Servanthood

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The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Sermon on the Crown

September 20, 2022
Archbishop Cranmer
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The funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was always going to be a major televised event, and whoever preached the sermon at Westminster Abbey was always going to be gifted with the most awesome mission – quite literally –…

Welby presents Queen with Canterbury Cross – ‘a heartfelt symbol of love, loyalty and affection’

June 24, 2022
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This week the Archbishop of Canterbury presented Her Majesty The Queen with a special Canterbury Cross, cast in silver and embellished with platinum, in recognition and gratitude for her "unstinting…

Welby: there is no need to ‘save the parish’; there is no threat to it

September 28, 2021
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The Archbishop of Canterbury recently made a very subtle intervention in the process of elections to the General Synod. Indeed, so subtle was it that absolutely nobody noticed. Just as…

Pope meets Spider-Man: when did religious leaders cease being superheroes?

June 24, 2021
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The cynic will say religious leaders were never superheroes (or superheroines), but, of course, they were. The precise nature and source of their superhuman powers may be lost in antiquity,…

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The Human Touch

March 30, 2020
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This is the eighth contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. The author is a Christian and key-worker, who has had a busy week. Were…

2020: Forgiveness is the key to a Happy New Year

December 31, 2019
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As we turn the page of time once again, and the teens of this millennium turn to the 20s – roaring or restrained – it is a good opportunity to…

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Defections, divisions, tribalism and schisms

February 21, 2019
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'What causes fights and quarrels among you?' asked James the brother of Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad. And then he proceeds to answer his own question: Don’t…

Queen Theresa May bloody difficult woman

A “bloody difficult woman”? Theresa May’s relentless inflexibility is a moral mission

January 23, 2019
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Theresa May is undoubtedly a intelligent lady: not only is she an educational and political high-achiever – and only the second woman to succeed to the Office of Prime Minister…

Election of Church Commissioners – how best to assess the candidates

October 14, 2018
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The US Mid-Terms are not the only important elections about to be determined this autumn. The voting papers have just been sent out to the members of the Church of…

Hurricane Harvey and the $50m mega-church pastor who wouldn’t shelter flood victims

August 30, 2017
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Texan mega-church pastor Joel Osteen is reputedly worth $50million. That's his personal wealth. He leads a church of some 16,000 (ie a 'mega-church') which gathers in the Lakewood Church, Houston,…

Julia Hartley-Brewer: it’s “bloody stupid beliefs” like prayer which help create acts of terrorism

March 23, 2017
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Even as Tobias Ellwood MP was trying to get the blood to flow once again through PC Keith Palmer's heart, tweets of blame and judgment were flying about like a…

Forget the Holy Spirit: the key to Church revival is Pokemon Go

August 2, 2016
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According to the Daily Mail (please don't stop reading at that), something called Pokemon Go (or Pokémon GO for the accentually pedantic and orthographically precise) is set to bring…

Rev'd Jim Graham (1931-2016): 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant'

July 6, 2016
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The Rev'd Jim Graham, Pastor Emeritus of Gold Hill Baptist Church, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, has passed into Glory. The name may not be known to the Establishment, but…

The Queen's 90th: Happy Birthday, Ma'am

April 21, 2016
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God has saved her and she has lived long. The first two invocations of the National Anthem have been and are still being fulfilled. Her Majesty The Queen's 90th…

The revelation of Justin Welby's real father does not change nothing

April 10, 2016
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"Justin Welby. What a bastard," wrote a communicant of this blog, in a rapidly degenerating comment thread of the sort the Bishop of Buckingham insists ought to be censored:…

Elizabeth II becomes our longest-reigning monarch – God Save The Queen!

September 9, 2015
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Today, 9th September 2015, sometime around 5.30pm, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest-reigning monarch in British history, beating the record previously set by her great-great grandmother Queen…