CMS Summer School: Wisdom’s Call.
Cathedral Newsletter – 15 January 2026
Logo of the Church Missionary Society, Australia
Dear Friends, I am deeply grateful to congregation members for writing this week’s letter, since one of my daughter’s is getting married this Saturday, so I am a little busy.
I asked those who attended the Church Missionary Society (CMS) Summer School in Katoomba the previous week for a brief summary of things that encouraged of inspired them. Here’s what they shared…
From Kath (10:30am): I gained a greater appreciation for the value of Proverbs and of seeking God's Wisdom. I learnt that true wisdom is found only by living in tune with God’s love and faithfulness. It is the spiritual air we need for life in Christ. God wants us to be "basted in his wisdom" (i.e. We need repeated reminders)… And that reading Proverbs needs to be done slowly with lots of reflection (like sucking slowly on a boiled lolly as it dissolves in your mouth). There is so much more in Proverbs than I ever realised and it points to Jesus in ways I never saw before. I'm excited to spend more time reading more Proverbs more slowly.
From Isabel: I've enjoyed Dan Wu's talks enormously. Many points to reflect on. For example, Wisdom's call #6: “Be God's frozen Coke to others!” [Ed. Look up Proverbs 25:13-14 for the inspiration for that summary sentence!] …Reminding me: share the good news, Jesus is the living water, an eternal spring that will quench all thirst.
From Mark: Our family has long appreciated starting the year with CMS Summer School. The combination of first-rate Bible teaching and the global vision shared in the missionary sessions is very helpful for our family. This year, Dan Wu’s talks on Proverbs were outstanding. They taught us the meaning of Proverbs but also how to read this book that is a mystery to many. Each talk was powerfully applied to the lives of believers and the Christian congregation. I was personally challenged again about the destructive power of the tongue and the use of power for the good of others.
From Ian & Bronwen: We were encouraged with stories from our missionaries like this one from Indigenous ministry in North Australia. “One of our church members stood up in church and shared about his recent health challenges. He talked about how he had trusted God through his sickness. As he reminded us to have faith in God, he leaned hard on his walking stick and said “you ‘gotta’ lean on Jesus all the way like this, not just a little bit” (tapping his stick lightly next to him). Although he’s recently faced some big challenges, he continues to recognise God’s goodness in his life and is eager to tell everyone about it.”
“The glory of getting old” was the title of Tuesday’s talk by Dan Wu at CMS Summer School last week. The title caught the attention of most people as we are getting older every day. The Proverb was centred around, “Gray hair is a crown of splendour: it is attained by a righteous life.” (16:31) We were encouraged to think of the Proverbs as a spider’s web with a pattern of ideas being woven together forming a net with a major theme. The theme in this section was relationships. The God of the Bible has revealed Himself as Trinity and is eternally in relationship. So we who are made in His image should value relationships. Around the Proverb there are ideas that encourage relationships in the family and the community: 16:31 a patient man, 17:1 a house of peace, 17:2 brothers, 17:6 children. There are also ideas that are destructive to relationships: 16:32 temper, 17:2 strife, 17:4 evil lips, 17:5 mocking the poor. So, a crown of righteous will be seen in a person who values what God values – relationships. When people value what God values, they are righteous. Regardless of your hair colour we are to treasure the relationships God has given us.
From Nadya: From the teaching and singing together in CMS Summer school 2026, I have been spurred on towards love and faithfulness. Patrice Niveaux who gave a talk from 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 said: “the content of the jars of clay is more important than the jar”. We are like jars of clay as the human instrument are weak but the message we preach is vital and has tremendous value… so pray for our ministry now and in the future … not to worry but first Obey! Then singing with 2000 brothers and sisters “His glory and my good” clarified that God’s glory is my good.
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How good it is to see fellow congregation members engaing with God’s word and being encoraged in global mission! Thanks to these brothers and sisters for writing. You should certainly keep your eyes and ears open for when Dan Wu’s talks on the Proverbs are made freely available sometime in March.
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney