Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester from 1062 to 1095, occupies a unique place in British church history. He was the last surviving pre-Conquest bishop, the first bishop to pay homage to William the Conqueror after the battle of Hastings, and one of the few Saxons to keep high office to the end of William’s reign. On top...

For many today the universe began with a big bang, in which a lump of matter, smaller than a pinhead, exploded 15 billion years ago. It’s a story that defines who we are and where we come from. However, the Bible gives us another perspective on this event, revealing God as Creator: ‘By faith we...

The perfect hug should last between five to ten seconds, and it should be done with your arms criss-crossed behind the other person’s back. That is the finding of psychologists who experimented using more than 100 pairs of friends. They found that when it comes to hugging someone, “more is definitely more.” It seems that...

One hundred years ago, on 16th January 1922, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Pastoral Symphony was performed for the first time, in London. Later designated Symphony No. 3, it was said to be inspired by the composer hearing a bugler practising and is frequently thought of as a memorial for the fallen of the First World...

The Baptism of Jesus New Year Prayer 2022 The New Year Hope As for the future God’s Aid Earth and Seasons Excerpt from ‘The Glory in the Grey’ ** The Baptism of Jesus (Mt 3:13-17; Mk1:9-11; Lk3:21-22; Jn1:31-34) He came to John In the Jordan That day, Jesus, Man that He was, Purer than the...

The more things change, the more they remain the same. You could read Meinrad’s story today in the newspapers of any large city. He was born near Wurtemberg of a free peasant family and he became a monk at Reichenau (Switzerland). In 829 he moved to Einsiedeln to be a hermit, where he lived quietly...

The current state of the Church of England – and its future – was the subject of the joint presidential address to the recent General Synod, delivered by both the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, considered the historical context:  “Numerically, the number of regular church goers has shrunk in...

When you have friends come to visit you, open the window for ten minutes of every hour that they stay. It will help to reduce the level of any Covid particles that may be in the air. As one medical officer for England explained: “People with Covid release virus particles into the air whenever they...

Bible verses of hope as a New Year begins Since Covid Don’t be afraid of loneliness Value your relationships Why care for the poor? Various reflections on God’s grace for the New Year Various reflections on daily life ** Bible verses of hope as a New Year begins You are a new creation:  Therefore, if...

Some 80 years ago, on 29th January 1942, the BBC radio show Desert Island Discs was first broadcast.  It is Britain’s longest running radio show, and the world’s longest running weekly factual radio programme. Devised and originally presented by Roy Plomley, it was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme, but later switched to Radio...

The founder of Messy Church, Lucy Moore, has been appointed the first head of the C of E’s Growing Faith Foundation. The Foundation will seek to promote partnerships between schools, churches and households, “to encourage and nurture Christian faith in those of all ages within those communities.” Lucy Moore first launched Messy Church in 2004,...

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has launched a modern-day ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign to help tackle climate change. It is asking the UK’s 30 million gardeners to consider digging up their garden paving and instead to plant trees, grass and bee-friendly flora, to help nature survive. The RHS has calculated that if every gardener in...