Category: From Nigel Fortescue

Dear Friends,

The first 6 months of the year have gone by in a bit of a blur of Christian growth and ministry opportunity. It has been a delight to see people devoting themselves to gathering with others to mature in Christ and being mobilized for ministry. My highlight of the year so far has been our Summer Ministry Training Week. If you missed it, we will be running it again in 2018.

As we run into the back end of the year, there are 6 things I want you to know:

Growth Spurt – Saturday 22nd July, 7.30pm
Growth Spurts are opportunities to dig deeper into various theological topics. This month our topic is “Where did the Bible come from?” Simon will be helping us unearth the way we should think about the Bible. Just turn up!

Begin Well – Sunday 23rd July, 12.30pm for lunch
Begin Well is a lunchtime gathering for people who are new to church or who have been around a while but feel disconnected and are keen to get involved and get growing. Everyone is welcome but let us know you’re coming at beginwell@campbelltownanglican.org or text 0414262477.

Safe Ministry Training – Sunday 30th July, 12pm
Our trainers Carol and Nicole will be running Safe Ministry Training for 1st timers and those needing refreshing. Safe Ministry Training is instruction on how to do ministry with children and the vulnerable and is compulsory for people involved with children at our church. Register via the office at office@campbelltownanglican.org or 4625 1041.

Interested in fulltime Ministry Meeting – Sunday 6th August, 12.30pm
If you are considering working in Christian ministry in the future, we would love you to join us for lunch to meet one of the lecturers from Moore College who will challenge your assumptions and cast a vision for a future serving Jesus. We will also launch our network for people thinking about fulltime ministry on the day. Let Nigel know you are keen to come on 0429 939 410 or nigel@campbelltownanglican.org.

Visit from Rev. Emil Bou-Rizk – Tuesday 22nd August, 7.30pm
Rev. Emil Bou-Rizk is an Anglican clergyman living in Lebanon. After leaving Tunisia where he had ministered for eight years and upon arrival in Lebanon his family were appalled at the treatment of Syrian refugees. They witnessed children as young as 4 being forced to work in fields all day. They witnessed first hand the squalid conditions refugees were living in. Together with his wife, Emil began changing the lives of these the children. Come and hear the story of his ministry and the impact of Gospel shaped love on Syrian Refugees.

Megachurch – Sunday 29th October, 9.30am
Once a year we gather all our congregations together for church to express our shared vision and fellowship. It’s always a great day and includes lunch and fun for the kids.

Hope to see you at some of these events.

In Christ,
Nigel

Dear Friends,

The reporting this week on the release of the 2016 Census results has taken me by surprise. You’d be excused for thinking that the entire Census was driven by the need to know what the Australian people’s religious preferences are. Article after article and front page after front page reported on the rapid decline of religious affiliation and the rise of “no religion”.

In 1966, 34% of people said they were Anglican, 26% said they were Catholic and 0.8% said they had no religion. In 2016, 30% did not declare a religion, 22% said they were Catholic and 15% claimed to be Anglicans.

The anti-SRE brigade and many others have jumped on this and made claims of the irrelevance of religion today and the need to eradicate spirituality from our public discourse. I’m suggesting something completely different.

As I see it, for us Christians, opportunity knocks.

It is of no surprise to me that the number of people claiming to be Anglican has reduced. Just look around at church and ask yourself, have we ever had 34% or even 15% of the population in church? No! Many of those who claim to be Anglican or even Christian have been giving an indication of a cultural position or familial ties. They were baptised or schooled in the Anglican tradition.

For some, the massive reduction in 50 years will be seen as a threat to survival. I think it is exciting because the reduction in those claiming to “be Anglican” is an indication that people are thinking about what they believe rather than just religiously ticking a box. People are deciding to have a view and indicate what is really going on for them spiritually. Australian people are taking personal ownership of their beliefs.

For this reason, it is no time to panic! This is the moment opportunity knocks and provides a chance for us to have good conversations with our neighbours and friends. The newspaper articles and stories in the media give us all a chance to ask “What did you put for religion in the Census?” Or, “Have you changed what you put for religion in the Census between 2011 and now?”

This can only lead to great conversations about what people actually believe and why. It gives you the opportunity to share what you believe and why. It might give you an opportunity with someone who did claim to “be Anglican” to invite them to something Anglican and try it out again!

The move from cultural, nominal, familial belief thinking to personal, individual belief thinking is a watershed moment for evangelism.

I share this with you because the Macarthur Advertiser will be running an article on religion and the Census next week. You and your neighbour will get the same paper on the same day and you will have a real opportunity to start a conversation with them. Perhaps you could start praying for them now and for courage to take the opportunity that knocks.

In Christ
Nigel

It’s time to talk about pornography.

It’s time for parents to talk. Friends to talk. Spouses to talk. It’s time for our church to talk about the new drug that 90% of 12-17 year olds have been exposed to. It’s available everywhere and it is killing friendships, marriages, future marriages and whole lives.

Let’s listen to Monica Campo, Senior Researcher at Child Family Community Australia.

Research indicates that children and young people are accessing pornography at increasing rates, with boys aged 14-17 years being the most frequent underage consumers of pornographic material. A recent senate inquiry looked into the effects of pornography on children because a growing number of parents, children, teachers, psychologists and other professionals working with children and young people voiced concerns about the ease of access to pornography online, and the proliferation of increasingly violent pornographic content. 

While pornography is not a new phenomenon, the volume available and the way people are accessing it has changed. For example, improvements to Internet downloading speeds and the use of handheld “smart” devices have made accessing pornography easier, faster and more anonymous than ever before. The ease of access to pornography online also contributes to the greater likelihood of children’s accidental exposure. 

Studies suggest that the effects of frequent and routine viewing of pornography and other sexualised images may:

    ▪       reinforce harmful gender stereotypes;
    ▪       contribute to young people forming sexist views of women and sex; and
    ▪       contribute to condoning violence against women. 

There is also evidence to suggest an association between frequent viewing of online pornography and sexually coercive behaviour exhibited by young men. Pornography consumption by young people may also normalise sexual violence and contribute to unrealistic attitudes of sex and sexuality. 

I’ve invited a group of people to join me for a conversation about the porn epidemic in a few weeks’ time. We’re going to seek to answer the question:

What should our church be doing to assist families and individuals to protect themselves and fight against the pornography epidemic? 

I would love to hear your thoughts or answers to this question. Please let me know as soon as possible and we will include your thoughts in our conversation.

Click here to email me. Alternately, text me on 0429 939 410.

Let’s talk!

Nigel

Dear Friends,

“The Anglican Church of Australia is at a crossroads.  For over thirty years it has been slowly declining and the time has come for a revolution if it is to be a strong and sustainable Church for the future”.

These were the first words of a report presented to the Anglican Church of Australia in 2014. And no one disputed them.

The Viability and Structures Report was tabled at the National Synod Meeting in Adelaide and it made for sobering reading. More than half a dozen dioceses were on the verge of bankruptcy, others were training no clergy and still others were shrinking at an alarming rate.

Through a strange twist of fate, I found myself on the national committee given the task of making and implementing recommendations for change. It has been an interesting journey that finished last Thursday. Sadly though, for a variety of reasons, I fear that we have spent our time simply rearranging the furniture while the house is on fire.

One of the clear thrusts of the report is that viability will rely upon evangelising large numbers of the population but that we lack the ability to proceed with imagination and courage.

