Getting Ready to Go! - Part Two

  CMS requires that its missionaries have at least a year (or equivalent) of Bible or theological college studies under their belts.  If the assignment is to ministry leadership or teaching position, then more formal qualifications will be required.  Indeed in many Majority World countries, a research degree is now almost a standard requirement for teaching positions in their training colleges.
  If you're getting ready to go, you'll need to factor in the time and expense involved in such studies.  Here are a couple of example pathways based on stories of people I know. 
  Andrew finished his undergraduate studies and did a Diploma in Education to qualify as a teacher.  He thought he might be a teacher in a mission setting overseas.  All the while he was actively involved in his local university student group, getting ministry experience in student work.  When he finished his DipEd he went straight to Ridley to begin theological studies.  As a Ridley student he began his application process with CMS and upon graduation went straight to St Andrew's Hall for CMS training before going overseas as a missionary working in university student ministry.  
   Emma completed medical studies and an internship.  She then took a year out to study at Ridley, before commencing specialist medical training.  She then took a posting in a remote area hospital which enabled her to support the local church as a CMS affiliate.  Mission remains high on her agenda and she is thinking about an overseas posting with CMS.   
  Jonathan finished his law studies and worked for five years, all the while remaining active in local church work.  He saved aggressively in order to be able to study full-time for the next four years, in preparation for full-time ministry either in the local church or as a missionary.  He ended up being ordained with the Anglican church, serving in local churches, doing more theological study and ending up the State Director of CMS Victoria.  Hey, that's me!
  Each of these stories indicate that planning to take some time out to do serious Bible or theological studies is essential and costly.  If you don't plan for it in a deliberate way, it might not happen.  So plan!
  Assuming that you're already a young worker, you might plan to:- 
- take a year out of full-time employment to do a GradDip or similar one year course
- chip away at subjects part-time while you work, aiming for at least one full-time semester
- develop an appetite for theological study, upgrade and take time out to complete a degree.
  I tell Christians that Bible college study is valuable for anyone who wants to increase their involvement in and passion for God's work in his world.  Do it!  You may even end up getting ready to go overseas with CMS! 

Click here for Part One! 
Click here for Part Three!

Why Good Friday?

Why is Good Friday 'Good'? Christians will say that it's because it's the day of Good News, which is what 'Gospel' translates to in a literal sense.
'Euangelos' = 'eu' (good) + 'angelos' (news, or messenger of news, ie. an angel who delivers divine news).  Incidentally it's where we get 'evangel' and 'evangelism' and 'evangelical' from.
An 'eulogy' is 'eu' (good) + 'logos' (word/s)... or good words that we say about someone at their funeral, because I guess it's impolite to say bad stuff about someone at their funeral.  But I'm getting distracted..
Good Friday is when Christians remember the death - by crucifixion - of Jesus Christ.  Pretty gory, bloody and generally distasteful and messy.  Check out Mel Gibson's movie 'The Passion of the Christ' if you're in any doubt.
If there's anything 'good' about Good Friday, it must be that the death of Jesus - horrific and gut-churning as it was - actually and absolutely proves something to us: that God loves us.  In fact, God loves us enough to go through all that, and die for us.
Can we understand the actual mechanics of it all?  Probably not.  I've spent years in theological study and I reckon I've got a good grip on it, but there's still aspects of the willing death of Christ that boggle the mind and wrench at the heart.
But the Bible is crystal clear that Good Friday stands at the centre of all cosmic history.  And that Jesus' death for us is the absolute proof of God's love for us (Romans 5:8).  So the question is, 'Is there a God?  And if there is, does God love me?'  Christian answer: Consider Christ.  Consider Good Friday.  Have a look at the Bible account of Jesus' life and teaching and death.  Read it with an adult intelligent mind and see if it gives a credible answer.  Actually, see if it gives you good news worth celebrating this Easter.  Happy to chat or correspond!
Blessings on you this Easter season.

Priscilla and Aquila

On the past two Sundays I've been preaching from Acts 18.  Last Sunday the focus was on Priscilla and Aquila, from the second half of the chapter.  Paul slips out of the picture as he leaves Corinth and Ephesus, but we get the clear picture of the Gospel strategy of leaving Priscilla and Aquila behind as the new leaders of the church in Ephesus.  As if that weren't enough, we then get the dynamic duo taking Apollos under their wing and instructing him in the way of the Lord 'more adequately'.  So it's really 2 Timothy 2:2 in action in Acts.
The question the passage poses is, 'How does the Gospel grow?'
The answer it supplies:

1. by Gospel teamwork; and
2. by Gospel teaching.  

