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The Bishop's Prayer Pilgrimage

Bishop John is travelling across Tasmania praying with all of us on this prayer pilgrimage. Check where he is up to.

This week (Monday 28th June, 2010):

Tuesday: Parish of Devonport and meeting the N/NW Church leaders at Holy Trinity, Ulverstone.
Wednesday: Parish of King Island.
Friday: Parish of St John's New Town and the Parish of St James' Newtown and St Andrew's Lenah Valley.
Sunday: Parish of the Southern Midlands.

Pilgrimage Prayer

Heavenly Father, your word teaches us that we do not have because we do not ask. By your Spirit make us as keen to pray as you are to listen as determined to listen as you have always been to speak that we may be equipped for mission and united as your people, healthy churches transforming our lives and those of all Tasmanians through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Click here for a map showing pilgrimage stops.
Click here for June prayer pilgrimage dates.
Click here for July prayer pilgrimage dates.
Click here to read the purpose for our prayer pilgrimage.

Read the latest...

The Imagine Project: Shoot and Crop (20)

The Imagine Project website

From the Bishop

Click here to catch up on
Bishop John's blog. Here are some recent posts...

Euthanasia:priorities questioned

Prayer Pilgrimage – week #5

Euthanasia: birth, death & life Editorial

Tas euthanasia – wrong priority

End of Oi, Oi, Oi at World Cup

‘The psychology of the front row’

Prayer Pilgrimage – week #4

Five mission principles

From the Bishop's Desk is the bishop's regular email newsletter. Click here to see his recent newsletters or to join the mail list.

Bishop John's recent publications, Addresses, letters, reflections, messages: click here.

Bible Study & Preaching Material

Stressed out with no time to write bible studies? Try ‘Growing Disciples of Jesus’, our new Lectionary-based study outlines for home and church-based study groups and personal study; will also help preachers. To have a look, click here: http://www.anglicantas.org.au/lec_based_study/

Preaching Resources

This resource is provided to help guide, encourage and resource the preachers in our diocese, be they new or experienced. It’s new and evolving, so we recommend that you drop in from time to time.

A PRAYER FOR transformingLIFE

Transforming God,
as we meet together
fill us with your wisdom.
Give us the capacity
to work boldly
and with humility,
embracing the challenge of mission.

Use us to bring transforming life
to our Christian communities and
all Tasmanians

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Download the transformingLIFE document

Will the Imagine Project change your life?

CMS: This study is a gift

While Andrew & Pam Lake visited over 24 parishes in the Diocese before heading to the posting in Damascus, Andrew had been busy on another project. He has released this short book called Christian Mission for Tasmanians. This is a very personal approach from Andrew on this important topic of Mission written for the Missionary Diocese of Tasmania. Andrew says of the book,

"My hope and prayer is that this study will help put mission front and centre of the church’s agenda. I make no claim to infallibility and will have achieved my aim if this has helped start some fruitful conversations about mission."

We offer our thanks to Andrew, having served in the Diocese as an Archdeacon and Mission Support Officer. But now we offer our thanks for this impressive gift to the church in Tasmania.

Of particular interest to you, dear reader, is the freely available nature of this book. In fact, you can click here to read it right now. So is it free? Andrew explains in his Forward:

"This study is a gift to the Tasmanian church. It is freely available on the diocesan website but I invite you when you use it for personal or group study to make a donation of $10 per person to the Church Missionary Society of Tasmania."

Archive of Home Page: 2010 June

Updates to the Diocesan Preaching Page

[mon 28.jun.2010 rob] David Roger-Smith informs me that the Diocesan Preaching webpage has been updated with new sections and updates to previous pages.

Updates to current pages:
Click here for Chapter 5, Online preaching and sermon resources, Bible search and Tasmanian forums.
This section has been updated to include newer information and updated Tasmanian Bible Forum 2010 information.

Two new pages:
Click here for Chapter 10, 'Preaching with purpose' and
Click here for Chapter 11, 'Preaching in a postmodern environment.'

Click here to see the Diocesan Preaching webpage index which includes all pages.

Have a look and have a great time learning!
Once again, many thanks to David for his work on this wonderful project.

Recommendations and Devotionals

[mon 21.jun.2010 rob] Tullian Tchividjian is the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, a visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, and a grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham. Tullian wrote in his blog recently about the writer Jerry Bridges:

About a year and a half ago, author Jerry Bridges and his co-author Bob Bevington sent me an unedited manuscript of their now released book The Bookends of the Christian Life to look over and endorse. I was both humbled and honored to be asked given the way Jerry Bridges has impacted my life (his book The Pursuit of Holiness was the first book I read after God saved me at 21). Here’s what I wrote:

Through his many books, Jerry Bridges has been shepherding my soul since I first became a Christian 16 years ago. In The Bookends of the Christian Life, he has done it again. As I have come to expect from “my pastor”, he has provided a sea of theological matter in a drop of devotional language. Here you will find God-centered doctrine that is delectably deep and down to earth at the same time. I promise, if you read this book carefully and prayerfully, you will gain both an informed mind and an enlarged heart.

