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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
Lenten pastoral letter
Bishop Don
Harvey, ANiC’s moderator has written a Lenten Pastoral letter to his Clergy and
their congregations. The letter is posted on ANiC’s website. In
his letter, Bishop Don urges us to focus on renewal, the “zeal we read about in
the Acts of the Apostles, when the new young church ‘turned the world upside
down’”. This renewal, he says, will take “place when we learn to ‘rend our
hearts and not our garments and return to the Lord our God’”. He recommends we
reread, slowly and prayerfully, the Penitential Service for Ash Wednesday (page 611 of
the 1962 Book of Common Prayer) and devote the 40 days of Lent to
prayer – corporately and individually.
Last
chance… Clergy retreat, March 29-31
Online
registration closes March 17! ANiC’s annual clergy retreat is March 29-31
at lovely Cedar Springs, WA, just across the border from Abbotsford, BC. The
speaker is the Venerable Michael
McKinnon, ANiC archdeacon for New England and rector of Holy Trinity, Marlborough,
MA. His topic will be “The transforming power of the Word of God”. Full
information is on the ANiC
website including the tentative
agenda.
Church
planting conferences head to Central Canada
After
two inspiring conferences in BC, ANiC’s regional church planting conferences are
heading east. There are open to both clergy and laity. Register now!
Japan
disaster relief
If you
wish to contribute to the disaster response in Japan, you may wish to channel
your donation through the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada (ARDFC). You
can donate online via CanadaHelps
or send your cheque to ARDFC, Box 1013, Burlington, ON, L7R 4L8. Please clearly
designate your donation for Japan relief work. Thanks! Those living south of
the 49th parallel may find it more tax-efficient to donate through the US-based ARDF.
ANiC
parish and clergy news
Church of the Epiphany & St Peter by the Park (Hamilton,
ON) are co-hosting a Palm Sunday parish family event, billed as a “time of fun,
food and fellowship”. The event will allow members of ACNA area churches to get
acquainted with each other and Bishop Don Harvey – as well as prepare for
Holy Week. ANiC and ACNA parishioners are invited. See the poster for details.
Date: April 17, 3pm
Location:
St
John United Church, 195 E 38 St, Hamilton
(where Church of the Epiphany meets)
All Saints (Rutland, VT) just
celebrated its 2nd anniversary as well as seven baptisms.
Emmaus (Montreal, QC) –
The Rev Keith Ganzer, who is currently serving at St John’s Vancouver, has been
appointed the next rector of Emmaus begin June 26. We pray God’s blessing on
both Keith and the people of Emmaus.
Welcome! Bishop Don has licenced the Rev James Bennett (Orillia, Ontario) as a priest in
ANiC.
Heading
south – ANiC’s three suffragan bishops – Bishops Stephen Leung, Charlie
Masters and Trevor Walters – will be in Pittsburgh March 16-17 for a
conference led by Archbishop Bob Duncan.
Calendar
of upcoming events – for your interest and prayer support
March 21-22
– Asian Mission
inaugural conference, Vancouver, BC
March 25-26
– ACNA’s Rekindling the Fire: Power in the Church Conference, Akron, Ohio
March 25-27
– ACiC renewal
mission in Vancouver
March 29-31 – ANiC’s 2011 clergy
retreat near Abbotsford, BC
April2–
Ottawa, ON church
planting workshop
April 6–
Burlington, ON church
planting workshop
April 7
– Calgary, AB – AEC’s “Transformational discipleship in the 21st Century”
conference
April 9,
10am-noon – Barrie, ON – Quiet morning for clergy and spouses at Celebration
Church
April 9,
2pm – Barrie, ON – Official launch of Celebration Church
April 12-14
– Gospel Coalition conference,
Chicago, Illinois
April 30–
Montreal, QC church
planting workshop
May 28–
Moncton, NB church
planting workshop
June (TBD)
– Marlborough, MA church
planting workshop
ANiC in
the news
Ottawa Citizen
– February 24 2011 – Conservative…
parishes formalize split from Ottawa diocese
On the front lines: Church plant and project
profile
Many ANiC
lay leaders, priests and even a bishop have taken up the Anglican1000 challenge
to share the Gospel in new ways and focus on mission and church planting. This
exciting and sometimes overwhelming vision has spurred on ANiC church planters –
lay and ordained alike – to work hard as they trail blaze, excited to see
what the Lord will do. With every newsletter we hope to offer a window into this
ministry. This time we profile the Church of St James in Lennoxville, QC.
