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From The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren So, your church does not bother with hymnbooks but uses one of those hideous screens which are invariably strategically placed to obscure the altar. I suppose I am not bothered, as wherever you placed it in your converted cinema, it could never spoil its...

What really gets a woman remembered?  Loved? Respected? Lioba the abbess of Bischofsheim is the patron saint for any woman who wants to make the most of her life. Lioba was born in Wessex early in the 8th century.  Her family was noble, her mother was a relative of the monk Boniface (the Billy Graham...

St Michael is an archangel, whose name means ‘who is like unto God?’  He makes various appearances throughout the Bible, from the book of Daniel to the Book of Revelation.  In Daniel, he is ‘one of the princes’ of the heavenly host, and the special guardian of Israel.  In Revelation, he is the principal fighter...

Next to you and lonely Prayer for September 2025 God’s whisper to me The Good Samaritan Saint Michael 1825 – 200 years of trains The Commuter’s Hymn ** Next to you and lonely (Matthew 25:40) Cups of tea and people, People who do and who know. People with purposeful expressions, Their eyes searching beyond her,...

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. John 5:39 I like the King James’ version of the bible. I enjoy the old-fashioned expressions and the richness of the language. That version of the Bible has been so important to our history....

This annual ‘celebration’ of the diversity and quality of British Food is aiming to be bigger than ever this year, involving restaurants, pubs, schools, universities, care homes, the NHS, and even the Houses of Parliament. Why not take advantage of the fortnight, and see what one of our local restaurants and pubs might offer?

A new book documenting a Welsh language pilgrimage and literary project was recently launched at Tafarn y Plu in Llanystumdwy. The publication brings together blogs, poems, photographs and essays from the Llwybr Cadfan Literary Project. The project aimed to create cultural events at locations along Llwybr Cadfan, the historic pilgrimage path once walked by 6th-century Saint...

It was three years ago this summer that the first operational images from the James Webb Space Telescope astonished and delighted astronomers, as well as the rest of us. Those of us who have grown up in an age when ‘astronaut’ is a career option (albeit a pretty specialist one) might struggle to identify with...

Gratitude may help you recover more quickly from a heart attack. So says a study by the University of California, who examined gratitude as part of an outlook that involves appreciating the positive aspects of life, and often goes hand in hand with spirituality. It was found that people who have a life attitude of...

This is the time of year for many churches to hold their Harvest Festival services. No doubt, there will be displays of food, some bought with others grown in gardens and allotments. While gardeners can have pleasure growing fruit and vegetables it can be hard work tending to them and dealing with pests. Jesus knew...

What does the MP for Devizes in Wiltshire have in common with the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan? It became clear this summer, during an extraordinary speech Danny Kruger MP gave to an all but empty House of Commons on the eve of the summer recess.   First, some background: this month (4th Sept) marks the 1100th anniversary...

1600 years ago, Europe’s top scholar was an Italian called Jerome; he loved the works of Cicero.  One night he dreamt that he had died, and reached the gates of heaven. The gate-keeper spoke to him: ‘Who are you?’ “Christianus sum.” replied Jerome. “I’m a Christian.” “No.” said the gatekeeper. “You’re not a Christian. You’re...