Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

– Church of England online service Jesus accompanies those experiencing grief, loneliness, and sadness. That was the message of a recent national online service. In a sermon recorded at St Nicholas Church in Rattlesden, Suffolk, where she is Rector, the Rev Sharon Grenham-Thompson spoke of her grief for her teenage son Leo, who died in...

I find that watching buds swelling on trees and plants during the winter months gives me a tremendous sense of hope. After creation’s winter shutdown, the sight of tiny flowers poking out of brown earth may be more important than ever. Getting outdoors during daylight hours, enjoying green spaces and getting some fresh air and...

Romance, love, marriage and all that stuff Sometimes women are overly suspicious of their husbands. Do what we can to help Bye bye God’s army Unhappy in love Off to the vet And if love should die…. Definition of old No compromise Muddy woof ** Editor:  With Valentine’s Day in mind…  just for fun, why...

If February is the month of love, shouldn’t that include some compassion for animals? The RSPCA reports that animal abandonment incidents have reached a three-year high. Latest figures for 2023 reveal more than 20,000 reports of animals being simply dumped by their owners. Dermot Murphy, RSPCA inspectorate commissioner, says: “Behind these shocking statistics are thousands...

Editor:  February sees the beginning of Lent. It is the time of year when the Church encourages people to take spiritual stock of themselves, and to seek a deeper commitment to God. Your readers may find these observations helpful. With Lent in mind… Still water and still religion freeze the quickest. – Anon Some Christians...

The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Winter certainly exposes the difference between those of you who live in cities and us rural folk. While you bask in your centrally heated flat, and complain about the half an inch of slush outside, we country folk wear overcoats in our houses, open all...

– and poet If we were to name someone prominent from the 17th century, we might mention Rembrandt or Shakespeare. It is unlikely we would remember George Herbert. However, he was a prolific writer, a gifted speaker and musician. His hymns are still sung today. Herbert was born into a wealthy family in Mid-Wales on...

– vicar and poet  On this day the Church Calendar celebrates George Herbert. For those who are muttering ‘never heard of him’, just think of the hymn ‘Let all the world/ In every corner sing’, which he wrote, along with several other hymns which are still popular, even if they are well over 300 years old....

When commuting to work, it is easy to grab a sandwich and drink at the station before catching your train. It may be easy, but it comes at a price. Commuters buying their lunch at a train station pay around 10 per cent more for food and drink than they would on the high street....

Care Homes are one type of communal establishments measured by the Office for National Statistics in the 2021 Census. In 2022, there were 408,371 people living in care homes across the United Kingdom. Some residents enjoy regular visits from family or friends, while others lead a very lonely life. Some will ‘pass on’ relatively quickly, while others...

There is a saint for Leap Year.  He is St Oswald of Worcester, who died on 29th February 992. His family story was extraordinary, and full of some surprising ‘leaps’, all by itself. It provides a tantalising glimpse of what happened to at least one of those pagan Viking warriors who settled in Anglo-Saxon Britain....

‘Happy is the man who doesn’t give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get … his reward….’  James 1:12 Temptation becomes a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block, when you realise that it’s just as much an opportunity to do the right thing, as the wrong thing. Temptation...