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– faithful servant who would not deny his Lord Polycarp (c. 69 – c. 155) was one of the most important Christians in Roman Asia in the mid-2nd century, because of his link between the time of the Apostles and the earliest Christian Fathers. This disciple of John the Apostle became bishop of Smyrna and...

More than 450 church leaders and Christian campaigners have recently signed an open letter to the Prime Minister, calling for a reversal on the Government’s decision to open a new coal mine in Cumbria. The mine, near Whitehaven, would be the first in Britain for more than 30 years. But the campaigners say that while...

Being bored is a good thing – in fact, it can stimulate you to greater creativity. But keeping boredom at bay with endless scrolling on social media will ensure that your creativity is stifled. So say researchers at Bath University. They warn that endlessly distracting yourself to avoid “superficial boredom” has the effect of preventing...

Giving up for Lent At the end of the pre-Lent sermon, the vicar suggested, as an example to the rest of the community, that the congregation should worship in an unheated church for the whole of Lent.  As they made their way into the chill Sunday air the vicar addressed one member of the congregation,...

– the chosen one       Have you ever been in the position where someone is desperately needed – and you fit the bill perfectly? It is almost as if all your miscellaneous qualifications that never made much sense before now make PERFECT sense. And you sense that you have been chosen by God for the...

Attendance at Church of England parishes rose sharply in 2021, compared to 2020, but continued to be affected by Covid measures, new statistics from the Church of England show. Average weekly attendance, which includes Sundays and midweek attendance, grew to 605,000 in 2021 compared to 345,000 in 2020. But it was lower than in 2019,...

The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.’ (Richard Foster) Spiritual disciplines are practices designed to develop and grow our lives as disciples of Jesus. This month we are looking at the place of study as a spiritual practice. ‘All Scripture is God-breathed...

Every person who ever lived was once a sperm and an egg. Those two cells fused together, and in nine months they turned into a living, breathing, human being. Each of us emerged from this same embryonic development process, which is highly complex and organised, but variable enough to turn out a unique individual every...

With Valentine’s Day and love in mind…. Here’s to love – the only fire for which there is no insurance. – Anon There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. – Martin Luther ** A wider consideration of Love… Love is that liquor sweet and most divine,...

This year Fairtrade Fortnight runs 27th February to 12th March. It comes with a sombre reminder: climate change means that soon some of our favourite foods, such as bananas, cocoa and coffee could be harder to grow. And if that is combined with deeply unfair trade, then communities growing these crops will be pushed to...

There are various rather peculiar ‘creatures’ that are used in decorations in and on church buildings. Around the outside of many larger churches and cathedrals you may well have found some downright scary beasts! They are usually used as downspouts off the roof or at the head of vast columns. Often, they were intended to scare...

The Church of England saw a gradual but steady reduction in carbon in 2021, according to the latest data from its national Energy Footprint Tool (EFT). Meanwhile, more than 400 churches across England are now reporting ‘net zero’ carbon emissions, an increase of 157 on the previous year, as part of the most comprehensive data...