Saint Mary

Link to the Diocese of Blackburn website

Archbishop of York maps social change for Britain

Dr John Sentamu has called for Britain to use the credit crunch as a time to reassess its priorities as a country and to rediscover its vision as a nation.

Dr Sentamu said: “With the global financial crisis, we have seen a sudden and traumatic impact on our banks, on businesses and in so many of the things we have taken for granted for so long. It has brought home to us in a powerful and painful way that we have been tempted to put our trust in false securities (and I would argue false gods) and the need to think again. Governments and individuals are both radically reassessing their priorities and values as a result and so are the religious communities. Because of this, I believe it is also a unique opportunity.”

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Church makes Lent a family affair with 'Love Life Live Lent'

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu, are encouraging families to share in simple acts of kindness together during this Lent.

Suggested acts of kindness in the third instalment of the Church of England's Love Life Live Lent programme include having a clear out of unwanted clothes and toys and donating them to a charity shop, producing simple home-made gifts for Mothering Sunday, creating a prayer space in the understairs cupboard, making a bird cake or learning some basic first aid skills.

The campaign promotes the idea that doing something positive for friends, neighbours or the wider local community can be as transforming and spiritually beneficial as 'giving something up' for Lent. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York say in their joint introduction: "With God's help we can change the world for good a little bit every day. Together we can build better and more generous communities. Together we can lighten the load on our planet. We show God's love when we do these things."

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Christian scholars call for resolution to daily prayer

Renowned Christian authors have called for Christians to reconsider the time and energy

"Making daily prayer and Bible study part of your morning routine will improve your spiritual health in the same way as getting more exercise will improve your physical health," asserts the Rt Revd Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham. He was speaking at the recent launch of the latest in the daily Bible notes series, ‘Reflections for Daily Prayer’, by Church House Publishing.

Lent is “obviously a good time to get into positive new habits, and the Reflections series is proving just the right sort of biblical personal trainer for thousands of Christians."

The ‘Reflections for Daily Prayer’ series offers contemporary Bible commentaries. The latest set of notes covers the whole of Lent, Easter and Ascensiontide.

Theologian Jane Williams (wife of the Archbishop) comments: "The thing I like about Daily Prayer - especially the lectionary readings - is that you know a lot of people will be using it, so you are conscious of sharing Scripture with many people all over the world.”

Future editions of the quarterly reflections will be published in April, July and October 2009.

Reflections for Daily Prayer, priced £4.25 (ISBN 978-07151-4173-1), is available from Christian bookshops, or at www.chpublishing.co.uk.