Missiologist Bob Jackson in his latest book, What Makes the Church Grow?, addresses the future of the Anglican Church:

“The absolute core Church activity is to worship God. But mission or evangelism leading to the growth of the Church is not a second order optional extra for enthusiasts. If we are overwhelmed by the love of God for the world then we overflow with the love of God to the world. That is why David Bosch said that it is not the Church of God that has a mission to the world but the God of mission who has a Church in the world. God’s mission of saving love to the whole of creation is at the heart of his being and agenda. It flows out of him both to and through the Church. The Church is not the only route by which God’s missional grace flows into the world, but he has chosen and appointed the Church for this purpose.” 

I heard the David Bosch quote at another event recently and it really resonated with me. The work of evangelising large numbers of people is not the plan of the church, it’s the plan of God who is on mission in the world through his church.

Now before you give thanks that we have Mick Bullen on staff at Church to do this mission as our Mission Pastor, keep in mind that when we use the word “church” here we are not talking about an institution or organisation, we are talking about God’s people. You are the Church. And God’s plan is to use you to reach the world for Christ.

The future of the church is in God’s hands but he has given us the responsibility to do his work with imagination and courage. So what could you do to evangelise the large number of people in Campbelltown who don’t yet know Jesus?

In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends,

I have often been on the wrong side of trendy. I wear the right clothes in the wrong generation. I listen to last year’s music. I say phrases that totes no one, like, said, ever. These things are largely unremarkable though in comparison to the impact of being Christian.

Rarely is a biblical view of things trendy – in fact it is usually the exact opposite and we should expect nothing less! We live in a world that is walking away from Jesus, serving itself rather than Jesus and worshipping anything but Jesus. Being a Christian is to be decidedly counter-cultural and it is getting harder and harder to walk with Jesus. Those like us who want to trust God and believe his Word are often shamed and excluded for doing so from within the church and without.

Here is one analysis of why.

A NY Times article by David Brooks titled, “The Shame Culture” noted that anthropologists have identified a distinction between a guilt culture and a shame culture. In a guilt culture you know you are good or bad by what your conscience feels. In a shame culture you know you are good or bad by what your community says about you, by whether it honours or excludes you. In a guilt culture people sometimes feel they do bad things; in a shame culture social exclusion makes people feel they are bad.

It is argued that the omnipresence of social media has enable shame culture to emerge in our midst. The desire to be embraced and praised by the community is intense. People dread being exiled and condemned. In this day and age then, moral life is not built on the continuum of right and wrong; it’s built on the continuum of inclusion and exclusion.

In this shame culture, people are extremely anxious that their group might be condemned or denigrated. They demand instant respect and recognition for their group. They feel some moral wrong has been perpetrated when their group has been disrespected, and react with the most violent intensity. Think Margaret Court…

Brooks finishes his analysis by saying, “In an era of omnipresent social media, it’s probably doubly important to discover and name your own personal True North, vision of an ultimate good, which is worth defending even at the cost of unpopularity and exclusion.”

My personal True North is Jesus, as God has revealed him in the Scriptures and the life of faith described therein.  I am willing to defend this with everything I have.

What about you?

Dear Friends,

Over three days last week, most of our staff team attended the Wollongong Region Ministry Conference. Every year, our Bishop calls together all the staff of all the churches in our area for mutual encouragement and strong challenge to spur us on in the work of the Gospel. This year David Helm from Chicago was the main speaker – but he is also the author of one of the most well-read Children’s Bibles – The Big Picture Story Bible.

If you are looking for a new Bible to read with the children or grandchildren, get this one and it will help you and them grasp hold of the message of the Bible from beginning to end.

David is a great writer and an inspiring preacher and I felt that his message to us was, Get back to basics, but don’t be basic!     

So let’s be frank with each other. Sometimes sermons are little more than a dogs breakfast. I am more than willing to admit that I have preached some shockers over the last 7 years and you have all been quite polite about it. All our preachers work hard to be able to speak a Word from God that is inspiring and challenging; that seeks to bring about the transformation of mind and actions that the Gospel calls for. But we sometimes miss the mark.

David Helm called on us to get back to using all the skills we acquired at bible college to understand the text (get back to basics) but to then use that understanding to speak powerfully into the lives of people (but don’t be basic!). He spoke of the need for passionate reflection and consideration of the way your text speaks into the lives of the church. He encouraged us to get started early in the week to allow God’s Word to do its work on us first. He noted that too much OT preaching is sloppy, lazy and inauthentic because it rushes too quickly to Jesus and lacks thought and application.

Humorously, he implored us not to be inebriated preachers – just as a drunk leans on a lamp-post for support rather than just receiving its light, so many just lean on the Bible for a little support of whatever point they want to make rather than allowing it to illuminate you and determine the point.

All this is really the tip of the iceberg from 5 talks that were wonderfully heart-warming and challenging.

It is always a joy to be able to share ministry experiences with each of you so do please ask us for our own personal reflections on the three days. They were excellent.

It is also always a joy to get feedback from you on how we are going in ministry, either when you feel we could improve or when we have done well. I want to encourage you to share all your thoughts with us so we can work together hard in ministry for the Glory of God.

In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends,

Our ministry partnership with the Macarthur indigenous Church is one of great significance that we must continue to build and strengthen. To this end, I am looking forward to our services celebrating NAIDOC week on 2nd July at St Peter’s and 9th July at St Andrew’s. Michael Duckett will be preaching and we will celebrate our union in Christ the ultimate reconciler.

Last Friday, May 26, was National Sorry Day on which we remember the mistreatment of our indigenous population. Saturday May 27 was the 50th anniversary of the successful 1967 referendum, which enabled Aboriginal people to be counted as members of the Australian population and enabled the federal parliament to specifically legislate for Aboriginal people.

You may also know that there are continued conversations about whether and how further recognition of Australia’s indigenous peoples might be included in our Constitution, and there was a very significant meeting of representative indigenous leaders from all over Australia at Uluru last weekend, seeking to determine ways forward.

So I think it is appropriate this weekend that I share some prayers of thanks for past steps of recognition and reconciliation with indigenous people, that we grieve what is yet to be done for indigenous welfare at practical and political levels, and ask you to pray for further steps along those paths.

Here are a couple of prayers for reconciliation written by indigenous people that I encourage you to use.

RECONCILIATION PRAYER

Holy Father, God of Love,
You are the Creator of this land and of all good things.
We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history
and the suffering of our peoples
and we ask your forgiveness.
We thank you for the survival of indigenous cultures.

Our hope is in you because you gave your Son Jesus
to reconcile the world to you.
We pray for your strength and grace to forgive,
accept and love one another,
as you love us and forgive and accept us
in the sacrifice of your Son.

Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history
so that we may build a better future for our nation.
Teach us to respect all cultures.
Teach us to care for our land and waters.
Help us to share justly the resources of this land.
Help us to bring about spiritual and social change
to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities,
especially the disadvantaged.

Help young people to find true dignity and self esteem by your Spirit.
May your power and love be the foundations
on which we build our families, our communities and our nation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

This prayer prepared by Wontulp-Bi-Buya Indigenous Theology Working Group, 13 March 1997. (Wontulp-Bi-Buya is the Queensland partner of Nungalinya College, Darwin, and provides indigenous leadership training for church and community.)

A Collect for Reconciliation

(For those unfamiliar with Anglican terms, a Collect is a brief prayer, which gathers together or ‘collects’ certain concerns appropriate to a particular occasion or issue.)

Lord God,
Bring us together as one.
Reconciled with you and
reconciled with each other.
You made us in your likeness;
You gave us your son, Jesus Christ.
He has given us forgiveness from sin.

Lord God,
Bring us together as one.
Different culture, but
given new life in Jesus Christ;
Together as one, your body,
your church, your people.

Lord God,
Bring us together one.
Reconciled, healed, forgiven,
Sharing you with others,
as you have called us to do.
In Jesus Christ,
let us be together as one.
Amen.

