

The crisis in the worldwide Anglican communion continues. These are important days for us to think what it means to be Anglican. I didn’t grow up Anglican and really needed to examine 39 Articles very closely at college. What it means to be Anglican looks different between Canberra, Sydney, and the States. This isn’t a time to back away from the denomination but to graciously speak about the possibility of unity in truth, love and mission. That is what Peter Jensen is calling people to here:

The FCA exists to keep Anglicanism united, to enable those whose spiritual existence as Anglicans is threatened to remain Anglicans with integrity.

It exists to keep orthodox, biblical Anglicanism inside the fold at the highest level possible; to gather up the fragments, to unite them. It exists so that evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics and mere Anglicans can continue to be Anglicans without compromising Biblical truth. The question for you is: will you join us, will you help us keep our Communion one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

You can read a transcript of Peter’s address at Anglican Mainstream.
There is some press coverage from BBC News, Ruth Gledhill, and Times Online.

 

Marcus goes to Paris

Marcus is a member of the 6pm congregation at Barneyes. He is doing a videoblog of his short term European stint. Catch the first episode. About 4.15” in there is a great scene of Swine Flu inspectors on China East Air.

 

Coffee is the best thing about church?

Coffee is the best thing about 10 o’clock church

I was kind of hoping they might say the preaching was the best thing about morning church, or the quality kids program, or any number of other things. But they said the coffee was the best thing!

• It’s not because the coffee is the best you’ll get in Roseville (although its not the worst any more.)

• It’s because they realised that over coffee was where they were really connecting with people. This was the time they could get to know people, hear how their week was, make real connections.

• When you read the bible you keep coming across accounts of the early church sharing meals together. Eating together, drinking together, doing hospitality and life together – are vital ways for us to be healthy and growing

I hope you have great coffee at church. I hope church can be a place where you can grow in relationships with the other people. Some churches have coffee as you come in to church. What would you think of that?

 

Genesis 3 The Serpent

I’m preaching on Genesis 3 this Sunday at church.

In Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ my favourite scene is in the Garden of Gethsemene. A creepy white serpent is crushed underfoot by Jesus. I jumped like a little girl!  The scene isn’t actually in the Gospel accounts but is imaginatively taken from Genesis 3.15 where God tells the Serpent that a descendant of Eve will crush his head while he strikes his heel.

What about Romans 16.20 though: ” the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”? Is Paul still thinking of Isaiah 52.7 “How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news” which he quotes in Romans 10.15.

Genesis 3 is a tragic scene. Paradise lost. But the promise to crush the serpent is supposed to give us hope. God will not let his creation go. At the greatest cost he will save it.

 

7 lessons from the Moore College Church Planting Conference

7 things to take away from the Moore College Church Planting Conference:

1. A lot of guys think church planting is like the glory boys in the Olympics 100m final. The reality is more like that of a marathon runner limping in to a small crowd. We are sent not to start the race but to finish. (Dave Sheath, Founding Pastor of the Lakes Evangelical Church)
2. In thinking about structuring ministry teams, evangelicals go down the ‘office’ line (1 Timothy 3, Titus etc), charismatics go down the ‘gifts’ line (Acts, 1 Corinthians), but both miss the ‘fellow workers/brothers’ described in the end of Paul’s letters. Look there and you will see people without named gifts or offices who are gospel workers with Paul. Does this change the way we should structure our teams? (Steve Cree Southern Cross Presbyterian Church)
3. We have got to revitalise existing churches and plant more. The big middle chunk of our churches are not growing. The biggest factor is leadership. We need to support guys and get the right guys in the right places and the wrong guys out (Al Stewart soon to be ex bishop of Wollongong)
4. We need to do mercy ministry in a way that maintains the gospel. Preaching Christ needs to be strong and central but we need to ‘do good to all’ – this must be part of what we do (Justin Moffatt of York Street Anglican)
5. The more you are like people – the easier it is to join but the harder it is for them to hear. (Archie Poulos of Moore Theological College)
6. Build an expectation of change. New things reach new people. Change the service time and staffing to find new ways to reach people we’re actually not reaching at the moment. (Nigel Fortescue of Narremburn Cammeray Anglican Church)
7. It is God who grows the church, not the planter. Be faithful. Pray the very scary prayer that God will refine you as a leader – especially if your church grows quickly (Paul Dale, Church by the Bridge)

This post will appear at sydneyanglicans.net on July 1, 2009

 

Dry July

Dry July is a brilliant charity idea to raise money for cancer research by abstaining from alcohol for a month and getting sponsorships. Adam Spencer, who is doing Dry July, explained it to his breakfast audience like this:

…it’s not an evangelical/teatotaller / ‘I’m better than you’ kind of campaign

There was no malice in this. It was a throwaway line. It was part of a much longer conversation.

But what struck me was the easy shorthand description that equated evangelicals with ‘I’m better than you’. From time to time there are long and protracted theological debates about what it means to be evangelical and whether a better label is needed. I love the word ‘evangelical’ but I need to remember that some people hear that word and think ‘I’m better than you’.

Why would they think that? Maybe because too often we are like the Pharisaic older brother, not seeing the need for our own repentance and forgiveness. Maybe we’re like the Pharisee in the temple thanking God that we’re not like other men.

 

Vale Michael Jackson

I remember trying this at school the next day.