Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Almost certainly not.  But the story of how that date came to be chosen as His ‘birthday’ is one that stretches back long before His birth. it seems to have started on the Greek island of Rhodes in 283 BC. That year the solstice fell on 25th December, and it was also the year that...

As Jesus’ mother, Mary plays a crucial part in the Christmas story. It begins with Gabriel’s visit to her: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.’ (Luke 1:30,31). This conversation takes us straight to the...

It was: 200 years ago, on 27th December 1822 that Louis Pasteur, French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist was born. One of the fathers of germ theory, he was best known for the pasteurisation process, which is named in his honour. 100 years ago, on 8th December 1922 that Lucian Freud, German-born British figurative artist and...

As Jesus’ mother, Mary plays a crucial part in the Christmas story. It begins with Gabriel’s visit to her: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus.’ (Luke 1:30,31). This conversation takes us straight to the...

On the whole British people are happy with the title ‘Father Christmas’, a suitably neutral name for the central character in children’s Christmases, writes David Winter. In America, however, and by a process of cultural indoctrination increasingly in other English-speaking countries, the same red-coated and bearded fellow with his sack of presents is known as...

 The special gift of Christmas for people living with dementia 160 years of healing in Nazareth A heart for helping the people of the Middle East Church of England commits £2m to helping house vulnerable people Mothers’ Union partners campaign against domestic abuse Church of Scotland’s partners ask for prayers for crisis in Sri Lanka...

Two hundred years ago, on 27th December 1822, the French biologist, microbiologist and chemist Louis Pasteur was born. One of the fathers of germ theory, he was best known for the pasteurisation process, which is named in his honour. At school he was not an outstanding student, his favourite subject being art. But he eventually...

Christmas time, with its music and traditions, offers “a special gift” to people living with dementia. Christmas can act as a powerful reminiscence therapy, especially for Christian believers, who will have long term memories of past Christmases, even though their short-term memory (working memory) has faded. So says Louise Morse, a cognitive behavioural therapist and...

Final posting dates for the UK this Christmas are as follows:  – Friday 16th December: Royal Mail Bulk Mail Economy – Monday 19th December: 2nd Class – Wednesday 21st December: 1st Class – Thursday 22nd December:  Special Delivery Guaranteed & Royal Mail Tracked 24 – Friday 23rd December: Special Delivery Guaranteed with Saturday Guarantee

Did you know that mince pies have been traditional English Christmas fare since the Middle Ages, when meat was a key ingredient?  The addition of spices, suet and alcohol to meat came about because it was an alternative to salting and smoking in order to preserve the food. Mince pies used to be a different...

The leaders of Churches in Ukraine have urged Christian leaders in the West to help to try and persuade Russia to comply with humanitarian standards of behaviour, and to stop indiscriminately attacking civilians and torturing prisoners and deportees. The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations has said “the Russian Federation has significantly stepped-up acts...

A little girl was examining a Christmas crib with her grandmother and commented, ‘Grannie, it’s really nice, but there’s one thing that bothers me: is the baby Jesus ever going to grow up? He’s the same size He was last year!!’ The birth of Jesus must be the most well-known birth in the world, but...