Written by Bishop Arthur Malcolm (Australia’s first indigenous bishop) and his non-indigenous wife, Colleen.

In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends,

A number of people have expressed concern about the latest poster from Outreach Media displayed on the end of the church hall at St Peter’s (pictured). One person asked me, “If you want us to be a Growing Christian Community, why would you put a poster like that up? It is only going to drive people away!”

My response was “I love it!” – and here is why… 

First, it expresses biblical truth.
Jesus said to all who would follow him, “They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9). Paul went on to say, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Christians are a maligned and hated bunch of people.

Lisa Pearce from Open Doors says that, “If a Christian is discovered in Somalia, they’re unlikely to live to see another day”. The unreported truth is that worldwide religious persecution is utterly one sided – the vast majority is from Muslims towards Christians. So, if the secular media has given you an impression that all religious people just fight and kill each other then please reconsider. 

Second, it challenges those who will think.
Remember that the vast majority of unbelievers who read the sign were not looking for a reason to come to church. They could not care less about Jesus. But some, in response to a sign like this, will turn their brain to thinking, ‘Why do Christians keep believing in Jesus when, in North Africa, the Middle East and many parts of Asia, Christians are vanishing. It seems a lost and futile cause.’ Thinking people may be encouraged to take their investigation further. 

Third, it reminds us of what being a Christian is.
When we speak to someone about Jesus we are not inviting them into a club where peace, health, wealth and wisdom are guaranteed outcomes and everything is polite, rosy, middle-class and easy. The Kingdom of God is confronting, messy and dangerous. The Christian life is often challenging and for those who will speak of Jesus the opposition is often relentless. If this is not your experience, then perhaps you need to be rebuked by these words of Jesus, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:15-16)

So my friends, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28).

I urge you to invite people to join our Growing Christian Community, but let’s not expect any favours from the world, the flesh or the devil. We’re not in Kansas any more! 

In Christ
Nigel

Some days, strange things happen. One day last week I found myself listening to an interview with Miley Cyrus on FM radio. The kids had the radio on in the car as I drove them to the station and I didn’t turn it off as I drove on to work. Apart from the way her soft Hannah Montana voice has transformed into a gravelly mess (indicative of harsher times), she seemed to have lost a little of that bratty-ness that has become so characteristic of her life.

What struck me though, was her assertion in response to questions about her marijuana addiction. When asked if it was hard to give up, she said: “No, I can do anything I can put my mind to. Nothing is difficult for me. If I decide to do something, it’ll happen.”

Really?

Frankly, most people find overcoming difficulties in life difficult! Nothing is easy and when it comes to addiction and struggles, there is no silver bullet. When you see someone easily overcome a problem or burden it can be demoralising and for some it even derails their belief in a God who delights to care for his people.

The problem here is not that God cares for some and not others; the problem is that we have excessively high expectations of what might be accomplished in the world and what God might do for us here. There is a brochure arriving in letterboxes this week promising much of special events and special anointing oils. It has me really worried.

I have been working on Revelation 18 this week and had the chance to share some reflections with our Wednesday congregation. Overwhelming the message of the chapter is that everything you can see and touch and smell and taste and hear on earth is going to be destroyed. Nothing will be left at the last judgement – “it’s all gotta go”, as the city spruikers yell from outside jewellery and perfume shops!

God’s great concern for us is not that we are comfortable in life now, but that we are assured of eternal life with him. That he cares for us is in no doubt. That he can heal us is in no doubt. That he will heal every illness and remove every trouble is unlikely. Sometimes those things are sent to teach us or help us – see Paul’s journey with the “thorn” in his side in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. Moreover, I have never met anyone but for Jesus who has defeated death. This is the trajectory we are all on, the decay of our bodies and receipt of a new eternal body that does not pass away.

The Scriptures urge us to put our hope in the Lord and wait. He will ultimately heal each one of us with the fruit of the trees of healing in eternal life. Between now and then, we will struggle but be assured of God’s love and care for you every day, the evidence of which is seen most clearly at the cross.

In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends,

In a growing and busy church it is easy to think that there are either fewer opportunities to serve or that all the opportunities for serving are taken. Neither position is true! We are always on the look out for people willing to join the serving teams in each of our congregations (to assist with hospitality, set-up and pack-up or leadership roles) or our specialist ministry teams such as ESL or Children’s Ministry. Not everyone is equipped to do every role and sometimes delicate conversations have to take place to help people see where their gifts might best be used; but the Scriptures are clear that we all have gifts and that God wants us to use them for his glory and the benefit of the church.

With this in mind, I want to share with you today some particularly opportunities that have arisen in recent weeks.

Security Team – we are looking for a group of people willing to be on a list who will receive phone calls (24/7) from our security monitoring company when alarms at the St Peter’s site are triggered or other issues arise. Does not involve walking around the church site late at night in the dark!

Grounds Team – we are looking for people willing to help out with regular maintenance and care of church property.

Special Functions Team – we are looking for a coordinator and helpers who will assist staff in management and hosting of special functions such as historical talks, cemetery tours and church visits by bus groups.

Grants Team – we are looking for a coordinator and helpers who will work with the wardens to be aware of and make applications for various grants available from government and community organisations.      

Creative Team – we are looking for people able to think and work creatively to design and manage stage sets for our various sermon series.

If any of these opportunities interest you, please contact the office or speak with me. You can do that in person, on the phone, via email or Facebook. 

If you feel your gifts, skills or talents are not being well used and would like to be more involved in church but these opportunities don’t excite you, please speak to a member of staff, or your Growth Group leader and let’s see where you can be serving. 

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 

I look forward to speaking with you.
In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends, 

The story of the current French election is the story of our times. What people expected would happen, didn’t happen. Imagine a situation where an election is held in Australia and both Liberal and Labor are defeated and neither party is eligible to run the country. This is the situation in France. Both the ruling political parties are out of the race and one moderate candidate and one right-wing candidate are competing for the Presidency. It makes for fascinating viewing – as did Brexit and Trump! 

It also makes for fear and worry. Many French commentators are seriously concerned; the very same sort of commentators who were seriously concerned about Trump and Brexit. In the face of this, what should Christians do? 

Christians ought neither fear nor worry, but cultivate patience.

I have been working through the book of Revelation with our Wednesday morning congregation and it has been a delight to unveil the mysteries and see Jesus. We have gazed time and again behind the curtain of the world to the spiritual powers that besiege our society and are opposed to the growth of God’s Kingdom.

In Chapter 17 we meet a prostitute dressed in purple and scarlet, riding a 7 headed beast with horns, drunk on the blood of God’s people that she is drinking from a golden cup. She rules over kings and nations and people and guides them away from God with her own authority and tempting words. What on earth is she meant to represent? 

Well, a careful reading of the chapter reveals that she is all that calls people to organise themselves independently of God. She is everything that works against God’s Kingdom and for the destruction of the Gospel and those who hold true to it. She is a vast power that has turned and is turning everything against Jesus. 

An example of her power was summarised by Professor Haidt of NY University when he said, “The rising intolerance of secular fundamentalists is akin to a new religion rising to consume or eradicate all religion.” In such a movement the woman with the golden cup is rising up to destroy clear Gospel preaching and replace it with vacuous philosophies that promise much and deliver destruction.

We could list a myriad of people and activities that all have the scarlet clad woman as their driving force but the message of revelation is not “expose evil” but “be patient because Jesus wins!” Christian people don’t put their trust in society to fix society’s problems. They patiently wait for the return of Jesus who will replace this world with a perfect new world and thus fix all its problems.

