Tonight is World Truth Night. Our regular Bible Studies in Upper Chapter House are taking a hiatus and will return next Tuesday.
Last minute bookings for tonight's World Truth Night (in the QVB) can be made by email us (details on right). Two course dinner and coffee costs $30.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Celebration Dinner
You are invited to celebrate our great and humble King, Jesus Christ, at the Celebration Dinner this Saturday (2nd August) at 6pm at St Andrew's Cathedral.
Nathan Jones, a regular from TBT will be preaching.
If you are able to help out, helpers areneeded from 3pm.
Nathan Jones, a regular from TBT will be preaching.
If you are able to help out, helpers areneeded from 3pm.
Friday, July 25, 2008
TBT Wedding
Saturday at 2:30 at the Cathedral, regular TBT members Rhys and Cris will be married. Come along and support them in this step in their lives. Pray for them, not necessarily for their wedding, but for their marriage together.
See you there.
See you there.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Bread of Life
TBT’s mission to Sydney’s marginalised and homeless people, known as Bread of Life, needs extra helpers. This mission is undertaken in conjunction with St Michaels Church Surry Hills.
Every fourth Sunday of the month a team from TBT assists in preparing and cooking breakfast for 60 – 80 marginalised and homeless people. The aim is to provide ‘bread for the day & bread for life’. We also hold a small church service which aims to bring the gospel to people who would otherwise not hear it.
We meet at 7:15am in Surry Hills and are usually finished by 10am.
If you would like to help out please call Adam Ellis on 0411 752 293.
Every fourth Sunday of the month a team from TBT assists in preparing and cooking breakfast for 60 – 80 marginalised and homeless people. The aim is to provide ‘bread for the day & bread for life’. We also hold a small church service which aims to bring the gospel to people who would otherwise not hear it.
We meet at 7:15am in Surry Hills and are usually finished by 10am.
If you would like to help out please call Adam Ellis on 0411 752 293.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Mc Stac
We've moved! It's official. We've moved from the Cathedral Offices, to Mc Stac (Ministry Centre of St Andrew's Cathedral).
Our old phones still work, but the new TBT phone is: 02 8915 1976.
Our old phones still work, but the new TBT phone is: 02 8915 1976.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Phillip Jensen in the SMH
Phillip Jensen was a recent contributer to the SMH opinion page. Thing was he didn't write the article. The SMH, without asking or seeking permission took his chatroom (which is a converation with Kel Richards) on Catholicism and turned it into what appears to be a rant, taken completely out of context, and without the questions and clarifying statements.
Read the article here, and see the chatroom piece here (download of file is large)
Read the article here, and see the chatroom piece here (download of file is large)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
World Tim Day (TBT Social)
July Social – Picnic at Oatley Park
Sat 19th July, 11.30am – 4.30pm
Join with other TBTrs for a picnic at Oatley Park. It’s World Youth Day, so a great chance to head away from the eastern suburbs. And it is also Tim Hogan’s birthday, so he’s declared ‘World Tim Day’ and invited us all to come and indulge with him in a BBQ or Picnic. Come and hang out, play some Frisbee and eat together. The wet weather plan is to head to Tim’s house at Malabar.
Sat 19th July, 11.30am – 4.30pm
Join with other TBTrs for a picnic at Oatley Park. It’s World Youth Day, so a great chance to head away from the eastern suburbs. And it is also Tim Hogan’s birthday, so he’s declared ‘World Tim Day’ and invited us all to come and indulge with him in a BBQ or Picnic. Come and hang out, play some Frisbee and eat together. The wet weather plan is to head to Tim’s house at Malabar.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
From the Dean: Polygamy
What kind of nation is Australia? This is a question that is answered in several ways. It is sometimes answered by describing the way in which people live. Or it is answered in terms of our historical heritage and culture. Or some people answer in terms of what they want Australia to become or think it should be.
Some people do not care because they are more interested in their own lives than the social context in which they live. They unwittingly assume that individual freedom is normal rather than a particular feature of today's society. They are gullibly unaware of how much their freedom relies upon other people. The recent collapse of some loans in America warn us again “that no man is an island” complete unto himself.
We all live in community. Society sets for us boundaries and possibilities. It influences and affects our opinions and behaviour. Even the most rugged individualists are moulded by their social context.
This is not an easy time in history to raise children. Gone are the protections of agreed social constraints. Now every child is on their own - negotiating gambling, alcohol, sexual experimentation, drug-use, powerful cars, depression and suicide - all by themselves, or worse in the company of confused peers.
The pressure on young people to conform to the fashions and behaviour of their peers, or of mass media entertainment, or to school policies is, at times, intense. The teenagers' inexperience in discernment while given unprecedented freedom and independence makes them vulnerable to dreadful mistakes. And yet they have to learn to negotiate the shoals and depths when parents will not be around to make decisions for them.
There is no real point in describing the nation by the political pattern of “a democracy”. For that describes the form of government, not the nation. There is much more to the nation than the present form of government. Furthermore, Australia's “rule of the people” is limited to a choice every few years of which elite will make some decisions for us.
So what kind of nation is Australia? To promote individual freedom our governments have chosen the course of multiculturalism for the past thirty years. It is better than the racism of the White Australia Policy. It is a reasonable way to include the migrants that we have invited to work with us for our common wealth. It enables people to enjoy equality before the law. It is part of the Christian culture of hospitality to sojourners and refugees.
But multiculturalism is a failed and impossible dream. Nobody wants to create a bi-lingual society let alone a multi-lingual nation. No other language than English is ultimately accepted. Everybody has to learn it if they are to function as full members of society.
Rather, multiculturalism is a redefinition of Australian culture to the lowest common denominator: usually commerce and money. It is a method to assimilate migrants slowly. The migrants are made to feel welcome with their culture but their children will be different and their grandchildren will not be able to talk to them.
We have welcomed Muslims into our nation. Now some of them want polygamy legalised. Deep in Australian culture is the Christian taboo on polygamy. Wherever Christianity has travelled it has weaned society off the terrible practice of polygamy.
But if you believe in Islam then four wives are permitted to a man. That is their culture. Is Australia going to be so multicultural as to accept this?
If you believe in the atheistic non-judgemental self-determination of individual freedom then any woman who willingly wants to be wife number two, three or four should be allowed to be so. And if you are sexually amoral and say everybody should be free to do as they please “in the privacy of their own home” - then you can chose to be wife number twenty-four or concubine forty-four if you like. And if you believe in de facto marriages, then polygamy has nothing to do with the state anyway.
Previously, Christians have been able to persuade society that polygamy is bad for women, bad for children, bad for poor men who miss out on the joy of family life, bad for society as a whole, and ultimately bad for the rich men whose souls are corrupted by their power over women.
Muslims argue that polygamy should be permitted because it is already happening and people want it - (but then again that’s the case with child pornography). They express concern that all their wives should be protected not prosecuted by the law. Why, it is asked, do you permit a man to have four divorces but not four wives at the same time? Why argue for homosexual marriage and not polygamous marriage?
It will be interesting to see if atheistic feminists want to argue for the right of women to choose their own marriage arrangements or against the appalling abuse of women that polygamy implicitly and inevitably involves. Maybe they will solve their conflict of interests by mounting a case for polyandry. Now there is a winning argument if ever you have heard one!
Australia is a nation that has inherited a Christian culture. It is therefore a tolerant and open society that tries to limit law and government to matters of fundamental creation ethics - like life, death, marriage and raising children. It is a culture that welcomes others to share in our common wealth and blessings. But our culture is not endlessly flexible. To recreate Australia as a culture-free model of individual amorality is not so much a dream as a nightmare. Some time we have to say “thus far and no further” - for the sake of our children if not our migrants who want to share in our blessings.
Jesus said …“from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:5-9).
Some people do not care because they are more interested in their own lives than the social context in which they live. They unwittingly assume that individual freedom is normal rather than a particular feature of today's society. They are gullibly unaware of how much their freedom relies upon other people. The recent collapse of some loans in America warn us again “that no man is an island” complete unto himself.
We all live in community. Society sets for us boundaries and possibilities. It influences and affects our opinions and behaviour. Even the most rugged individualists are moulded by their social context.
This is not an easy time in history to raise children. Gone are the protections of agreed social constraints. Now every child is on their own - negotiating gambling, alcohol, sexual experimentation, drug-use, powerful cars, depression and suicide - all by themselves, or worse in the company of confused peers.
The pressure on young people to conform to the fashions and behaviour of their peers, or of mass media entertainment, or to school policies is, at times, intense. The teenagers' inexperience in discernment while given unprecedented freedom and independence makes them vulnerable to dreadful mistakes. And yet they have to learn to negotiate the shoals and depths when parents will not be around to make decisions for them.
