Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

– the busy evangelist Anskar (801-865) should be the patron saint of any Christian who loves doing mission… and who discovers that evangelists meet the most amazing people, and that their lives are full of surprises…. It was the 9th century, and Anskar had grown up in a noble family in Amiens. He decided to...

– the cure for sore throats St Blaise is the saint for you if you have a sore throat, or a pet who is ill. He was born in Sebastea, ancient Armenia, (now Sivas, in Turkey) sometime during the late 3rd century, and became a physician. But his compassion did not stop there: he went...

Surely the most severe form of lockdown this past year has been in our prisons.  Prisoners have been left in their cells for up to 23 hours a day, with all activities suspended. Whereas prayer and chapel services usually provide some outlet for prisoners, even these were halted. That meant that many prisoners with personal...

– the cure for sore throats St Blaise is the saint for you if you have a sore throat, or a pet who is ill. He was born in Sebastea, ancient Armenia, (now Sivas, in Turkey) sometime during the late 3rd century, and became a physician. But his compassion did not stop there: he went...

– brave bishop and martyr of Egypt When did you first encounter Christianity? If it was as an adult, then Phileas is a saint for you. His life shows that Truth matters, whenever you encounter it, but is also a warning that you need to count the cost of becoming a Christian. Phileas was a...

All in the month of February Remembering John Keats Celebrating 75 years of the RSV Version Fairtrade Fortnight: 22nd February – 7th March Leave them be The birds and bees Boom in unwanted pets National survey finds our favourite walks Potholes Smart bird Over-60s ** Editor:  We continue our column that looks at memorable dates...

– courage in persecution Persecution of Christians in various countries is making the headlines these days. Believers facing such opposition might well find inspiration from the courage of the Japanese Christians of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The Jesuit Francis Xavier had first brought Christianity to Japan in 1549, when he persuaded Shimazu...

How to Handle Temptation From the Vicar Love Is… Describe what love is Do your days rush by at a hectic pace? It is not enough to love – you need to be loved It’s all in the spelling… Have you done something which haunts you? ** Editor:  Canon Paul Hardingham considers the temptations of...

The fourth edition of UK Church Statistics, No 4, 2021 Edition, has now been published. Although this is a pre-Covid-19 assessment, the findings will still be of interest. The book looks at the 228 denominations in the UK. Although 39% of the denominations (which are responsible for 82% of the total membership) are declining, still some 50%...

It was: 200 years ago, on 23rd Feb 1821 that John Keats, the poet, died of tuberculosis, aged 25. 125 years ago, on 1st Feb 1896 that the premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La boheme, took place in Turin, Italy. 75 years ago, on 11th Feb 1946 that The Revised Standard Version of the New...

 – and the wild boar St Kew has nothing to do with gardens or the ‘Q’ of James Bond fame. This Kew was a girl who lived in Cornwall in the 5th century, and who should be the patron saint of girls with difficult older brothers. Kew’s older brother was a hermit who felt his...

Taking a mature look at Valentine’s Day Do me a favour? What happened to your New Year’s resolution? What we want during the pandemic Beware hand sanitiser! Pandemic dreams Want to feel better? Cuddle your pet National Nestbox Week – time to help your garden birds Rising demand for leggings Let your teenager sleep Restaurants...