Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at God

The day most of us call ‘Boxing Day’, was when tradesmen used to collect their annual tips from customers. It is named in the Church Calendar as St Stephen’s Day, in memory of the first martyr, stoned to death by an angry crowd because of his faith. That is a shocking footnote to the celebration...

The Fall of the Berlin Wall From the Vicar The Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the persecuted’ The Two Minute Silence A voice in the night In a fog? All you need is love You are loved by God ** Editor:  The Rev Paul Hardingham considers barriers – and breaking them down. The Fall of the Berlin...

It was 30 years ago this month, on 9th November 1989, that the fall of the Berlin Wall began. Over two million people from East Berlin visited the West in a celebration described as ‘the greatest street party in the history of the world.’ However, we are still living with walls, thinking of those dividing...

It was 30 years ago this month, on 9th November 1989 that the fall of the Berlin Wall began. Over two million people from East Berlin visited the West in a celebration described as ‘the greatest street party in the history of the world.’ However, we are still living with walls, thinking of those dividing...

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matthew 5:10).  Somebody once described a Christian as one who is ‘completely fearless, continually cheerful and constantly in trouble.’ Living the life that Jesus presents in the Beatitudes will not necessarily make us universally popular. We must be prepared...

Schoolgirls in 1918 were warned that they might never be married.  So many prospective husbands had been killed in World War 1, that their chances could be slim.  It’s hard for us to imagine the slaughter.  The total number of both civilian and military casualties is estimated at around 37 million people, ending only when...

‘The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.’  Isaiah 50:4 Awake in the early hours, and my thoughts fluttering here and there, the name of a friend dropped into my mind...

November is the month that in my mind is forever associated with fog. Growing up in a mining village, where everyone had a coal fire and chimneys spouted dark smoke all day long, we used to get some real ‘pea-soupers’ in November. Sometimes it was so thick the buses would stop running and we would...

Mother Teresa once observed: “We cannot do great deeds, but we can do small deeds with great love.” That’s something to remember in our daily life.  What good are great public efforts if they are fuelled by personal ambition or a desire to rule?  If you are not personally kind, what good does it do...

One of the most beautiful passages in Scripture is found in Isaiah 43: ‘…you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned…For I am the Lord,...

What about Halloween? From the Vicar God is faithful All things come from You, and of Your own do we … not give back much! The Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ Best way to enjoy the Bible?  Be like a dog with a bone! Flyers overhead ** Editor:  By the Rev Paul Hardingham. What about...

It’s that time of year when the shops are full of pumpkins and youngsters are knocking on our doors to ‘trick or treat’. How should Christians respond to Halloween? Is it simply a fun festival for the children or does it have a dark side that we should avoid? Firstly, Christians should not respond to...