There is no real point in describing the nation by the political pattern of “a democracy”. For that describes the form of government, not the nation. There is much more to the nation than the present form of government. Furthermore, Australia's “rule of the people” is limited to a choice every few years of which elite will make some decisions for us.
So what kind of nation is Australia? To promote individual freedom our governments have chosen the course of multiculturalism for the past thirty years. It is better than the racism of the White Australia Policy. It is a reasonable way to include the migrants that we have invited to work with us for our common wealth. It enables people to enjoy equality before the law. It is part of the Christian culture of hospitality to sojourners and refugees.
But multiculturalism is a failed and impossible dream. Nobody wants to create a bi-lingual society let alone a multi-lingual nation. No other language than English is ultimately accepted. Everybody has to learn it if they are to function as full members of society.
Rather, multiculturalism is a redefinition of Australian culture to the lowest common denominator: usually commerce and money. It is a method to assimilate migrants slowly. The migrants are made to feel welcome with their culture but their children will be different and their grandchildren will not be able to talk to them.
We have welcomed Muslims into our nation. Now some of them want polygamy legalised. Deep in Australian culture is the Christian taboo on polygamy. Wherever Christianity has travelled it has weaned society off the terrible practice of polygamy.
But if you believe in Islam then four wives are permitted to a man. That is their culture. Is Australia going to be so multicultural as to accept this?
If you believe in the atheistic non-judgemental self-determination of individual freedom then any woman who willingly wants to be wife number two, three or four should be allowed to be so. And if you are sexually amoral and say everybody should be free to do as they please “in the privacy of their own home” - then you can chose to be wife number twenty-four or concubine forty-four if you like. And if you believe in de facto marriages, then polygamy has nothing to do with the state anyway.
Previously, Christians have been able to persuade society that polygamy is bad for women, bad for children, bad for poor men who miss out on the joy of family life, bad for society as a whole, and ultimately bad for the rich men whose souls are corrupted by their power over women.
Muslims argue that polygamy should be permitted because it is already happening and people want it - (but then again that’s the case with child pornography). They express concern that all their wives should be protected not prosecuted by the law. Why, it is asked, do you permit a man to have four divorces but not four wives at the same time? Why argue for homosexual marriage and not polygamous marriage?
It will be interesting to see if atheistic feminists want to argue for the right of women to choose their own marriage arrangements or against the appalling abuse of women that polygamy implicitly and inevitably involves. Maybe they will solve their conflict of interests by mounting a case for polyandry. Now there is a winning argument if ever you have heard one!
Australia is a nation that has inherited a Christian culture. It is therefore a tolerant and open society that tries to limit law and government to matters of fundamental creation ethics - like life, death, marriage and raising children. It is a culture that welcomes others to share in our common wealth and blessings. But our culture is not endlessly flexible. To recreate Australia as a culture-free model of individual amorality is not so much a dream as a nightmare. Some time we have to say “thus far and no further” - for the sake of our children if not our migrants who want to share in our blessings.
Jesus said …“from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:5-9).
Monday, July 14, 2008
2008 Bible Studies
A summary of our Bible Study Groups for 2008. Contact us here for joining.
City Groups
City Bible Fellowship: Tuesdays 6.30-9.00pm
The City Bible Fellowship is conveniently located right above Town Hall station. With groups catering for old timers and those starting out, it's a great way to enjoy friendly encouragement as we get to know Jesus better, pray, and learn to live as God desires.
6.30 for dinner ($5, order by lunchtime or BYO)
7.00 for group time
8.30 supper together
Upper Chapter House, St Andrew's Cathedral.
Free parking under St Andrew’s House.
Contact Mike Turner: ph 9265 1673
Includes Simply Christianity groups
Simply Christianity is about just that: simple Christianity. It is based on an eyewitness account of a life that changed the world forever. Nothing more, nothing less. Over 5 weeks we examine what the Gospel of Luke has to say about plain, simple Christianity. We’ll also have supper together afterwards along with the other groups that meet in the Upper Chapter House.
Contact Mandy Curley: ph 9265 1601
City Bible Xtra: A city small group in association with the City Bible Forum
Thursdays 6-8.15pm
We meet at 6pm for dinner ($15) and fellowship time, then join together with others from The Bible Talks for Bible study and prayer. An ideal group for city workers and interested work colleagues.
Scot’s Church, cnr Margaret & York Sts
CITY (2 groups)
* Tuesday 7.00pm – Kent St
* Wednesday 7.00pm – Pitt St
Two city Bible studies with a difference, where we meet to read the Bible, pray and share in each others’ lives – in the comfort of a city lounge room!
