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From the Bishop
Click here to catch up on
Bishop John's blog. Here are some recent posts...
- Growing Up: Innocence to Inner Sense (AASN Conference 2011)
- ‘Call to open hearts on asylum’
- An Easter Attitude
- Easter & the meaning of suffering
- The stethoscope
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 our Lectionary-based study outlines for home and church-based study groups and personal study; will also help preachers. To have a look, click here.
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: 2011 April
The plumber revving his fellow tradies
"I've got no hesitation in going up to a pub to have a meal and going to the next table to shout a round of beers for the boys and sit and talk to them and go, 'you know, have you heard about this bloke? You heard about this Jesus?'"
and again...
"I'm just a normal bloke that realises that Christianity … is where I want to be"
This sounds like one awesome bloke.
Click here to read this rest of this encouraging Easter news story.
R/T... Thanks Dave M. :)
Despicable Christians, Unspeakable Grace: A Response to Ricky Gervais
"Ricky Gervais isn’t a Christian. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his work. It’s not simply that Gervais has a propensity towards the harsh or the mean-spirited; he’s gone to great lengths to make his lack of faith clear."
Click here to read the full article.
R/T... Thanks Dave M. :)
I am the problem
"Such realism is often found in those who have experienced tragedy. This came home to me in a conversation with a friend who is a recovering alcoholic."
Click here to read this post in full on Alistair's blog.
Bishop John on asylum seekers
"On Easter Sunday I spoke out for Tasmanians to support asylum seekers who are coming to a new detention centre near Hobart. The Mercury article accurately reported my view..."
Click here to read this post in full on Bishop John's blog.
Art of Easter
Click here to visit his blog.
Bishop John's Easter Message
[fri 22.apr.2011 rob]
Holidays are great.
To set your envy juices flowing, I have just had eight weeks of holidays. Can you forgive me for that? Forgiveness is a good Easter motive.
Eight weeks holidays and we went away just once: to Tasmazia, an iconic Tasmanian experience of mazes, lavender and the Village of Lower Crackpot.
I declare an interest: I am a member of Clan Crackpot. I wore my Crackpot tartan tie for the day, and am also the Bishop of Lower Crackpot. The Village Motto is ‘Fractis Sed Utilis’, which translates, ‘broken but still useful’, which a cracked pot is.
This motto holds belief, meaning. The village founders’ idea, ‘broken but still useful’, shaped their work and perseverance.
Ideas are important. Ideas shape behaviour.
During my holiday I reread Viktor Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ which relates his experiences as a Nazi concentration camp inmate. He concludes that holding a belief is what gives a person the strength to go on – even amongst suffering and death.
Ideas shape life. What we believe matters. Ideas have consequences. Ideas shape deeds.
Easter belief holds life-giving meaning.
The mutilated body on a cross of wood outside the city wall holds meaning. The idea that evil exists is shown to be real: just look at that cross!
Love exists. The person on the cross gave his life for the good of others, of us; hence, ‘Good Friday’.
The idea, the reality, of God who suffers with us and for us, gives meaning to life.
The empty tomb gives meaning: death is not the end. Jesus Christ has victory over death.
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ give meaning to life.
In Christ we are ‘broken but still useful’, children of God walking in hope in a chaotic world.
John Harrower
Bishop of Tasmania
Andrew Wilkie MP and the Clubs industry
"The Clubs industry in Australia has just launched a $20 million lie – if we believe them, we will miss a once in a generation opportunity to radically transform the way we care for those who are addicted to gambling."
Click here to read Peter Kell's article in full.
Anglicare Tasmania's own CEO Bishop Chris, has also spoken often about damage created by gambling. You can read one of his more recent comments by clicking here (Feb 23, 2011 on Bishop John's blog).
