Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

The EU needs a more “humane, tolerant and equitable migration policy.” So says the Bishop in Europe, Dr Robert Innes, responding to news of recent deaths of migrants who have attempted to cross the English Channel in small boats. Dr Innes spoke of the recent cases as “deeply saddening”.  “Refugees, including children, have perished as...

If you are going to spend Christmas in a house with a resident cat, it may be worth knowing how to win its favour on the big day. Recent research at Sussex University has found that humans become more attractive to a cat when they slowly blink at it, and mimic what is known as...

Everyone knows that it was on the feast of Stephen that ‘good king Wenceslas looked on’.  After all, it’s in a Christmas carol – but why? There’s nothing about Christmas in it: a splendid young page who rustled up some flesh, wine and logs, an old man out in the snow (’deep and crisp and...

Recently published Mission Statistics for 2019 show that parishes were already running or supporting 35,000 social action projects before the pandemic, serving communities across the country from lunch clubs for older people to parent and toddler groups and food banks. More than 4,000 parent/carer toddler groups are run or supported by Church of England churches,...

Editor:  Children don’t always hear Christmas carols quite right…. Children’s Christmas Carols Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly We three kings of porridge and tar On the first day of Christmas my tulip gave to me Later on we’ll perspire, as we dream by the fire. He’s makin a list, chicken and rice. Noel, Noel,...

With Christmas in mind… Believe in God and you’ll believe in miracles. Believe in the baby of Bethlehem, and you’ll experience one. – Anon It is no use saying that we are born 2000 years too late to give room to Christ… Christ is always with us, always asking for room in our hearts…. And...

Church leaders often talk about new churches and church planting, but probably talk less about new denominations. Yet new denominations are also being started. In the UK the number has grown from the 97 listed, when they were first counted in 1977, to 250 by the year 2000, falling to 230 by this year. The number of denominations...

Children’s piggy banks have been raided by a quarter of parents this year, struggling to pay their bills during lockdown. A survey by Direct Line Life Insurance has found that buying food was among the most common reasons for 23 percent of adults admitting they had actually had to dip into their children’s savings.

C.S. Lewis called it the Grand Miracle and the Central Miracle. He noted that “Every other miracle prepares for this, exhibits this, or result.s from this…The fitness, and therefore credibility, of the particular miracles depend on their relations to the Grand Miracle.” So if you can believe in Christmas – the incarnation of the Son...

When I was a choir boy many years ago, writes David Winter, ‘Good King Wenceslas’ was a very popular carol. A man sang the King’s lines, a boy sang the Page’s, and the choir filled in the narrative. It was not of course technically a Christmas carol but one for which most people know as...

Latest government figures for 2018-19 show that nine per cent of households in England – about 2.17 million – do not have a working alarm. And only 26 per cent of people who do own an alarm bother to test it at least once a month. This is despite experts warning that people are around...

A Taskforce has been set up to ensure racial equality in the Church of England. The Anti-Racism Taskforce will carry out preparatory work ahead of the launch of the Archbishops’ Commission to address racism in Spring next year.  It is expected to complete its work by the end of January. The Revd Sonia Barron, Co-Chair...