Synod Presidential Address

Easter Faith - Pentecost Church

In this Bible passage, the Apostle Paul sets out some of the consequences of our Easter Faith, of God’s gracious act of redemption in Jesus Christ:

It is not only our ability to continue doggedly on during suffering, but also the faith that looks through suffering to find our meaning in God.

The encouragement of verses 3 and 4 is that suffering is a means to Christian maturity and the context in which we become assured of the love of God.

This may seem surprising. Yet, Paul assures us that we have God’s love in the midst of our problems. Why? Because God‘s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us (⁵).

God’s love for us has become fully operative, both in making us aware of its presence and in transforming us, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God loves, God will not disappoint in the hope they have set upon him.

It is the power of the Holy Spirit that will enable us to fulfil my vision of the Anglican Church in Tasmania being ahealthychurch . . . transforminglife.

Today I’m wearing my red sox to remind me of Pentecost. What does Pentecost mean to you?

Pentecost is big for me...it’s a celebration of the Holy Spirit being let loose into the world. The Holy Spirit breaks forth at Pentecost bringing the Spirit of Christ into our lives and so forming the Pentecost Church. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to burst forth from among us in unexpected ways!

For Pentecost Sunday I [wrote] a Pentecost Pastoral Letter to the Anglican Church in Tasmania. There is also a YouTube version. [It] concludes with a special prayer.

1. Easter faith – Pentecost Church —How Christ-like?

Christ-likeness is to show forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit as described by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5: 22-26,

²²the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

Let me share some recent experiences of Christ-likeness.

Tasmanian Anglicans’ generous heart to Victorian bushfire victims

Approximately $40,000 has been raised by the Diocese of Tasmania to help our brothers and sisters in Victoria.

Lambeth walk against poverty

‘The Walk Against Poverty’ was one of the most significant events of the Lambeth Conference of Bishops 2008.

Asylum Seekers

Let us not forget in this post-Easter time either Jesus’ story of the good Samaritan risking all to help an unknown 'enemy' or Jesus’ own self-sacrifice to save 'a wretch like me'.

Hubs in the Mission Action Plan (MAP)

The Mission Action Plan (MAP) arises from our TO DO list as Tasmanian Anglicans. It is a response to the ongoing need for both broad and deep reform of the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania. Under the Holy Spirit’s blessing the Mission Action Plan will help reshape the work of God through his people in Tasmania and for his glory.

A Missional Stance: The HUB'S driving purpose is to better facilitate innovative ministry and mission in local contexts. It provides a way to share ministry within a specific region or network, e.g. Regional Youth Ministry.

2. Easter faith – Pentecost Church —How Enduring?

Will our zeal for God’s kingdom carry us through the long haul of building God’s kingdom in Tasmania and to the world?

I draw to your attention Tim Hawkins’ report on Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Tasmania. This outstanding and insightful report draws our attention to the reality of a 20-year time frame in order to effectively implement youth ministry in the Diocese.

The Barnabas Column

Among the Anglican family in Tasmania there are heart-warming stories of encouragement where God’s people have endured faithfully over many years before seeing the fruit of their ministries. But fruit has been seen. Read more of these exciting stories.

A personal testimony

A story of encouragement for us to persevere, for decades if necessary, in waiting for the Spirit’s work to bring people to Christ, comes from A. N. Wilson the biographer of C. S. Lewis. Wilson describes his conversion to atheism as similar to a road to Damascus experience but his return to faith as slow and doubting.

3. Easter faith – Pentecost Church —How Missional?

We are a missionary diocese and I want to thank the men and women who have responded to God’s call to serve in Tasmania.
The key question, of life itself, is ‘Who do you say that I am?’ One Australian mission agency [the Bush Church Aid Society] has figured out both the question and answer, and is living by this truth. BCA is also partnering us in our pioneering mission initiative, The Imagine Project. I am enormously encouraged to see the commencement of the Holy Spirit’s mission through [this].

Riverside/Riverlinks ‘mainly music’ is a new ministry to young families.

Sandford Parish has just reached an agreement with Rokeby High School, to use the Parish Centre for a new alternative learning program...for displaced students who for various reasons are not attending school.

Diocesan Partnership Mission Project

Gayelene and I enjoyed a rich time of fellowship last June with the Cathedral family in the Diocese of Singapore. I am confident that we can build on these and others links in our hope of developing an international diocesan partnership.

The Parish of Wellspring is developing a significant mission partnership with the Diocese of Singapore in Cambodia.

Wellspring (and before November 2007 Holy Trinity, Hobart) has been building an excellent relationship with a local school through mentoring: ‘Kids Hope’, as the program is called, is overseen by World Vision.

Bishop John’s Blog

The blog is a less formal style of communication and gives scope for writing articles on a wide range of topics and ideas. Articles have ranged across ANZAC Day, Islam and human rights, wedding anniversaries, prayer to the Holy Spirit, holiness, boat people, Susan Boyle and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, death notices and the challenges of relating to Australian culture as evidenced by the trauma caused by changes in ‘undies’ labelling! I will review the effectiveness of this communication in 12 months' time.

The Holy Spirit is at work all over the world in amazing ways. Praise the Lord for the Spirit’s mission provoking in us a passion to pray and proclaim God’s love in Christ.

4. Easter Faith – Pentecost Church —How worshipful?

'Walking in holiness' is the theme of this year’s Bishop’s Retreat. In order to be holy we are to be guided by and to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:25

With joy let us continue in personal devotions and prayerful discipleship.

I have shared deeply of my own discipleship habits in parishes when teaching the ‘Christian Maturity’ workshop. Romans 12 exhorts us to 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year worship.

An outstanding book by Bishop Graham Cray speaks cogently of our being Disciples and Citizens (Inter-Varsity Press, England 2007).

Please use the Diocesan Prayer Diary in your personal prayers and also in the weekly prayers during your Parish worship services.

Where are the young people?

Three Synods ago Chris Bowditch presented us with a sad scenario that youth ministry in the Diocese was sadly lacking. Today, with God’s help, lots of prayer and faithful people in our parishes...not only are there youth groups springing up in many areas...but the existing ones are growing as well. I do encourage you to continue to pray for the youth of our Diocese, continue to pray for the leaders of our young people and continue to pray that God will bless us in our endeavours.

The Parish of Cressy has started up a youth group, Anglican Camping is providing excellent outreach to young people, the Cathedral has an innovative outreach to the kids who visit the Cathedral grounds – where else in the history of the Cathedral have they had a Curate posing as a Sumo wrestler? The list goes on.

How I praise God for this work of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

A tradition of some churches in ancient times was to baptise adult converts to the faith on Pentecost. The newly baptised catechumens would wear white robes on that day, so Pentecost was often called ‘Whitsunday’ or ‘White Sunday’.

At a time of deep crisis in the early church, one ‘like the Son of Man’ spoke to John the Divine and directed him to write to the church in the wealthy fortress city of Sardis, a church resting on its past reputation and failing in its present mission. But John was directed to write, not about the failures, but about those in Sardis who were dressed in white, those with a Pentecost faith, those who were faithful, those who were enduring, those who overcame.

To these, the angel writing to the churches says, ‘He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will acknowledge their names before my Father and his angels.’

Dear fellow Anglicans, be encouraged by what you see God doing among us. Be strengthened in your commitment to Christ. Be resolute and enduring in your determination to stay the course, a course which, under God, will see Tasmanians of all ages come to faith, in a world which never needed the good news of Jesus more than it does today.

Will you open your hearts to the Holy Spirit?

The full text of the Bishop's Presidential Address to Synod may be found here.

Photos: Jonathan Adamcszewski and others

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