To this end, in response to the promise of Jesus that he is coming soon, we pray the words of Revelation 22:20, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” 

In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends,

As we embark on our new sermon series examining the cross of Christ, we do so in the shadow of Anzac Day. There is perhaps no more religious day in the Australian calendar than April 25 on which it is un-Australian to shop before midday, miss the dawn service or reject a sprig of rosemary. We all bow down to worship at the altar of Gallipoli, remembering all that the brave men and women did for us to ensure our freedom.

It’s important, but it’s not the main game.

There are a million things that might draw our attention away from the cross of Christ. Too many to even list a few. And yet, it is the cross of Christ that actually stands at the centre of all history. It is there that love is most clearly seen. It is there that sacrifice is most clearly seen. It is there that kindness, mercy and grace are most clearly on display.

What intrigues me is how easily we look elsewhere to understand these things?

We have fashioned ANZAC into an idol and a myth that gives Australian life meaning.  Australians look to Anzac to understand love, sacrifice and kindness. Now is the time for us to take an opportunity to acknowledge all that, but to help people see something bigger – even someone bigger! Jesus! Tuesday provides you with an opportunity to point people clearly to Jesus. Don’t miss it!

Speaking about Jesus does not take away from the courageous efforts of our family and friends who served and self-sacrificed for our country at Gallipoli or anywhere else. Rather, it recognizes that ANZAC Day is a moment when our culture provides us with a chance to point people to the Cross.

But not just to a man who gave his life that his countrymen may be free. But a man who gave his life that his enemies might be free. A man who gave his life – and won a great victory – without raising a hand in anger. Indeed, by raising his arms in glad surrender. For the only blood shed that day on the hill of Golgotha was his own.

Most of us will have a day of rest on Tuesday in recognition of sacrifice. How will you use the day to help those around recognise the greater sacrifice of Jesus?

Prayerfully
Nigel

 

CS Lewis in his book “Surprised by Joy” recounts his firmly held belief that Christians were wrong. He says that the last thing he wanted was to embrace Christianity. Lewis had a friend who he describes as the hardest boiled of all atheists and together they stood firm until one day in 1926 when his friend, the hardboiled egg, started to crack under the weight of the evidence.

Lewis writes:
“He sat in my room on the other side of the fire and remarked that the evidence for the historicity of the Bible was really surprisingly good. He said “it almost looks as though everything written there really happened once”.
“To understand the shattering impact of this statement you would need to know the man. He had never shown any interest in Christianity, he was the cynic of cynics, the toughest of the toughs – and yet if even he were not safe in his disbelief, where would I turn?”

After investigating the basis and evidence for Christianity, Lewis concluded that in other religions there was “no valid historical claim as there was in Christianity”. His knowledge of literature forced him to treat the biblical accounts of Jesus death and resurrection as trustworthy. He said “I was by now too experienced in literary criticism to regard the Gospels as myth”.

So finally, contrary to his strong stand against Christianity, CS Lewis had to make a decision. He wrote:
“You must picture me alone in that room in college, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity term of 1929, I gave in and admitted that God was God, and I knelt and I prayed.”

I don’t know if it was the eyewitness testimony to the resurrection that convinced him of the truth of it.
I don’t know if it was that fact that Jesus appeared to his mother, his brothers, and his enemies that proved that the resurrection was historical fact.
I don’t know if it was the sheer number of people he appeared to in various places at various times.
I don’t know if it was the faith of the disciples and their going to death for Jesus.
I don’t know if it was the life changing impact the resurrection had on people in the first century and every century after that.
I don’t know if it was the testimony to the resurrection from outside the Bible.

Perhaps it was the weight of it all. So with Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20 he was able to say, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!”

This Easter, I hope you are able to say that too.

In Growth Groups this week we looked at Luke 6:12-16, a short but intriguing passage in which Luke describes Jesus choosing his disciples. Our group segued into a helpful and exciting discussion on how we make decisions. We came up with 5 good tips – (1) Pray, (2) Listen to God in His Word, (3) Seek the wisdom of wise friends, (4) Don’t rush and (5) Be content with what you choose.

But verse 12 continues to be the verse that is running around inside my head: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” The first thing that comes to mind is Jesus sitting on the mountain talking to himself. But that cannot be right!

It is easy to get ourselves into theological conundrums as we read the Bible and try to understand what is going on. In this case, we know that Jesus is God, Immanuel, God with us. But we also know that God exists in three-persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three are God; not God as he chooses to reveal himself from time to time (like a morph monster) but equally, co-existently God. So does that mean that Jesus was talking to himself up on that mountain?

I don’t think so. Often when we read “God” in relation to Jesus, what is meant is God the Father. Jesus remains in eternal submission to his Father as the Son and it is only right that he might therefore speak to God his Father in prayer.

Only right, but astoundingly right!

I am blown away by this reality actually. Jesus stops what he is doing and spends the whole night praying about a serious and long-term decision he has to make.

When was the last time you spent the whole night in prayer about a big decision you had to make. Probably the same time I did. Never. Did Jesus need to pray more than us. Probably not. Was Jesus in greater anxiety and needed more prayer? Probably not. Was Jesus just a better prayer who did not run out of things to say? Um, I doubt it.

I think this whole situation just indicates the necessity and importance of prayer as we do life. The Growth Group material challenges us in this way – “On top of the passing conversational prayers that you may enjoy with God, consider the discipline of stepping outside your busy life to be with God in prayer.”

You will no doubt have lots of things to think about this week, but giving that suggestion due consideration could, perhaps, be the most important thing you do this year.

In Christ
Nigel

The 7 Year Itch is a psychological theory that happiness in a relationship starts to go downhill after seven years. The theory is that after 7 years, enough time has gone past that a couple who know each other’s foibles and failings don’t have the energy to bear with them any longer. They start to wonder if the relationship they are in is worth it and whether the grass is greener elsewhere. Perhaps the excitement of the first few years has worn off and only the mundane remains and they are tempted to look for something new. Whatever the case, some approach 7 year anniversaries with fear.

Friday 31st March marked 7 years for me as Senior Minister of Campbelltown Anglican Church. So what now? 

I don’t feel particularly itchy, but I have been reflecting on the first week I spent in the Parish and how overwhelming it was meeting 100s of people and getting my head around how things worked. Jan Tripodi gave me more keys than I could have ever imagined. Trevor Richardson explained how the 8am service was done. Leanne and I spent lots of valuable time together talking, thinking and praying.

At the induction I made the observation that the stained glass windows in St Peter’s had four panels that reflect the work of a church and its minister. Luke 4:18 has Jesus explaining that he was sent to proclaim the Gospel and the arrival of the Messiah to all who would listen. Luke 22:19 has Jesus sharing the Lord’s Supper with those who loved him. Mark 10:14 has Jesus encouraging ministry to young people so they too can experience Kingdom blessings. James 1:27 urges the church to care for the vulnerable and marginalised and to pursue purity.

I hope it might be said that in the last 7 years we have had a good go at all these things. You know my foibles and failings (and from time to time people remind me of them) but I think I can honestly say that there has never been a day when I have not prayerfully sought to do the best I could with the resources I have for you (the church) and our local community. 

I am very thankful to God for calling us to be here in Campbelltown and as I said at the AGM, I have no plans or intentions to go anywhere anytime soon.

So where are we heading and what are we doing over the next 7 years?

I hope we might together be a church that proclaims the good news of salvation in Word and sacrament; that encourages young and old to become members of the Kingdom of God; and that cares for people while pursuing godliness. I hope we might be a growing Christian community, devoted to maturing in Jesus for the Glory of God.

Will you pray with me for these things?

By Peter Jensen

That simple statement from 1 Timothy 1:15 has always been one of my favourite Bible verses, for a number of reasons. Pre-eminently, though, it is because it conveys the heart of the gospel. It always reminds me of the picture the Lord Jesus himself gave of the shepherd who seeks the lost sheep until he finds it, lays it on his shoulders and brings it home safely.

