Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Do you have a sister?  Is she ‘good news’ in your life?   Macrina the Younger (c. 327 -79) should be the patron saint of all ‘sisters’ whose generosity helps their siblings to succeed. Macrina the Younger was the eldest of 10 children.  Their father was Basil the Elder, a leader in the church in 4th...

As the traditional Easter story is remembered again this month, you may notice that there is one name that frequently occurs. It is that of the ‘other’ Mary – not the mother of Jesus but Mary of Magdala, who stood by her at the cross and became the first human being, male or female, actually...

A new album of music, The Gift of This New Day, has been released in response to demand from listeners of the Church of England’s Daily Prayer app and podcast. Now available on CD and major streaming platforms, the album features all-new recordings of the most requested musical pieces from Morning Prayer, performed by St...

Later this month Christians all over the world will commemorate probably the most unlikely saint in the Bible, Mary Magdalene. There was something in her background that has always fascinated people. All we are told about her ‘past’ is that Jesus had cast ‘seven devils’ out of her, but on that slender if intriguing evidence...

‘Chilling reading’ – Bishop Sarah responds to assisted suicide impact  11,000 people in consultations for the next Archbishop of Canterbury A day to remember – Bishop’s VE Day challenge  Churches are facing big cash shortfalls as a result of VAT grants cut Rural areas, low income communities, parish revitalisations & mission funding CofE attendance rises...

Six Marys are mentioned in the New Testament, including Mary Magdalene, who is remembered this month in the church’s calendar (22nd July). What can we learn from Mary’s story? We don’t have to be defined by our past: When Jesus encountered Mary, He cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2). As a result, her...

A former insurance worker and a priest who once worked in sales will speak of the sense of peace and purpose in finding their vocation in life, in a recently launched new film and online service. The  ‘Is it You?’ film and the Church of England’s national online service for Vocations Sunday will highlight the individual nature...

It is easy to understand the popularity of Mary Magdalene over the centuries: she is the patron saint both of repentant sinners and of the contemplative life. Jesus drove seven demons from Mary, who came from near Tiberius in Galilee.  She became His follower to the bitter end.  She followed Him to Jerusalem and was...

The gospels have a number of stories about things lost and found. The lost sheep, the prodigal son, and one of my favourites – the lost coin. I wonder if Our Lord had someone in mind when He told that parable? Perhaps He had seen a lady searching high and low, turning the house upside...

Fake news is not new. Perhaps one old example is the assertion that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Back in the 6th Century, Pope Gregory is said to have confused her with two other women in the Bible. Medieval Bible scholars also attempted to name an unidentified sinful woman who had washed and anointed the...

We see them, off and on, all summer: cricket bats. But did you ever wonder how they are made? The timber comes from mature willow trees, each of which should give about 30 bats. It is first cut into rounds, and clefts are split out. Each cleft is then rough sawn, and waxed at the...

The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, the Church of England’s lead bishop for health and social care, has recently responded to the Government impact assessments on the bill to introduce assisted suicide in England and Wales. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), together with the Ministry of Justice, had published a main assessment...