- Notes on the virginal conception of Jesus Christ. (31 Dec 08)
"Virginal conception" is the term preferred to "virgin birth" as the precise question at stake is whether Jesus was conceived without a human biological father."This belief maintains that Christ's incarnation ...
- A night already warmed and illuminated (26 Dec 08)
I am glad that Christmastide begins on Christmas Day for twelve days. It takes that long to begin to take in once again the depth and meaning of all that ...
- Australian Church Record on Bishop-elect Robinson (23 Dec 08)
The few readers of this scrapbook will know that I have collected 'news' items about Canberra an Goulburn's bishop-elect. The Australian Church Record December 2008 Issue 1895 says this on ...
- Death to Santa Claus (22 Dec 08)
I repeat my annual slogan: Death to Santa Claus; St. Nicholas is the real deal. Artist: Elisabeth Jvanovsky ...
- The joyous tale of light in the darkness (12 Dec 08)
Christmas message 2008 The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori Presiding Bishop The Episcopal Church The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:5). The ...
- A rival denomination, not a province (04 Dec 08)
Conservatives alienated from the Episcopal Church have at long last announced the formal establishment of what the New York Times rightly describes as "their own rival denomination.". An tht is ...
- Truth or majority? (01 Dec 08)
Proposition 8 passed by a slim majority of Californians on 4 November took away from same-sex couples the marriage rights that the court California Supreme Court had established in May. ...
- Interesting question, Mr Dessaix (29 Nov 08)
"[T]he very idea of worshiping a god has always struck me as primitive. What sort of god demands to be worshiped?"--Robert Dessaix. Arabesques: a tale of double lives. (2008) p. ...
- Slowing down for Christmas : Rowan Williams (28 Nov 08)
Dr Rowan Williams's Reflections on Advent are superb. Some extracts are below but do read it all We're not a culture that's very used to waiting. During Advent Christians go ...
- Accepting the offender (22 Nov 08)
The Adelaide diocese of the Anglican church has been much troubled by the harm done in the past by child abuse. There's been recent publicity about arrangements to apply when ...
- Respect for life is a seamless garment (21 Nov 08)
The Tablet records (22 Nov 08) that Roman Catholic US bishops last week warned that "the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis" would ...
- The difficult peace of Christ (19 Nov 08)
Ekklesia and the London Mennonite Centre are advertising a seminar "Threatened with resurrection" on the 26th. I shan't be travelling from Australia to attend (!) but the questions to be ...
- Schuller's mission (18 Nov 08)
"I was called to start a mission not a church " Robert H Schuller told his congregation at the Crystal Cathedral. "There is a difference. . . . You don't ...
- Eucharist celebrated by all (26 Oct 08)
Muriel Porter reports in Church Times that the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has affirmed that deacons men and women may preside at holy communion. It agreed that ...
- Christianity and the social order (25 Oct 08)
To many it appears evident that we have allowed the making of profits which is necessary as a means to the continuance of ... industry to get into the first ...
- Voting for life and dignity (24 Oct 08)
I've written previously that I loathe abortion but the single-issue politics surrounding abortion troubles me. It's a worry that the choice of candidate for the most powerful job on Earth ...
- Dr Aspinall to continue (20 Oct 08)
I for one am delighted that on 17 October 2008 the Board of Electors re-elected Archbishop Phillip Aspinall as Primate of the Anglican Church of Australian for a further term ...
- A whole 'nother church over that? (14 Sep 08)
My own view which I was able to express at one point when I was feeling particularly frustrated is that in one sense the Anglican Communion is dead. By this ...
- Anti-abortion AND pro-choice. (05 Sep 08)
I loathe abortion and find it hard not to describe it as homicide (unless the mother's life is endangered). Nevertheless I prefer to leave it for the mother to decide ...
- Communion, not The Communion (18 Jul 08)
The Tablet marks the beginning of the Lambeth Conference with an editorial. It suggests that a "return to fundamentals might help" the Conference toward grace and respect. The editorial observes ...
- WYD : hope, joy and superstition (13 Jul 08)
Today preaching on the parable of the seed and the sower (Mathew 13.1-9 18-23) my rector the Revd Rob Lamerton spoke of how delighted he had been to see so ...
- Unholy zeal (07 Jul 08)
I have been studying the Rule of St. Benedict lately with the aid of various commentaries including Joan Chittister OSB's excellent The rule of St. Benedict: insights from the ages ...