Church
of St James, Lennoxville, Quebec
St James’ is entering week
number 11 since being accepted as an ANiC church plant led by the Rev Jess
Cantelon. After six years of ministering in Israel, Jess, Erica and their three
young boys moved to Lennoxville last fall to plant a church. Erica reports:
“It is
indeed a season of humble beginnings – and it couldn’t be more exciting!
The Lord brought us here step by unexpected step. He gives Jess a dream. A
little church plant seed begins to take root. A tiny sprout is beginning to
poke through, reaching for the light.
“We’re
been meeting in the beautiful Quebec House of Prayer since last fall. We didn’t
have an official launch; we simply started. Some Sundays, a couple young
families came; on other Sundays, Jess preached his sermon just to me. Now
attendance reaches up to 25 people.
“The
Lord is softening hearts. Some members of St James’, who have not attended a
church in eight or ten years, now come with a Bible tucked under their arms. Some
come wanting to give their tithe. Timid people pray during the intercessory
prayers. New immigrants with beautiful accents read the scriptures aloud. Most
of our members were not attending church prior to joining us at St James’.”
Pray
for us and all the young plants and projects of ANiC.
News
– Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
ACNA
parish St James (Newport Beach, CA) is back in court
According to
the Orange County Register, an ACNA Newport Beach church is back in
court seeking clarification on an earlier ruling. “St James Anglican Church in Newport Beach
went back before the state Supreme Court Tuesday in the latest chapter in its
long-running battle with the Episcopal Church.” The complex case has gone back
and forth between the trial judge, the state Supreme Court and the Court of
Appeal. St James would like the opportunity to introduce in evidence a 1991
letter written by its former Episcopal Church diocese in which the diocese
explicitly waived claim to the church property.
ACNA Diocese
of Pittsburgh offers to negotiate in good faith
In an open letter,
the ACNA diocese of Pittsburgh has offered guidelines for negotiations with the
Episcopal Church (TEC). The diocese has been locked in litigation with TEC, but
is now suggesting a way the two parties can work together to seek a negotiated
settlement. The letter recommends the negotiations be characterized by the principles
of mutual recognition, mutual forgiveness, and mutual blessing and release, and
that the negotiations seek by three goals:
Assure that all the parishes and each diocese can survive and thrive;
Enable us all to move past litigation and focus on our respective
missions;
Demonstrate our commitment to be at God’s best as we work to resolve our
differences, mindful of the public and private impact of our disagreements.
They ask that we join them in praying for fair and godly outcomes to the
negotiations.
Anglican1000
explored
In an
interview posted on VirtueOnline,
Anglican1000 staffer the Rev Daniel Adkinson discusses Anglican1000 – a
catalyst for the planting of churches in North America in response to our
primate’s challenge to plant 1000 new churches in five years. While a number of
ACNA church plants are not currently registered with Anglican1000, they do know
of 120 new works since 2009, with many more in the “pipeline”.
The Rev
Adkinson says, “…we are all humbled and excited about the momentum of this
movement. It feels like we have a tiger by the tail and we are just running to
keep up… This vision for missional Anglicanism has certainly caught hold of our
imaginations as the way forward. It is so encouraging to see our leaders
inspired by and working towards this new future instead of looking in their
rear view mirror and overly focusing on the past struggles.”
He also
talks about the recent Church Planting Summit attended by 350 leaders and church
planters. The keynote speakers “… both focused on how church planting finds its
moorings in the Mission of God - in the overall work of God as he reconciles
and restores. They looked at church planting as a vital part of participating
in this work with an emphasis on the Great Commission - focusing on those
disconnected from God, on proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples.”
ACNA
diocese elects two more bishops
The
Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) – a diocese of the ACNA and
a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria – has two new
bishops-elect. ACNA’s
announcement states: “Archbishop Robert Duncan of the
Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) had the pleasure today of announcing
the election of the Ven Julian Dobbs and the Rev’d Canon Dr Felix Orji as
suffragan bishops. These bishops-elect will serve the ACNA and its member
jurisdiction the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), which was
founded by the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.” Bishop-elect Orji once
served as an assistant priest at St John’s Vancouver before moving to a parish
in Texas.
