ACCatalyst Index Volume 1-3
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Magazine
ACCatalyst December 2009
Among many stimulating articles is David Millikan's keynote address (edited version) from the 2009 ACC Conference. An extract is below:
'The Liberal Experiment and the Culture of Uncertainty'
"We have lived thorugh a generation of Church membership that has seen a remarkable challenge to the beliefs the church has held to be true for 2000 years. From where I watch this happening, I see an amazing loss of faith, so profound that many people are wondering what is left of the faith they held to for so long. It has made its way into the teaching of many Western Theological Colleges, it has deeply affected the preaching and pastoral life of our clergy and I believe it has created an existential crisis in the life of the Church. It has sucked out the energy of theological discussion and I also believe it has opened the door to the excesses of the Charismatic movement. People will not live long in a religious system that is devoid of enthusiasm. The Theology of Doubt which infects the life of so many Uniting Churches is not the
place where that enthusiasm is likely to flourish. Indeed I believe the decline in our membership numbers is in part the consequence. What is this theological animal that walks around our theological halls and worship places? I have chosen to answer this question in part by looking at the version of it presented in the work and teachings of the erstwhile Bishop of Newark, John Shelby Spong."
ACCatalyst October 2009
Theology politicised and history falsified
Not surprisingly, this issue contains several reports on the new Preamble passed by the recent Assembly, but yet to be endorsed by synods and presbyteries. Only a miracle will see the Preamble thrown out by these ‘inter-related councils’. Their track record ofrubber-stamping Assembly decisions will almost certainly prevail when they vote the Preamble in or out next year. Synods and presbyteries face a double hazard. They must adjudicate on a matter at the heart of aboriginal sensitivities, and must take issue with the myth that Assembly actually represents the distilled thinking of the church. The myth is remarkably intact despite a history of flawed decisions and serial manipulation of the church’s political processes.
This year the manipulative juices ran perhaps more freely than usual. The occasion was the Preamble’s revision of history and the political steps taken before and during the assembly to ensure it was ratified. These matters are touched on by our writers.
The re-writing and falsification of history is a question that should linger long into the future if the Preamble is to offer real advantage for aboriginal members of the Uniting Church. Clearly that question was not adequately raised at the Assembly because of time constraints. Deeper reflection and careful study were impossible before delegates entered the pressure cooker of ‘debate’, so it was inevitable that they voted on the basis of inadequate knowledge and under pressure to reach a happy conclusion. As with all constitutional changes, the initiators had the advantage, because they had spent months devising arguments and planning the moves.
ACCatalyst June 2009
Hasty plan to re-shape the UCA
A proposal to dramatically change the Preamble to the Uniting Church Constitution will be presented to the 12th Assembly in July. It is an extremely important matter as the Preamble is the link between the Constitution and the Basis of Union, the Uniting Church’s foundational document.
On 8 December 2008 the General Secretary of the UCA, the Rev Terence Corkin, sent a letter to Secretaries of Presbyteries and Synods advising them of proposals coming to the Twelfth Assembly to alter the Preamble to the Constitution. Although it claims to be a response to the disappointment of UAICC at Presidential Ruling 25 in 2007,
which determined “where the limits to Congress’ authority were in regard to the oversight and discipline of Ministers serving in placements with the Congress,” the new proposal goes far beyond any attempt to resolve the particular matters in dispute. The General Secretary and the Convenor of the Constitution Task Group, the Rev Chris Budden, who have invited comments on the proposal, argue that the Constitution should be focused more on ‘our most important relationships’ than on inflexible ‘structural arrangements.’
ACCatalyst March 2009
Nice type, no brains in atheist ad campaign
You may have seen the advertising campaign on the sides of London buses early this year. In gaily coloured type, it cheekily declared – “There’s probably no God: now stop worrying and enjoy life.” Another day, and just another sign in this busy world. But what made this poster campaign memorable was the international publicity it gathered. World media outlets reported the appearance of the London signs as though it were a modern Eureka! moment. No God? At last, all those problems we’ve been having in life can disappear!
But wait: post-God, we still have problems. Since the poster crusade was launched, other news events have reminded us that even in the middle of our funky modern lives, death and pain are permanent realities. People die horrible deaths in natural disasters. Anger prompts crimes that shock communities. Grief and suffering caused by a variety of factors other than religion remind us of the Hobbesian truth that life is nasty, brutish and short. The fragile frailty of our existence is no new concept, of course – but our modern consumerist and entertainmentoriented lifestyle seems designed to keep us from noticing the rough end of life’s pineapple.
