Australia’s reformed AP evangelical periodical AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN AUTUMN 2018 The gospel and Canberra Unoriginal sin God’s quiet work Here we stood! Editorial Kumalo’s desire for comfort and truth. that of the highway billboard. We have had to endure Bill Shorten Here is where the Word of God stands singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow , as such a contrast to the phoney world and then Malcolm Turnbull’s euphoria of amoral public relations and images. over the plebiscite as a victory for Scripture promises believers “times of democracy and love. Apparently, it refreshing” (Acts 3:20), truth that sets would have the effect of unifying the us free (John 8:32), and life in all its whole country in celebration of all abundance (John 10:10). It is not things progressive. It made one dependent on the majority, be that embarrassed to be an Australian, almost 51% or 61%, for God is true though embarrassed to be a human being. At every man be a liar (Rom. 3:4). one stage Mr Turnbull seemed on the Alexander Solzhenitsyn, writing his arly in Cry, The Beloved Country, verge of proposing to Mr Shorten. lecture for his Nobel Prize for Alan Paton describes Rev. Stephen Literature in 1970, cited a Russian Kumalo, a clergyman in a The scenes could have come from the E proverb: “One word of truth will beautiful country beset by injustice, satire Yes, Minister – whose creators, outweigh the whole world.” taking his seat in a train: “The humble Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, always man reached in his pocket for his sacred said that they only wrote down what Like the struggling Kumalo – and the book, and began to read. It was this the Public Service and the politicians Psalmist before him – we are to reach world alone that was certain.” The past were doing. Yet it did not seem like for the word that is true and certain: “I few months have surely caused satire, or not intentional satire at any consider all Your precepts to be right; I Christians to identify very closely with rate. This was thinking one rung below hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128). Editor Peter Barnes | Social Media Coordinator Rosemary Timmins | Website ap.org.au | Online Blog apmagonline.org Facebook facebook.com/apmagonline Making disciples across Australia Congregation Connect Juggling multiple Sunday services in different locations? Members of your congregation isolated, shut in or unable to attend services or mid-week Bible studies as often as they would like? Need to travel long distances to Session or Presbytery meetings? Congregation Connect might be just the solution you are looking for. Developed jointly by PIM and the PCA Public Worship and Aids to Devotion Committee, Congregation Connect is a cost-effective technology tool that connects small groups of people together for worship services, Bible studies and meetings. Congregation Connect is not a web-casting system; rather it is a solution that encourages active participation from all parties involved, wherever they are located. When used for a Church service, it can create a real sense of active connection, even with people separated by considerable distances. Congregation members can join ‘together’ in worship, sing the same hymns, hear the same sermon and even lead different parts of the service from the different locations. To find out more about Congregation Connect contact Dennis Rayson on 0428 830 276 2 AP SUBSCRIBE FOR YOUR OWN FREE COPY AT AP.ORG.AU The good fight A Tasmanian Senator presses on, inspired by the gospel and its values. Eric Abetz talks to Mark Powell Eric Abetz has been a Liberal Party always had a consciousness of God and state and that anybody with Senator since 1994. He has served as the that was embedded within me from the religious beliefs shouldn’t be Minister for Employment under John very beginning and has been a constant allowed to talk into the public Howard and Leader of the Government throughout my life. sphere. What’s your view on that? in the Senate under Tony Abbott. Are any of your other siblings This is one of the great dilemmas in the Your family is originally from believers? Western world now that we are not Germany, the home of the teaching history. Because if history were Yes, I have two brothers, who are in fact Protestant Reformation. What taught then everybody would know ministers of religion. One of those does the Christian faith mean to that the separation of church and state brothers, Peter, became a member of you? was largely about the church saying to state parliament in Western Australia the state “get out of the church” and Well for me personally, the Christian for two terms. When I look back at not the other way around. faith is about a foundation in life, an that, out of six children, three have anchor. It provides a purpose in life and been ministers, two of religion and one In relation to the Christian worldview a hope at the end. When you think of the crown (which is me), but I think not being allowed to speak into the about life you can either think that that our parents helped to embed public sphere, I would point out that you’re here as somebody made uniquely within us a sense of service and everyone has religion, whether they like in the image of God or you are here as committing one’s life to the service of it or not. Legislators seek to encourage a result of a random accident. One the community. good behaviour and discourage bad provides a real purpose, the other no behaviour. To have a concept of good I could have made more money and real purpose, that you’re here as a result and bad you have to have a moral enjoyed a better “lifestyle” in pursuing of a cosmic accident and you’ll framework. Your moral framework is law and living for myself, and I have disappear at some given time. informed by your worldview. So I say absolutely no doubt that my brothers, to those who contend that I shouldn’t Was there a specific time in your who are a lot smarter and more gifted be having a Judeo-Christian worldview life when you were converted? than I am, could have done a lot that you must have a worldview that I was blessed in having been born into a “more” with their lives. But they informs you as to what is good and bad Christian household. It would be fair to wanted to devote themselves to the legislation and informs your sense of say that I have had my ups and downs. service of other people and to God by morality. becoming ministers. I would not say that I became a Many Christians would say, “Well Christian on a particular day. It’s been More and more we are seeing it’s only the gospel that more like a progression throughout people say that there should be a transforms society, therefore we with lapses and other things but I separation between church and should have no confidence in legislation.” How do you see the “Legislators seek to encourage good behaviour relationship between the gospel and discourage bad behaviour. To have a concept and legislation in God’s purposes? of good and bad you have to have a moral That’s a very good discussion point and at the end of the day it is the gospel framework.” that saves. A government, no matter AUTUMN 2018 3 how well meaning, is not able to “The Bible provides a wonderful blueprint for a legislate people into becoming good society because it does talk about reward Christians. If you have a legalistic framework you will have people going for effort, against laziness, about individual through the motions of the Christian responsibility, looking after your neighbour.” life rather than seeing them as a response to the gospel which is a free that Judaeo-Christian heritage. gift that we have not earned. One enormous change on social issues. If I Why do you think that is? cannot legislate people into had said in parliament 23 years ago that Christianity. Sadly, we are drifting away, and we are I supported gay marriage, for example, people would have been aghast. People However, the Bible provides a at a stage in our culture where we are apologetic for all the blessings we have would have said, “That’s never going to wonderful blueprint for a good society happen.” So, that is one example of because it does talk about reward for received and we want to celebrate how the cultural shift has occurred. effort. It does talk against laziness. It anything and everything that is not What role do you think the media does talk about individual Christian. I am often at a loss to understand why people would be like responsibility. It does talk about has played in the way that that. Sadly, there are people who still looking after your neighbour, if you politicians in particular believe that humankind can develop its have the capacity. So, if you take it as a communicate? own utopia on earth, be it fascism, or whole it is a wonderful blueprint for communism, or any other worldview, Sadly, the media in this country is more society. If you take a step back and have and I’d just say: “Take a step back, have of a cheerleader than a reporter . A a helicopter look at the world and ask, a look at them all and see which one reporter should simply state the facts “Which societies are the societies to you would choose.” and let the readers make up their mind.