Stephen Conway grew up in London, before moving to Oxford to study modern history at Keble College. Following this he completed a PGCE becoming a teacher at Glenalmond College in Perth, Scotland. In 1983, Stephen began training for ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge and was ordained as a priest at Durham Cathedral in 1987. Following time as a priest at churches in the Diocese of Durham, in 2006 Stephen was announced as Bishop of

Ramsbury, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Salisbury, and in 2010 he became Bishop of Ely – the post he has held for the 13 years since. Bishop Stephen became one of the Lords Spiritual of the House of Lords in 2014.

Following a wide-ranging consultation across the Diocese of Lincoln and beyond, Stephen accepted the invitation from the King to become Bishop of Lincoln, after interviews by the Crown Nominations Committee. Following the announcement, a series of formal proceedings will now commence. The College of Canons in Lincoln will proceed to elect

Bishop Stephen and that election will be confirmed at a ceremony in London presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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Rt Rev @Bishop_S_Conway is to become the new Bishop of Lincoln.

He will leave his current role in @DioceseofEly and join @CofELincoln later this year.

Read more at https://t.co/XuBNlIqD3E. pic.twitter.com/1bVvT8IuUI

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) May 24, 2023

Lord God, in whose providence Jackson Kemper was chosen first missionary bishop in this land, that by his arduous labor and travel congregations might be established in scattered settlements of the West: Grant that the Church may always be faithful to its mission, and have the vision, courage, and perseverance to make known to all peoples the Good News of Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever.

The Episcopal Church today also commemorates Jackson Kemper, Bishop and Missionary, 1870 https://t.co/fmzsRZjgGB

Image: Posthumous portrait by James Reeve Stuart (1888), in the Wisconsin Historical Society collection, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, via flickr pic.twitter.com/qpvJDQEoD9

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 24, 2023

Almighty and merciful God, into whose gracious presence we ascend, not by the frailty of the flesh but by the activity of the soul: Make us ever by thy inspiration to seek after the courts of the heavenly city, whither our Saviour Christ hath ascended, and by thy mercy confidently to enter them, both now and hereafter; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

View from New College this morning 🙌

📷 | @NewCollegeOx pic.twitter.com/mN7LBz3DPw

— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) May 24, 2023

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

–Luke 10:17-24

Beautiful sunrise over the Ravenel Bridge on this Wednesday morning! #chswx pic.twitter.com/cVPocM6nie

— Joey Sovine Live 5 (@JoeySovine) May 24, 2023

How do brains learn? It’s a mystery, one that applies both to the spongy organs in our skulls and to their digital counterparts in our machines. Even though artificial neural networks (ANNs) are built from elaborate webs of artificial neurons, ostensibly mimicking the way our brains process information, we don’t know if they process input in similar ways.   

“There’s been a long-standing debate as to whether neural networks learn in the same way that humans do,” said Vsevolod Kapatsinski, a linguist at the University of Oregon.

Now, a study published last month suggests that natural and artificial networks learn in similar ways, at least when it comes to language. The researchers — led by Gašper Beguš, a computational linguist at the University of California, Berkeley — compared the brain waves of humans listening to a simple sound to the signal produced by a neural network analyzing the same sound. The results were uncannily alike. “To our knowledge,” Beguš and his colleagues wrote, the observed responses to the same stimulus “are the most similar brain and ANN signals reported thus far.”

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Some Neural Networks Learn Language Like Humans https://t.co/AH0PeKfCv9 via @QuantaMagazine

— Felix Schlumpf (@Felix3S) May 22, 2023

If you’re looking for affordable places to live in the U.S., South Carolina has two cities among the best, according to a new U.S. News & World Report ranking.

The recent annual ranking includes 25 of the best most affordable metros in the U.S. To determine the ranking, U.S. News “looked at the proportion of the median annual household income that goes toward the average cost to own or rent a home, including the cost of utilities and taxes, as well as parity, which compares the cost of goods and services across the country.”

The city of Hickory, N.C. snagged the top spot on the list, while Montgomery, AL came in at 25th, rounding out the list.

And while living in some South Carolina cities, like Charleston, can be quite an expensive proposition, other cities in the Palmetto State are far more doable, the analysis found.

