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At the Last Supper Jesus shocked His disciples by washing their feet. He did this as an example, to demonstrate to them that they should serve others with humility. Over the centuries, some churches have recreated this act of humility at a special service on Maundy Thursday.

Maundy Thursday is famous for two things. The first is one of the final acts that Jesus did before His death: the washing of His own disciples’ feet (see John 13).  Jesus washed His disciples’ feet for a purpose: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you...

It was: 250 years ago, on 18th April 1775 that American silversmith and folk hero Paul Revere made his famous midnight ride on horseback from Charleston to Lexington to warn residents that the British were about to attack. Also 250 years ago, on 23rd April 1775 that J M W Turner, the British artist was...

Did you know that the botanical name for the cocoa bean is Theobroma – which means ‘food of the gods’? Millions of us obviously think chocolate is special – on average, each of us consumes 8.1 kilograms of it a year! Certainly, chocolate makes us feel better. Some scientists believe that this is due to...

Good Friday is the day on which Jesus died on the cross. He was crucified at 9 a.m. in the morning, and died six hours later, at 3pm. It is the most solemn day in the Christian year, and is widely marked by the removal of all decorations from churches. In Lutheran churches, the day...

Luke’s account of the crucifixion (Luke 23:32-43) emphasises the mocking of the crowd, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself’ (35,37,39). In their view a Messiah does not hang on a cross and suffer. In considering the two men who were crucified with Jesus, we are also confronted with the issue of...

As Ukraine recently marked the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, charities have warned of the desperate need for humanitarian aid for the country. An estimated one in three people in Ukraine have been displaced by the war. Roughly 3.6 million have been internally displaced, while 6.5 million have fled the country.  90 per cent...

We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. (1 Thessalonians 2 6-7) I came across this passage recently and it struck me as relevant for now. It is one of the earliest...

Alphege is the saint for anyone who refuses to let others suffer on their behalf. His is a tale of courage and self-sacrifice, with some details that are still poignant, even down 1000 years of history. Alphege began like many other leading churchmen of his time; born of a noble family, with a good education,...

Seventy years ago this month, on 18th April 1955, Albert Einstein, the German-born theoretical physicist, died. Considered the most influential physicist of the 20th century, he is known especially for developing the special and general theories of relativity. He formulated possibly the best-known theory in the world – the special theory of relativity (including the...

Have you ever pulled into a private car park, and then had trouble paying because of a poor internet signal, or other problem beyond your control? Last year a motorist in Derby was taken to court by a private parking company which demanded a £1,906 fine from her, because she had not paid within five...

Church of England launches National Survivor Participation Framework £2m funding announced to support clergy with financial wellbeing< Applications invited for new expanded £5 million conservation fund for churches No, we’re not banning ‘gluten-free’ bread or ‘non-alcoholic’ Communion wine Final report of Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice published Protecting one of Scotland’s iconic churches Centenary Celebrations for the...