Suburban Groups
SOUTH
Thursday 7.30pm - Mortdale
If you live in the St George area, this group is for you! Our goal is to encourage each other by studying God’s word and meeting together regularly.
NORTH
Wednesday 7.30pm - Lindfield.
If you live north of the Bridge, then this is your group.
EAST
Wednesday 7.30pm - Kensington
* Two relaxed & comfortable groups that meet in separate homes to study the Bible & pray.
* Thursday 7.30pm - Coogee
We meet to read the Bible, pray and share in each others’ lives in Coogee.
City Groups
City Bible Fellowship: Tuesdays 6.30-9.00pm
The City Bible Fellowship is conveniently located right above Town Hall station. With groups catering for old timers and those starting out, it's a great way to enjoy friendly encouragement as we get to know Jesus better, pray, and learn to live as God desires.
6.30 for dinner ($5, order by lunchtime or BYO)
7.00 for group time
8.30 supper together
Upper Chapter House, St Andrew's Cathedral.
Free parking under St Andrew’s House.
Contact Mike Turner: ph 9265 1673
Includes Simply Christianity groups
Simply Christianity is about just that: simple Christianity. It is based on an eyewitness account of a life that changed the world forever. Nothing more, nothing less. Over 5 weeks we examine what the Gospel of Luke has to say about plain, simple Christianity. We’ll also have supper together afterwards along with the other groups that meet in the Upper Chapter House.
Contact Mandy Curley: ph 9265 1601
City Bible Xtra: A city small group in association with the City Bible Forum
Thursdays 6-8.15pm
We meet at 6pm for dinner ($15) and fellowship time, then join together with others from The Bible Talks for Bible study and prayer. An ideal group for city workers and interested work colleagues.
Scot’s Church, cnr Margaret & York Sts
CITY (2 groups)
* Tuesday 7.00pm – Kent St
* Wednesday 7.00pm – Pitt St
Two city Bible studies with a difference, where we meet to read the Bible, pray and share in each others’ lives – in the comfort of a city lounge room!
Suburban Groups
SOUTH
Thursday 7.30pm - Mortdale
If you live in the St George area, this group is for you! Our goal is to encourage each other by studying God’s word and meeting together regularly.
NORTH
Wednesday 7.30pm - Lindfield.
If you live north of the Bridge, then this is your group.
EAST
Wednesday 7.30pm - Kensington
* Two relaxed & comfortable groups that meet in separate homes to study the Bible & pray.
* Thursday 7.30pm - Coogee
We meet to read the Bible, pray and share in each others’ lives in Coogee.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Burn Your Plastic Jesus
There are few Christian leaders in the world who have generated as much discussion over the past few years as Mark Driscoll. He is widely regarded as one of the most effective Christian communicators in the world.
Driscoll's hometown is Seattle. It's here he founded Mars Hill Church with a Bible study that was, "about the size of an average Mormon family". Today 7,000 people go to Mars Hill Church.
Driscoll is an intense Bible teacher, who identifies with today's "Cool Calvinist" movement, as well as past reformed heroes like Spurgeon and John Calvin himself. At the same time, he's not afraid of using extreme language and colourful stories to make his point, including references to Snoop Dogg, Pamela Anderson and bloodsports.
Burn Your Plastic Jesus is the biggest event of Driscoll's first visit to Australia. In it, he'll be taking a blowtorch to the modern, plastic picture of Jesus, "a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life."
Instead, Driscoll wants to take a fresh look at Jesus in the New Testament. As he says, "In Revelation, Jesus is a prize-fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone BLEED. That is a guy I can worship."
On August 27, Burn Your Plastic Jesus will be an evening where your views of Jesus are powerfully challenged. An evening where you rediscover the Jesus of the New Testament. An evening where your life might well be changed forever
Get tickets here.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
13 July @ TBT
This week at TBT, we are continuing our series on the early chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Phillip Jensen continues to open the Scritptures for us as he preaches on Jesus Greater than Moses.
For preparation, please read and dwell upon Hebrews 3:1-6 and Micah 7.
For preparation, please read and dwell upon Hebrews 3:1-6 and Micah 7.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Certainty
For the next week, all TBT'ers are hereby commanded (think of it as the 11th commandment) to write Certainty on the city streets, the suburban streets, and on any street, at least 100 times per day.
Certainty: Certainly!
Human beings like certainty. It provides good things like hope, security and purpose. During the week of events for World Catholic Youth Day, St Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral will be hosting a special series of talks on the subject of certainty.