Whatever else you may think about the Lord coming into the world, saving sinners was his chief aim and his death on the cross was the chief means.

Those of us brought up on the Book of Common Prayer will remember that 1 Timothy 1:15 is one of those precious ‘comfortable words’ which we hear in the context of confessing our sinfulness to the Lord. For our sins, amply revealed by the Law of God, leave us with nowhere to go. And yet, the Good Shepherd finds us.

This year we are especially remembering the Reformation, which shaped the Book of Common Prayer and hence the worship of Anglicans. As I pointed out in the first of these blogs, the Reformers, not least Thomas Cranmer, left us in no doubt of our spiritual bankruptcy and inability to save ourselves: ‘down peacock’s feathers, down proud heart, down vile clay’ as the Homily says.

But there is another moment in the Holy Communion service of the Prayer Book which is especially powerful. In the prayer of consecration, the death of Jesus is described as the ‘full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world’.

The Reformers were all too aware of the way in which we humans smuggle self-justification into our thinking and practice. Having demolished such delusions, the Prayer Book makes clear not only that our sole hope is in Jesus, but that his death on the cross is the sole foundation of that hope. It is Christ and Christ alone who saves and you cannot add to the death of Jesus without subtracting from its power. As Paul also says, ‘the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20).

One of the early martyrs of the English Reformation was Thomas Bilney. He had agonised over his sins, and nothing that his spiritual advisors suggested gave him peace. When he took the somewhat dangerous step of purchasing a Bible, it was 1 Timothy 1:15 which caught his eye and brought the flood of relief to his soul as he realised that although he could not save himself, or, rather, because he could not save himself, the Lord Jesus came to save him instead.

The story goes that he went and ‘confessed’ his sins to a priest named Hugh Latimer, telling him about the same verse and it was what brought the great preacher of the gospel of God’s grace to faith in Christ alone for his salvation. Latimer, too, was later a martyr for the cause of this gospel.

When we see frantic spiritual activity, it is not always the product of faith in the Saviour. It can be a way of self-assurance, a way of convincing yourself that God is not dead but alive and that you are in good standing with him. Indeed, in the contemporary church judged, for example, by its music, the cross of Christ is not really at the centre of people’s faith. It is more likely to be spirituality and even faith itself which is the focal point of worship.

But true faith, shaped by the word of God, never takes its eyes from the Lord Jesus as our own only hope in life and in death, and it lives at the foot of the cross as the only place where true assurance and true peace may be found. Of course this is not some quietistic doctrine leading to passivity – true assurance liberates us to please the Lord in all our ways. This is what the Prayer Book at the joyful end of the Communion service calls our true worship, our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

Here is at the heart of our faith, and the rediscovery of it was one of the great gifts of the Reformation.

Dear Friends,

It has been a crazy week for beer drinkers! What brand is socially acceptable to drink now?
It has been a crazy week for the Bible Society! Any publicity is good publicity… sort of!
It has been a crazy week for Christians! Should we still speak biblical views into the world?

The short story: A video was produced by the Bible Society in which two politicians with different views on same-sex marriage had a conversation about their beliefs. The homosexual agnostic Tim Wilson argued strongly for the need for good conversation and debate. The conservative Christian Andrew Hastie agreed. Coopers Beer was on the table during the good humoured 7 minute conversation.

Unfortunately, the message of the video became “Coopers is a homophobic supporter of outdated Christian views on same-sex marriage”.

Pubs began to boycott their beer and a public firestorm erupted. The reason it became such an enormous issue so quickly is perhaps captured in one Newtown publican’s comment: “The idea that we need to have a discussion about basic human rights is probably why people are so upset!”

Coopers capitulated, severed their relationship with the Bible Society and have become actively involved in promoting the cause of same-sex marriage in Australia.

Tim Wilson, the homosexual agnostic, expressed his outrage at Coopers bowing to the shouting voices, describing the response to the video as “bizarre” and saying the “over-the-top response” had “only proven the need for more civil disagreement”.

“The objective of the Bible Society was to bring together two people who disagree on an issue they both feel passionately about and demonstrate they can disagree without being disagreeable.”

The real issue here is sociological. There has been a shift from “I don’t believe what you say, but I will defend your right to say it!” to “I don’t believe what you say and I will silence you.” It has become increasingly difficult to express publicly a moral position contrary to that of the progressive crusaders. For Christians like you and me, this means that much of what we say will be shouted down because it is counter-cultural – God has created us to live according to his Word, the very Word the world has rejected. Our liberal democratic society has an agenda and it doesn’t involve healthy free speech and debate any more.

Being a Christian in the world has always been hard, right now it feels a little harder. This is no surprise to God. In Revelation 11 he says that our expectation ought to be that the world will almost completely crush the people of God and gloat over our demise. But we do not fear because God will call all his people to dwell with him in heaven for every saying, “Come Up Here!” (Rev 11:12)

The irony in all this came at the end of the week when national campaigner for just.equal, Ivan Hinton-Teoh reflected on corporate Australia’s push for same-sex marriage this week. He said, “It’s not appropriate for a government minister to attempt to shut down views he doesn’t agree with.” And, “The freedom to discuss issues of public concern is a freedom we all hold dear.”

Perhaps the meaning of “discuss” has changed.

In Christ
Nigel

As a young teenager, I got burnt. Seriously burnt. Often seriously burnt. I spent summers on and around the water – fishing from dawn to mid-morning then boogie-boarding at the beach into the afternoon before casting a line back in around dusk. I remember using sun cream but rarely a hat. My cousins, brothers and I were in and out of the water too often and they were just intrusive.

It didn’t feel like it at the time, but I was making the decision to get sunburnt.

As an older teenager, married man and father I have become paranoid about the sun and wear sun cream and a hat regularly. But the decisions I made earlier have begun to catch up with me.

I get my skin checked regularly and just this week my Doctor said it was time to start using some cream that will slowly burn some pre-cancerous spots off my nose and face. Before long, I will look like a clown and feel like Rudolf. And it is all because of the decisions that I made way back when.

We make decisions every day, some big, some small, some inconsequential, some of great significance. Many we make without much thought or consideration of what might happen next.  This is totally understandable – life is busy and who has time to think when situations require impulsive wisdom and reflex thinking. We rely upon our minds to be able to be wise and to keep growing in wisdom so we can do the least damage to ourselves and others while doing life.

So how is your mind? What is driving its decision making ability and are you training it in the way it should go? Paul writes in Colossians 1:9-10:

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. 

For those who follow Christ, doing the “best” by themselves and others is of secondary importance. Our first goal is that we may live a life worthy, do our “best”, in God’s sight. In order to do that we need to be filled with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. This sounds complicated, but really it is about listening to and doing the spirit-inspired Word of God that is living and active today – hearing God speak from the Bible. Being soaked in his word will ensure our impulsive wisdom and reflex thinking is indeed pleasing and good.

As you make your decisions, what voices are you listening to, and whose is the loudest?

In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends,

The Annual General Meetings for our Church will be held in mid-March.

St Andrew’s AGM – time TBA Sunday 12th March.
St Peter’s AGM – at 12.30pm on Sunday 19th March.
Combined AGM – no earlier than 1.30pm on Sunday 19th March.

At the AGM we will elect people for the office of Parish Council (St Peter’s AGM), Warden (St Andrew’s & St Peter’s) and Nominators (Combined AGM).

Wardens are actively involved in ensuring the proper management of property and finances on at least a weekly basis. They also assist in managing ministry and staff. We will elect two wardens for St Peter’s  and two for St Andrew’s. Nominations are open now and should be in writing via letter or email to me.