If you liked this, click here to read the rest of Tullian's blog post.
Or, you can click here to view Tullian Tchividjian's blog at the Gospel Coalition.

Urgent prayer for Afghan Christians

[mon 21.jun.2010 rob] From bishop John's blog, an urgent prayer request for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan:

From Mark Durie, An Open Letter from the Afghan Christian Community – AN URGENT PLEA FOR HELP & INTERVENTION

This post passes on an urgent and passionate plea for help and intervention on behalf of Afghan Christians. It has been issued by Afghan Christians in India, in response to a very recent wave of arrests, torture, and imprisonment of Christians in Afghanistan. An Afghan member of parliament has even called for Afghan Christians to be executed publicly.

The letter from the Afghan Christians concludes :

So, dear brothers and sister (the Body of Christ), we (Afghan Christian Community in New Delhi) on behalf of all Afghan Christians request you to support us by your prayers and practical measures, let us tell the Afghan Government that we are not pagans and infidels, we are not criminals because of our Christian faith, and let us tell them not to sentence us to death.
May God bless you!
Afghan Christian Community
(Obaid S. Christ)

Click here to read the whole post including the Afghan Christian Community letter.
Click here for information from the Barnabas Fund.
Click here for links on current persecution of Afghan Christians - Addresses to write to and more, courtesy of Mark Durie.
Click here to read Bishop John's request for prayer for freedom of religious expression.

Click here to see Bishop John's blog post.

Sunday is coming!

[fri 18.jun.2010 rob] Friday is here and Sunday is coming... I'm not sure if Bishop John means this in the present or in the eschatalogical sense, nevertheless, Bishop John's blog points us to a wonderful piece on preaching doctrine. For me, the timing is perfect as my parish are currently preaching through the Doctrine of God at the moment. Thanks Bishop John. Thanks Michael (he wrote the article!).

Click here to see the blog post.
Click here to go direct to the article, '10 Ideas For Preaching Doctrine'.

Where is the bishop up to on the Prayer Pilgrimage?

Tasmanian map for website front page - end of week 3

[fri 18.jun.2010 rob] If you look to the top right of this webpage, you will see a running commentary on Bishop John's Prayer Pilgrimage. Of particular note is the map of Tasmania showing where John has been over the last 3 weeks (thanks Colleen!). Click here to see the post on his blog.

If you would like to see a big version of this map with a list of the actual places Bishop John has been to, click here.

Please continue to pray for Bishop John and his "Pilgrimage Barnabas" Chris as they serve us in this powerful and wonderful way.

More...
Click here for June prayer pilgrimage dates.
Click here for July prayer pilgrimage dates.
Click here to read the purpose for our prayer pilgrimage.

Have you noticed how blogging is catching on?

[thu 17.jun.2010 paul] I love Will Briggs' because I learn so many new words. http://god-s-will.blogspot.com/

Luke Isham's is really encouraging. I get excited over a young man coming to grips with big issues. Russell Morton could answer the current question about good wine under $30.
http://post-apocalyptictheology.blogspot.com/

Bishop John's blog is incredibly important because he is the boss. (and he is great at getting to the core of an issue) http://imaginarydiocese.org/bishopjohn/

Here are some blogs that really excite me. They are about mission in a new and exciting way.
http://www.3dministries.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=86631

Spend some time reading this week.

Is my tech gadget good for my soul?

[thu 17.jun.2010 rob] Crossway, publishers of the ESV bible, have announced the release of the ESV bible on the iPad as a free application.

Click here to go to the Crossway site to find out more.

Do you use your tech gadget to enhance your relationship with Jesus?
Tell us what you use!
Click here and leave a comment on our Facebook page.

Personally, I use OliveTree for my bible reading and Logos for my bible commentaries on an iPhone. Olive Tree is a fantastic free reader and does languages (Greek/Hebrew) very well. Logos (also free) is great if you use it on your home computer (OSX/Windows) as any book you own on your home computer can live on your iPhone or iPad for free. Both have plenty of free (old) books, but I did need to pay money for the ESV bible!

ESV Bible: click here to visit their website.
Olive Tree Software: www.olivetree.com
Logos Bible Software: www.logos.com/iphone

The Sistine Chapel inspires prayer

[tue 15.jun.2010 rob] The Sistine is now viewable online! From Bishop John's blog:

A marvellous gift from the Vatican: Michelangelo’s artistic genius lavished upon the masterpiece of the Sistine Chapel is now viewable online!! And it is just fantastic. I remember visiting the Chapel and wanting to lie down on a movable trolley with a telescope in my hand so that I could drink in the Bible stories so vividly portrayed. As some hundreds of other people would have wanted to join me and the thousands waiting to come in would have been made grumpy, not joyful, this idea never bore fruit!

Click here to view the article on Bishop John's blog.
Click here to go to the Sistene Chapel on the internet.