More
ACNA news
Salem
News – March 7 2011 – Breakaway
Anglican church buys former Catholic property
Church
of England Newspaper – March 11 2011 – No break with
CANA, Church of Nigeria says
News
– Canada
ACA and
Anglican Essentials Calgary sponsor conference, April 7
The Anglican Communion Alliance and Anglican
Essentials Calgary are sponsoring a conference with Canon George
Kovoor on April 7 entitled “Transformational discipleship in the 21st century”.
The conference will be held at Entheos Retreat and Conference Centre (242032
Range Road, RR 40, Calgary, Alberta. Contact the Rev Jonathan Gibson to
register: Call 403-279-3105 ext 3 or email staugcal@aol.com.
Open
Communion debate surfaces
Writing in
the Anglican Journal, the Rev Dr Gary Nicolosi, of the Anglican
Church of Canada (ACoC), argues for open communion, seeing the Eucharist as
merely a family meal that should be welcoming of all visitors. However, ACoC doctrine
officially calls for only baptised church members to receive communion.
Dr
Nicolosi writes, “Do we
invite them to church for Sunday dinner and tell them they cannot eat the food?
...In Canada, a growing number of the population is not baptized. Included are
people from different religious traditions or people with no religious
affiliation at all… Open communion increasingly is seen as a way to build a
bridge between the church and the unchurched. If people are “spiritual but not
religious”… then the desire for transcendence experienced in sacramental
worship may well draw them to church… I term
this “experiential evangelism”…”
A National Post
story on the issue reports, “In an
interview, Rev. Nicolosi noted the Church is losing 13,000 members a year and
that those who remain now have an average age of 60. He estimates that just
500,000 Anglicans are left in Canada, down from 1.3 million only a few decades
ago.” However, the article continues, “Rev. Ephraim Radner, professor of historical
theology at Wycliffe College, an Anglican seminary in Toronto, rejects the idea
that changing 2,000 years of tradition will make the Anglican Church stronger. “The
Eucharist isn’t a welcoming exercise,” he said. “It is about Christ’s sacrifice
on the cross. It’s not a meal like any other meal.” The Rev Murray Henderson, a
rector in Toronto and a leader of the Anglican Communion Alliance (ACA) is also
quoted saying, “We need to have the courage to
convert people to Christ, to have some discipline, and then we can invite
people to the communion table. It’s not about a lack of hospitality, but asking
people to first make a commitment to Jesus.”
The AEC blog
spotted the Rev Dr Michael Pountney’s comments following this
National Post article in which he said “Would taking away yet another element
of what has made Anglicanism a powerful force over the centuries really improve
the brand image and attract more customers? Could they really put more
backsides in pews if they reduced further all distinctions of difference
between going to church on a Sunday morning and going to a community social
club? Can dilution and diminishment win the day? …It may be that the cause of
the disastrous decline in membership of the Anglican Church of Canada is that
– in its headlong rush to include every latest fad – it can no
longer promise anything; not even lively faith in a living God.”
The issue will apparently be discussed when the ACoC
House of Bishops meets in April.
The AEC blog
hosts a discussion on the issue.
News
– United States
Irony
of Anglican “dialogue” portrayed
An animated
video portrays a hypothetical conversation between an Episcopal
Church bishop and a Bible believing parishioner. The very short video deals
with “staying in relationship” despite disagreements over moral issues. However,
the bishop seems to think that Christian dialogue cannot include any reference
to Biblical admonition on the issues in question. The video would be funnier if
it weren’t so real.
News
– International
Prayers
for all those in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami
The Primate of the Anglican Church
in Japan, Archbishop Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu, issued a
statement on March 14th telling of the difficulty he has had
contacting bishops and churches in the devastated areas.
He says that, in Tohoku diocese, “There
is particular concern for two churches: Isoyama St Peter’s Church in Fukushima
Prefecture and KamaishiShinai Church and the kindergarten in Iwate that
were close to the sea. Priests have been frantically trying to confirm that
their parishioners are safe…[S]ome churches in Kita Kanto diocese have been
reported to have been damaged also. [In] Tohoku diocese the church is planning
to establish an emergency relief centre within the diocesan building… At a
Provincial level I am working to establish a structure for responding to this
unprecedented natural disaster as soon as possible. This will include providing
relief and sourcing volunteers and funding to help with the restoration of the
affected areas.
