Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

A Marks and Spencer Christmas jumper has become a hit among female clergy, with some calling it the ‘Christmas clergy uniform’ of 2021. The £19.50 jumper is in M&S's Christmas clothing range. It is black and has the word ‘Believe’ written in bold colourful text on the front. Using the hashtag #TeamBelieve, female vicars and lay people have taken to social media sharing their pictures wearing the jumper on top of their clerical collar. 'Christmas jumper' was last week's top search on M&S.com.

Many homeless people sleep outside in doorways, parks, bus shelters, or other unsuitable places. They often have complex physical and mental health needs with root causes that are complex - relationship breakdown, mental health issues, addiction or childhood trauma. These are not issues that can be tackled quickly; people will often need help and support for many years to ensure they never end up back on the streets. The Salvation Army warns that people risk dying on the streets this winter as the cold weather continues to bite, even though new government figures for England and Wales show a slight decrease in deaths of homeless people. When it is very cold, the Salvation Army works with local councils to keep people as safe as possible, putting the homeless up in communal spaces in Lifehouses and operating a number of night shelters run in partnership with local churches.

There are fears that the new Covid variant, Omicron, ‘could be’ more infectious and less responsive to vaccines. Therefore, from 10 December, face coverings are mandatory for most indoor venues including places of worship, theatres and cinemas - as well as on public transport and in shops and hairdressers. Masks won't be needed in pubs, restaurants, or gyms where it's ‘not practical to wear them’. From 13 December, people should work from home ‘if possible’. From 15 December (subject to parliamentary approval), people will need to show an NHS Covid vaccination status or a recent negative lateral flow test to enter nightclubs, indoor unseated venues with over 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with over 4,000 people and any venue with over 10,000 people. They must also do lateral flow tests (LFT) before entering high-risk settings like crowded places involving people you wouldn't normally come into contact with, or when visiting a vulnerable person.

Over two millennia have passed since Jesus said ‘Go out and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame’ (Luke 14:2b). 39 million of the world's people are blind, 70 million are deaf. See In Victorian times some churchgoers gave to institutions that housed the disabled. Do we still see a disabled person as someone we do 'good things to' rather than teach, disciple and even allow to lead? When we see a disabled person in Christian ministry, do we see them as 'an inspiration' just because of their disability, or do we recognise them as a person gifted by God to minister? How welcoming are our churches to disabled people? Ask God to help us to include and disciple more people with disabilities just as much as anyone else. Pray for more churches to encourage and train disabled people into leadership roles.

BBC Radio 5 has been broadcasting listeners' opinions on a video showing Downing Street staff joking about a Christmas party last year when everyone was on lockdown. Boris Johnson said he is ‘sickened’ by the video while maintaining there was no party and no Covid rules were broken. However the BBC was told that dozens of people partied at Downing Street during lockdown. Labour leader Keir Starmer said Boris is ‘taking the public for fools’, and the SNP called for his resignation. One backbench Tory MP said, ‘The buck stops at the top.’ Now there is to be an official investigation into Covid rule breaches at government staff parties last year. Any potential criminality uncovered would be reported to the police.

The government wants a ban on 'conversion therapy' - a broad term covering encouragement to change or control sexual feelings or gender identity. Genuinely harmful therapies or practices are already illegal and / or not practised in the UK. A ban on legitimate talking therapies, pastoral support and prayer is what anti-'conversion therapy' campaigners want. The Christian Institute (CI) warned a House of Commons committee that any conversion therapy ban must be clearly defined, as activists want a broad ban encompassing Christian parenting, prayer, preaching and pastoral care. CI believe campaigners are attacking Christian beliefs and doctrine. It contends that if a church friend asks another to pray with them, or if a pastor teaches Christian sexual ethics from the Bible, or parents encourage children to follow them in their faith, it is not conversion therapy. Some want a ban which encapsulates those things. The consultation period ends on 10 December. All comments and suggestions will then be analysed for a spring 2022 draft bill. See

'We are living in a Christian land', declared one of the BBC’s founding figures at its launch. Broadcasting House, in London, was opened in 1932. Above the central archway in the entrance lobby was a large Latin inscription of their value statement: ‘This Temple of the Arts and Muses is dedicated to Almighty God by the first Governors of Broadcasting. It is their prayer that good seed sown may bring forth a good harvest, that all things hostile to peace or purity may be banished from this house, and that the people, inclining their ear to whatsoever things are beautiful and honest and of good report, may tread the path of wisdom and uprightness.’ This inscription remains in the same place today, and the mission statement is as necessary and relevant as ever. May the BBC and all media outlets be reliable and honest sources of information. May truth be uppermost on all reporting, without speculation or opinions. Pray also for religious broadcasting and light entertainment.

Christian Concern have been in court with NHS electrician Brian Walker, who has launched legal action against North Bristol NHS Trust after being forced out of his job for his beliefs on multi-culturalism, Islam and same-sex 'marriage'. Following many months of investigations, reports and hearings within the Trust, Brian was given a final written warning, and told he had to attend 'equality training'. However, lawyers for the NHS Trust have argued that Brian's Christian beliefs are ‘incompatible with human dignity’ and ‘not worthy of respect in a democratic society’, which means that his perfectly reasonable, orthodox Christian beliefs would be labelled as on a par with Nazism. Pray for the ruling, that Brian's beliefs would be protected and the case would not be struck out.

Many people took the time to write to their MP to oppose an amendment that would completely decriminalise abortion in the UK and support pro-life amendments to the Health and Care Bill. The amendment to decriminalise abortion was withdrawn before it could even go to a vote, and there was strong support for the amendments even though they were withdrawn. Also the second reading of the Down’s Syndrome Bill was approved in the House of Commons, meaning that people with Down’s syndrome would be recognised as a minority group of people. This would ensure that they are not neglected and their abilities are recognised.

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is when Jewish people remember the rededication of the second temple in Jerusalem. For eight days Jewish families around the world are lighting a candle-holder called a menorah during Hanukkah. For the first time ever, on 5 December, the final night of the festival, the iconic London Eye will also be lit to symbolise a menorah. The world’s second largest Ferris wheel will be transformed as its 32 observation pods rotate, beaming lights across London. We can pray for the Light of God’s Truth to cut through the darkness in London and stream into our country’s towns and cities, bringing enlightenment and hope.