From there:

The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has issued a statement in response to a vote by the Synod of the Diocese of Wangaratta to authorise a service to bless civil marriages. The Bishop of Wangaratta has claimed this service would allow for a blessing of same-sex unions and that he personally intends to use it for that purpose.

Archbishop Davies said “It is highly regrettable that clergy and lay people in the Diocese of Wangaratta have chosen to follow their Bishop rather than the clear words of Scripture concerning God’s design for human sexuality (Matt 19:4-12).

The doctrine of our Church is not determined by 67 members of a regional synod in Victoria nor is it changed by what they may purport to authorise.

Time and time again, the General Synod has affirmed the biblical view of marriage as the doctrine of our Church. To bless that which is contrary to Scripture cannot, therefore, be permissible under our church law.

The circumstances of this event are reminiscent of the actions of the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada in 2003. It is now universally acknowledged that those events were the beginning of the ‘tear in the fabric of the Anglican Communion’.

Moreover, to claim the authority of our Church to carry out a service of blessing contrary to the biblical view of marriage and the doctrine of our Church will certainly fracture the Anglican Church of Australia.”

Archbishop Glenn Davies delivers “Mission Focused” Presidential Address https://t.co/TSqWhPmlHy pic.twitter.com/Y9GCBY0XnJ

— David Ould ن (@davidould) October 9, 2017

Merciful God, who didst send thy beloved Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Raise up in this and every land witnesses, who, after the example of thy servant Paul Jones, will stand firm in proclaiming the Gospel of the Prince of Peace, our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Today in @iamepiscopalian calendar we remember Paul Jones (1941), bishop and activist, and Prudence Crandall (1890), teacher and activist https://t.co/b9bEqdwBWe https://t.co/mm8qq0zr01 #GreatCloudOfWitnesses pic.twitter.com/olJmewywO5

— TrinityColumbusOH (@TrinityCapSq) September 3, 2018

Almighty God, who resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble: Deliver us when we draw near to thee from all self-sufficiency and spiritual pride; and grant us an ever deepening sense of our own unworthiness and of thy unfailing mercy; through him who is our only righteousness, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!

And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

–James 3:1-12

On the morning of July 4, I left Delhi for Uttar Pradesh to report a story on India’s feverish toilet-building campaign. I was out on the street most of the day, when I noticed ink in my journal was smudged with raindrops. “The monsoon has arrived,” I noted.

The smudged page also contained a fragment of overheard conversation: “We will marry our daughter to you only if you have a foot.” It was the first line of an intriguing story I would never write, because the next day I went for a morning jog in Delhi’s beautiful Lodhi Gardens.

That is really the last thing I remember with certainty. I only learned later that I had, somehow, made my way from the gardens to New Delhi’s Golf Course Colony, several miles away.

This is where a malignant brain tumor, as yet undiagnosed, struck me down and left me thrashing on the ground.

Read it all.

At one point he was taken for dead by a mortuary crew, who toe-tagged him: “Unknown Caucasian male, age 47 and a half.” Almost 70, ⁦@rodnordland⁩ found something to cheer him up after a brain tumor was found. “Well, I could learn to love this tumor.” https://t.co/EWlnJNoVYB

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) September 1, 2019

The track for Hurricane Dorian has shifted westward in the 5PM update, which will likely increase impacts in Charleston. Quick blog update: https://t.co/TlQhV8VnLT pic.twitter.com/0rwjMAlWUy

— Charleston Weather (@chswx) September 3, 2019

More than 12,000 delegates at the recent EFAC Nigeria convention were cautioned about the current ‘perilous times’ of ‘incredible’ moral decadence and abandonment of God, the creator.

Speakers at the event encouraged believers in Christ to understand the time, and to hold firm to the unchanging truth of God’s word – the only eternal legacy.

Prayers were made for the Government and the Church, the peace of the world, and most prominently, the election of Primate, Nicholas Okoh’s successor which will take place next month(September).

Delegates said the Convention was a ‘huge blessing’ to God’s people who attended, as hope came through the word of God to the Church of Christ in Nigeria under severe persecution.

The Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion was founded in 1961 with the conviction that a strong biblical witness is essential for the life and health of the Anglican Communion, within the wider context of seeking first God’s kingdom and building up his people.

Read it all.

The Diocese of Wangaratta has passed their motion calling for the blessing of individuals who have taken part in a same-sex wedding. The voting, reported by prominent supporter of the motion Ven. John Davis (Archdeacon Emeritus of the Diocese), was that 67 for, 18 against and one abstention.

