Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

– as the congregation celebrates 900 years A recent motion has been laid in the Scottish Parliament recognising St Giles’ Cathedral as “a prominent part of the life of Edinburgh and Scotland for 900 years”. It commends the “iconic” cathedral, which was probably founded by King David I in 1124, for “its various projects, designed...

Recent scientific research has found evidence that having a dog is good for you. “Science is finally catching up with what humans have intuitively known for thousands of years.” So says Professor Emeritus Aubrey Fine of Cal Poly University, a paediatric clinical psychologist. A recent study at Konkuk University in Korea found that participants’ alpha-band...

Bellringers from churches in North Wales have won a prestigious national award. Chirk, Overton and Bangor-on-Dee churches have been named Cluster of the Year for their cooperation in recruiting, teaching, and developing bellringing in their communities. The award was given by ART, the Association of Ringing Teachers, an organisation set up to improve the standards...

Christian Aid is urging its supporters to ‘push back against poverty this Christian Aid Week’ by bearing in mind the coming General Election. The charity says that people hoping to represent us in the next UK Parliament will soon be on our doorsteps, vying for our vote. Christian Aid says that these would-be MPs will:...

The average adult in the UK sits for nine hours a day. Office workers probably clock up even more time in a chair. But it is not good for you.  Research has found that too much sitting increases your risk of weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, stress, cancer, and even early death....

God made. Adam bit. Noah arked. Abraham split. Joseph ruled. Jacob fooled. Bush talked. Moses balked. Pharaoh plagued. People walked. Sea divided. Tablets guided. Promise landed. Saul freaked. David peaked. Prophets warned. Jesus born. God walked. Love talked. Anger crucified. Hope died. Love rose. Spirit flamed. Word spread. God remained. – Anon

Josephine Butler is the ‘saint’ for anyone who believes in social justice. This remarkable 19th century clergyman’s wife became a renowned campaigner for women’s rights and for putting a halt to human trafficking. Josephine was born in Northumberland in 1828, the daughter of a wealthy family of liberal politics and committed Christian faith. They had...

Cwtch Mawr, Wales’ first ‘multibank’, has been officially opened by First Minister Mark Drakeford and Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister. Multibanks are based on the foodbank model, but provide a wider range of non-perishable goods, enabling businesses to redistribute surplus unsold items to people for free. Cwtch Mawr will be run by Faith in...

** Rogation Sunday (5th May) is about asking for God’s protection and blessing Pure prayers have pure blessings. – Thomas Goodwin To spend an hour worrying on our knees is not prayer. Indeed, there are times when it is our duty, having committed a problem to God in prayer, to stop praying and to trust...

Seventy years ago, on 20th May 1954, Bill Haley & His Comets released the song Rock Around the Clock. It brought rock and roll into the mainstream and is regarded as one of the most important records in music history. The American rock and roll band had been founded in 1952 and continued to perform...

** Children’s exam papers The following real-life answers to various exam papers explain why teachers need long holidays… What is a nitrate?  – Cheaper than a day rate. What was Sir Walter Raleigh famous for? – He is a noted figure in history because he invented cigarettes and started a craze for bicycles. What did...

This year more than a million Christians worldwide will be joining in long-distance prayer between Ascension Day to Pentecost (9th – 19th May). What started in 2016 with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York inviting the CofE to pray, has grown into an annual international and ecumenical call to 11 days of specific prayer that...