“Prayer has power. I hope and
request that you pray for the people who are affected, for those who have died
and for their families. Pray for the people involved with the rescue efforts,
and in particular pray for Tohoku and Kita Kanto dioceses and their priests and
parishioners during this time of Lent.”
A March 15 report from the Church in Japan says “there are no casualties among clergy”, however churches
have been damaged. The Anglican
Journal has a report as well. Another Anglican
Journal article provides insight into the Buddhist and Shinto
religions that dominate in Japan.
The
National Post has a short
poignant article entitled “Where is God in the wake of the world’s
misery?” It brings to mind 1 Cor 13:12 (ESV) “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,
even as I have been fully known.”
A prayer for Japan can be found on the
Desiring God website.
Understanding
Dr Williams’ theology – Recommended viewing!
Speaking
at a Mere Anglicanism conference in South Carolina, the Rev Charles Raven
discusses the Archbishop of Canterbury’s theology. In an interesting
address to the conference, he says that Dr Williams’ seems to
believe that God is largely unknowable; while God is real, we can’t say much
about Him with any degree of confidence. The best theology, according to Dr
Williams is “the noise of someone falling over things in the dark”.
The Rev
Raven also discusses the state of the Communion. He says that the problem with
Dr Williams’ focus on a process of ongoing dialogue tacitly reduces Anglican
ecclesiological identity to “our capacity to keep talking. In other words, it’s
conversational rather than confessional.” He then contrasts the hermeneutic of
Thomas Cranmer and Rowan Williams, saying Cranmer exhibited “hermeneutic
confidence” and “ecclesiological pessimism”, while Williams exhibits the
reverse. He says the Dr Williams “dialectical approach to truth” is “a deadly
experiment”. “The wages of ecclesial synthesis between the truth and the lie are
death.”
The Rev
Raven wrote a recently released book on Dr Williams’ theology called Shadow
Gospel.
Canterbury
writes the Primates
In a recent
letter to the Primates of the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan Williams, discusses January’s Primates meeting in Dublin. He
says, “The recent Primates’ Meeting in Dublin did not set out to offer a
solution to the ongoing challenges of mutual understanding and of the limits of
our diversity in the Communion… In recent years, many have appealed to the
Primates to resolve the problems of the Communion by taking decisive action to
enforce discipline on this or that Province… The unanimous judgement of those who
were present was that the Meeting should not see itself as a ‘supreme court’,
with canonical powers, but that it should nevertheless be profoundly and
regularly concerned with looking for ways of securing unity and building
relationships of trust.
A view
of the Communion from the ACI
The
Anglican Communion Institute (ACI) is coming to the view that the Communion is
broken. In an article
posted last month, Dr Phillip Turner writes, “…one is forced to
conclude that none of the supposed “Instruments of Communion” have been able to
address the divisions in the Communion in a satisfactory manner. This series of
failures has left the Anglican Communion with no effective means to sustain
unity among its autonomous provinces.”
He then
suggests that the orthodox majority Provinces are not united in their approach
to church unity – and that this division is also found among the orthodox
in North America. The two approaches, he labels: “relational” and “confessional”. ACNA, he says, takes a confessional approach while the ACI and Communion
Partners favour a relational approach.
Dr
Turner then chides the orthodox for focusing on “political wrangling” at the
expense of engaging in theological work on Communion ecclesiology (Church unity).
He says, “…those in dissent have, like their opponents, abandoned theological
work and given themselves to political strategies. They have failed to construct
a theological rudder to carry them through this storm, and as a result
resistance remains of a largely pragmatic rather than a thoroughly theological
sort.”
Around
the Communion and the globe
New Zealand – Searchers have not found any earthquake victims in Christchurch
Cathedral. They had expected to find up to 22 bodies. The Church of England Newspaper reports that: “A majority of the buildings in the city’s central commercial district
have been damaged and over 2,500 people have been reported injured in the
quake, and more than 160 of them in serious condition. Damage to the churches
of the Diocese of Christchurch has been severe, with 26 parishes reported as
being in “a bad way.” The rubble at the base of the cathedral’s spire was over
30 meters deep, rescue workers report, and progress in removing bodies from the
“broken heart” of Christchurch has been slowed by aftershocks.”
England – The BBC reports that 600 clergy and parishioners have left the Church of England for the Roman
Catholic Church’s Anglican Ordinariate. The Rev Ed Tomlinson told the BBC, “We couldn't
continue to be Christians in a normal sense when we were in a maverick Church
that kept changing the rules to appease the common culture.” Another
report places the number at 900.