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These two South Carolina cities are not only great places to live in the U.S., they’re among the most affordable in regards to housing. https://t.co/Lex3KJXCuK

— The State Newspaper (@thestate) May 23, 2023

Janis Scaramucci’s bedroom is decorated with paintings of Disney castles. In her office, a recessed ceiling in the shape of a Mickey Mouse head is painted in black glitter. The feet of her dining room table are made from coffee mugs featuring Mickey and Winnie the Pooh. And in her closet hangs a series of colorful Disney outfits, including a red skirt appliquéd with characters from the movie “Ratatouille.”

Welcome to Golden Oak, the only residential community in the world located on Walt Disney Co. resort property.

Ms. Scaramucci, a divorced 63-year-old Disney enthusiast and art collector, bought a $2.52 million home in the Orlando, Fla., community a few years ago after feeling dissatisfied with life in her suburban neighborhood in Edmond, Okla. Now, she spends her days riding roller coasters, attending nature conservation programs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, and traveling to destinations such as Antarctica on Disney cruises…..

But Mr. [Kevin] Tupy said that, in his experience, politics doesn’t come up much when Golden Oak residents get together.

“Disney is more of a religion,” he said. “We worship the mouse.”

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Andy Vermaut shares:See Inside the World's Only Residential Community on Disney Resort Property: Over the past decade, this Orlando, Fla. neighborhood has become a mecca for Disney lovers, with home prices ranging from the low millions to $19… Thank you! https://t.co/Gdegzo10Eu pic.twitter.com/Y9spBQOyFs

— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) May 23, 2023

[Tim]…offered a radically different way. He pointed people to Jesus, and through Jesus’ example to a life of self-sacrificial service. That may seem unrealistic; doesn’t the world run on self-interest? But Tim and his wife, Kathy, wrote a wonderful book, “The Meaning of Marriage,” which in effect argued that self-sacrificial love is actually the only practical way to get what you really hunger for.

After some time in marriage, they counseled, you’re going to realize that the wonderful person you married is actually kind of selfish. And as you realize this about him, he is realizing this about you.

The only way forward is to recognize that your own selfishness is the only selfishness you can control; your self-centeredness is the problem here. Love is an action, not just an emotion, and the marriage will only thrive if both people in it make daily sacrificial commitments to each other, learning to serve and, harder still, be served. “Whether we are husband or wife,” the Kellers wrote, “we are not to live for ourselves but for the other. And that is the hardest yet single most important function of being a husband or a wife in marriage.”

Tim’s happy and generous manner was based on the conviction that we are born wired to seek delight, and we can find it. “Anybody who has tasted the reality of God knows anything is worth losing for this,” Tim preached, “and nothing is worth keeping if I’m going to lose this.”

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We all tried to act cool around Tim Keller, but we knew we had a giant in our midst. https://t.co/J7Ft0Iqvrr

— David Brooks (@nytdavidbrooks) May 23, 2023

As the heavens declare thy glory, O God, and the firmament showeth thy handiwork, we bless thy Name for the gifts of knowledge and insight thou didst bestow upon Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler; and we pray that thou wouldst continue to advance our understanding of thy cosmos, for our good and for thy glory; through Jesus Christ, the firstborn of all creation, who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler, Astronomers, 1543 & 1630 https://t.co/4ZmtA6dEAQ pic.twitter.com/tR2BUfDVZn

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 23, 2020

O God, whose dearly beloved Son was, by thy mighty power, exalted that he might prepare a place in thy kingdom of glory for them that love thee: So lead and uphold us, O merciful Lord, that we may both follow the holy steps of his life here upon earth, and may enter with him hereafter into thy everlasting rest; that where he is, we may also be; through the merits of the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

"By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth."

– Psalm 33.6 pic.twitter.com/BoLxnKz2OJ

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) May 23, 2023

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries round about. His lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.

–Psalm 97:1-6

Hazy sunrise over Downtown Charleston! @stormhour #chswx pic.twitter.com/0HcGR82qpL

— Joey Sovine Live 5 (@JoeySovine) May 23, 2023

People in the UK are less likely to believe in God than the people of almost any other country in the world, a new study suggests.

Belief in God among UK adults has declined by more than one quarter since the 1980s, it finds, but belief in life after death — and belief in hell — has remained almost unchanged in those four decades.

The research was conducted by the Policy Institute at King’s College, London, as part of its World Values Survey: an international programme exploring social, political, economic, religious, and cultural values and attitudes in 90 countries.

In the UK, a random probability sample of 3056 adults was analysed from March to September 2020, of whom 1645 were from England, 523 from Scotland, 437 from Wales, and 446 from Northern Ireland. This data was measured against 24 other countries and compared with results from 1981.

