This week I can’t decide what to write to you about, so you get all three…
1) Join me in praying for HSC students as they start their exams today (pray particularly for Skye, Adeline, Tim, James and Hunter – connected to our Church and youth group – NB: they might not all be participating in the HSC, but all will benefit from prayer).
2) Join me in carefully considering our vote and praying for the Voice Referendum this weekend, perhaps using our Archbishop’s prayer, listed below.
3) The NSW Government has committed to introducing legislation to ban ‘LGBTIQ+ conversion practices’ this November. While this in itself, is a good thing, a whole lot of healthy Christian practices might be caught up in the legislation – such as prayer, preaching and spiritual guidance based on deeply-held biblical beliefs about gender and sexuality. Therefore, we are being urged to speak up about this issue and call upon our parliamentarians to ensure this does not take place. For more information and for easy to follow guides in how to write, call or meet up with your local MP, go to this website: https://contactyourmp.org.au/.
Yours in Christ,
Ben
Here’s a prayer from our Archbishop on the upcoming Referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, along with some resources to Help you think Christianly about the topic (please note these resources represent both YES and NO arguments):
“Gracious Lord, The Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, we pray for our nation. We lament the damage done to the original inhabitants of this land, since European settlement, including the loss of life, land and language. We recognise sins committed and harm done. We praise you that you have built your church among the First Peoples of this land and we rejoice to be brothers and sisters in Christ with them. Hear our prayer as together we consider the referendum on recognition and the Voice to Parliament. Preserve us in love, respect and mutual service. Give us a spirit of wisdom and discernment as we cast our votes. Father, whatever is decided, we beg you for clear and lasting progress in addressing inequality and closing the gap for First Nations peoples. Bless Australia, we pray, as the gospel is proclaimed, that we may be reconciled to you and to each other through him who died for all, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, in whose name we pray, Amen.”
The Voice: A Christian Consideration, by Michael Jensen
No, Not This Way: One Christian Response to the Voice Referendum, by Sandy Grant
