Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at God

As Jesus’ mother, Mary plays a crucial part in the Christmas story. It begins with Gabriel’s visit to her: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus.’ (Luke 1:30,31). This conversation takes us straight to the...

A little girl was examining a Christmas crib with her grandmother and commented, ‘Grannie, it’s really nice, but there’s one thing that bothers me: is the baby Jesus ever going to grow up? He’s the same size He was last year!!’ The birth of Jesus must be the most well-known birth in the world, but...

Shepherds in first century Palestine would have been attuned to the wonders and ravages of nature: star-lit nights, cold and heat, storm and calm, and the unwelcome attention of predators, both animal and human.  They would have been more aware than we of human dependency on the seasons, and more respectful than us of the...

‘For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people… while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:11,13-14). Advent is the time when we focus on the first and second coming of Jesus. He first came as a...

Each year at Christmas we sing about good King Wenceslas looking on the Feast of Stephen… ever wonder who on earth he was?  Here are three of the five verses… Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even. Brightly shone the moon...

Everything about the church building is intended to tell us something about God. But it doesn’t end there. We put into the building things that are important to us and again reflect not just our specific denomination but our ways of worship. Imagine visiting someone in their home whom you are just getting to know...

The Two Minutes Silence From the Vicar King Charles III The Monarch and the Church Reflected Faith: Initials That Talk Our Faith Language  Christian Basics No 11: How Does God Guide Us? Live Forever? The message of Advent? – history is going somewhere! ** Editor:  Canon Paul Hardingham considers the value of a brief silence...

In the month when we think about those who have given their lives in war, the Two Minutes Silence is a significant act of remembrance. The silence provides an opportunity to remember those who have suffered in war and how we can work for a peaceful world. However, we can also find ourselves thinking about...

In the month when we think about those who have given their lives in war, the Two Minutes Silence is a significant act of remembrance. The silence provides an opportunity to remember those who have suffered in war and how we can work for a peaceful world. However, we can also find ourselves thinking about...

By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just (Proverbs 8:15)  We have a unique system in this country that links the King to the Church. The new King has made an oath to uphold the Presbyterian Church in Scotland and is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The sovereign holds...

‘And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life.’ These are King Charles III’s words from his TV broadcast following the...

We have started to see the new King’s cypher on a variety of items, including post boxes. Look at the way ‘they’ have entwined the letters C R and the Latin numeral III. Now think about what you so often see in church buildings – letters entwined together. These are either from the Latin or...