ACCatalyst December 2008
Pro-life? Oppose the death penalty
Every killing of an innocent community member increases public fervour for the death penalty. The so-called terrorists who attacked and killed hotel guests in the Indian city of Mumbai in the last week of November provide a probable example, while the now-dead plotters of Indonesia’s Bali bombings provide a certain one. I say ‘so-called terrorists’ because to call murderers ‘terrorists’ accords their actions a moral status they do not deserve. The word ‘terrorists’ implies some beef – an argument with the world and the way it’s run – which supposedly justifies extreme actions. But we should not mince words like this. Murder is murder, and rightly abhorred as the greatest sin. The reason is not hard to understand, but does imply a value judgment. The relevant judgment is that human life is uniquely important – indeed, sacred, as the courts still say when passing sentence – and to take life away is unforgivable.
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ACCatalyst September 2008
Dynamic Mission (page 26) by Dr. Jim Harrison - Wesley Institute
Many people ask how can the dynamic spirit of mission of early Christianity be restored. This reference article offers a clear four-part guide for studying the key developments in the concepts of mission spanning the Old Testament and New Testament...
...Contemporary implications for mission praxis.
- The crucial task of the church is teaching, making-disciples, and evangelism: the dynamic power of the gospel propels the church towards mission through the interconnection of the three activities.
- The mission of the church is holistic in its transformation of people and our variegated cultures for Christ.
- The mission of the church includes the task of equipping lay people for the work of servcie by training gifted people to work for Christ in the professions and trades, as well as in lay ministries in the church and for para-church ministries.
- The mission of the church includes the task of training specific people for teaching, pastoring, and making disciples, so that through healthy churches the nations can be won to Christ.
Download September's ACCatalyst.
ACCatalyst June 2008
'A church stripped of all art work was an alien place alongside the glory of visual imagery that uplifts the people'.
Icons: Couriers of a timeless message.
Front Cover - Redemption by Christ.
Our cover features a 15th century icon of Armenian origin. Persian influences appear in the trousers and boots of the figure of Christ, who descends into hell to 'crush Satan under his feet' (Romans 16, 20) and raises Adam and Eve into the new creation (signified by the blinding light that shatters the darkness). The cross is both a weapon that strikes the Devil and the only way to Salvation. The gates of hell lie shattered at Christ's feet, while kings and priests observe the dawn of redemption.
Click here or on cover to download full magazine.
ACCatalyst March 2008
ACCatalyst March 2008 now out. Click here or on photo to download.
All impurity or lack of created wholeness will be cast our of the city of God. Allow me to use an imperfect analogy to illustrate. The first time I went to Times Square New York with my wife in the early 1980’s, it was known aptly as Hell’s Bedroom. It was full of prostitutes and intimidating pimps. We were scared and got out of there ASAP, not even going to Broadway. The second time we went, with teenage kids, was 1997. The transformation was astonishing. The city centre had been cleaned up, we felt safe walking the streets at night with the children and had a wonderful time. This is a vision of what could happen if we sought seriously to transform our cities into analogues of the city of God. But to do so Christians will need to challenge the public boardrooms as well as the private bedrooms of our culture – to challenge the whole commodification of sex and persons in the light of a comprehensive vision of city of God.
ACCatalyst December 2007
The Nativity Story: supporting this film is a ministry in itself.
Billed as the ultimate timelss story, the commercial film The Nativity Story had a short life at the cinema, but is now available on DVD, and has more going for it than you may think.
The film has received significant support from mainstream Christian denominations and interdenominational groups, and was actually the first film to premiere at the Vatican.
Mike Rich, writer says, "In the past few years, in a sense, the dialogue over Christmas has diminished slightly. And by that, I mean individuals talking with their families and friends about the focus of the holiday. I think that's been lost a little bit in the hectic nature of the holiday where we impose these deadlines upon ourselves that we have to get this done and we have to get the shopping done, and we've got the office party to go to and this and that. We get to December 25, and we exhale and we go, 'Whew, we made it through that'. When I started seeing the early cuts of the film, I thought to myself, this is one of these stories that (when) presented in this fashion will give families that opportunity to spend a couple of hours together during the holiday season. But more importantly, what I would love to see happen is that it (would) refresh that dialogue where parents talk to their children about the amazing courage and the amazing faith that was displayed by Mary and Joseph".
Click here or on cover to download December 2007 edition (960 Kb).
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