Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

At least 13 people have been killed in a recent suicide bomb attack in the predominantly Christian region of Mozogo, in Far North Cameroon, after armed militants raided the community. The attack, thought to be perpetrated by Boko Haram, was by militants wielding machetes and firing guns into the air. As panicked villagers fled, a...

When a grieving family came to see the Bishop of St Albans, the encounter sparked a campaign that could transform the role of gambling in British public life. Church of England bishop Alan Smith was deeply impacted by the visit from a family whose son had taken his life because of his struggle with problem...

You’d think that the real-life pandemic would be frightening enough, but instead apocalyptic films on streaming services have soared in popularity this past year. And it seems that people who enjoy movies about zombies, alien invasions and apocalyptic pandemics may even be coping better than most of us. A recent study published in the journal...

Jesus at the gates of Jerusalem Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when the Church remembers how Jesus arrived at the gates of Jerusalem just a few days before the Passover was due to be held. He was the Messiah come to His own people in their capital city, and yet He came in humility,...

Two hundred years ago, on 19th March 1821, Sir Richard Burton, British explorer, writer and translator, was born in Torquay. He was noted for his unexpurgated translations of The Arabian Nights and the Kama Sutra, but his interests were much wider. He was a scholar, a diplomat, a spy and an Orientalist, and the first...

 Christian festival Spring Harvest has axed its 2021 in-person events, saying it is “no longer viable or responsible” to host the gatherings at their flagship Butlins locations. Spring Harvest continues to plan for events in 2022. But in the meantime, Spring Harvest Home 2021, the online event which has already been months in the planning, is...

Things we would not have known without Sunday School With your eyes closed for prayer, anything can happen in a room full of pre-schoolers. Squash and song motions do not mix. When dropped, offering money always rolls to the other side of the room. Children’s prayer requests reveal a lot about their parents. **  Bishop...

With Lent in mind St David and St Patrick In praise of Mothers Observations on the Christian Life Miscellaneous observations on daily life ** With Lent in mind Man, in his fallen nature, is a dissatisfied and frustrated rainbow-chaser. – Anon Whatever else is or is not true, this one thing is certain – man...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:4,6-7) I’ve been thinking a lot about contentment...

‘Ecce Ancilla Domini’ (Behold the handmaid of the Lord) is the title of this month’s painting of the Annunciation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. We shall hear those words in the Gospel for this feast on 25th March, when Mary responds to Gabriel’s message that she is to be the mother of our Saviour. It is...

The Rectory St James the Least of All My dear Nephew Darren So, your vicar has introduced staff appraisal for all the officers who work for your church, including yourself. It seems a very dangerous innovation; as far as I am concerned, ministry is only successful when parishioners have no idea what the clergy get...

We may all have rather mixed feelings on reaching March this year. On the one hand, it is lovely to see the onset of Spring, and vaccinations and better weather may make handling the pandemic a little easier. On the other hand, marking a year from the start of the first UK lockdown will be...