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This month sees the start of Lent, the 40-day season of penitence, self-examination and fasting running up to Easter. Jesus began His earthly ministry by fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and taught His disciples to fast: ‘when you fast.’ (Matthew 6:17). The spiritual discipline of fasting involves missing one or two meals during...

In the past 30 years, the Church of England has seen a steep decline in the attendance at Sunday services. Numbers are down by an average of 40 per cent at Sunday services in churches across the UK’s 43 dioceses. The only exception is London, where there has been a rise in Sunday worshippers. A...

The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, has thanked front line workers, parishes, and all who have made sacrifices to help protect one another from Covid-19, as England recently began to move away from ‘plan B’ restrictions. Bishop Sarah, who chairs the Church of England’s Covid Recovery Group, said: “When the first measures to curb the...

Many middle-aged people struggle with a bit of depression and the vague feeling that they should be closer to their children. But not many middle-aged people turn to skateboarding, as a solution. Yet a recent study by Exeter University has found that some older people who skateboard say that it has a ‘spiritual meaning’ in...

A full-time chaplain has been appointed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for the first time in its 200-year history. The Revd Tom Ebbens, who will be based in Cornwall, has been appointed to the position after a pilot project. He has previously worked in MCA operations centres and as a coastal officer, and...

Lent encourages us to examine how we’re getting on.  It’s especially useful for people who have been practising Christians for some time. We’re used to saying prayers, going to church and trying to express our faith in action, but the routine may have become a bit jaded.  We would like to beef it up, but...

Yes, Britain is in serious political and moral turmoil. So is the USA. Many other countries are heading towards totalitarian rule or are savagely divided along tribal, religious, or racial lines. We shouldn’t concentrate on cataloguing our complaints, though, before counting our blessings, which is a healthier activity for the human soul. Here’s a start. The British National Health...

This beautiful event (Luke 1:26-38) took place in Nazareth, when Mary is already betrothed to Joseph. The Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary, greets her as highly favoured, tells her not to be afraid, that she will bear a son Jesus, and that her elderly cousin Elizabeth is already pregnant (with John the Baptist). The church...

Practise by reading to your dog, who won’t be critical of your mistakes, or interrupt you. Dogs who listen to people reading are being used in schools and prisons across the country.  It is all a part of The Kennel Club’s Bark and Read Foundation, which was first set up to give children the confidence...

 All 42 dioceses in the Church of England have signed up to become an ‘eco diocese’ as part of their commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2030. The Eco Dioceses scheme, developed by the charity A Rocha UK, sees churches and dioceses awarded bronze, silver, or gold status depending on actions taken to improve...

If you want to start a family row, you could always suggest a game of Scrabble. It seems that it is the board game which scores highest in sparking arguments. But don’t underestimate the potential of Cluedo and Monopoly. Apparently, the Royal Family long ago decided not to play Monopoly, because it got too “vicious”,...

 & Mother Church The Fourth Sunday in Lent was called ‘Mid-Lent’ or ‘Refreshment Sunday’, when the rigors of Lent were relaxed more than was normal for a feast day. It is called Mothering Sunday as a reference to the Epistle reading for the Day (Galatians 4:21-31).  The Lenten Epistles follow from each other with teaching...