Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Mary – the virgin mother of Jesus.  For centuries the eastern and western churches have considered her pre-eminent among all the saints. In the gospels, Mary makes her first appearance as a teenager.  Nothing is known of her childhood, and what we do know of her is found mostly in Matthew 1 – 2 and...

Do you know the story of little nutbrown hare? His father cared for him so much that the only thing big enough to describe his love was the enormous distance between the Earth and the Moon – and back again. It’s a wonderful story, but it pales into insignificance compared to the love that the...

When you drive, are you often swerving to avoid potholes?  You are not alone.  And the outlook is not good:  more than 40,000 miles of Britain’s road are at risk of crumbling within five years, a major potholes survey has found.  Council figures show that a fifth of the country’s roads are in ‘poor condition’. ...

Following publication by the Committee of Advertising Practice of new standards protecting children from irresponsible gambling advertisements, The Bishop of St Albans, The Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith, said: “While I welcome the proposals, these new standards are, in fact, another lost opportunity in the fight against problem gambling. “With little consequences for companies flouting...

Editor:  As the church year does not change, much of this material has appeared before.  The articles on ‘Fooling Around’ and ‘Mary Magdalene’ are new this year. NEW*1  Fooling around 1          April Fool’s Day 2          Hugh of Grenoble – the saint who fought corruption 3          Richard of Chichester – wanting God more clearly, dearly and...

With Easter in mind… With our Christian faith in mind…  Miscellaneous observations on daily life   With Easter in mind… Who delivered up Jesus to die?  Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy; but the Father, for love! – Octavious Winslow The world cannot bury Christ.  The earth is...

by Canon David Winter I was about six when I began to enjoy April Fool’s Day. My older brother was very clever at appropriate hoaxes, not only deceiving me but also mum and dad. On the whole my childish efforts were encouraged. The day was full of laughs, even at school, where the teachers would...

In years gone by, the rules surrounding April Fool were this:  between midnight and noon on 1st April, everyone is ‘fair game’ to be made a fool of.  It is the morning of the practical joke.  But the aim is not just to discomfort the victim: he must be tricked into taking action himself, sent...

Murky crimes committed by various church leaders, local shops in trouble, roads needing repair, and hospitals in a sorry state…. wanting to retire, but the law said no… it seems that Hugh of Grenoble was dealing with 21st century problems in the 11th century. Born at Chateauneuf in 1052 as the son of a knight,...

The Contemplative Response Faithful Grandparents The Sacred Art of Joking Recovering from Depression Locked in Chase The Lion The Identification Principle ** The Contemplative Response – leadership and ministry in a distracted culture By Ian Cowley, BRF, £8.99 Here is wisdom and sustenance for all Christians who struggle to maintain a still, quiet centre in...

Egg Church notice:  This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Cusworth to come forward and lay an egg on the altar. ** The bishop’s visit A bishop was visiting a small church in his diocese for Easter.  He wanted the young people to understand what he had to say about the Good Shepherd, so...

By Ian Cowley, BRF, £8.99 Here is wisdom and sustenance for all Christians who struggle to maintain a still, quiet centre in the midst of a 24/7 contemporary culture shaped by worldly ambition, consumerism and information overload. Cowley explains: “I find that three particular words – achieve, acquire, indulge – seem to point to the...