Davis has published his speech in support of the motion….

Read it all.

BREAKING: Wangaratta Motion Passes. National Church Faces Crisis Moment https://t.co/Z8zILGdaGr pic.twitter.com/hEtodhL0H9

— David Ould ن (@davidould) August 31, 2019

The next bishop of Hereford will be Richard Jackson. Bishop Richard, who is currently Suffragan Bishop of Lewes in East Sussex, will take up his role in the New Year and will be the 106th Bishop of Hereford, a church position that dates back to 676.

Bishop Richard said: ‘I am immensely humbled to have been chosen to become the next Bishop of Hereford. This beautiful diocese is in my DNA. I’ve traced my family tree and if I took a journey visiting churches from Leominster to the Welsh Border, I would be able to see the graves of my ancestors dating back to the 13th Century.

Hereford is a mainly rural diocese, covering Herefordshire, the south of Shropshire, a portion of Worcestershire and several parishes in Wales on the English-Welsh border. It includes the city of Hereford and the towns of Telford, Ludlow, Much Wenlock, Bridgnorth, Church Stretton, Ross-on-Wye, Ledbury, Leominster, Bromyard and Kington.

Bishop Richard, who is known for his work as a pastoral and teaching bishop, said: ‘I am looking forward to talking to the people of our diocese about the good news of Jesus Christ. In uncertain times, what the Bible says and the example of Jesus’s life are timeless, guiding us through our complex modern world.

‘I hope I can energise people to consider that the Christian life – with all its joy, peace and purpose – is for everyone, young and old. I would like to think that I could help, support and inspire people to follow Christ in their daily lives,’ he said.

Read it all.

The New Bishop of Hereford has been announced. Bishop Richard Jackson, who is currently Suffragan Bishop of Lewes in East Sussex, will take up his role in the New Year and will be the 106th Bishop of Hereford. #NewBishop106 https://t.co/mUQAGv6K6q pic.twitter.com/unTruDZNgr

— Hereford Diocese (@HerefordDiocese) September 3, 2019

The Ecumenical Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr William Adam, is to be the new Director of Unity, Faith and Order for the Anglican Communion. His new role, which he takes on with immediate effect, will be held alongside his role at Lambeth Palace, which he has held since 2017. He succeeds the Revd Canon Dr John Gibaut, who was appointed to the post in 2014 and held it until earlier this year, when he became President, Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Canada’s Thorneloe University.

Will Adam was ordained in the Church of England in 1994 and held parish appointments until taking up his post advising the Archbishop of Canterbury. From 2017 until now he has also served as Ecumenical Officer in the Church of England’s Council for Christian Unity. He has experience of ecumenical dialogue at national and international level.

As Director of Unity, Faith and Order, Dr Adam will have overall staff responsibility for the ecumenical dialogues in which the global Anglican Communion is engaged, including with the Baptist World Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, the World Methodist Council, the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the Roman Catholic Church. He will also serve as secretary of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO).

Read it all.

The Ecumenical Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Will Adam, is to be the new Director of Unity, Faith and Order for the Anglican Communion.#AnglicanNews #Anglican #Anglicanshttps://t.co/vlgmmC6vmx

— Anglican Communion News Service (@AnglicanNews) September 3, 2019

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

The Lordship of Christ over the whole of life means that there are no Platonic areas in Christianity, no dichotomy or hierarchy between the body and the soul. God made the body as well as the soul, and redemption is for the whole man.

Francis Schaeffer pic.twitter.com/IDk4sK59KL

— Biblical Eldership (@Eldership) September 2, 2019

Eternal God, who didst raise up thine servant Phoebe as a deacon in thy church and benefactor of the Gospel, such that she took the message of thine Apostle Paul into the very heart of a hostile empire; grant unto us thy same grace, that aided by her prayers and example, we too may take the Gospel unto the ends of the earth, Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saint-Phoebe of Rome-Sept 2, Christian matron, and likely a widow. Deaconess at Cenchrese, Greece. Delivered Saint Paul the Apostle‘s Epistle to the church in Rome, Italy, and is praised by him in it. Saint John Chrysostom wrote a sermon singing her praises. pic.twitter.com/NW73aNDwWU

— john william vondra (@silvestromedia) September 2, 2019

Almighty God, only giver of all mercies, whose Son, Jesus Christ, has taught us how to pray aright: Save us, we beseech thee, from all presumption in our prayer, and grant unto us the grace of humility and contrition; that we may, sharing the vision of thine apostle Saint Paul, know that it is by the grace of God alone that we are what we are, and that we can do nothing but through the strengthening of thy Son, Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For thy steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to thee.

