Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

For three years Jesus had held the tiny band together, through journeyings, storms and opposition. And now – following a public trial and execution – He was gone. Take away the dominant figure, and an organisation can quickly crumble. Take Theudas, an earlier messianic claimant. Once killed, his 400 devotees melted away. Then there was...

Alphege is the saint for anyone who refuses to let others suffer on their behalf. His is a tale of courage and self-sacrifice, with some details that are still poignant, even down 1000 years of history. Alphege began like many other leading churchmen of his time; born of a noble family, with a good education,...

– the man who proved there is a God Anselm is a good saint to remember next time someone asks you to prove that there is a God. His brilliant and original Proslogion, written 1077-8, sets out the ‘ontological’ proof for God’s existence. Nearly ten centuries later, it is still studied by theological students as...

General Synod has voted on the next steps following the publication of independent reports on safeguarding from barrister Sarah Wilkinson and Professor Alexis Jay, former chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA. The next steps include setting up an internal team to engage with Diocesan Safeguarding Advisors/Diocesan Safeguarding Officers and others in...

All in the month of April Where are the Chibok schoolgirls now? 50 years of ABBA! Remembering Lord Byron, the ‘gloomy egoist’ Appreciating Johann Sebastian Bach World Autism Acceptance Week, 2nd – 8th April 2024 ** Editor:  We continue our column that looks at memorable dates in the month (this time, April) down the years....

House of Bishops makes call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza Cathedral attendance has continued its post-pandemic bounce back C of E awards £2.4 million to boost participation of Deaf & disabled people Latest wave of ‘Living Ministry’ research published More than £250,000 distributed in conservation grants Archbishops welcome publication of Future of Church Safeguarding Report...

Over the last few months we’ve been looking at churchyards, grave memorials and the lychgate where the coffin may be rested on its entry. This month we are going inside the church building to find a somewhat different and only really found in older churches that have survived re-ordering and renovations: the Easter Sepulchre. A...

General Synod has issued a call to reaffirm support for Ukraine, as the Archbishop of Canterbury said he could not be “neutral” in the face of the aggression of Vladimir Putin. Archbishop Justin Welby, who visited Ukraine ahead of the second anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion, said the country is “paying for our security...

General Synod has voted in favour of a motion asking the Archbishops’ Council to explore a Code of Conduct for Parochial Church Council (PCC) members and lay volunteers. The motion, brought by the Diocese of Chelmsford, sought to address an imbalance of accountability in relationships where lay volunteers currently face no significant consequences for persistent...

The House of Bishops has recently made the following statement: “With the onset of Israel’s ground offensive into Rafah, we call for an immediate ceasefire. The relentless bombardment of Gaza and its huge cost in civilian lives and civilian infrastructure must stop. The manner in which this war is being prosecuted cannot be morally justified....

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:2) It is not often you get Moses and the local...

The setting for these books is Israel’s entry into the promised land after 40 years of wanderings in the wilderness. Deuteronomy gives us Moses’ addresses on the plains of Moab, as the Israelites prepare to enter Canaan. The book of Joshua recounts the crossing of the Jordan and the victories that give the people control...