Sudan – Samaritan’s Purse, a
relief and development agency founded by Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham,
has agreed to rebuild 34 Anglican churches in Wau Diocese, according to the diocesan
website. (Hat tip to VirtueOnline)
The ecumenical Sudan Council of
Churches has issued a statement detailing their growing alarm at the resurgence of violence in some states as
well as unresolved government and constitution issues. They ask for “the
international community to step up efforts in helping to address the most
urgent humanitarian needs of the suffering people, but likewise we urge our
governments… to fulfil their duties in providing security to all people.”
The Church of
England Newspaper also reports that the House of Bishops of the
Episcopal Church of the Sudan has issued a statement urging a speedy resolution
to border disputes “as well as finding an equitable solution to questions of
“citizenship, Sudan’s foreign debt, and oil.”’ The article provides excellent
insights, such as:
“The allocation of revenues from Sudan’s oil
fields has yet to be negotiated. Over 98 per cent of the south’s government
budget is funded by oil revenue and the reserves lie mainly in the south and in
the disputed border regions. However, all of the Sudan’s oil pipelines run
north, giving the Khartoum government the power to turn off the south’s income
spigot at will.
“Sudan’s $38 billion foreign debt, amassed by
Khartoum to fund the 1983-2005 civil war, divides north and south. The north is
seeking forgiveness of its debt from international lenders, but no accord has
been reached, while southern leaders object to having to pay for the costs of
the war waged against them.”
Egypt –
Violence against Christians seems to have increased since the populist
uprisings in February. Individual Christians and several monasteries have been
attacked. The Washington
Post reports that Muslim men attacked a group of Christians
protesting in Cairo the burning of a church near the city; 13 people died in
that one incident. There are also reports of imams calling for the killing of
all Christians. The Cranmer blog states that “Egypt’s 10 million Coptic Christians are being religiously
persecuted under the cloak of political chaos”. Compass
Direct News and Persecution.org have detailed accounts.
Eritrea – Barnabas Fund
reports that at least two Christians have died in prison due to
deplorable conditions and refusal of medical treatment. One had been imprisoned
after being caught reading her Bible in her bedroom. More than100 Christians
have been imprisoned already this year. It reports that “Thousands
of Christians are believed to be imprisoned without trial in Eritrea's
notorious detention system… Eritrea's Christians are among the most severely
persecuted in the world…” They are beaten, feed
little, deprived of water, and keep in such small cells that they can’t even
lie down to sleep.
Ethiopia – Persecution.org reports that Islamic mobs have burnt 69 churches, a Bible school, an orphanage and
30 homes of Christian leaders in attacks that killed one and seriously injured
scores of Christians in western Ethiopia. More than 10,000 Christians in this
predominantly Muslim region have been displaced by the violence. Another
report suggestions that war could soon engulf the Horn of Africa as
Iranian-backed al-Shabaab Muslim extremists seek control of the entire region.
Pakistan – Compass
Direct News reports that a Christian mother of seven who was
kidnapped last August, raped, beaten and chained to a tree, has been freed
after a daring raid in a dangerous, “no-go” region which is under the control
of Muslim extremists. She reported that there were about 10 other women held in
captivity with her – all of whom were severely abused for refusing forced
marriages to Muslims.
India –
The Church of
England Newspaper reports that more than 100,000 Christians from 45
denominations gathered in Mangalore for a rally to protest the lack of action
and justice in the face of repeated attacks on churches by Hindu extremists. Meanwhile, Compass
Direct News tell us that in Orissa state attacks on Christians by
Hindu extremists have resumed – with a reported 15 separate incidents in
the last three months. Attackers are emboldened by police inaction and are
destroying Christian’s churches, homes and crops, as well as severely beating
believers – including children.
South
Africa – VirtueOnline has a good article on the Rev Dhenis Stafford, an orthodox priest in a liberal
diocese who ran afoul of this bishop and had to resign his parish, St Michael’s
and All Angel’s in a suburb of Cape Town. The root of the problem seems to have
been the bishop’s jealousy over the church’s ambitious growth plans.