In particular, by Gospel teaching that is accurate (v25) and adequate (v26).
The good folks at St Mark's have made the sermon available here.  Do let me know what you think!  While you're at it, I'd also like to know what you'd like to see here on the blog.  Happy to serve!

Finding the friendlies on mission

I'm preaching this fortnight from Acts 18, at St Mark's Forest Hill.  What a delight to be in the book of Acts!  It contains the story of the beginnings of Christian mission, as the first followers of Jesus took the Good News from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then to the ends of the earth. 
Last Sunday I looked at the first half of Acts 18.  Here's the basic outline:
Two principles of Christian mission

1. Find the Friendlies
2. Expect the Enemies.

The strategy that Paul and his team adopts is to connect with the friendlies, people who are already seeking God.  As they talk about Jesus and the meaning of his life, teaching and crucifixion, some opposition is sure to come.  So we too should expect enemies and animosity.  In fact, the clearer we are about Jesus and the Gospel, the more certain our opposition will be! 
We also looked at the encouragement from God in verse 10 of that chapter.  I won't give it all away, you might like to listen to the sermon, available from St Mark's here:
http://www.stmarksfh.org/Home/downloads
Blessings on you this weekend. 

Daily Bible Reading and Prayer

Every now and then someone asks me about how to keep going reading the Bible and praying everyday.  I usually respond with these bits of advice:
1. Two good half-an-hour blocks a week are better than five rushed minutes per day.  It's grace, not guilt, so the point is to engage with God through His Word, not tick the boxes and follow the 'rules'.
2. 'Pray until you pray', is a Puritan maxim I love - from John Bunyan, author of 'The Pilgrim's Progress'.  Just as in any conversation, it takes more than a few minutes to move from the perfunctories to the deep and meaningful in our conversing with the Lord.
3. Make a time and space, and commit to it.  Bible reading and prayer is spiritual exercise, and it's a bit like physical exercise.  If you're looking to get fit, you commit to a training regime and, come rain, hail or shine (ideally), you're out there with your runners on.
Plan, organise, commit to a time and space (not in front of the tv, perhaps in your favourite closet) and your spiritual exercise is more likely to happen.  No one lost weight or got fit without a plan and purpose to get off the couch.
4. Bible reading plans, devotional books and various other resources can be helpful.  I've used a range of them over the years, but find that I need to chop and change.  Just like with my running routine, the same routes and programmes get boring after awhile, and need refreshing.  Here are a few I've used:
Don Carson's For the Love of God (two volumes)
John Stott's Through The Bible in A Year
This Bible Reading Chart, which I think was put together by AFES - can anyone enlighten me?  I love this, partly because it doesn't guilt you into feeling bad if you haven't followed some sort of daily plan.
The point is to cross out chapters as you read them, in any particular order, at any pace.  Have a look at it, perhaps get your group of Christian friends to read along with you.  The times I've used it I've progressed through multiple books at the same time, or had a weekend polishing off a few smaller books in one sitting.  It's very cathartic, being able to visualise the sense of getting through the whole Bible.
The ESV Bible website has a pile of free resources: click here.  I love the ESV Study Bible, and can recommend it wholeheartedly.  If you have a Kindle or Kindle reader for your electronic device, the ESV Bible for Kindle is free here.
Any other tips from anyone?  What's helped you to keep drinking deep from God's Word and praying regularly?

On the occasion of the King James Bible's 400th!

From my friends at accordancebible.com

KJV Word Modern Day Definition KJV Definition KJV Sample Passage Tablet A flat computing device, such as the iPad Ornamental jewelry, probably a string of beads worn around the neck And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold. -Exodus 35:2a Charity Give back to the community...and get tax write-offs Love Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. -1 Corinthians 13:1 Passion A fire in the belly Suffering To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. -Acts 1:3 Peculiar Strange or weird Possession or property For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiartreasure. -Psalm 135:4 Bosses They write your paychecks The projecting parts of a shield He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers. - Job 15:26 Gin An adult beverage often mixed with tonic A trap or snare The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him. - Job 18:9 Ouches Where Dora the Explorer Band-Aids go. AKA "hurties" and "booboos" Cavities or sockets in which gems were set And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. -Exodus 39:6 Bravery A courageous display of valor Glory or beauty In that day the Lord will take away thebravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon. -Isaiah 3:18 Prevent To hinder or keep from occurring To meet or come before The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. -Psalm 59:10 Husbandman A redundant married man One whose business is to cultivate the ground And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. -Genesis 9:20

