Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Friend of St Francis of Assisi Antony of Padua knew St Francis of Assisi.  Both men were true followers of Christ in a time of great religious confusion and social turmoil. Like Francis, Antony (1193 – 1231) was born into a wealthy family. Antony’s father was a nobleman of Lisbon, Portugal, who sent his son...

India – engulfed by a tsunami of grief Remembering Prince Philip A prince’s legacy on matters of faith Keeping faith in the local media How healthy is your church leader – and your church? Environmental attendance A look at the Methodists today ** India – engulfed by a tsunami of grief Covid-19 has been overwhelming...

English Puritan church leader If Richard Baxter were alive today, he would probably be contributing to the Thought for the Day on Radio 4, because he had a gift for the sound-bite. Try these memorable quotes:  Preaching a man a sermon with a broken head, and telling him to be right with God is equal...

It was 175 years ago, on 28th June 1846, that Belgian musical instrument maker Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone. Born Antoine-Joseph in 1814, Sax quickly became known for his brilliant inventiveness and his abrasive personality, but also – to the despair of his mother – for his brushes with death as a child. He fell from...

Churches to launch nature count within the ‘National Park’ of churchyards Churches stepped up support for their communities during pandemic New ‘Vision’ as Church of England engages with Further Education Colleges Archbishop of York’s Presidential Address to General Synod Church Commissioners to reduce carbon intensity of its portfolio by 2025 From Lament to Action: Anti-Racism...

Jesse Boot, the British pharmacist and philanthropist, died 90 years ago, on 13th June 1931. He turned the Boots Company started by his father John – a former agricultural worker – into a chain of chemists branded ‘Chemists to the Nation’. The 1st Baron Trent, as Jesse became in 1929, sold his controlling interest to American...

Mystical writer of the 20th century For anyone interested in Christian mysticism, Evelyn Underhill may be a good place to begin. She died on 10th June 1941 after a life full of remarkable achievements: author of more than 30 books that explored the intersection between the spiritual and the physical, the first woman ever to...

One thing that we’ve probably missed over the past year is parties. Well, this month should enable us to party again! Lots of Jesus’ parables focus on parties, as they are a picture of the joy, hope and life of the kingdom of God. The parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14: 15-24) challenges us...

Covid-19 has been overwhelming India in recent weeks, bringing its health services and institutions to their knees. Hospitals have run out of oxygen, medical staff cannot help the queues of desperate patients, and bodies are piling up as people die in vast numbers. The Indian Christian community, like their compatriots, have also been suffering. Reports...

Wanting God more clearly, dearly and nearly Ever wonder where the prayer … ‘May I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day’ comes from?  Richard of Chichester, a bishop in the 13th century, wrote it. He began life as Richard de Wych of Droitwich, the son...

One thing that we’ve probably missed over the past year is parties. This month should enable us to party again! Lots of Jesus’ parables focus on parties, as they are a picture of the joy, hope and life of the kingdom of God. The parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14: 15-24) challenges us not...

Longest day of the year June, of course is the month of the summer solstice, the month of the Sun.  Sol + stice come from two Latin words meaning ‘sun’ and ‘to stand still’.  As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. The Summer...