Parish Council make decisions on how money and property should be spent and used in light of the church strategic plan. They also assist the minister and staff in directing the ministry.  We will elect a Parish Council of 3, 6 or 9 people. Nominations are open now and should be in writing via letter or email to me.

Parish Nominators are the people who select a new Senior Minister for the Parish if the current one leaves. We will elect 5 Parish Nominators. Nominations are open now and should be in writing via letter or email to me.

I ask you to pray that God will continue to raise up Gospel hearted people to serve us.

But the most important thing we will do at this year’s AGMs will be to think about where we are at as a church and where we need to go. We expect to have significant conversations about finances, staffing and strategy. We hope to be able to share news on the progress of a Masterplan for the infrastructure on our site.

This is more than a meeting; it is a shared opportunity to think, talk and pray. It is an opportunity for you to ask questions and become more involved in the decision making at church. Often, younger people skip these meetings thinking they are not relevant or not for them. I urge all of us to see that this is a meeting for us all.

I’m excited about all God is doing among us and hope you are too.

In Christ
Nigel

One of the great joys of last week took place on Tuesday when the Growth Groups Nicky and I lead restarted for the year. Nicky came home buzzing from her Tuesday Morning Women’s group that had new members and excellent discussion. Having passed our 2016 evening group onto other leaders (we miss you guys!!) we started back on Tuesday Night with a mix of people Sunday@6 people and the discussion was riveting and the enjoyment contagious.

A growing majority of our church members are now in Growth Groups and experiencing these three wonderful benefits …

First, Christian Growth. Growth Groups are small communities who meet together to read the bible and grow in Christian maturity together. They usually meet in people’s homes in our local area and have between 8-14 people – some are bigger, some smaller.  There are few things better for regular and steady personal Christian growth than to meet up with other believers and Growth Groups complement the opportunities for growth and Ministry we have on Sundays.

Each group spends some time together reading through the bible passage that will be preached on in the following Sunday services. This helps to have a good look and think and pray about the bible passage along with good friends before arriving at church on Sunday. People tend to get more out of the Sunday message when they have already thought through the issues raised in the bible passage.

Second, Connection. In a complicated church like ours with multiple congregations, finding a connection with people is important – it helps you feel at home and a part of what is going on. You will never know everyone in our church but being in a Growth Group gets you connected and gives you the opportunity to hear of things happening at church you may have missed. It is great to walk into a big crowd at church and know there are a dozen or so people who are looking out for you each week.

Third, Care. Our Growth Groups are our primary avenue for care and love throughout our church. We pray that relationships will be fostered in every group that will lead to people genuinely caring for one another, noticing when someone is missing, providing practical support for those in need and upholding one another in prayer. It was a great joy to hear stories of this happening throughout 2016 and I look forward to more this year.

It’s not too late to join a group for 2017 – in fact our groups are always open. Speak to a member of staff or ask the person sitting next to you in church. Chances are, they will be in a group already!

In Christ
Nigel

Dear Friends, 

In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul describes his ministry as being like a mother and father to the Thessalonians. He cared for them like a mother cares for her children, loving them and sharing his life with them. He dealt with them like a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging them to live lives worthy of God. It is a remarkable and challenging image – not just for the way it describes a parents task but for the way it describes the ministry task. 

As parents there are moments of joy and celebration and moments of instruction and discipline. The ministry task is the same and equally important, exciting and draining. 

This speaks of course to the expectations you might have as a church member.

The Anglican Church takes ministry seriously and works hard to ensure its staff and all church members who are involved in ministry to young people and the vulnerable are trained and held accountable for doing their work safely.

We share this commitment and our Semester 1 2017 Safe Ministry Training is on February 19. If you have never been trained or it is three years since your last training, you are invited to join us for this training. We encourage all members of our church to be trained whether you are in a ministry or not. Register by contacting the office. 

All our staff, parish council, ministry leaders and growth group leaders are bound by the Anglican Church’s protocol for behavior in ministry called Faithfulness in Service. You can find copies of it on the Safe Ministry Page of the church website. But safe ministry stretches beyond people to property and programs too.

Parish Council have responsibility for all our church sites including St Andrew’s, St Peter’s and other locations where ministry takes place and seek to ensure that the risks associated with using those spaces are managed well.

 As a member of church, you are responsible to ensure you are trained in appropriate ways for the ministry you are doing – particularly with children where you must undertake safe ministry training and soon obtain a Working With Children Check clearance. 

Additionally, we would love you to speak to the Wardens or ministry staff when you see things that are not quite right; that is, people acting strangely, buildings looking unsafe, or programs of concern. As a community we want to work together to have increasingly safe ministry through which we can honour and speak of Jesus to see the world won for Christ. 

In Christ

Nigel

Dear Friends, 

It is great to be back from holidays. We had a wonderful time away of rest and fun but it was great to be back among church family last Sunday and to be warmly welcomed. There is nothing like being at home.

We attended one other church while we were away and this gave me the opportunity to think afresh about the way we welcome each other to church in Campbelltown. Specifically it gave me an opportunity to think about the way we welcome newcomers to our church.

The foundation for the way we are toward each other is the way God is toward us. What is God like? He is welcoming; rushing to us like lost children; interested in our every need; concerned for our good; and he gives of himself to satisfy our deepest need. 

Is this not the way we should be toward outsiders? 

Sadly, in many churches, once newcomers are in the church building, no one speaks to them. I wonder what it is like for newcomers at our church? I think in general, we do pretty well in welcoming but here are some personal diagnostic questions for you to contemplate your role in welcoming people….. 

Do you speak to the people who sit around you?

Do you speak to a new person sitting near you?

Do you know some people’s names so you can introduce them to someone new? 

Jesus said “Love your neighbour as yourself.” It’s hard but that’s the standard. 

With this in mind, we are currently trying to make contact with people we have not seen at church for sometime so we can welcome them (back). There are many people who have drifted in and drifted out over the last few years and we want to say to them “Come back and join us!”

We are inviting them to Come Back and Join Us next Sunday 5th February. There will be a special lunch on and we hope many will come.

Perhaps you know someone who has drifted away. Next Sunday would be a great Sunday to invite them back and invite them to lunch. Making a call to someone could make all the difference. Just contact the office to let us know if someone you invite says yes to lunch so we can cater appropriately.

In Christ,

Nigel

Dear Friends,

Back in September I encouraged you to consider coming to CMS Summer School for five reasons. As the week draws to a close, let me tell you what you missed…

1. Great passionate Bible teaching. William Taylor from St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London has unpacked God’s promises to Abraham in Genesis 12-24. It has been stunningly challenging to think on God’s incredible sovereign love for the world and his call that we might be willing to live for him. Download the talks from the CMS website – you will be thankful you did.

2. Growing understanding of world mission and evangelism. CMS send missionaries around the world and each day we have heard their stories and learnt from their insights into world mission. Today Nathanael and I attended a seminar on Bible Story Telling and the unique way that in many cultures the telling of stories gives you the chance to bring Jesus easily into a conversation. I am going to try it out in Campbelltown soon.

3. Catch up with missionaries. During the conference there are opportunities to speak to, meet and catch up with “real missionaries”. On a three year cycle, all of our church’s link missionaries attend and you are able to hear more of their work. Neither Karen Darda or the Clarks are here this year, but many others are and hearing the joy and sorrows of their work in the world has been a delight and a cause for prayer.

4. Great children’s program. More than 1300 kids attend summer school and they are all catered for in age specific programs (Babies to Year 12) that are awesome. I am involved in registration for the high school kids and each day hundreds have come to learn and grow and be shaped by Jesus. Our kids have loved CMSSS every year, including this year.