2010 Australian Christian Book of the Year

[sun 13.jun.2010 rob] 2010 Australian Christian Book of the Year SHORT LIST was announced on Tuesday 8 June 2010. The 2010 Australian Christian Book of the Year Award short-listed books are:

A century of influence: Australian Student Christian Movement 1896-1996 by Renate Howe (University of New South Wales Press)
Desolate beauty by Trudy Adams (Ark House Press)
Hebrews: A New Covenant commentary by William Dumbrell (Redeemer Baptist Press)
Losing my religion: Unbelief in Australia by Tom Frame (University of New South Wales Press)
Montgomery of Tasmania: Henry and Maud Montgomery in Australasia by Robert Withycombe (Acorn Press)
The third choice: Islam, dhimmitude and freedom by Mark Durie (Deror Books)
The trellis and the vine: The ministry mind-shift that changes everything by Colin Marshall & Tony Payne (Matthias Media)

Position Vacant: Full-time Chaplain to RHH

[sun 13.jun.2010 rob] The Anglican Church seeks to appoint a full-time Chaplain to exercise ministry at the Royal Hobart Hospital, to identify and support the spiritual needs of patients, their families and carers. If this sounds like you, click this link to see more details.

Click here to see other job advertisements for the Anglican Church in Tasmanian.

What can I get on iTunes

[sat 12.jun.2010 rob] Is it posible to find some solid and good food for my soul on iTunes? Something meaty? We sent our researchers in to find out. Answer? Heaps! "But how much?", you ask. Sometimes, it's free! In fact, quality talks, even lectures from some of the world's best theological colleges and seminaries.

Try this link for example.

If this link doesn't work for you, just open iTunes and search on 'Reformed Theological Seminary'

It links to a talk from the Reformed Theological Seminary in America. What would they give away for free? Well, if I'm not mistaken, many of their lectures. This one, for example, is one of three lectures given by Dr D.A.Carson called 'New Perspective on Paul'. Now, if you know who that is and what that topic is, you're probably downloading it now! But, if you are not sure what that is, and want something to sink your teeth into, get out your iPod, and start downloading... It's free.

Want more? They also have lectures by Sinclair B. Ferguson, Wayne Grudem, Dr Edmund P. Clowney and Dr. Timothy J. Keller (who do a 35 lecture series on preaching Christ in the Post-Modern World), Dr. Mark Dever... and there are many more. And, if you don't know these names and can't afford books, here is a quick way to listen to some great names in theology today without needing a big bank balance!

"But what is iTunes", you say? If you have no idea about gadgets, but can work a computer, I found a lot more notes and MP3 files at their website: www.rts.edu. If you have no idea about gadgets or computers, but still want to sink your teeth into some meaty theology... Grab yourself a local Anglican minister or a mature Christian friend and take them to a good Christian bookstore and rack their brains for advice.

Good eating!

Bishop's Prayer Pilgrimage

[sat 12.jun.2010 rob] Where is Bishop John on the Prayer Pilgrimage?

Click here for a map of Tasmania showing the locations of each parish.
Click here for a list of June dates for Bishop John's Prayer Pilgrimage
Click here for a list of July dates for Bishop John's Prayer Pilgrimage

In the top right of this webpage you will see a picture of Bishop John with a list if dates where he will be this week. This will be updated each weekend during the prayer pilgrimage.

Diocesan releases for June (so far)

[sat 12.jun.2010 rob]

Click here to download Bishop John's From The Bishop's Desk 15.10 (for June 2010).
Click here to download Safe Church Communities Newsletter June 2010.

Quiet Day

[sat 12.jun.2010 rob] Rev.Warwick Cuthbertson would like to ascertain if any clergy (whose ordination anniversary is the Feast of St Matthias) would be interested in attending a quiet day at St Matthias' Windermere on the banks of the Tamar on Thurs 24 January 2011.

If interested contact Rev.Warwick Cuthbertson, phone: 0408 456 067 or email wjcuth1@bigpond.com

Synod 2010 Appointments

[tue 08.jun.2010 rob] The Registrar's office has released the list of people appointed to committees at the 51st Anglican Synod of Tasmania. Click here to view the list.

This is one of the resources found at www.anglicantas.org.au/boards_committees/.

The best of last month

Synod 2010: Bishop John's Presidential Address (part 2)

[mon 31.may.2010 rob] Bishop John has placed the outline for his Presidential Address on his blog for the benefit of the Diocese. You can find the outline to his Presidential Address here.

As Bishop John states:

Our pilgrimage has a purpose, for as Christ’s Pilgrim People our purpose is to build God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. We are also Christ’s Pilgrim People on our way to our eternal home with God: the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1-5)

Live from Synod 2010: Bishop John's Presidential Address

[sat 29.may.2010] Bishop John has just presented his Presidential Address to the 51st Session of Synod. You can download the Bishop's Presidential Address here.

To view archives of front page news, click here.

AnglicanTas frontpage editor: Rob Stanley