Two of Sydney Diocese’s cathedrals are offering Easter conventions this Good Friday afternoon.

The Principal of Moore College Dr John Woodhouse will join the rector of St Michael’s, Wollongong, the Rev Canon Sandy Grant in speaking at the third annual Wollongong Cathedral Easter Convention from 2pm to 5pm on Good Friday.

They will look at the doctrine of justification with a focus on the book of Romans.

“After John Woodhouse’s superb preaching at CMS Summer School, I’ve asked him to address the topic of justification as it relates to Jesus’ death in Romans 3,” Canon Grant says.

“Romans 4:25 intriguingly states that Christ was ‘raised for our justification’. So I’m going to try and trace the connections between justification and the resurrection.”

Canon Grant says the recent intense debate in Christian circles regarding justification makes it an important topic to address.

“It’s also important to be clear on [justification], with Catholic World Youth Day on the way, since justification is at the heart of our split with Rome.”

Canon Grant regards a Cathedral convention as a great way for Christians to spend their Good Friday afternoon and focus on the central truths of Christianity.

“After gathering in local congregations in the morning, the Convention gives us a great chance to unite in our region across parishes and denominations around the cross and the resurrection,” he says.

“Good Friday is one of the very few days in the year given wholly over to a Christian festival. If we believers don’t make the most of it, Australia’s other major religions of sport and shopping will be pushing to fill the void.”

Easter in the city

Justification will also be the main theme at the St Andrew’s Cathedral Easter Convention.

Convention organiser and St Andrew’s women’s pastor Alison Napier says the theme of ‘justification’ has been chosen because of the upcoming Catholic World Youth Day.

“Romans 3 will be a particular passage that’s focused on in the light of the
theme,” she says.

The rector of St Barnabas’, Broadway, the Rev Ian Powell and the Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen will speak at the convention.

“The Cathedral runs an Easter convention because Good Friday is a day that has been set aside by our government for thinking about the death of Jesus and we thought we should make the most of that opportunity,” she says.

This is the fifth annual Cathedral Easter Convention and Ms Napier expects about 380 people to attend the convention this year.