Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Many years ago, at the Pleasure Beach at Blackpool, there was a certain ‘ride’ or amusement that was strictly for the physically fit.  It consisted of a flat wooden disc about 20 feet in diameter and set at an angle of 45 degrees in the floor.  When it began to rotate, the aim was to...

Have you done something which haunts you?  Which makes you feel restless and defensive, every time you think of it?  Why not deal with it this month, and put it behind you?   Whatever your mistake has been, consider what the Bible has to say to you: ‘I have not come to call the virtuous but...

A popular way to ‘show off’ these days seems to be telling people on Facebook that you are too busy to accept their invitation to whatever.  This lets everyone know that you are in more demand than they are, and that they would be lucky to get five minutes with you.  You are a busy...

This story could come straight out of modern Africa.  Perpetua was a young married woman of 22 who had recently become a Christian.  But the authorities had forbidden any new conversions, and soon she and some other catechumens were arrested and sentenced to death.  This was not under Islamic State, nor Boko Haram, but under...

Here’s a ‘saint’ that the Church of England remembers from the 1st World War –  the Revd. Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy MC,  or ‘Woodbine Willie’, as everyone knew this popular, much-loved army chaplain on the Western Front. Studdert Kennedy (27th June 1883 – 8th March 1929) had been born in Leeds as the seventh of nine...

The General Synod has given overwhelming backing to new guidance which will help Church of England congregations to share mission and ministry more easily with a range of churches in their areas. Members voted in February in favour of a code of practice giving guidance to bishops, clergy, lay workers and Church of England Readers...

All in the month of MARCH The man who built London’s sewers The World Wide Web – 30 years on We are getting smaller Help a toad to cross the road  Give your garden birds a feast! World Water Day 22nd March Let’s celebrate English Tourism Week – and raise the profile of our church!...

The young are rebelling again – this time, it seems, against the digital age. A recent study of 18-to-21-year-olds found that 83 per cent prefer to read a printed book rather than a tablet.  They are also discovering the joys of knitting, fishing, and fruit picking, doing crosswords, and gardening. Privilege Insurance, which conducted the...

A number of years ago the hit film Slumdog Millionaire touched millions of people with its story of a youngster triumphing against all the odds.  Dominic Savio did the same thing.  In fact, he is a good patron ‘child saint’ for children today who struggle to get anywhere in life. Savio (1842 – 57) was...

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.  If you’ve ever been in New York on St Patrick’s Day, you’d think he was the patron saint of New York as well… the flamboyant parade is full of American/Irish razzmatazz. It’s all a far cry from the hard life of this 5th century humble Christian who...

Older generations may seek job security, but millennials are putting work-life balance as their first priority when it comes to choosing work. A recent survey by YouGov found that one third said work-life balance was the most important factor, followed by pay, the work culture, and the length of the commute. Long-term job security came...

It was: 400 years ago, on 12th March 1619 that Richard Burbage, English actor, died.  A major shareholder in the Globe Theatre, and a friend and business partner of William Shakespeare. 200 years ago, on 28th March 1819 that Sir Joseph Bazalgette, British civil engineer, was born.  He created London’s sewer network as well as...