5. Rest. The program runs 9am-12.30pm and 7-8.45pm every day. While there are some activities on, we have used the afternoons to catch up with friends and enjoy time with the kids. Yesterday we had 11 teenagers at our place playing Family Feud. Their laughs were matched by their seriousness as they sat under a tree and prayed for each other after dinner. What a great blessing.

Choosing to come to CMS Summer School will be one of the best decisions you make. In 2018, it starts on Saturday January 6. I’d love you to join us. You will not be disappointed!

In Christ

Nigel

Dear Friends,

Is there anything more vacuous and annoying than seeing the words “Season’s Greetings” plastered throughout shops, our city and the world at this time of year. This is no generic season!  Not only that, we don’t say “Season’s Greetings” in any other season do we? Surely this is just another attempt by our secular society to eliminate any Christian history or heritage from the national consciousness.

What should we do about this?

You might feel like stomping your feet and demanding better! I want to suggest three alternate things:

First, we should recognise “Season’s Greetings” as a sign that our society and culture has moved on. They owe us nothing. As a nation, the importance of Jesus was forgotten many moons ago (if it was ever believed) and we have no right to any special treatment. Ours is not a Christian nation and unbelievers are not bound in any way to recognise or acknowledge Jesus. To this end, “Season’s Greetings” ought to be expected and we ought to be surprised when people say “Merry Christmas” or even display a nativity scene. We are in the minority and we need to act and think like a minority.

Second, we should take some of the blame for the elimination of Jesus from the national consciousness. We Christians have shrunk back over the last three decades and most of us speak less of Jesus into public debates and personal conversations. We often talk of Christian ethics or ideals and “the way things should be” but we don’t start and finish with Jesus. Part of the elimination of Jesus from the national consciousness has been because we have eliminated him from our personal consciousness. Perhaps we should fix that.

Third, pray and speak. (OK, that might be two things.) Pray for opportunities to speak of Jesus and the courage to do so. Then speak. Tell people how awesome Jesus is. Tell people he is real. Tell people why he matters to you and why he should matter to them. But don’t demand they change the way they celebrate or speak at Christmas. Show them that there is something more to it.

Demanding that “Season’s Greetings” not be used is a nonsense. Even being cranky that people say or display “Season’s Greetings” is a nonsense. That is all Christmas is to many. A season when you should be kinder than normal to random people who cross your path.

So stop stomping your feet about the fact that Christmas is less and less Christian. Stop telling people what to do and instead, start speaking about and introducing people to a man worth following. His name is Jesus.

In Christ

Nigel

Now I don’t know about you but the emails have started to arrive this week offering me the opportunity to buy Gift vouchers at Christmas – perhaps even my computer knows I can be a lazy last minute present buying sod. The concept is brilliant for two reasons – the gift receiver gets to choose their gift, and it points to what God has done for us in Jesus!

Redeeming is gaining or regaining possession of something via an exchange or payment.

And that is just God’s intention in the Birth of Jesus.

Jesus was born to be payment for you – that God may regain relationship with his treasured possession, his treasured creation – his image bearers – with you.

Too often we treat God like we treat Santa and expect of God what we expect of Santa. When it is absolutely necessary we pay him some attention but apart from that we don’t give him a thought and live life doing our own thing in our own way in our own time. We hope he won’t see how naughty we are and he’ll turn around at just the right time to give us every good thing we could possibly imagine. It doesn’t really matter if you’re naughty or nice, Santa will still deliver. Same with God right? Wrong.

You see, the Bible teaches that nothing so small, so flimsy, so ordinary and so faulty as us, could possibly stand in the presence of God’s immensity, potency, extraordinariness and holiness.

God can’t ignore the way we have treated him.

And yet, here is the Christmas miracle…

You can’t win God’s favour back, but in Jesus, he is willing to give it to you. Read that again – he is willing to GIVE it to you.

There is a pretty popular belief out there that we actually need to earn God’s favour.

So, if we do enough good things to counter the bad things we’ve done, we will earn God’s favour and be able to enter heaven.

Maybe even if we are a bit religious from time to time we will earn God’s favour.

But the Bible, that God has written and given to us, appears to tell us a completely different story.

God’s plan is to redeem us. To take us back.

In the birth of Jesus God comes and offers… and offers… and offers… and offers us redemption, reconciliation and peace. Forgiveness and hope. God does this tenderly, gently, kindly. This is God’s graciousness. This is Christmas hope.

In Christ

Nigel

 

 

Just recently, Nicky, Brianna and I finished watching the most recent episode of Suits – an American legal drama featuring all the humour, arrogance and passion of any top tier law firm. We are now waiting for the next episode that will not come out until mid 2017 and I’m told the whole series will end not long after. 

Writing the ending to a series must be a very difficult task. The last Episodes of Seinfeld and Friends were much discussed and I felt at times I was the only one who enjoyed them. I suppose it just points to the fact that endings are hard and we all react differently to them! 

As we come towards the end of the year 2016, I wonder how you feel? Has it been a good year? Has it been difficult? How have you grown as a Christian? What has been holding you back? What do you need to change to make 2017 a better year? What is your plan for how you will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in 2017? 

As a staff and a Parish Council we have our eyes fixed on the end of this year and the beginning of the next. We are reviewing the year and are very thankful for many things. Equally, some things have come under review and will change in the year ahead. I continue to be concerned about our prayer life as a church and will be praying that we can turn this around in 2017! If we do not pray, are we not lost? 

Parish Council are looking at budgets and profit and loss statements and as the end of the year comes and a new ones starts, we want to make sure we can communicate accurately where we are at and where we are going. I hope to be able to do this soon. 

As we do all these things we must make sure we have our eyes fixed on the ending that matters more than any other. Jesus is coming soon and whatever we do, however we think of endings and new beginnings, this must be our fixed reference point and response:  The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self‑controlled so that you can pray. (1 Peter 4:7) 

We value the input we have received from you about this year and ideas for the next. Keep them coming. 

In Christ

Nigel

Dear Friends,

As you may know, last year a developer bought the Health Commission site on the corner of Cordeaux Street and Moore-Oxley Bypass. They have now submitted a development application with Campbelltown Council for the demolition of existing structures and the construction of a 10 storey residential apartment building consisting of 105 units, basement car parking and 2 retail/commercial units on the ground floor.

The building is 99% compliant with zoning and fits within Campbelltown Council’s well publicised plans for the rejuvenation of Campbelltown through increased density housing. The development is likely to be approved, but that is not to say we cannot make submissions to minimise the impact on our church and St Peter’s Anglican Primary School.

There are a number of concerns that people have expressed to me that you might share: the impact on the heritage precinct, the impact of construction and excavation on heritage buildings and the privacy and safety of children who both attend church and school. If you would like to consider the development in more detail, the model and paperwork are currently on display both at the Council Chambers and Campbelltown Library.

We are advised that the best way forward for those who have concerns is to have individuals write submissions rather than a group or form submission. To this extent, if the development concerns you, you can write before Monday 5th December quoting file number 3280/2016/DA-RA to:

Campbelltown City Council

PO Box 57

Campbelltown 2560

Due to the development’s capital investment value, the Sydney South West Planning Panel will be the consent authority for this application but any comments on the proposal are still made to Council and must be made by Monday 5th December.

While all that is going on, Parish Council have begun giving consideration to the re-development of our St Peter’s site. Representatives will meet with an architect soon to begin a process of drawing up a Masterplan that may be able to guide us into the future. We will be seeking thoughts and ideas from a wide range of people across the Parish as we envision our future ministry but want to assure you all that there are no plans to change the structure or fabric of the church itself.

