"These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me; teaching as doctrines the commandments of men".
Christmas is the time Christians in a special way commemorate the incarnation; prayerfully appropriate it's import and diligently study Him in scripture "Christ in you the hope of glory".
Read more"We recognise, of course, the need for fair and equal treatment before the law for all people," he said. However, Christians need to be very concerned indeed at the assertion of moral equivalence between marriage and civil partnerships. They are not of equal moral standing.
He added that Christians have a unique role to teach others about the sanctity of the traditional family.
Read moreIntroduction
Simon: Good afternoon to you, Dr Williams.
Rowan: Good afternoon.
Simon: How do we find you, sir?
Rowan: You find me full of anticipation for Christmas, and rather busy. C S Lewis and Narnia
Simon: I'm sure. Well, thank you for your time. We've just been speaking to William Moseley, one of the stars of the new Narnia movie, 'Chronicles of Narnia' - he plays Peter. Are you looking forward to this film? Were you a C S Lewis fan?
Read moreClergy were advised against conducting formal blessings of civil partnerships to avoid equating them with marriage.
In the guidelines, condemned by evangelical Anglican Communion archbishops from the Global South as giving the appearance of “evil”, the bishops said that clergy could enter into partnerships, but only if they would abide by Church teaching that sex should be confined to heterosexual marriage.
Read more"For a church that glories in the Incarnation, it would be improbable to cancel services on Christmas Day," said the Rev. Andrew J. Archie, rector of St. Michael and St. George in Clayton, Mo. "If there is one habit that I want my parishioners to have it is coming to church on Sunday. I'm not going to get in the way of that."
Read moreOne or two of us took a deep breath at this, for it was a rare instance in our lifetimes of the Church of England actually standing up for something, and actually being right. It was also shocking, however, that in a country with an established Christian church, and whose Muslim population (for example) is only around three per cent, such an exhortation should be felt necessary.
Read more"We are seeking to double the number of trained Weekend Coordinators in response to increased interest in affirming Christian community, building up small-group ministries, strengthening children's programs and empowering youth ministries," reports Hap Maguire, Faith Alive Executive Director.
Read moreIn a meeting Nov. 14 between South Riding missioner the Rev. Phil Ashey, and Bishop Suffragan David Colin Jones, Mr. Ashey gave Bishop Jones a letter informing the Bishop of the congregation's decision and also of his own decision to resign his position as missioner, quit the Episcopal Church and place himself under the authority of the Bishop of Ruwenzori, the Rt. Rev. Benezeri Kisembo.
Read moreHe gives himself to this transforming purpose in every moment, whatever it costs. And the world changes - even the physical world: death is overcome and the material world reveals God's glory in its depths. So we are changed.
New things become possible for us, new levels of loving response and involvement. As has often been said, the Christian answer to the problem of suffering is not a theory but the story of a life and a death, Jesus' life and death.
Read moreThe priest was speaking a fortnight after an instruction by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education reaffirmed the Catholic Church's "profound respect" for homosexuals, but said Catholic seminaries should not admit students for ordination who "practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'".
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