Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

In bygone centuries, Christians said their last farewells to the Christmas season on Candlemas, 2 February.  This is exactly 40 days after Christmas Day itself. In New Testament times 40 days old was an important age for a baby boy: it was when they made their first ‘public appearance’.  Mary, like all good Jewish mothers,...

By Samuel Wells, BRF, £9.99 As a collection of 66 books spanning thousands of years, the Bible can be daunting in size and scope. In The Heart of It All, the Canterbury Press Lent book for 2020, Samuel Wells simplifies the Bible’s complexity and presents the entire sweep of its narrative in 18 key themes....

The President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference have written to the new Prime Minister, assuring him of their prayers and asking for clarification on key issues including climate change, poverty and social cohesion.  The letter says:  We wish to congratulate you on being given the responsibility by the British electorate to form a government,...

Perhaps you have been ‘gossiping the gospel’ for years? Maybe you even lead a small group, or are passionate about community outreach? Or – perhaps you feel a quiver of panic at the very thought of talking about your faith.  Society seems to be hostile, and so you struggle to know how to engage with...

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 forsake it all in...

The Bible Society has announced that “We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with award-winning garden designer Sarah Eberle, to bring Psalm 23 to life at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2020!” The Psalm 23 Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020, designed by Sarah Eberle, will offer visitors the chance “to stop, reflect,...

This month sees the start of Lent, the season of penitence, self-examination and fasting running up to Easter. Fasting can be a neglected discipline, but it plays an important part in the Christian life. Jesus began His earthly ministry by fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and He taught His disciples to fast (i.e....

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 on to become bishop of Sebastea,...

When did you first encounter Christianity?  If it was 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 rich man living in Egypt at the end...

By David Walker, BRF, £8.99 At this time of Lent, David Walker explores different aspects of human belonging through the medium of scripture and story, in order to help us recognise the different ways in which we are God’s beloved. And as we recognise ourselves and our own lives in the narrative of God’s engagement...

New research carried out by Church Mission Society has explored the relationship between mission, theology and business. And it has found that mission entrepreneurship is having a significant impact, in both churches and across local communities. ‘Make Good’, part of CMS’s training programme, explores the relationship between mission and enterprise, and helps students to set...

This month sees the start of Lent, the season of penitence, self-examination and fasting running up to Easter. Fasting can be a neglected discipline, but it plays an important part in the Christian life. Jesus began His earthly ministry by fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and He taught His disciples to fast (i.e....