-
David Attenborough, Nature and God.
It is unlikely that you will have missed that Sir David Attenborough is now 100; the BBC have been celebrating this for the last month. He has combined his passion of natural history and his skills as a TV presenter to shape the way nature documentaries are shown on the television. He has very largely
-
Thick and Thin Places
By the time you read this, I will be coming to the end of a week’s holiday on the Shetland Isles. For over 30 years I have had an annual trip to a Scottish island with a group of friends. When we started, we would think nothing of stopping off en-route to climb a Munro;
-
God and politics, again.
It may not have escaped peoples’ notice that there has been recently been an exchange of views between two prominent Americans; the US President, Donald Trump and the Pope, Leo XIV. It began with the Pope pointedly saying the Christ rejected the prayers of war mongers; the President responded by accusing Leo of being weak
-
Science and friendship
This last week I have been in Zurich, attending the 11th International Meeting on CGRP. CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), is a chemical found in most nerves in the body. It mainly seems to play a role in protecting us from damage. Sometimes however, if it is released inappropriately from nerves, it can cause problems. This seems
-
Easter
In Glazeley Church, there is a stained glass window next to the pulpit, in memory of Lt Philip Crooks, who was killed in the First World War. It is a fine piece of work; it shows Philip, drawn from a photograph welcomed by angels; actually portraits of his sisters. In the background is a field
-
Palm Sunday
The church’s calendar builds to its climax over this coming week; as I write I am putting the last touches to the service for tomorrow, Palm Sunday. It is a bit rushed; I am just back from 5 days in Venice, largely spent in glorious churches. Most have representations of Palm Sunday; all have numerous
-
Passion Sunday
I have recently been doing a lot of funerals. I am a vicar, this is what we do. Each time I do a funeral I am aware that this is something poignant; a life has come to an end and there is usually grief associated with that. Sometimes it is possible to draw comfort from
-
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday is a festival that has many guises. It is the 4th Sunday in Lent, also known as Refreshment Sunday. Refreshment Sunday originated as a kind of bank holiday to give some relief from the rigours of the Lent; a day off from fasting and horsehair shirts. As part of the break in Lent, it
-
What is a Just War?
Most (but not all) Christian churches recognise that there is a time when war can be justified. There are strict criteria that need to be met. We have to use our judgement in any given conflict as to how far they may be met. Before going to war, the following criteria must be met: Once
-
The BAFTA’s
It must have seemed such a good idea. One of the winners at the recent BAFTA ceremonies was a film about a Tourette’s sufferer, John Davidson. Tourette’s Syndrome takes different forms, but in some cases in can cause sufferers to shout out obscenities and profanities. Unfortunately, a microphone was put in front of Mr Davidson
Benefice of Highley with Billingsley, Glazeley and Deuxhill and Chelmarsh
Knowing Jesus and Making Him Known