Thinking about Acts 20

I’ve been thinking recently about Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.  It is such a great Word for small group leaders!  Do read the whole chapter, but here are a few reflections:

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.  When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.  I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of the Jews.  You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.  I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.  Acts 20:17-21

‘You know how I lived the whole time…’  Please notice that there was no escaping the examination of a life lived among his people.  So many of our conversations and interactions on Sundays can be fleeting, but not so in a small group meeting regularly in a home.  What a privilege to know our people and to be known by them.  What a great opportunity to live ‘real’ lives in community, with each other, as we really are and encourage each other along in our Christian walk.

‘I served the Lord with great humility and with tears…’  Please notice Paul’s passionate engagement with the Ephesians.  He serves God, but with tears as he serves them, amidst hardship and persecution.  Sometimes small group leadership can be challenging, but we remember Jesus who came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).  So, like Jesus and like Paul, we serve with humility and a servant’s heart, through the joyous times and the times when tears are involved. 

‘You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you…’  Please notice the absolute priority of teaching and declaring the truth of the Scriptures – especially here the Gospel message of repentance and forgiveness of sins.  Christian small groups are not the same as other social or common interest small groups.  The Pharisees complained that Jesus partied too much, but Jesus’ first act of public ministry was to say ‘The time has come.  The Kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!’ (Mark 1:15).  The rest of the chapter speaks about how easy it is to slide away from this absolute priority.  It was easy then, and it is easy now to have as our focus something other than our deep need to keep repenting of our sins and turning to Jesus for forgiveness and the Spirit’s power to change us and mature us in Christ.

My prayer is that we might grow more and more into that sort of small group leader for the people of God.  

Top Three Things

I can't remember where I first read this - I think it was a Phil Yancey book - but it came up in conversation again tonight with friends.  It goes like this:
In a large sample US survey of elderly retired persons with nothing to lose from being completely honest and frank, the question was asked, 'Now that you're close to the end of your lives, looking back, what would you have changed?'
The Top Three Things were:
1. I would have made more time for relationships.
2. I would have taken more risks in life. 
3. I would have done more things that lived on after I died. 
My summary of these is:
1. Relationships
2. Passions
3. Significance
It seems to me that these mirror closely the biblical perspective on the meaning and purpose of existence.
We have been created by a relational God for relationships.  And lives that prioritise career over family, or ambition over friendship, end up in a lonely bitter regretful place.  No one has ever said to me at their deathbed, 'I wish I spent more time at the office'. 
Lives that stick to 'safe' and 'secure' paths - the career trajectory, the expected and traditional route of financial security or job opportunity - can often be not just unadventurous, but ultimately a poor reflection of the person that God has gifted you to be.  What are the specific gifts, talents and passions the Lord has given you?  What decisions will you take to prioritise good stewardship of those?  Those decisions will often be contrary to the received wisdom of what a decent or safe career looks like.  No great adventurer, inventor or pioneer in their field was characterised by doing the non-risky career-advancing thing at the time. 
Ultimately, we each have the average three score years and ten.  But at the close, our thoughts turn to the matter of significance.  What has been the meaning of my life?  What achievement or legacy am I leaving behind?  What will live on, after my death?  Is the world a better place for my having passed through it?  
The remarkable thing about the Christian God is that He chooses to use us to achieve His eternal purposes.  So our lives can make a difference for eternal things.  Actually, it's the first two Things, Relationships and Passions, that make up the key components of any Significance that we might hope to have.  See the Parable of the Shrewd Manager in Luke 16 for example!  
Relationships.  Passions.  Significance.  I hope you know what your's are in your allotted three score years and ten.  