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People in the UK are less likely to believe in God than the people of almost any other country in the world, a new study suggests. https://t.co/IROBmTOJwg

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 19, 2023

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Nothing remains of the hilltop home that once stood at the end of this gravel road in western North Carolina. The house burned to the ground months ago.

Children’s bikes and firewood piles litter the yards of a half-dozen ranch homes down the hill that are next in line to be erased from the landscape. The company that will soon own them plans to have these homes torched, too. It is only interested in what lies beneath.

A hint of that prize sits a few steps into the forest, where craggy outcrops stand in the shade of tall loblolly pines. Look closely and you’ll see the rocks are marked with sparkling pinstripes of pale green.

Those pinstripes are evidence of lithium, a lightweight element used to power electric vehicle batteries. And that green is gold to Piedmont Lithium, the company planning to tunnel 500 feet into the earth here to mine the lucrative mineral.

Lithium is expected to fuel America’s transition away from gasoline-burning automobiles. In the process, that harvest could generate $3.9 billion for this rural community in five years, according to Piedmont, which penned an agreement with EV giant Tesla in January.

Along a certain stretch — where North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia meet — lithium is quickly becoming king: It pushes up through the ground, oozes through recyclers’ shredding machines and will soon travel through the backwoods on aging rail lines. New mines — as many as three separate operations by 2030 — are only part of the story. Welcome to the Lithium Belt.

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Lithium is driving today’s clean energy transition just as fossil fuels drove the industrial revolution. But what is the trade off to the environment in the Southeast?
Fascinating read from @ClareFieseler on a journey across the Lithium Belt. https://t.co/b6OKcqPB9j

— Glenn Smith (@glennsmith5) May 21, 2023

As a high-profile evangelical preacher, Keller also became a best-selling author. His many publications range from a series of books on apologetics – via several titles on Christian spirituality, communication, and ministry in a secular culture – to a comprehensive handbook on urban missions. Several of Keller’s books were included in the New York Times bestseller lists, including The Reason for God, The Prodigal God, and Prayer. His qualities as a preacher are naturally reflected in his writing. Here, he was able to develop even more fully his gift of communicating key insights from a variety of sources in an accessible and independent way.

Tim Keller became a dynamic entrepreneur with several strategic initiatives. Together with prominent theologians John Piper and Don Carson, he established The Gospel Coalition resource network for Reformed churches and leaders. With his home church in New York as a platform, the Redeemer City to City network was established with a missional focus on major cities around the world. Through this global network, hundreds of churches have been planted. Among many other initiatives, the New York congregation’s diaconal arm (Hope for New York) and its Centre for Faith & Work should be mentioned.

With Keller’s passing, the global church has lost one of the most high-profile evangelical communicators in our time. H

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'2 find something beautiful is different. It is marked by "utter gratuity." It is deeply satisfying immediately, in itself, not for anything it does for us'-I bet U could do a whole bk of Tim Keller short theological dictums somewhat akin to the bk of Proverbs #thankyoutimkeller pic.twitter.com/bz3rtHjy38

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 21, 2023

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the government could become unable to pay bills on time by June 1. In that case, the Treasury Department could halt payments, such as to federal employees or veterans.

In a worst-case scenario, a failure to pay holders of U.S. government debt, a linchpin of the global financial system, could trigger severe recession and send stock prices plummeting and borrowing costs soaring.

Many economists don’t expect a default for the first time in U.S. history. But they outline three potential ways the standoff could affect the economy and financial system, ranging from not great to extremely scary.

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U.S. lawmakers might have just days to act before the standoff over the debt ceiling reverberates through the economy https://t.co/JM1UfZ7HfW

— Real Time Economics (@WSJecon) May 22, 2023

Most Merciful God, who didst vouchsafe to bless thy servant Helena with such grace and devotion to thee that she didst venerate the very footsteps of our Savior; Grant unto us the same grace that, aided by her prayers and example, we too may evermore behold thy glory in the cross of thy Son. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Helena of Constantinople, Protector of the Holy Places, 330

Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine I, did much to promote Christianity, visiting the Holy Land, founding churches on sacred sites & allegedly rediscovering the True Cross pic.twitter.com/vkbIwdoP19

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 22, 2023

O God, whose blessed Son, our great High Priest, has entered once for all into the holy place, and ever liveth to intercede on our behalf: Grant that we, sanctified by the offering of his body, may draw near with full assurance of faith by the way which he has dedicated for us, and evermore serve thee, the living God; through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Another shot from this morning’s peaceful dog walk and taken just before the sun appeared over the horizon. If only every day in #Redmarshall could start like this ⁦@StormHour⁩ ⁦@ThePhotoHour⁩ #goldenhour pic.twitter.com/CuUqKEjuzW

— Ian Gee (@IanGee19) May 22, 2023

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instruction about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.