Libya –
The Church of
England Newspaper reports that the Archbishop of Cape Town is
calling for the South African government to condemn Col Muamar Gaddafi’s
violation of international humanitarian law. The African National Congress
(ANC) government in South Africa has close ties to the Libyan dictator, dating
back to his support for Nelson Mandela and the ANC. In 1999, Nelson Mandela
stated that South Africa “would never turn its back” on Gaddafi.
Other international headlines
Church
of England Newspaper – March 4 2011 – Central
African archbishop elected
Church
of England Newspaper – March 4 2011 – Bishop banned
from entering Israel
Anglican
Communion News Service – March 4 2011 – Bishop of
Jerusalem to take court action over visa refusal
Soul
food
Just for fun
Three young
children were sitting around the lunch table at school. One says, "My
dad's a lawyer. People pay him $200 for a letter with his opinion on it."
Another
responds, "My dad's a doctor. He scribbles prescriptions on a little sheet
of paper and people pay him $300 for it."
The
third chimes in, "My dad's a preacher. He writes a few notes on a napkin,
tells everyone, and it takes eight people to collect all the money."
Growing
churches
On the
Anglican1000 website, you’ll find an article summarizing highlights of a session at a recent interdenominational church planters’ conference in Atlanta.
The session featured Shaun King offering insights on how church planters
– and existing congregations – can use social media effectively to
reach their communities. For example, he says that, using the advance search
function on Twitter, you can insert key words to find people in your community
who are requesting prayer – and connect with them.
Great
ministry resource – Highly recommended!
Invest
a few minutes to explore the wealth of exceptional, creative and professionally
produced ministry resources at SermonSpice.com.
You’ll find short, inexpensive videos with real punch, which are appropriate
for use in all sorts of church and ministry settings. As an example, look for “Reverse”,
a highly-effective, creative, two-minute evangelistic tool. There are also
videos appropriate for Lent – and other important dates on the church
calendar.
Hell
and the Bible
High profile emergent church leader Rob Bell has
now joined the ranks of fellow emergent church leader Brian McLaren in openly
questioning established Biblical doctrines and espousing what many say is a
sort of universalism. In his soon to be released book, Love Wins: A Book About
Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, Bell denies the
doctrine of hell – or at least redefines hell to remove the sting. Although
the book hasn’t yet hit the bookstores, Bell has triggered a storm of reaction.
Tim Challies has an in-depth
review and Justin Taylor
of the Gospel Coalition has a series of posts on the dangers this
doctrinal revisionism.
Dr Albert Mohler also offers a
very helpful review of Bell’s book in the context of a brief history
of “liberal” theology. He says, “The
liberals did not set out to destroy Christianity. To the contrary, they were
certain that they were rescuing Christianity from itself… We have read this
book before. Not the exact words, and never so artfully presented, but the same
book, the same argument, the same attempt to rescue Christianity from the Bible…
Rob Bell uses his incredible power of literary skill and communication to
unravel the Bible’s message and to cast doubt on its teachings.”
Dr
Mohler demonstrates Bell’s selective use of Scripture and shows that Bell’s
theology ignores the problem of sin and the need of a Savior. Bell affirms
God’s love but denies His justice and holiness. Dr Mohler says, “…any human
effort to offer the world a story superior to the comprehensive story of the
Bible fails on all fronts. It is an abdication of biblical authority, a denial
of biblical truth, and a false Gospel… We dare not retreat from all that the
Bible says about hell. We must never confuse the Gospel, nor offer suggestions
that there may be any way of salvation outside of conscious faith in Jesus Christ.
We must never believe that we can do a public relations job on the Gospel or on
the character of God.”
You can read what J C Ryle, a much-loved 19th
century Anglican pastor, had to say about the “Eight symptoms of false
doctrine” here.
In another,
two-part article, Dr Albert Mohler tackles the unpopular and neglected
Christian doctrine of hell. He notes that there are several factors that have
led to the undermining of the doctrine: a radically altered view of God that
diminishes His holiness and sovereignty; an altered view of justice that removes
the concept of retribution; and a denial of personal responsibility for wrong
doing.
He concludes his second
article by says, “The revision or rejection of the traditional
doctrine of hell comes at a great cost. The entire system of theology is
modified by effect, even if some revisionists refuse to take their revisions to
their logical conclusions. Essentially, our very concepts of God and the gospel
are at stake. What could be more important?” And he ends the first article with, “Our
responsibility is to present the truth of the Christian faith with boldness,
clarity, and courage — and defending the biblical doctrine in these times
will require all three of these virtues. Hell is an assured reality, just as it
is presented so clearly in the Bible. To run from this truth, to reduce the
sting of sin and the threat of hell, is to pervert the Gospel and to feed on
lies… [T]here is no way to deny the Bible’s teaching on hell and remain
genuinely evangelical. No doctrine stands alone.”