Monday 14th July
“Can YOU experience God today? Certainly.
Christopher Allan on the Gospel.
Tuesday 15th July
“Can YOU experience God in the Bible? Certainly.
Andrew Leslie on the Scriptures Alone.
Wednesday16th July
“Can YOU experience God even though you’re a sinner?” Certainly.
Mark Gilbert on Grace Alone.
Thursday 17th July
“Can YOU experience God through your forefathers?” Certainly.
Ray Galea on the testimony of Scripture.
Friday 18th July
“Can YOU experience God directly? Certainly.
Owen Chadwick on Christ Alone.
Each talk starts at 1pm
Light refreshments will be available.
Church of England
Read about the overnight debate in the Anglican Church (of England) about the Ordination of Women Bishops.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Peter & Sarah Sholl
Peter and Sarah Sholl are our new link missionaries. They work for CMS, and will next year be departing for Mexico to head the Moore College PTC Course into Spanish (for Latin America).
Please pray for them:
* Sarah: humble and prayerfully dependent upon God during this transition time.
* Sarah: they are in the middle of transition, kids, new country. etc
* Peter: 6 months of deputation, lots of opportunies but stress (pray for energy + patience)
* Peter: organisational structures and issues to do with the job (ie: Visa's, approvals, structure in new country).
Friday, July 4, 2008
Hebrews Bible Studies
We've been learning from the book of Hebrews recently at TBT. For those interested, there are some great bible studies available in January's edition of the Briefing. They cover chapters 1 through 7, and are well worth a look.
Either look in your bookcase for those who are already subscribed, or subsribe here (although you wont get Jan 2008 by subscribing now).
Either look in your bookcase for those who are already subscribed, or subsribe here (although you wont get Jan 2008 by subscribing now).
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
TBT Winter School Wrap: Grace Alone
Last night at TBT Winter School we looked at the Reformation's 1st big idea that changed the World - Grace Alone.
It is by Grace Alone through which we are saved. It is not anything in us, or us, or because of us. It is in spite of us that God saves us. It is purely God's grace, or generosity that saves us.
We looked at Ephesians 2, in particular verse 8: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God [...].
Last night, our featured Theologian was John Calvin, details about him can be found here.
If you wish to read some of the best writings from the Reformation, you can purchase The Classics of the Reformation, here (which contains excerpts from all 4 of our featured theologians - Calvin, Luther, Tyndale and Cranmer).
Or, you can download the Essence of the Reformation, for $5 from here.
If you wish to read Calvin's Institutes, referenced last night, you can read them here.
The book reviewed by Mandy last night was Ray Galea's Nothing in My Hand I Bring, which you can buy here, or at the Cathedral bookshop.
And lastly, the interview with Ray Galea, can be found here.
It is by Grace Alone through which we are saved. It is not anything in us, or us, or because of us. It is in spite of us that God saves us. It is purely God's grace, or generosity that saves us.
We looked at Ephesians 2, in particular verse 8: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God [...].
Last night, our featured Theologian was John Calvin, details about him can be found here.
If you wish to read some of the best writings from the Reformation, you can purchase The Classics of the Reformation, here (which contains excerpts from all 4 of our featured theologians - Calvin, Luther, Tyndale and Cranmer).
Or, you can download the Essence of the Reformation, for $5 from here.
If you wish to read Calvin's Institutes, referenced last night, you can read them here.
The book reviewed by Mandy last night was Ray Galea's Nothing in My Hand I Bring, which you can buy here, or at the Cathedral bookshop.
And lastly, the interview with Ray Galea, can be found here.
World Truth Night (Tuesday 29 July)
World Truth Night is coming - 29th July. Tickets are limited, it costs $30 for a scrumptious 2 course meal (including tea/coffee/hot chocoloate). Click on the images below for more information.
6 July @ TBT
This week at TBT, we are continuing our series on the early chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Phillip Jensen continues to open the Scriptures for us as he preaches on Jesus the Great High Priest.
For preparation, please read Hebrews 2:14-18 and Micah 6.
For preparation, please read Hebrews 2:14-18 and Micah 6.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Dinner at TBT
Since its the first Sunday of the month, after TBT this week we'll be sharing together in a meal. There will be no break and no supper. So, don't have dinner beforehand, and do have dinner together afterwards.
It will be a great tomato concoction, and it will be yummy!
See you there.
It will be a great tomato concoction, and it will be yummy!
See you there.
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