- Royal wisdom in Anglican troubles (05 Jul 08)
The Times today reminds us of what the Queen said on 13 Nov 1980 when opening the General Synod of the Church of England. Wisdom indeed. ...
- The biblical texts in all their richness (14 Jun 08)
A tendency to read the Bible through the lens of "fundamentalism" threatens to undermine Catholics' understanding of Scripture the Vatican says in the Instrumentum laboris (working document) for the Twelfth ...
- Sabeel (27 May 08)
Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians. Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ this liberation theology seeks to deepen the faith of Palestinian ...
- Sexuality and Siddurim (24 May 08)
A majority of people surveyed in Britain believe religion is sexist and discriminates against homosexuals according to a recent poll. Six out of 10 people believe that all religion is ...
- We ARE in communion (19 May 08)
On his website the Revd Tobias Haller BSG expresses beautifully something I have long believed.Unless the Lord Builds the House . . . . . . their labor is in ...
- Protestant and reformed (17 May 08)
Walter Cardinal Kasper's remarks to Britain's Catholic Herald (7 May 08) about Anglican identity have been widely quoted. He said that the time had come for the Anglican Church to ...
- Women, worship and and oneness (03 May 08)
Australia's Catholic Weekly (27 Apr 08) reports Michael Putney Bishop of Townsville and Chairman of the [Australian Roman Catholic] Bishops' Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations as saying that the ...
- Barbara Darling named as Bishop (26 Apr 08)
With the announcement that that the Revd Canon Barbara Darling is to be appointed assistant bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne Kay Goldsworthy is no longer the only woman to ...
- The truly Scottish church (05 Apr 08)
The parish of my forbears is the Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) parish of Parish of Rhu and Shandon formed in 1648 the present building of which dates from 1851. However ...
- Thomas and hope (04 Apr 08)
The Gospel for last Sunday the second of Easter was John 20.19-31 the story of Thomas and his doubts. Two sermons encourage and blessed me from this story.The Revd Susan ...
- A jubilant celebration (03 Apr 08)
I have not commented on separation from The Episcopal Church of its former Diocese of San Joaquin and other such dramas. It is not for Australians to interfere; we have ...
- The emperor's nakedness and tea with Aunty Jenny (01 Apr 08)
In "Of God tea and auntie Jenny" (Guardian 21 March 08) Professor David Wilson shows how useless cold and hope-less church platitudes can be especially in speaking of death.My auntie ...
- Globalisation and the spirit of wisdom (27 Mar 08)
Tribune magazine is perhaps not a journal in which one would expect to find theological reflection. Yet in the 25 Mar 08 issue Stephen Beer reviews Anglican Communion in crisis: ...
- The waterboarding of Christ (24 Mar 08)
Giles Fraser in the Guardian 22 Mar 08:A funny kind of Christian Somewhere in the Middle East Jesus Christ is strapped to a bench his head wrapped in clingfilm. He ...
- Power, division and the church calendar (22 Mar 08)
This year's early date for Easter has revived interest in the Computus the complex and arcane rules for calculating the date. In Western Christianity the earliest possible date is 22 ...
- A window to wonderment (05 Mar 08)
In this piece the Revd Dr Giles Fraser Team Rector of Putney asks "Technology: does it dispel the wonder?" Well no rather it may create wonderment -- or at least ...
- On how not to frighten the secular horses (22 Feb 08)
This wisdom from the Rt Revd John Pritchard Bishop of Oxford in response to the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments about Sharia laws. The Archbishop's comments Bishop Pritchard says are part ...
- We believe it to be regrettable (20 Jan 08)
Debate on the proposed Anglican Covenant drones on. Sadly I am finding it hard to maintain an interest. As usual the Scottish Episcopal Church got it right in its brief ...
- Satan Claus (19 Dec 07)
Death to Santa Claus. St Nicholas is the real deal. Buy nothing. ...
- An infeasible doctrinal unity (11 Nov 07)
One of the problems faced by we Anglicans is that we are good at starting things but sometimes unable to end them when they are no longer of value. Beyond ...
- Agreeing with Akinola on Lambeth (06 Nov 07)
I am not always in agreement with the Most Revd Dr Peter Akinola. But I do agree with him in arguing for the postponement or outright cancellation of the Lambeth ...
