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 One thing is certain – Mary the mother of Jesus must have had parents. Beyond that, nothing is certain – but church tradition offers some details. The first mention of Anne and Joachim as being Mary’s parents was found in the apocryphal Gospel of James (second century) which has no historical validity. James says that...

Here are words and phrases we use at this time and explanations on how they started. Parliament – This comes from French meaning a conference or assembly. Dates from around 1300. Vote – Comes from Latin votum “a vow, wish, promise to a god, solemn pledge, dedication.” Poll – Again from about 1300, originally meaning...

When you look carefully at churches in towns, you may notice there are many similarities in their designs. That’s because Parliament in 1818 and later in 1824 brought about an Act to enable new churches to be built particularly in towns where the population had grown exponentially due to the industrial revolution and general movement...

Skin cancer cases are expected to top 20,000 for the first time this year, according to a recent study by Cancer Research UK. While the increase in skin cancers has occurred across all the ages, it is highest in the elderly, who enjoyed cheap package holidays to sunny countries during the 60s and 70s.  They...

Forty years ago, on 9th July 1984, York Minster was struck by lightning, which set fire to the roof and destroyed the south transept. It was the most recent of five fires that have occurred there over the years: the causes have ranged from workmen burning coals (1753) through arson using torn-up hymnbooks (1829) to...

Stornoway’s Shed Project has celebrated a decade of making a difference to its island community. In those 10 years, the Shed has expanded the services it offers to people of all ages on the Isle of Lewis. These include drop-in facilities for local youngsters, a safe space for adults recovering from drug or alcohol addiction,...

It may not sound like the most exciting of vocations, but your contribution may all the same be of real, substantial help to the churches in our diocese. Diocesan synod elections are soon underway this month, and this time people of many different backgrounds and ages are being encouraged to stand for election. Some dioceses...

Do you tend to avoid conflict?  When you feel stressed, do you crave sleep?  Then the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus would be good patron saints for you.  But – you may find it hard to copy their successful method of avoiding trouble! Legend has it that The Seven Sleepers were third century Christians who lived...

Look around your home. How much of the contents of your bedroom, kitchen, living room and even garage came to you over the seas, via the great merchant ships? What would your home be like without them? Yet when did you last give a thought to the people who bring them to you? It is...

The Church of Scotland has issued a fresh call for the establishment of safe and legal routes to the UK. Commissioners to the recent General Assembly were told that no one would willingly cross dangerous seas and deal with human traffickers if there was an offer of safe travel available. Emma Jackson, Public Life and...

If you led a wild life before your conversion, then Olaf is the saint for you. Indeed, anything you have done could hardly match him, for he was a brigand and pirate who roamed the Baltic and Normandy around 1015 AD, maiming and killing, stealing and destroying, feared by all. Then on one particular raid...

Seventy years ago, on 21st July 1954, the first part of J R R Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Ringswas published. The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of a trilogy later published together, was a much more adult-oriented sequel to The Hobbit, published in 1937. It occupied the same ground...