Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

… defying the Kabaka The Ugandan Church had dozens of martyrs within just ten years of Christianity arriving there. At first, it had gone so well:  the first Anglican missionaries arriving in Uganda in 1877 were welcomed by the Kabaka (king) of Buganda, Mutesa. Mutesa also welcomed the Roman Catholics and Muslim Arabs, and, being...

It was: 250 years ago, on 11th June 1770 that English explorer Captain James Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef off Australia when his ship ran aground on it and was severely damaged. 200 years ago, on 19th June 1820 that Joseph Banks, British naturalist, died. He was President of the Royal Society for 41...

Even before the lockdown, social media seems to have been replacing the role of pubs in socialising, as far as young people are concerned. In 2005, an estimated 18 per cent of young people aged 16 to 24 were non-drinkers. According to one study, that has now risen to 29 per cent. “Online technology has...

Do you think of yourself as a runner?  If not, now may be the time to consider taking it up. According to the NHS, running burns more calories than any other mainstream sport, which is perfect if you want to shed a few pounds. Running is a cardio exercise, which means it gets your heart...

June 1940 – 80 years ago – was a dramatic month in the Second World War, and one which saw two of the most memorable speeches in English. As the evacuation of Allied Forces from Dunkirk was completed, recently appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the House of Commons on 4th June: “We shall fight...

… the founder of Padstow If you would like to be in Cornwall this summer in search of peace and quiet, Petroc is the saint for you. Especially if you used to find Padstow a bit too crowded for your liking! He would have sympathised. This 6th century abbot is Cornwall’s most famous saint. Petroc...

Many of us have had our sleep patterns disturbed in recent weeks.  After all, a pandemic, lockdown and growing financial crisis are hardly conducive to relaxation. But the fact is that, whatever is happening out there, we desperately need our sleep. It is vital for the proper functioning of our brain and heart. Anyone who...

The Reverend Richard Peirson was one of the exceptions.  Most of the other clergy in the City of London had fled the Great Plague in 1665, but Peirson stayed behind to look after the parishioners of St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, where he was Rector. The parish was densely populated and the pandemic was catastrophic....

… the first Christian in Brittany? If you would love to be in Brittany for your holiday this summer, then spare a thought for Gudwal, because this obscure 6th century Celtic abbot got there before you did.  Indeed, Gudwal seems to have liked Brittany so much that he decided to stay on. When you visit...

Popular Victorian novelist Charles Dickens died 150 years ago, on 9th June 1870. His books include The Pickwick Papers, A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield. He died of a stroke in Gad’s Hill Place, his country home in Kent, when halfway through writing The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The last novel he completed...

21st June is Father’s Day, and last year four in ten fathers failed to see their children on Father’s Day. Now there may be perfectly good reasons for this – Father’s Day is not as ‘big’ as Mother’s Day, and fathers may well be seeing their children just fine on other days. But a survey...

…. celebrating our God who is Three Persons Trying to explain the doctrine of the Trinity has kept many a theologian busy down the centuries.  One helpful picture is to imagine the sun shining in the sky. The sun itself – way out there in space, and unapproachable in its fiery majesty – is the...