- Quizzed eucharistically (28 Oct 07)
This Eucharistic theology quiz rates me as Lutheran which is probably fair enough as the closest option to Anglican! You scored as Luther. You'll stick with the words of Scripture ...
- A most productive gathering (28 Oct 07)
14th General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia held in Canberra this past week was productive gathering. A great deal was done and it was good to be part ...
- Intercessions for the General Synod. (20 Oct 07)
Intercessions for the opening worship of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia Saturday 21 October 2007 led by Brian McKinlay of Canberra and Goulburn. God of all ...
- Wanted: visionaries and prophets (18 Oct 07)
Anglicans in Australia (UNSW Press 2007) is the latest welcome book by Bishop Tom Frame Director of St. Mark's National Theological Centre here in Canberra. Its release is timed to ...
- God calls upon us to live dangerously (29 Sep 07)
A piece by Safdar Hasan Siddiqi author of The role of Islam in the twenty-first century: A journey towards peace amity progress. Ferozsons 1997. Pakistan Times 21 Jun 06.God belongs ...
- The bread which we all break (18 Sep 07)
While I was on holiday The Sydney Morning Herald (17 Sep 07) reported that the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has "revived its radical push to let church elders preside over ...
- Be (26 Jul 07)
Be simply be in the stillness of my heart that my heart may be in all I doHeart gone walkabout: poems prayers lines and spaces / Noel Davis. (With my ...
- Mischief from the South (23 Jul 07)
On 18 Jul 07 Anglican Communion primates from the Global South have issued a statement saying they will continue to violate the boundaries of the Episcopal Church and may intervene ...
- The Bible doesn't say anything (21 Jul 07)
In an essay "Rivers of revelation" (The Tablet 14 Jul 07 pp.14-15) Nicholas King SJ reflects on the recent flooding in the UK on finding meaning amid the destruction and ...
- The Synodical not-so-melting teapot (14 Jul 07)
Giles Fraser's columns in The Church Times are always interesting. Even when he writes on specifically English matters there is often value for we non-English. This time (13 Jul 07) ...
- Communion is Christ not covenant (08 Jul 07)
This passage from Orthodox theologian Olivier Clément's small book Taizé: a meaning to life (Chicago: GIA Pubs 1997 pp. 37-38) illustrates why a written 'covenant' such as that being considered ...
- Covenantal caution (06 Jul 07)
Church Times 7530 (6 Jul 07) notes call in the Church of England for caution in approval of an Anglican Covenant. The present General Synod motion asks the Synod to: ...
- No jurisdiction in this realm (29 Jun 07)
I'm encouraged by the decision of the Anglican Church of Canada against the inclusion of the Primates in the membership of the Anglican Communion Council. Giles Fraser writes (with his ...
- Niether North nor South, but Centre (23 Jun 07)
Though I'm a 'Northerner' in outlook myself I do believe that the 'Global Center' position chosen by the Latin American and Carribbean bishops is the path of sense and sensibility ...
- Christlikeness is full humanity (17 May 07)
The International Herald Tribune (15 May 07) has a piece by James Carroll of The Boston Globe who uses Benedict XVI's visit to Brazil as an opportunity to consider 'Thought ...
- True communion? (14 May 07)
On 6 May 07 Andrew Brown argued in The Guardian that Archbishop Akinola's actions mean that schism in the Anglican Communion is now an reality but that the schismatic forcxes ...
- Our faith will thrive on mystery (01 May 07)
Faith will not grow from words alone from proofs provided scripture known; our faith must feel its way about and live with question-marks and doubt. The pattern Jesus showed we ...
- God bearing suffering, not inflicting it (18 Apr 07)
Ekklesia reports (18 Apr 07) that the Anglican Dean of St Albans the Very Revd Dr Jeffrey John received many "abusive and obscene" letters from people who objected to his ...
- Waterless Easter (09 Apr 07)
Easter Message 2007 The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall Primate Anglican Church of Australia This year as we follow again Christ's journey to the cross we are surrounded by ...
- In the belly of the fish (08 Apr 07)
In a series of posts (from no. 18693 to no. 18706) Canon Kendal Hermon of TitusOneNine has selected some valuable reflections and prayers on Holy Saturday. This year I felt ...
- The Easter shout is not enough (07 Apr 07)
Easter Message by the Most Rev Dr Barry Morgan Archbishop of WalesIt is not enough for the Church of Jesus Christ to shout on Easter morning that Christ is risen ...
