Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Four hundred years ago, on 9th April 1626, Francis Bacon, philosopher and politician, died of pneumonia. He served as Attorney General of England and Wales (1613-17) and then Lord High Chancellor of England (1617-21). He was known as the “Father of Empiricism”, as his works influenced the scientific revolution in Europe. Although involved in high-end politics,...

The Saint of an English Army before he was Patron Saint of England, St George may have been a soldier, but he was no Englishman. Some stories say that he was an officer in the Roman army under Diocletian, who refused to abandon his faith during the Terror, and was martyred at Lydda in Palestine...

Did you have ‘a good Lent’? Were you able to make the journey with Jesus through the turmoil of those last days of His earthly ministry as He set His face to go to Jerusalem, knowing He would be killed there? I find the Lenten journey, particularly Holy Week (the week leading up to the...

Chocolate.  Just a mention of the word can trigger off all kinds of emotions:  craving, greed, passion. Few foods have the ability to get such a hold on people.  As you buy your Easter eggs and bunnies and whatever else this month, here are some of the facts of chocolate: Where does chocolate come from?  ...

The Saint of an English Army before he was Patron Saint of England, St George may have been a soldier, but he was no Englishman. Some stories say that he was an officer in the Roman army under Diocletian, who refused to abandon his faith during the Terror, and was martyred at Lydda in Palestine...

We can only imagine how the two travellers to Emmaus felt, knowing that Jesus had died. Gone were their hopes for a bright future. They thought God had let them down. They had suffered a cruel blow and were bewildered and upset. In their grief, the risen Jesus came alongside them and spoke with them...

Editor:  April brings us Good Friday and Easter…. There is no tribunal so magnificent, no throne so stately, no show of triumph so distinguished, no chariot so elevated, as is the gibbet on which Christ hath subjected death and the devil. – John Calvin. The precious Lamb of God gave up His precious fleece for...

It was 125 years ago, on 3rd April 1901, that Richard D’Oyly Carte, theatrical impresario, died.  He built the Savoy Theatre and the Palace Theatre in London, managed some of the most important theatrical stars of the era, and founded a touring opera company. Best known now for his association with Gilbert and Sullivan, Carte operated during...

“It is the Lord!” (John 21:7) There is something very reassuring in the simple scene by Galilee’s lake, described on that post-Easter morning. Taking place there was the birth of a mighty world-wide adventure that has not ended yet! Was there ever a breakfast like it?  They’d been fishing all night, but in vain…. until...

Our present bishops have big troubles within the Church. Mellitus had big troubles outside the Church. It all began quietly enough in Rome, where Mellitus was born into a noble family, and became abbot of a monastic community. Then in 601 Pope Gregory the Great sent him to help Augustine, who had arrived in Canterbury...

This month sees National Marmalade Week (18th – 25th April). If you really want to celebrate, go to Dalemain Mansion and Gardens in Cumbria, where they hold the World Marmalade Awards & Festival. It celebrates, preserves and promotes artisanal marmalades, with thousands of entries. (Even Paddington Bear will be in attendance!) If you like marmalade,...

It all began in ancient Peru over 5,000 years ago. They liked to sip cacao, the purest form of chocolate. It took many centuries to find its way to Europe, but when it did arrive, it was a big hit. Now, with sugar added, chocolate is one of the most popular treats we know. In...