Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Bumblebees like churchyards. At least, they were the insects most seen during a recent survey of churchyards and burial grounds in England. It all shows “how valuable, when managed sensitively, many of our churchyards are for bumblebees,” said a spokesman for Caring for God’s Acre, a conservation charity for UK burial grounds.  Such places often...

Transfiguration Teach us to pray The Water of Life The Ancient Lanes of England I am your ship No money ** Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36) Praying on the mountain top We saw amazing things, Moses and Elijah And Jesus, in dazzling white, his face shining. The Lawgiver, the Prophet And the Lord. Written Word, Spoken Word,...

The Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, has welcomed the UN Security Council’s recent adoption of a joint UK / UAE Government resolution highlighting threats to Freedom of Religion or Belief. The steps taken by the UK Government followed a review authored by Bishop Philip at the invitation of the then Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the implementation of...

Did you know that there are 18 species of bat in the UK? And did you know that these bats make up almost a quarter of ALL our mammal species? So, our UK bats are well worth celebrating. And International Bat Night brings together bat groups and the Bat Conservation Trust, to provide many opportunities...

Do you ever take painkillers?  If so, do you take one for your shoulder, and another one for you knee? Of course not! Once the painkiller enters your bloodstream, it goes everywhere, soothing and damping down the pain, and hitting all the right spots. God works a bit like that on the pain in our...

Release International partner, Archbishop Ben Kwashi, says: “We have come to another season of constant attacks on Christian villages and Christian people in central Nigeria. “The consistency with which these attacks have gone for nearly 20 years is a sad commentary on the leadership of Nigeria, who do not care about the poor and vulnerable,...

At this time of year, we enjoy the fruits of our gardens, fields and hedgerows: vegetables ripen, crops are harvested, and berries begin to show bright among the leaves. Much of this growth started with a few seeds in spring: the miracle of life coming from small dead-looking things. There is a league table of...

31st August is the feast of St Aidan, who brought Christianity to northern England.  He is a strong contender for the title of the first English bishop. Not that honours meant a great deal to this austere but captivating character. In 635 he came to Northumbria at the invitation of the local ruler, Oswald.  Oswald...

A few years ago, I was sponsored by the Mothers’ Union in my diocese to go ‘swimming with sharks’ at the Blue Planet Aquarium near Chester. The prospect seemed daunting, but it proved to be a magical, memorable experience. When I went down into the water, it was like entering a new world – somehow...

Much beloved by gardeners across the UK, allotments are cherished for the space they provide to grow one’s own fresh vegetables, among other things. This year the theme is Soil Health. As National Allotments Week explains: “Good soil health is widely accepted as way to improve yield when growing edibles, but also contributes positively to...

Raymond Nonnatus (1204 – 40) is a good patron saint for anyone who does not take life for granted. The account of his own life begins with the story of how his mother died just before his birth, and of how Raymond was somehow extracted from her dead body just in time to save him.(‘Nonnatus’...

Holy Russia? Holy War? – why the Russian Church is backing Putin against Ukraine Saturated with God – a cry for nation-changing revival Why Less Means More – making space for what matters most Clothed with Strength – women who built the church and changed the world Church Beyond Walls – Christian spirituality at large...