Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, lead bishop in the House of Lords for economics and business, has given an initial comment on the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’s budget statement. Bishop Helen-Ann said: “First and foremost this budget must be viewed through the lens of how it affects the poorest and most marginalised...

Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus is brilliantly told – the angel’s visit to Mary to tell her she would be mother of the long-promised Messiah, the old priest in the Temple told by another angel that his wife would have a son to be called ‘John’, who would prepare the people of Israel...

Christmas – time to remember Christians facing persecution. DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal Millions at breaking point as “shockingly low incomes” leave them hungry Iconic Bethlehem Carol Sheet celebrates 70 years in print Caring for the donkeys of Gaza ** Editor:  Christmas is a good time to give to charities, and so the following may...

It was: 1750 years ago, on 25 Dec 274 that the Roman Emperor Aurelian founded the cult of Sol Invictus as an official religion. He erected a temple and declared 25th December a national holiday, to be known as the Feast of the Unconquered Sun. In 336, after the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, 25th...

Christmas Geese From the Vicar What’s the Big Idea? – An Introduction to the Books of the New Testament: John Quiz on John’s Gospel Reflecting Faith: Christmas Tree Decorations The Challenges of Christmas No Room?  On the Contrary The most beautiful story ** Editor:  Canon Paul Hardingham gives thanks to the God who comes among...

No one is really sure, but a story is told of St Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the 4th century, who may have started the custom by accident.  St Nicholas was of a wealthy family, and of a generous heart.  As Christmas approached one year, he wanted to help a poor family whom he...

Anglicans and Methodists in England have underlined their commitment to forging closer ties as together they recently marked the 21st anniversary of an historic covenant between the two churches. The Anglican-Methodist Covenant was signed by leaders of the Church of England and the Methodist Church in Great Britain in front of Queen Elizabeth II on...

There are several colours that we traditionally associate with Christmas. They are green, red, and gold, and to a lesser extent, white and blue. Green: Evergreen plants like holly, ivy and mistletoe were used for thousands of years to decorate buildings during the long dark winters. The Romans exchanged evergreen branches in January to wish...

Ever wonder where many of our Christmas traditions come from?   A surprising amount of our modern Christmas celebrations can be traced back to the well-loved story of ‘A Christmas Carol’, by Charles Dickens. When you read ‘A Christmas Carol’, you discover almost a template of the ‘ideal Christmas’ which we still hold dear today.  Dickens...

This Christmas, there are about 360 million Christians worldwide who will not be celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. They dare not do so. That’s because 1 in every 7 believers globally live in countries where they suffer oppression and discrimination for their faith. So, instead of going to church and singing carols, they face...

Twenty years ago, on 26th December 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (also called the Boxing Day Tsunami) took place. A massive undersea earthquake near Sumatra caused a devastating tsunami that swamped coastal areas in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and East Africa. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history,...

Over the past year, war in the Middle East has devastated millions of people’s lives across the region, destroying their families, homes, schools, hospitals and businesses. This Christmas, millions of people across Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region are in urgent need of food, shelter and medical care. The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid...