Anglican Churches around Sydney have continued their Connect09 distribution of Luke’s Gospel - ‘The Essential Jesus’ as crowds flocked to Christmas services.

Archbishop Peter Jensen preached from the Gospel of Luke at St Andrew’s Cathedral, where numbers of Christmas worshippers were up on last year.

“Recent polling has shown that Australians are religious. That is, we are still asking the "why' question, the question to do with purpose in life.  Why am I here? We are searching for an answer. This search is to be commended.
But many of the answers are superstitious, such as astrology. Superstition can never satisfy the longings of the human heart and they cannot mend our brokenness.” Archbishop Jensen told the congregation.

“We have broken relationships, broken hearts, broken bodies. At the centre of our being we need the perfect relationship with the living God who has made us and when we cut him out of our lives we continue to be restless and lack peace. We need peace with God.” he said.

Referring also to the poll results on atheism, “I take it that the numbers turning up claiming to be unbelievers or atheists are insisting that they want to live according to the truth.  Superstition will not satisfy them because it is not based on the truth. Again, those who seek for truth and insist on the highest standards of truth are to be commended.”

“I want to say to both groups that there is an answer to their questions and end point to their search. I want to say that good news has entered the world with the birth of Jesus Christ and that he is the truth. I want to invite them to search here both for purpose and for authenticity” Archbishop Jensen said.

Photo: Cathedral Music Director Ross Cobb conducts the congregation in Carol singing

Christmas Carols rang out at four Christmas eve services and two Christmas day events at St Andrew’s, with Dean Phillip Jensen preaching three times in 5 hours. “Christians have something to sing about” he told the crowd ” the great news that God has come to us in flesh.”

St Andrews was one of many churches which distributed the Essential Jesus during Christmas services. Some, like Emmanuel Church, Glenhaven, gift wrapped and delivered copies to local homes.

Photo: Dean Phillip Jensen greets congregation members during the Christmas Eve service

Archbishop Jensen echoed his call, in the Presidential address, for churches to actively continue the Connect09 distribution until Easter.

“Connect 09 is a sowing campaign: this means that we need to sustain it into the future. in order to gather in the harvest. We still have a way to go to make sure great resources like ‘The Essential Jesus’ are in the hands of as many people as possible.”