Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

At this time of global pandemic, we live with stark reality of death and life. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (37:1-14) was given when God’s people were in exile in Babylon. They felt dead, being separated from home and God! The vision answers God’s question: ‘can these bones live?’ We can also...

A free phone line offering hymns, prayers, and reflections 24 hours a day while church buildings are closed because of the coronavirus received more than 6,000 calls in the first 48 hours. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, recently launched ‘Daily Hope’ as a simple new way to bring worship and prayer into people’s homes,...

Wanting God more clearly, dearly and nearly Ever wonder where the prayer … ‘May I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day’ comes from?  Richard of Chichester, a bishop in the 13th century, wrote it. He began life as Richard de Wych of Droitwich, the son...

A number of Christian travel companies face possible financial ruin in the wake of the Covid-19 virus. Companies affected include: Lightline Pilgrimages (to the Holy Land), Oak Hall Expeditions, Pax Travel, and McCabe Pilgrimages (which would have handled travel to the Oberammergau Passion Play this summer – now postponed until 2022.) Ironically, the Oberammergau Passion...

– following Christ in the ways of Francis and Clare By Helen Julian, BRF, £8.99 There are many ways of following Christ – each footprint is unique. One of these, the Franciscan spiritual journey, has been tried and tested over the centuries, and the experiences of St Francis and St Clare and all those who...

The Church of England has recently launched #FaithAtHome, a new programme which it is hoped will “make prayer a household habit once again.” #FaithAtHome will feature weekly video content to help families to talk about faith and pray together. The videos will be led by children, young people, staff and school leaders from across the country....

Longest day of the year June, of course is the month of the summer solstice, the month of the Sun.  Sol + stice come from two Latin words meaning ‘sun’ and ‘to stand still’.  As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. The Summer...

When did you last see your elderly neighbour? Seriously: are they okay? During this time of social distancing, it is all too easy to assume that the elderly person you never see is simply safe indoors. But are they? Isolation can be dangerous: it is too easy for them to have had an accident and...

A time to celebrate male role models In the UK, USA and Canada, the third Sunday in June is Father’s Day. It’s usually a good time for sons and daughters to take their father to his favourite restaurant, or to watch a favoured sport, or whatever else he enjoys doing. How will you celebrate it...

“In Africa, the lockdown is almost a disaster in itself, especially for people who live day to day. The fear is that it will explode in countries with few healthcare resources.”  So says Stephen Burgess, CMS regional manager for Africa. “And this is alongside situations with refugees/displaced people, a locust invasion, drought in one part,...

The British are good at keeping calm in a crisis. But for those of us who suffer from a mental health condition such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the coronavirus pandemic can be a nightmare. Around 50 percent of OCD sufferers have a fear of contamination from dirt, and so the constant advice to wash your...

All We Can and the Methodist Church in Britain have launched an Emergency Coronavirus Appeal, to equip those living in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities to combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Coronavirus poses a catastrophic threat to communities with weaker healthcare systems, or those who lack access to clean water and handwashing facilities....