Appointment of Registrar (Director of Business Services)
[fri 15.apr.2011 rob] Bishop John made an announcement regarding a new appointment:
The Revd Edwin Lang is a senior Priest who with his wife, Beth, has served the Anglican Church in Adelaide, then as incumbent of three Melbourne parishes and Archdeacon of Dandenong. Intertwined with these grassroots ministries was his leadership of CMS in Victoria, and as Diocesan General Manager (Registrar) for the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland. It was there that he made a significant contribution to the corporate recovery of the Diocese from the brink of insolvency. The Synod appreciated Edwin for “introducing a more spiritual aspect into the administrative field and for emphasizing and affirming the ministry role of the Diocese in its support of the Parishes and Parish Clergy”.
Edwin has a deep insight into the challenges confronting ordinary parishes, sector ministries, and the pressures faced by parish leaders and clergy from the big city to regional and remote communities.
Edwin has a wealth of experience on diverse Boards across community welfare, aged care and the education sectors. In a secular organisation, as the General Manager Corporate Services for Relationships Australia, the CEO described Edwin as, “thoroughly professional… with a magnificent grasp across all areas of Corporate Services management”.
In licensing Edwin as Registrar (Director of Business Services) for the Diocese of Tasmania I will confer upon him the title of Archdeacon in recognition of his extensive ordained ministry.
I believe Edwin's appointment to be an outstanding blessing to our Diocese and I look forward to his joining with us in growing 'ahealthychurch … transforminglife'.
Please pray for Edwin and his wife Beth as they prepare to come to Tasmania.
Please continue to hold our Registrar Russell in your prayers as he prepares for Synod in June and as Edwin commences to work alongside him over late May and June."
Free hymns from Keith & Kristyn Getty
"Keith and Kristyn Getty are giving free downloads of three of their hymns — Behold the Lamb, The Power of the Cross, and Come, People of the Risen King — up until 31 March."
I noticed they have extended the period and you can not only download the MP3s for free but also a PDF of the music/words, too.
Click here for the ACL website link.
Click here to go straight to Keith & Kristyn Getty's website.
Updates from the Diocesan Office
Clergy places faith in technology
Click here to read the article in The Mercury.
Conference: Science and Christianity 2011
[mon 11.apr.2011 rob] A snippet from Bishop John's blog over the weekend:
Click here for more on ISCAST Launceston 2011 and the full text of Bishop John's blog post.
Media Release: Ordination in Burnie
Click here to read the Media Release.
A message
Click here to visit James Veltmeyer's website to read about this sign :)
Thanksgiving question nearly deports tortured Christian
From the article,
"An immigration judge cannot quiz asylum seekers on religious doctrine to see if they are credible about their faith, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reiterated in a January ruling. The State Department made the rule because persecuted Christians often lack access to religious training and literature."
Click here to read the ChristianityToday article.
Bibles stay for new Aussies
- Click here to visit Bishop John's blog.
- Click here to read Bishop John's previous post on this issue.
- Click here to read The Mercury article, "Unholy row ends as bibles stay" from yesterday's paper.
200 years of Anglican Ministry in the North of Tasmania
[tue 05.apr.2011 rob] At 2pm on Saturday 21st May 2011 there will be a celebratory service in Launceston at Prince's Square under the trees. Why? To celebrate 200 years of Anglican Ministry in the North of Tasmania.
John E. N. Smith writes, "In late February 1811 the Reverend Robert Knopwood mounted his white pony and rode up to Launceston (part of his Parish) and there he stayed a few weeks and baptised and married a number of people."
Afternoon Tea will be served following the service across the road at St.John's Launceston.
Ordination of Priests in Burnie
The Bishop of Tasmania, The Right Reverend John Harrower, OAM will be Celebrant, and ordainer.
For further information, please contact the Diocesan Office.
The Carbon Tax Debate
Rev. Luke Isham blogs about his view on the issue over at his blog 'Post-Apocalyptic Theology'. He says,
"Let me try and untangle some of the hoopla surrounding the 'Carbon Tax', more to identify what's going on in the public discourse then push a particular barrow."
Click here to read more of Rev. Isham's post.
Updates from the Diocesan Office
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AnglicanTas frontpage editor: Rob Stanley
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