Five Books for Budding Theologians

A friend just asked me to recommend five books for people beginning to consider theological studies, or who are becoming interested in theology. Here's my reply:  
1. ESV Study Bible - because the Bible is where we start and this one has seriously helpful theologically-rigorous notes (and pictures, I like pictures)  
2. Knowing God - J. I. Packer - because theology is the study of God, and knowing God can never be reduced to an intellectual exercise: if it is, you've failed  
3. Understanding Doctrine - Alister McGrath - because it's always helpful to have a gutsy quick-read overview of orthodox Christian belief  
4. The Story of Christianity - Justo Gonzalez - because theology is embedded in a historical context and it's humbling to see that you're not the first person to ask that intriguing question (and we remember stories)  
5. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology/ Theology - IVP - because most people come to theological reflection with a specific issue or question to begin with, and these tomes allow you start where you want and then follow the links to read-your-own theological adventure
BTW, I've put in links above to some really interesting sites where you can begin reading theology online. 
Cheers! And happy reading and knowing God.

TEC consecrates practising lesbian bishop

Well, it was always going to happen.

Some of you know that I went to GAFCON - the Global Anglican Futures Conference - two years ago.  It was a massive gathering of people representing the vast majority of the world's Anglicans, who view Jesus as the Son of God who died for the sins of the world, and who combine that faith in Jesus Christ with a high view of the Bible's authority - and who incidentally are still growing by evangelism and conversion.  In other words, they were recognisably Christian using any of the classic historical definitions of the faith.

Contrast the Anglican Church in the USA, otherwise known as 'The Episcopal Church' (which in itself tells us something about their self-superior mindset!).  This article from The Age inaccurately describes Mary Glasspool's 'consecration' as an 'ordination', but otherwise provides a look at the issue. What is at stake here is not just a Church's views on human sexuality, but an entire shift in the meaning of Christian identity - and the source of that identity.

TEC believes that the historic formularies of the Christian faith, including its teaching on the person and work of Christ, the authority of the Scriptures, and human sexuality, are all unfixed and open to change.  They are, to TEC, in a state of progressive change, depending (largely) on the latest reflections from human wisdom and experience.

By contrast, orthodox Christians and Anglicans are committed to the Bible as God's rule of faith, and the source of 'all things necessary for life and salvation'.  The central message of the Bible is 'the eternal Gospel', as unchanging as God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Yes, the Scriptures are subject to interpretation - that is why we need well trained pastors and teachers who submit themselves to the discipline of biblical studies - but their job is to interpret the meaning and application of the 'faith delivered once for all' to a changing context.

The difference is vitally important. If you put human thinking and reason in first spot, you will inevitably end up moving with the philosophical fashion of the times. But if you put Scripture first, duly interpreted and worked through, there will always be a sense in which you will be 'in the world but not of the world'. It's an uncomfortable spot, but then Jesus Christ did get himself crucified for occupying just such a position.

I've just heard Glasspool speak on the BBC News saying that she invites people who disagree with her to meet with her, for, she says, 'I am a reconciling person'. It's a nice sentiment, but she conveniently ignores the entire history of TEC moving in a direction contrary to numerous discussions and protests dating back more than a decade. She and her Church ignored the Archbishop of Canterbury's strong warning against proceeding with the consecration.  It was hardly a conciliatory move to the rest of the Anglican Church to do so today. We can only expect TEC and its sympathisers to be further marginalised from the rest of orthodox Anglicanism (and to be outraged at the same time).

Other commentators, for those who are seriously interested:
David Virtue
Global South Anglican - a coalition of majority world Anglicans
Anglican TV
Anglican Mainstream -
The Bishop of Tasmania has made a strong comment here and provides more links on his page.

How did you learn how to do 'Christian'?

In a recent mentoring meeting with someone, the conversation moved to how we learn how to do 'Christian' as a way of life. How do we learn Christian spirituality, behaviour, cultural norms, prayer, habits of church attendance, singing, speech, etc. etc. etc. etc.?  How did you?

The theological answer, depending on your inclination, is something like 'from church tradition' or 'from the Bible'. The practical answer is often 'from your mentors and peers'. Prayer, for example, is more often 'caught' than 'taught' - we imitate forms and fashions of prayer, rather than practice what we might read in a textbook.

That's why it's one thing to say that prayer is important and ought to happen and even preach it - and quite another to model prayerfulness and to model Scripture-soaked, wise, discerning, effective, humble, entreating, God-glorifying, Christ-centred, Spirit-impassioned prayer.

That's also why it's important to be formed both by the Scriptures and by Scripture-soaked exemplars.

