Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

How do you make sense of the Resurrection? Dead men don’t rise, so why believe that this particular dead man did rise? At the end of St Luke’s gospel we read that: “they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement” (Luke 24.4). This is highly significant. The Gospels do not show us a...

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a pastoral letter to the clergy and people of the Church of England, calling on them to pray for peace in Ukraine. They wrote: “This attack is an act of evil, imperilling as it does the relative peace and security that Europe has enjoyed for so long....

It was: 150 years ago, on 2nd April 1872 that Samuel Morse died. This American artist and inventor helped develop commercial single-wire telegraph systems and co-developed Morse code. 125 years ago, on 3rd April 1897 that Johannes Brahms, German composer, piano virtuoso and conductor, died. 100 years ago, on 3rd April 1922 that Joseph Stalin...

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,...

‘So they (the women) went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.’ That’s how some early manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel finish. It’s an unexpected twist, when you consider the confident announcement at the outset: “The beginning of the good news...

The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Consider yourself fortunate that your churchyard consists of no more than a small, paved area, and that keeping it tidy requires ten minutes of picking up discarded takeaway boxes on Sunday morning. Our four acres of grass and randomly placed gravestones absorbs a large portion...

 The Bishop in Europe, Bishop Robert Innes, writes: “Our little church in Kyiv are right at the centre of this crisis,” he explained. “Some of them have fled the city by car, others are still there. These are our people, our brothers and sisters, and of course we are very concerned for their wellbeing and safety. “In...

– 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...

Here is an educational campaign that is unique in bringing together animal welfare charities, professional bodies, pet business, schools, youth groups and pet lovers. The Campaign is coordinated by the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) and the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA). The aim this month is to raise awareness of responsible pet ownership...

How to pray for the war in Ukraine New online crackdown on Christians in China Getting ready for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, 2nd – 5th June New Centre for Cultural Witness You could help a Christian child in Egypt learn more about the Bible Why not go out on a short-term outreach? Millennial Tensions **...

Ukraine is in crisis. Only God knows how the situation will unfold in the coming days and weeks. Meanwhile, there is a need for food and other basic humanitarian aid. The following Christian charities are at work in the country, and would welcome your immediate support: Barnabas Fund. https://www.barnabasfund.org/gb/ Christian Aid. https://www.christianaid.org.uk Methodist Church UK....

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. Psalm 37:36-38 It is a nice Spring afternoon, and you want to sit out in the garden to read your parish magazine. You deserve a break, because you have been kept awake all night by noise from certain neighbours in the street where...