–Psalm 26:2-3

O Lord and heavenly Father, we commend to Thy care and protection the men and women of this land who are suffering distress and anxiety through lack of work. Strengthen and support them, we beseech Thee; and so prosper the counsels of those who govern and direct our industries, that Thy people may be set free from want and fear to work in peace and security, for the relief of their necessities and the wellbeing of this realm; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

We honor too the contributions of labor to the strength and safety of our Nation. America’s capacity for leadership in the world depends on the character of our society at home; and, in a turbulent and uncertain world, our leadership would falter unless our domestic society is robust and progressive. The labor movement in the United States has made an indispensable contribution both to the vigor of our democracy and to the advancement of the ideals of freedom around the earth.

We can take satisfaction on this Labor Day in the health and energy of our national society. The events of this year have shown a quickening of democratic spirit and vitality among our people. We can take satisfaction too in the continued steady gain in living standards. The Nation’s income, output, and employment have reached new heights. More than 70 million men and women are working in our factories, on our farms, and in our shops and services. The average factory wage is at an all-time high of more than $100 a week. Prices have remained relatively stable, so the larger paycheck means a real increase in purchasing power for the average American family.

Yet our achievements, notable as they are, must not distract us from the things we have yet to achieve. If satisfaction with the status quo had been the American way, we would still be 13 small colonies straggling along the Atlantic coast. I urge all Americans, on this Labor Day, to consider what we can do as individuals and as a nation to move speedily ahead on four major fronts.

First, we must accelerate our effort against unemployment and for the expansion of jobs and opportunity.

Read it all.

O God, who hast taught us that none should be idle: Grant to all the people of this land both the desire and the opportunity to labour; that, working together with one heart and mind, they may set forward the welfare of mankind, and glorify thy holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We at #usspacecom wish you all a happy & safe Labor Day. pic.twitter.com/dxrFz2ELZ5

— U.S. Space Command (@US_SpaceCom) September 2, 2019

O God, who hast taught us that none should be idle: Grant to all the people of this land both the desire and the opportunity to labour; that, working together with one heart and mind, they may set forward the welfare of mankind, and glorify thy holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Happy Labor Day! Have a safe and enjoyable long weekend! #TeamSC pic.twitter.com/4yAAiSt0wZ

— SC Dept. of Commerce (@SCcommerce) September 2, 2019

ZENIT spoke with Father Tarcisio Giuseppe Stramare of the Congregation of Oblates of Saint Joseph, director of the Josephite Movement, about Tuesday’s feast of St. Joseph the Worker….

ZENIT: What does “Gospel of work” mean?

Father Stramare: “Gospel” is the Good News that refers to Jesus, the Savior of humanity. Well, despite the fact that in general we see Jesus as someone who teaches and does miracles, he was so identified with work that in his time he was regarded as “the son of the carpenter,” namely, an artisan himself. Among many possible activities, the Wisdom of God chose for Jesus manual work, entrusted the education of his Son not to the school of the learned but to a humble artisan, namely, St. Joseph.

Read it all.

A Reflection on Saint Joseph ‘Among many possible activities, the Wisdom of God chose for Jesus manual #work, entrusted the education of his Son not to the school of the learned but to a humble artisan, namely, St. Joseph’ https://t.co/ZRnYpqrI5D (Art: Georges de La Tour) pic.twitter.com/ulOHLXWpuo

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) March 19, 2018

…a calling requires certain preconditions. It requires more than desires; it requires talent. Not everyone can be, simply by desiring it, an opera singer, or professional athlete, or leader of a large enterprise. For a calling to be right, it must fit our abilities. Another precondition is love — not just love of the final product but, as the essayist Logan Pearsall Smith once put it, “The test of a vocation is love of drudgery it involves.” Long hours, frustrations, small steps forward, struggles: unless these too are welcomed with a certain joy, the claim to being called has a hollow ring.