What's true of the school of prayer, is true of the school of Christian living. We learn from the Bible, but we are also formed by the Christians around us. You can't have one without the other.  And both are less than fully effective without the other. So I hope that those of us who are doing 'Christian' have this double commitment in our hearts and minds: to God's Word and God's people.

Daily Bible Reading

I've been asked three or four times in the last two weeks about daily Bible reading, how to hear God speaking through the Scriptures, and resources for regular Bible reading.  Here's a one-stop-shop website that has a lot going for it.  http://bible.org/

It has a Daily Reading Plan that you can bookmark and access daily: http://net.bible.org/daily.php and heaps of other resources, including one on women's mentoring which I found quite helpful.

Among its contributors is Darrell Bock, who has written probably the best commentary on Luke's Gospel available today.  It's a two volume monster!  The very model of clear exegesis and application.

Another favourite resource is Don Carson's For the Love of God. It's gone to three volumes, and there's probably a fourth coming soon!  But you can get it FREE from another great web resource: The Gospel Coalition.  You can subscribe to the blog feed via RSS or email, so you can get it emailed to your portable email communications device every morning and read, mark and learn on your way to work.

Happy daily Bible reading!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Melbourne Anglicans and abortion

Victoria is currently reviewing state abortion laws. It has called for community submissions on this issue. The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne (ADOM) has sent in a submission. You can see it on the Melbourne Anglican website at:
www.melbourne.anglican.com.au/main.php?pg=download&id=10497

The ADOM submission says:

1. "Our consensus view is the gradualist position which argues that while the embryo/foetus is fully human from the time of conception, it accrues moral significance and value as it develops."

2. "The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, even within the diversity of members' views, supports the provision of safe and affordable abortions with appropriate safeguards for women who, for whatever reasons, request them."

3. Archbishop Freier's Introduction to the Submission states: "Their report constitutes, in effect, a consensus opinion."

BUT...

1. Many Melbourne Anglicans do not hold to the gradualist view, and would see it as contrary to biblical teaching, and the historic and worldwide Anglican view on this issue.

2. Many Melbourne Anglicans feel rightly outraged that the Diocese has represented them in this way.

SO...

The letter below has been prepared. The idea is to express our collective response to the Diocese and to the State in a firm and measured way.

If you'd like to participate in this, please print out the letter, collect signatures as appropriate and send them to:
St Jude's, 235 Palmerston St, Carlton Vic 3053, by February 6.

As drafted, the letter is addressed to the editor of The Melbourne Anglican and is from members of the ADOM.

>>

To the editor,

We the undersigned members of Melbourne Anglican churches strongly disagree with the position on abortion outlined in the ‘Submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission Inquiry on the Law of Abortion from the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, 9th November 2007’ as posted on the Melbourne Anglican website at www.melbourne.anglican.com.au/main.php?pg=download&id=10497 and referred to in the December 2007 edition of The Melbourne Anglican.

We do not hold the ‘gradualist’ position with respect to the moral value of developing embryos / foetuses. We believe that the Bible teaches that all human life has absolute moral value irrespective of race, gender, wealth, education, age (including the unborn) or level of disability. We are therefore generally opposed to abortion as it seems to us to be a form of killing – and killing of the most vulnerable members of our society at that. We believe our view is in line with historical Christian teaching and the official position of the worldwide Anglican Communion as expressed at the 1930 Lambeth Conference, a position that has never been overturned.

We do understand that occasionally the moral considerations are more complicated – eg., when a mother’s life is directly placed in immediate and exceptional danger by a pregnancy or birth (not being merely the normal dangers of pregnancy or childbirth) but could be protected only by destroying the unborn child. Because of such complex cases where a decision to terminate may be morally justifiable, we do not advocate a blanket-ban on abortion. Nevertheless, we believe that such situations are exceptional, must be addressed with appropriate gravity and do not cancel out our general opposition to abortion.

We agree that abortion is an extremely sensitive issue that must be discussed with great discretion and care. We recognise that in a fallen world many people, including Anglicans, will have personal experiences of abortion. We affirm that in Christ there is unqualified forgiveness for all who repent and that the Church must proclaim and embody that message. We accept the responsibility to deal lovingly and compassionately with all members of our Church and society, including those who have been party to abortions.

We are seeking to make our strong objections to the content of the original Submission, including its moral position and recommendations, known to the Victorian Law Reform Commission.

Faithfully,