- Do we want the light to shine? (06 Apr 07)
No bishop is faultless but I am partciualrly glad the the Rt Revd George Browning is our bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn; this is his challenging ...
- The community of the sufferers (06 Apr 07)
The seventeenth century divine Thomas Watson said that it was a greater humiliation for Jesus to be incarnate as a man than it was for him to suffer the cross. ...
- A holy week (06 Apr 07)
This Holy Week is a week of new beginnings for me symbolised by a change in my employment from next Tuesday. So I'm to taking time to reflect by participating ...
- The annunciation : a gift we dare not deny (26 Mar 07)
1000th post 26 March : The Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fra Angelico. Annunciation. San Marco Florence 1436-1445.Mary was a free woman because in the source ...
- To see as God sees (25 Mar 07)
Our eyes have grown accustomed either to looking at the world over our shoulder or toward the future and we've lost some of our Anglican ability to look in both ...
- Fulfilling their solemn duty (24 Mar 07)
The communiqué agreed by the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion at their recent meeting in Dar-es-Salaam sought to impose on the (American) Episcopal Church a scheme for ...
- Humility is critical (12 Mar 07)
"It is not necessary . . . for anyone to be a member of any party faction or movement to be authentically Anglican nor is it necessary for any Anglican ...
- The virtue of doubt (04 Mar 07)
Dr Susan Maushart Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Media Society and Culture at Curtin University writing in a column in the Weekend Australian Magazine 24-25 February 2007During the ...
- My place is to tell all that I meet (04 Mar 07)
Billy Thorpe died from a heart attack in Sydney on 28th February 2007 my birthday. At age 60 he was one year older than me. Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs ...
- Not to be wanted and not necessary (03 Mar 07)
On 23 February the Church Times asked in its leader "A new Communion: is it wanted?" My answer is simply "No." It is not to be wanted and not necessary. ...
- The other 97 per cent (20 Feb 07)
Q. What message is this sending to people in the pews who are tired of this . . . what would you say is the end goal? A. The end ...
- Catholic not Roman (19 Feb 07)
Ruth Gledhill writes in The Times 19 Feb 07 of "Radical proposals to reunite Anglicans with the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope" set out in Growing ...
- What is it that opens our eyes? (19 Feb 07)
I attended the consecration of my friend the Rt Revd Dr Stephen Pickard as Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Adelaide. It was also the celebration of the Feast of ...
- Divorce at the table (14 Feb 07)
Ruth Gledhill argues in the Times Online (14 Feb 07) that "The primates of the Anglican Communion may wish to consider the benefits of schism. . . . There are ...
- Truth enacted and lived (11 Feb 07)
Pieces like this by Don Cupitt (fellow of Emmanuel College Cambridge) published in The Guardian (3 Feb 07) are intriguing but also frustrating. For the ordinary non-philosopher like me it's ...
- To talk about life (10 Feb 07)
The Rt Revd Katherine Jefferts Schiori Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church of the USA is the subject of a feature article by Cathy Lynn Grossman in USA Today (4 ...
- Jesus loves who? (06 Feb 07)
Think about it. Carefully. Story here here and here. ...
- There is nothing which the church needs more (04 Feb 07)
It is one of the supreme achievements of Jesus that he can enable the most diverse people to live together without in the least losing their own personalities or qualities. ...
- Adviser of the common good (04 Feb 07)
Along with at least 30 others from Canberra on Saturday I was in Adelaide to attend the consecration in St. Peter's Cathedral of Dr Stephen Pickard as Assistant Bishop in ...
- Break their bonds (08 Dec 06)
"He comes the prisoners to release In Satan's bondage held." Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas Message to the Anglican Communion begins by quoting these words from one of Dr Williams's favourite ...
- Forbidden to follow (02 Dec 06)
As in every year several events come on top of each other this week: St. Andrew's Day (30 November) which in our Diocese is the usual day for ordinations World ...
- Affirming the truth (21 Nov 06)
Anglican-catholics call on Archbishop to tell the whole truth in Rome is the title of a press release issued by Affirming Catholicism:The progressive Anglican organisation Affirming Catholicism marked the Vatican ...
- George and the greenhouse (02 Nov 06)
No not George W. but +George V. Browning Anglican Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn who has written to Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kim Beazley that Australians could ...
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