Bishop John

As part of my Prayer Pilgrimage, at each Parish we will be lifting up prays to God for our Tasmanian Parliamentary leaders.  At the beginning of each week I send out an email to the House of Assembly and Legislative Council members in the relevant electorate area that I will be visiting. The email alerts them to the fact that we will be praying for them and their electorate and to contact me if they have any prayer needs. Following is what I sent them on Tuesday:

Dear Ministers and Members of the Parliament of Tasmania 

As Bishop of the Anglican Church in Tasmania I will visiting every Anglican Parish, Agency and School in Tasmania during the months of June and July on my Prayer Pilgrimage. 

Today I will be in Claremont visiting the parish of Edge Anglican. 

Wednesday I will be visiting Risdon Jail and St George’s Parish, Battery Point. 

Thursday I will be visiting the parishes of Hamilton, New Norfolk and Wellspring (Sandy Bay) 

As part of the Prayer Pilgrimage we will be praying for our government and the members in that electorate area. 

If there is anything that is on your heart that you would like us to pray for, please do not hesitate to let my Personal Assistant know.

Why do I pray for our parliamentary leaders?

Scripture exhorts us to pray for all people, noting our leaders. In 1 Timothy 2:1-6 the Apostle Paul says,

 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human,  who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

Our Daily Bread devotional yesterday focused on Faithful Prayer. It tells the story of Emma Gray who was the cleaning lady at the White House in the USA for over two decades. During her time there she prayed for 6 Presidents on the basis of the scripture in 1 Timothy 2:2 to pray for all who are in authority. People at prayer. PTL!

No leader is beyond God’s grace when righteous people pray;

For when God’s children intercede, the Lord will have his way. – D. De Haan

 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water;  He turns it wherever He wishes.

Proverbs 21:1

SPCKA have just issued the 2010 Australian Christian Book of the Year Short List.

The Short List Press Release is available here.

I am pleased to see that Robert Withycombe’s book Montgomery of Tasmania: Henry and Maud Montgomery in Australasia has made the list.

The 2010 Australian Christian Book of the Year will be announced and prizes awarded during a lunch at the Robert White Hall, Melbourne, on 10 August 2010. For more details or to book seats call 1300 13 7725 or email awards@spcka.org.au

Over the weekend of Friday 28 to Sunday 30 May, the members of the 51st Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania are meeting at Launceston Church Grammar School.

The theme of my Presidential Address to the Synod was Christ’s Pilgrim People. The full Address is available here.  The Address outline follows:

CHRIST’S PILGRIM PEOPLE

A PILGRIM PEOPLE

A pilgrimage of faith

A Christian pilgrim

Pilgrims together

A pilgrim where you are

Pilgrims translating the message of Christ

 THE CONTEXT OF PILGRIMAGE

Understanding our community or external context

Atheism

Consumerism

Denial of truth: a world of spin

Secularism

Understanding our internal or church context

The outworking of sin

Conflict in the Church

How are Christ’s Pilgrim People to be one body?

Addressing our contexts

Prayer Pilgrimage: a pilgrim people @ prayer

 THE CONFIDENCE OF CHRIST’S PILGRIM PEOPLE

The lessons from history

Stories of hope in Tasmania

The purposes of Christ’s Pilgrim People

Our pilgrimage has a purpose, for as Christ’s Pilgrim People our purpose is to build God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. We are also Christ’s Pilgrim People on our way to our eternal home with God: the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1-5)

With this vision and purpose in our head and heart,

Let us dedicate ourselves anew to God.

Let us in our parishes face challenges with confidence knowing that Christ goes before us and is with us.

Let us in our communities celebrate the Holy Spirit’s transforming life.

Let us in our ministries run the race before us.

Let us love one another and spur one another on that together we might see all Tasmanians committed to Jesus Christ!

Let us be Christ’s Pilgrim People!

See also Prayer Pilgrimage is underway – PTL!,    Prayer Pilgrimage Purposes & Prayer – final text.

Explanation of  Pentecost brochure from the Bishop and  Pentecost Sunday brochure from the Bishop.

 I am happy to announce the exciting development underway for The Imagine Project website.

In my vision for the Missionary Diocese of Tasmania, ahealthychurch…transforminglife, I wrote that my heart’s desire is for us all to take intiatives in mission that God may transform the life of our Christian communities and all Tasmanians. We’re a missionary diocese. That means we strive to bring the good news of Jesus to as many people as we can – in Tasmania, and beyond. We believe that the best way to do this is by demonstrating in our own lives God’s transforming love. This is what the Imagine Project is doing. You can see the website which is in its early form  here. 

A plan to enhance stewardship, establish experimental local Mission Projects and appoint Missioner Bishops.

Welcome to the website of The Imagine Project. Here you will find information about vision of The Imagine Project, the team, the various projects and partners involved. You can also keep up-to-date with the latest news from the projects around Tasmania, and find helpful articles and other resources. 

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:21-22

PENTECOST SUNDAY – What a significant day to begin my Prayer Pilgrimage: people@prayer

SERMON OUTLINE – THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. BEARS WITNESS TO CHRIST
2. BRINGS NEW LIFE TO PEOPLE
3. TRANSFORMS BABY CHRISTIANS INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST 
4. CALLS CHRISTIANS TO MINISTRY

Prayer –  ROMANS 8 –

 When we cry, “Abba! Father!”

¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, – “Abba!   Romans 8:15, 16

 ²⁶Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought,

but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

²⁷And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit,

 because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

THE PILGRIMAGE PRAYER

Heavenly Father, your word teaches us that we do not have because we do not ask

By your Spirit make us as keen to pray as you are to listen

as determined to listen as you have always been to speak

that we may be equipped for mission and united as your people,

healthy churches transforming our lives and those of all Tasmanians

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen