Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Many of us are gardeners, but not many of us are buried in our gardens. Phocus was a fourth century Christian gardener who ran a little guest house in Sinope, on the Black Sea (now part of modern Turkey). He used the produce from his garden to welcome and feed any visitors who came by,...

St Swithun is apparently the saint you can blame for rainy summers.  It is said that if it rains on his special day, 15th July, it will then rain for 40 days after that.  It all began when Swithun was made Bishop of Winchester in 852 by King Ethelwulf of Wessex. It was an important...

Mary Magdalene From the Vicar An Introduction to the Books of the New Testament: Romans The Nicene Creed part 2: Who is Jesus? Reflecting Faith: Saying ‘Hello’ Praying With the Prayers of the Bible:the Prayer of National Confession The story behind the hymn:Eternal Father Strong to Save ** Editor:  Canon Paul Hardingham considers the difference...

Take the book of Samuel in the Bible, add a bit of Luke Skywalker father/son conflict from Star Wars, stir in a dash of Pirates of the Caribbean, and you sort of have the story of St Helier – the first saint and martyr of Jersey. According to the legend, it all began in 6th...

Finders keepers? – finding things in street Where do cricket bats come from? Staring at beautiful objects really does spark inspiration Millions have ADHD, claims NHS Walking is amazing – here’s how to get started Why you should drink coffee Your daily cup of tea ** Editor:  Have you, or any of your readers, ever...

Do you have a sister?  Is she ‘good news’ in your life?   Macrina the Younger (c. 327 -79) should be the patron saint of all ‘sisters’ whose generosity helps their siblings to succeed. Macrina the Younger was the eldest of 10 children.  Their father was Basil the Elder, a leader in the church in 4th...

As the traditional Easter story is remembered again this month, you may notice that there is one name that frequently occurs. It is that of the ‘other’ Mary – not the mother of Jesus but Mary of Magdala, who stood by her at the cross and became the first human being, male or female, actually...

A new album of music, The Gift of This New Day, has been released in response to demand from listeners of the Church of England’s Daily Prayer app and podcast. Now available on CD and major streaming platforms, the album features all-new recordings of the most requested musical pieces from Morning Prayer, performed by St...

Later this month Christians all over the world will commemorate probably the most unlikely saint in the Bible, Mary Magdalene. There was something in her background that has always fascinated people. All we are told about her ‘past’ is that Jesus had cast ‘seven devils’ out of her, but on that slender if intriguing evidence...

‘Chilling reading’ – Bishop Sarah responds to assisted suicide impact  11,000 people in consultations for the next Archbishop of Canterbury A day to remember – Bishop’s VE Day challenge  Churches are facing big cash shortfalls as a result of VAT grants cut Rural areas, low income communities, parish revitalisations & mission funding CofE attendance rises...

Six Marys are mentioned in the New Testament, including Mary Magdalene, who is remembered this month in the church’s calendar (22nd July). What can we learn from Mary’s story? We don’t have to be defined by our past: When Jesus encountered Mary, He cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2). As a result, her...

A former insurance worker and a priest who once worked in sales will speak of the sense of peace and purpose in finding their vocation in life, in a recently launched new film and online service. The  ‘Is it You?’ film and the Church of England’s national online service for Vocations Sunday will highlight the individual nature...