Of
interest
Repentance – This week’s American Anglican Council’s short Anglican Perspective video focuses on
repentance. Canon Phil Ashey says that Biblical repentance is not just feeling
badly about our sins but turning from them and turning to Jesus. As we enter
Lent, he says, we should intensify our focus on spiritual disciplines and use
them to draw closer to Christ.
Word of God – Have a look at this inspiring
short view from West Papua, Indonesia. You’ll see the joy of people
who are receiving the Bible in their own language for the first time –
and experience their deep reverence for the Bible.
Gendercide – Building on an article by historian Niall Ferguson, Dr Mohler explores the potential for social upheaval and militarism resulting for the growing
gender imbalance in Asian countries where baby boys are preferred and baby
girls are more likely to be aborted.
Abortion – An alarming article in
the National Post reports on a study of abortions in Ontario in
2007. It states that, for every 100 live births, 37 babies were aborted. The
rate among teens aged 15-19 was much higher. “For every 100 babies born to
Ontario teens, 152 are aborted.” And one in five teens 15-19 reporting having
already had at least one abortion. The article continued, “Most Canadians are
unaware that teens don’t need parental consent to have an abortion… In fact,
most Canadians – 80% according to a 2010 Angus Reid poll – don’t
even know we have no legal restrictions on abortion. For the record, abortion
is fully legal in Canada at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason, and for any
Canadian citizen, and taxpayers pay for almost all of them.”
Marriage – In response to possible legislative moves, an Australian organization
has posted a video on the importance of traditional marriage.
Thought
“Our
culture is doing to sex what people who chew with their mouths open do to food.”
– Douglas Wilson (quoted by Pastor Mark Driscoll)
Please pray...
For our
bishops and clergy and their families
For ANiC
projects, church plants and parishes, and for their proclamation of the Good
News to those in their communities who desperately need new life in Christ
For the Asian Mission
conference March 21-22 in Vancouver, BC
For the
four Vancouver-area ANiC parishes and their legal counsel as they await the
decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on their application for leave to
appeal
For other ongoing legal challenges faced by ANiC parishes, including the
ongoing litigation involving St Aidan’s (Windsor) and the ANiC parishes that were
formerly in the Diocese of Niagara – and their mounting expenses
For all the congregations involved in court proceedings and disputes. Pray
for a continued focus on, and blessing upon, their ministry in the midst of
this turmoil. Pray for peace for the wardens and trustees who are on the front
lines and bear the burden of risk and responsibility
For the leaders and parishioners of the ACoC dioceses pursuing eviction
of and legal costs against ANiC congregations and wardens
For donations to the ANiC legal defense fund which supports
parishes in disputes with their former dioceses
For the implementation by the Diocese of Maseno West (Kenya) of the malaria prevention project,
sponsored by the ARDFC. May God use it to bless Kenyans and bring many to
Christ
For the
people of Japan and Christchurch, NZ. May they turn to God and find comfort and
hope
For persecuted Christians, especially in Egypt, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Iraq,
Somalia, India and other Muslim and Hindu lands
For countries
in Africa and the Middle East where radical Muslims are seeking to leverage the
political instability to gain control
For a
speeding resolution to outstanding issues in the Sudan and a peaceful division
of the country
For repentance and revival in our hearts and in our nation, for a hunger
for God and His Word
For all those in positions of leadership and influence in the Anglican
Communion, that they would seek to honour and obey God above all else
For the GAFCON and Global South Primates of the Anglican Communion as
they plan for meetings of orthodox Anglican leaders
And now
a word from our sponsor
For I
consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with
the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager
longing for the revealing of the sons of God.For
the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who
subjected it, in hopethat the creation
itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom
of the glory of the children of God.For we
know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of
childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as
sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope
that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for
what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for
words.And he who searches hearts knows what
is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all
things work together for good,for those who
are called according to his purpose.For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those
whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified,
and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What
then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can beagainst us?He
who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also
with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against
God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one
who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of
God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For
your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be
slaughtered.”
No, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:18-39 ESV
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