Deirdre Good (from the USA) reports on Christmas in the UK for the Daily Episcopalian.
Jane Williams continues her Comment is free belief series: The Book of Genesis, part 4: The problem and the answer. “Genesis is powerful polemic that allows readers to be realistic about the world’s tragic state, and yet live in hope and courage.”
Guy Consolmagno SJ writes for Thinking Faith about Looking for the Star, or Coming to Adore?
This week The Question at Comment is free belief is Is there a God instinct?
There are answers from Jesse Bering, Denis Alexander and Nick Spencer.
AN Wilson writes for Comment is free belief about Tennyson’s In Memoriam: a farewell to religious certainty. “The lyrics teach that the false certainties of evangelical Christianity are as arid as shrill, negative materialism.”
Giles Fraser writes for the Church Times about When fun becomes cruelty.
Christopher Howse writes for The Telegraph about Peculiar people in Southwell.
Nice to hear A N Wilson talk of Tennyson. How gratefully his voice falls on the ear today — intimately conversant with modern doubts –
I falter where I firmly trod,
And falling with my weight of cares
Upon the great world’s alter-stairs
That slope thro’ darkness up to God.
I stretch lame hands of faith, and grope,
And gather dust and chaff, and call
To what I feel is Lord of all,
And faintly trust the larger hope.
yet in the end so confident in the Christ that is to be…
Cluelessly I will ask what a Christingle service is and what a Christingle is. Thanks from across the pond.
This may, or may not, help answer your question, Cynthia.
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what_you_can_do/fundraising_appeals/christingle/what_is_christingle/7656.html
“Cluelessly I will ask what a Christingle service is and what a Christingle is. Thanks from across the pond.”
Think oranges and children’s hair catching fire.
Thanks, Simon. TEC either is or is about to enter into a closer relationship with the Moravian Church here in the States, so now I have a head start in knowling something about it.
Yes, thanks for the link. I have seen reference to Christingle services on British parish websites, and have meant to ask parishioners from the UK what they are, but then forget!
Cynthia
Christingle may have originated the the Morovian Church but it is firmly associated with the Children’s Society who have taken it into the churches where it has become an annual fundraiser.
It can be the most lovely service and unlike Laurence C I’ve never seen a single child’s hair catch fire:-)
“It can be the most lovely service and unlike Laurence C I’ve never seen a single child’s hair catch fire:-)”
How disappointing!
And I was ready to advocate one for our parish, but if no one catches fire . . . well —
As a choir member, I regularly have to sidle around the standing Advent Wreath (or “Flaming Wheel of Death” as those in the procession affectionately call it) for four Sundays . . . the threat of combustion is character building!
“As a choir member, I regularly have to sidle around the standing Advent Wreath (or “Flaming Wheel of Death” as those in the procession affectionately call it) for four Sundays . . . the threat of combustion is character building!” Ours – built for us by an artist in the congregation from a large iron wheel – hangs from what in a larger church would be the crossing. Great sport for the taller acolytes to light without causing it to spin. Before we got the oil filled candles,there were puddles of candle wax for folks to negotiate AND the fun… Read more »
“Ours – built for us by an artist in the congregation from a large iron wheel – hangs from what in a larger church would be the crossing.” Cynthia, That artist is *not* your friend. 😀 Almy’s oil “candles” have contributed to a great reduction in acolyte-blistering. We had one little guy who was always torch bearer – and always up too late Saturday night. He would nod and bend his forehead against the torchier, until one particularly vigorous sleepy-nod shook a jet of hot wax from the candle onto the center of his buzz-cut head. I’d never seen him… Read more »