As always, your prayers for this and the work of Parish Council are appreciated.

With prayerful thanks,

Nigel

“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”

Proverbs 14:4

I was at a breakfast last week where this Proverb was quoted. I immediately thought of something headmasters often say – “Schools always run smoothly during the holidays”! Without the kids there is less mess and less going on. With the kids it can be chaos!

The same might be said of churches…

Church life can be messy. Ministry doesn’t always go as smoothly or as easily as we would hope and there are challenges and disappointments along the way. It can be a mess, frustrating and even difficult. Not everything in our church happens in the way I would expect and I suspect not everything happens in the way you expect it might either. But all that is ok. We need to learn to cope with that. It’s part of being a church that is seeking to be a Growing Christian Community.

In order to grow we need to be diverse, engaging, innovative, thoughtful, creative and most of all, prayerfully devoted to maturing in Jesus.

If we try nothing, we will achieve nothing. But no one will be upset either. There will be no mess, no disappointments and no challenges. Nothing to get stressed about. The manger will be clean.

If we want to grow we need to try something, and inevitably things will get messy. People will disagree and plans will fail but in the midst of all that, God is still good and abundant crops will be harvested as God grows his church.

We have had a bit of this throughout 2016. In fact, as I read the history of our church, we have had a bit of this for about 30 years, maybe more. I know that not everyone agrees with changes that have been made over the last 30 years but I hope we are all able to see that we are trying something so that God might be glorified in us and in Campbelltown.

Our staff are now busy finalising plans for 2017. We will be working hard to bring back to the core of our work our core business of discipleship. We are hoping to open more opportunities for serving. We are rethinking the way we do mission. We are building new Growth Groups and want you to join one. We are reshaping some ministries. We are shutting down others.

We have spent a good amount of time listening to people throughout the last six months through our 5M teams but if you have some thoughts on the messiness that is church life, we would love to hear them. I reckon it would be fair to say that we would try almost anything to pursue our vision of being a Growing Christian Community Devoted to Maturing in Jesus for the Glory of God.

In Christ,

Nigel

 

Dear Friends,

I had the opportunity yesterday in some of our congregations to share some reflections and a challenge for Christians in the face of  worldwide political movements and particularly at this time, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. Here is a short summary….

When there is a moment of political intrigue or controversy somewhere in the world, there is a moment for Christians to stand up and show the world that Jesus makes a difference to the way we think and act. But it is also a moment when that is difficult. Generally, the tide of people and opinion drive us to do some things that come far more easily. We are often tempted to…

1. Join the yelling crowd – join in with the voices for or against, cheering or jeering, making noise. It is easy to be swept up in a tide of people who are keen to make their opinion known and when that happens we miss the chance to think and act in a way that is distinctive and glorifying to God.
2. Post memes – we can also be tempted to join the cynical and satirical crowd who will not leave their house to join a protest but attempt to make their point known by using social media to flood the world with their preferred politics, often mocking or belittling the contrary opinion.
3. Do Nothing – you can ignore the whole thing and hope it will go away.

I don’t believe any of those options are right for the Christian. Rather, there are four things we should do:

1. Pray – I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) If you have been busy cheering, jeering, posting or just doing nothing, you have missed the most powerful and important thing you should have been doing – praying! This is the most important thing any Christian should be doing in the face of worldwide political movements and changes. 
2. Remember who appoints kings – Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (Romans 13:1) God is in charge of all who rule. He establishes them and he doesn’t make mistakes. That sounds particularly odd to students of history, but remember that God does not always appoint kings and rulers to do good. Sometimes he appoints them for judgement. So point 3…
3. Remember why God appoints kings – Most rulers are appointed to bring order and justice to the world and they do so in (sometimes unknown) submission to the Lord. But on a few occasions we see that God appoints Kings to bring judgement – even kings who do not acknowledge him (see especially v.4 below). We cannot know what God has in store for the people of America but we can know that God is not one-dimensional in the way he operates – his wisdom is unsearchable!

This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
    to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
    and to strip kings of their armour,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
² I will go before you
    and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.
³ I will give you hidden treasures,
    riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
⁴ For the sake of Jacob my servant,
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honour,
    though you do not acknowledge me. (Isaiah 45:1-4)

4. Remember who is really King! – I always wonder about Christian people who get worked up about politics and politicians. Have they forgotten about who really matters? Have they placed too much faith in human people when the only one really worth trusting in is God himself? It is utterly ridiculous to think that anyone but the Lord Jesus can really give you all you want and need. Only he is truly King and truly in charge. Even when your “man” gets elected, he or she is still under the authority and power of God and any good they bring about only happens under his control. The Lord Jesus is always among us as King as Revelation 1 explains:

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,^[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Revelation 1:12-16)

These are the things Christians ought to be doing when faced with moments of political intrigue, excitement or disappointment. Of all of them I urge you most of all to pray. Here are some suggested prayers:

Prayer for all in authority
Almighty God, ruler of the nations of the earth, give wisdom to Elizabeth the Queen of Australia, to the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull and the Premier of this state Mike Baird, to the members of Parliament and to all who hold office in this land. Grant that their decisions may be based on wise counsel, so that peace and welfare, truth and justice may prevail among us, and make us a blessing to other nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For good government
Gracious Lord, grant to our governments and all who serve in public life wisdom and skill, imagination and energy. Protect them from corruption and the temptation to serve themselves. Help us all to commit ourselves to the common good, that our land may be a secure home for all its peoples; through Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace. Amen.

For our nation
God of the nations,
we pray for Australia.
Inspire and direct our leaders
to seek first your kingdom
and your righteousness,
that we may live peaceful and quiet lives
in all godliness and holiness.
Bring many Australians
to a knowledge of the truth about Jesus,
who gave himself as a ransom for us all. Amen.

And finally, here is a short video from one of my favourite musicians Colin Buchanan who has an uncanny knack of summarising deep theological thought into simple lyrics that even children can digest.

 

Dear friends,

We’ve started a new Prayer Meeting. Every second Thursday night you can gather with others in the church office at 7.30pm to pray for our church, our city and our world. The next meeting will be on 20th November.

Prayer does not come easily does it! Even the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to do it!

They have seen Jesus praying, they know that John the Baptist’s disciples pray and they want to pray too. So Jesus instructs them in a pattern of prayer that we now call the Lord’s Prayer. I call it a pattern because there are two versions of this prayer in the Scriptures that are not dramatically different, but diverse enough for us to see that the issue here is not so much the prayer’s exact wording but its content and to whom we address our prayers.

In that vein, Jesus instructs us to pray to “Father”. Now if you have been around a bit in Christian circles, perhaps even been brought up as a Christian, praying to God as Father is normal and perhaps even pedestrian. But it is here we need to stop. For if we overlook the reality that God is our Father, we will over look the grace that enables prayer. So we need to be reminded periodically that the privilege of speaking with God so intimately was not even given to the greatest of the Old Testament saints. The Jewish people would never have called God Father, for being too familiar was serious business as Jesus found out. In John 5:18 we read that the Jewish people try to kill Jesus for calling God his own Father.

But this is the privilege that is ours as Christians. On Jesus lips it seems appropriate, but on ours, we must realise that it is an amazing and unexpected blessing. That the incomparable, sovereign God, creator of the universe, sustainer of life and judge of all, can be approached by feeble creatures like us as Father – it’s an amazing privilege. But ‘Father’ expresses more than our privileged approach.

We can approach God as Father because he approached us first. In Christ he has sought us out and through faith in Jesus, brought us to himself and made us into his children. He is our heavenly Father, and we are his sons through faith in Christ.

I pray you regularly approach your Father in prayer. I pray you might find time to join with others and do that same.

In Christ

Nigel