Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

The mental health impact of the lockdown could be felt for years to come, in similar ways to the Grenfell Tower disaster and the Manchester Arena bomb. So says a health chief, Claire Murdoch, who is the NHS England mental health director.  She has said that the service is preparing for a surge in referrals...

It is easy to understand the popularity of Mary Magdalene over the centuries: she is the patron saint both of repentant sinners and of the contemplative life. Jesus drove seven demons from Mary, who came from near Tiberius in Galilee.  She became His follower to the bitter end.  She followed Him to Jerusalem and was...

Spending time in your garden will do your wellbeing as much good as if you were living in a wealthy neighbourhood. So says a recent study by the University of Exeter and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It has found that 71 per cent of people who used their garden went on to report good...

 – a colouring book SPCK, £9.99 This summer, if you have time on your hands, why not colour your way through the beautiful imagery of the Psalms? This book contains 30 illustrations with a corresponding verse, all designed to appeal to an adult market. The designs include animals, flowers, leaves, waves, stars and other patterns....

‘Going to church’ is not what it used to be. With our church buildings closed, many of us  now ‘go’ to services transmitted via YouTube or other social media. They last only about 45 minutes, half the length of a normal Sunday church service. Some churches also transmit a daily prayer slot, or provide a...

Fake news is not new. Perhaps one old example is the assertion that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Back in the 6th Century, Pope Gregory is said to have confused her with two other women in the Bible. Medieval Bible scholars also attempted to name an unidentified sinful woman who had washed and anointed the...

James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee and fishermen from Galilee – the ‘sons of thunder’, as the gospel writers describe their impetuous characters and fiery tempers. James stands out on three accounts: he was one of the three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ.  Jesus took him, along with Peter and...

There are hardships you and your family might be facing, as you try to respond well to the challenges brought about by this COVID-19 pandemic. At the 2nd Lausanne Congress in 1989 in Manila, a Chinese brother shared the story of his imprisonment in a labour camp in China because of his faith. The authorities...

By Bob Hartman, SPCK, £9.99 Highly visual and interactive, this book of more than 60 stories, highlights the links between stories and draws attention to the wider themes of the Bible. With arrows zipping across the page, pull-out text boxes asking the reader questions and illustration elements bringing each story to life, this book sees...

The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren When producing material for your magazine or church services, beware the computer spell-checker.  We once let our own system check a Christmas carol sheet and, on the night, found ourselves obliged to sing “away in a manager”, mangers apparently being unknown to our machine. If...

That’s because growers have faced a labour shortfall, when many seasonal workers from eastern Europe were unable to reach the UK due to the pandemic. So instead, there has been a British recruitment drive, targeting inexperienced furloughed workers. As Martin Lines, of the Nature Friendly Farming Network says: “Fresh produce may not be as evenly...

While being excessively overweight can cause health issues, this is probably not the time for drastic measures, advises Joel Snape, Editor-at-Large on Men’s Fitness for the Daily Telegraph*. He says that while the effects of dieting on the immune systems are not fully understood, research on Olympic athletes has found that severe calorie restriction can...