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May is the month when the ancient pagans used to get up to ‘all sorts’! The Romans held their festival to honour the mother-goddess Maia, goddess of nature and growth. (May is named after her.) The early Celts celebrated the feast of Beltane, in honour of the sun god, Beli. For centuries in ‘Olde England’...

Life in quarantine Loneliness at the Virtual Chelsea Flower Show, 19th – 23rd May Leave your dandelions alone What is the best way to talk about death?  Grow your lawns Take exercise for even half an hour a day – and lower depression! Dieting at home When texting can be dangerous Bless you? Plan for...

Is there someone in church whom you respect for their spirituality and common sense combined? Someone you feel easy about approaching to ask questions? That person’s patron saint should be Philip. Philip came from Bethsaida and was a disciple of Jesus from early on. He knew how to lead others to Jesus; he brought Nathanael...

One thing for sure:  the apostles were not self-obsessed. In fact, many a church historian has wished that they had left us just a few more personal details about themselves in the New Testament.  James the Less is an excellent example. This is the name we give to James the son of Alphaeus, but beyond...

This is the name behind the Athanasian Creed. Athanasius (296-373) was born into a prosperous family in Alexandria in Egypt, studied in the Christian school there and entered the ministry. He was twenty-nine years old when he accompanied Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, to the Church’s first ecumenical Council, at Nicaea in 325. Although Athanasius...

by Canon David Winter Many years ago, studying English literature at university, I was intrigued to be introduced to the work of Julian of Norwich. She was writing at the end of the 14th century, when our modern English language was slowly emerging from its origins in Anglo-Saxon and Middle English. Our lecturer was mainly...

Editor:   The following prayers concerning the coronavirus outbreak are found on the Church of England website at: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources  They are by Barbara Glasson, President of the Methodist Conference. If you use these, please acknowledge.  Time of distress Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support...

Have you ever worked for a disorganised organisation? You know the scene: your boss lives in a mild panic, your goals and deadlines keep being changed, your colleagues whisper darkly in corners, emails contradict each other, meetings lead to more confusion… and you go home each night with a headache. Pachomius should be the patron...

Here is a great saint for all teachers, head teachers and principals of educational institutions, and indeed anyone whose vocation is to train and equip others. For Comgall (c 516 – c 601) was founder and first abbot of Bangor, which became the largest monastery in Ireland. And large means LARGE – for including several...

Have you ever happened to be in the right place at the right time, with certain qualifications, and suddenly realise that God is singling you out for a special task? If so, Matthias is a good patron saint for you! In Acts 1 (15 – 26) the apostles had a task to do: Judas had...

If you’re saying to yourself, ‘Who?’ you’ll be in good company. May 15th is the feast day of St Matthias the Apostle, and in describing him thus we have said just about all there is to know about him. He gets just one mention in the Bible, in the first chapter of Acts, immediately prior...

Editor:  This month, for obvious reasons, we are offering books that offer comfort and hope in the face of possible fear and death. **  Hope Beyond Coronavirus By Roger Carswell, 10Publishing, various prices This is a very helpful evangelistic tract you can bulk-order to share around, or you can download it free in an A4...