—Working: Its Meaning and Its Limits, ed. Gilbert C. Meilaender (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 2000), pp.124-125, emphasis mine

Michael Novak 4 #LaborDay 2019 “The test of a vocation is love of drudgery it involves.” Long hours, frustrations, small steps forward, struggles: unless these too R welcomed with a certain joy, the claim to being called has a hollow ring’ https://t.co/BqLmJQsEhc #theology #work pic.twitter.com/CkX38ekbIE

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) September 2, 2019

On this three day weekend, when we rest from our usual labors, loving Father, we pray for all who shoulder the tasks of human laboring the marketplace, in factories and offices, in the professions, and in family living.

We thank you, Lord, for the gift and opportunity of work; may our efforts always be pure of heart, for the good of others and the glory of your name.

We lift up to you all who long for just employment and those who work to defend the rights and needs of workers everywhere.

May those of us who are now retired always remember that we still make a valuable contribution to our Church and our world by our prayers and deeds of charity.

May our working and our resting all give praise to you until the day we share together in eternal rest with all our departed in your Kingdom as you live and reign Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

–The Archdiocese of Detroit

Today, we celebrate the tireless efforts of the workers making vital contributions to American society daily. By standing for workers’ rights both at home and abroad, we stand for prosperity, democracy, and stability, for the U.S. & for the people of all nations. #LaborDay pic.twitter.com/xjeVtAR8Rl

— Department of State (@StateDept) September 2, 2019

Almighty God, we remember before thee this day the blessed martyrs of New Guinea, who, following the example of their Savior, laid down their lives for their friends; and we pray thee that we, who honor their memory, may imitate their loyalty and faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“Look what God has done with their ‘defeat’. He has turned it into victory” 1st Primate of New Guinea on 1942 martyrs pic.twitter.com/5GDeOopj5T

— Catholicity&Covenant (@cath_cov) September 2, 2014

O God, who hast brought life and immortality to light by the gospel, and hast begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: Make us steadfast and immovable in the faith, always abounding in the work of the Lord, who died for our sins and rose again, and now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, world without end.

–The Rev. James Mountain (1844-1933)

To thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in thee I trust,
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Yea, let none that wait for thee be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know thy ways, O Lord;
teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me,
for thou art the God of my salvation;
for thee I wait all the day long.

–Psalm 25:1-4

A lawsuit filed by a church against a South Carolina town last year for prohibiting worship services at a public facility has prompted the municipality to lift the ban.

Redeemer Fellowship of Edisto Island and the town of Edisto Beach agreed Aug. 19 to end the suit, which alleged the town violated Redeemer Fellowship’s right to free exercise of religion after the municipality banned all rentals for religious worship services at its Edisto Beach Civic Center.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the church in the case, commended the town for lifting its ban, which the alliance said was inconsistent with the town’s own statement that it welcomes “civic, political, business, social groups and others” to use its civic center.

“Churches shouldn’t be treated less favorably than other groups that want to rent facilities,” said ADF Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb. “Its previous policy that singled out one form of expression — worship — as inferior to other forms of speech was clearly unconstitutional.”

Read it all.

An all-black dress code, pallbearers marching in unison, and a steady stream of tears are not often associated with golf courses, zoos and Chinese takeaways.

Yet according to the most extensive ever report on UK funeral trends which, the religious funeral is dying a death.

Instead of services in crematoriums, churches and cemeteries, Britons are instead opting for increasingly quirky ways to mourn their loved ones.

The Co-op, the UK’s largest national funeral provider which conducts more than 100,000 every year, has today published a report revealing that since 2011 there has been a 80 per cent decline in religious funerals.

Eight-years-ago 67 per cent of people requested traditional religious services and just 12 per cent were non-religious. However by 2018, just 13 per cent wanted a religious funeral.

Read it all.

What is happening to death?

80 per cent decline in religious funerals as mourners opt for golf courses and zoos over churches https://t.co/0pwP4Jk9iF via @telegraphnews

— Fr Timothy Ezat ✠ (@Fr_Ezat) September 1, 2019

Read it all.

Breaking!! Our appeal to the state Supreme Court has been accepted and oral argument is set for 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. pic.twitter.com/e8jrmoSSih

— Diocese • Fort Worth (@e_quips) August 30, 2019

“The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master” P. T. Forsyth, (1848–1921) #theology pic.twitter.com/dg3m5R2no4

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) September 1, 2019

–quoted in the morning sermon by yours truly

O God, give Thy people grace to use aright Thy holy day; that it may be a day of mercy to the heavy-laden; a day of resurrection to newness of life; a day to worship Thee in the fellowship of the faithful; through Jesus Christ our Lord.