Though we speak thus, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

–Hebrews 6:1-12

Tracks In The Barley. 18°C. Cow Parsley in abundance. pic.twitter.com/RTnbuFVphk

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) May 22, 2023

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

"While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven." Luke 24:51 #AscensionSunday #medievaltwitter
A #medieval manuscript of the #Ascension. ✝️ pic.twitter.com/oy26UxUC4Y

— Marlene T. Diaz (@academicknight) May 21, 2023

And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God–not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

–Ephesians 2:1-10

A lovely Sunday morning. (With this stunning weather, it won’t be long before the river Cam is full of punts.) @QueensCam @Cambridge_Uni #cambridge pic.twitter.com/n4FEwzIFMz

— Mohamed A. El-Erian (@elerianm) May 21, 2023

Almighty God, who in a rude and barbarous age didst raise up thy deacon Alcuin to rekindle the light of learning: Illumine our minds, we pray thee, that amid the uncertainties and confusions of our own time we may show forth thine eternal truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

19 May 804: d. Alcuin, scholar, poet from #York who was reputed the most learned person of his time #otd pic.twitter.com/1Pn7FJyjDa

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) May 19, 2023

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens, that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that according to his promise he abideth with his Church on earth, even unto the end of the world; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
to his throne beyond the skies. Alleluia!
Christ, the Lamb for sinners given, Alleluia!
enters now the highest heaven. Alleluia!

Happy Feast of the Ascension! pic.twitter.com/E42GZPImkD

— Bart Gingerich ⚓ (@bjgingerich) May 18, 2023

On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.

–Psalm 87:1-3

Pretty nice way to start Saturday. #IowaCity #iawx #skiesoveriowa @KopelmanWX @KGAN_Weather @WXSchnack @KWWLStormTrack7 @NWSQuadCities @KyleKielWX @Kaj_OMara @eileenloanWX @NStewCBS2 @WxMarshall @grabermike @davidlQuiram @GHeydWX @brandonlaw_wx @joe_Winters @ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/6c9GjYU9XB

— ICHawkeye ✈️ (@ICHawkeye) May 20, 2023

Timothy Keller, an evangelical minister who started a thriving church in New York City and cultivated a national following with a theology that separated faith from party politics and centered his vision of conservative Christianity in the hubbub of modern life, died May 19 at his home in New York. He was 72.

His death was announced in an email by Redeemer Churches and Ministries, a network of organizations established by Dr. Keller. He was diagnosed in 2020 with pancreatic cancer and had previously been treated for thyroid cancer.

Dr. Keller spent nearly three decades as pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, a congregation he founded in 1989.

Unlike the leaders of many evangelical megachurches, he did not employ Jumbotrons or pop music in his services. He adhered to traditional liturgy and music while peppering his sermons with references to Saint Augustine and ancient Greek, Flannery O’Connor and Woody Allen, J.R.R. Tolkien and “Star Wars.”

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Timothy Keller, an evangelical minister who cultivated a national following with a theology that separated faith from party politics and centered his vision of conservative Christianity in the hubbub of modern life, died May 19 in New York. He was 72.https://t.co/3V1q5gtPfi

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 19, 2023

Beloved, impactful, faithful pastor Tim Keller has died at age 72.

He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three years ago and continued to write about the gospel, God, heaven, and suffering throughout his treatment.

From @CTmagazine: https://t.co/kIo8RcjeEH

— kate shellnutt (@kateshellnutt) May 19, 2023

More Americans struggle to meet expenses now than in the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, when millions lost their means of employment, a Census Bureau survey showed.

About 38.5% of American adults — or 89.1 million people — faced difficulty in paying for usual home expenses between April 26 and May 8, according to the latest Household Pulse Survey. That’s up from 34.4% a year ago and 26.7% during the same period in 2021.

The Census Bureau collaborates with multiple federal agencies to compile the survey developed during the pandemic to collect data and measure household experiences to help inform federal and state governments.

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More than 90 Million American adults struggle to make ends meet, the Census says https://t.co/mJgBnsYQ3V

— Bloomberg (@business) May 18, 2023

It took a lot out of us for 3-4 days and then we have battled fatigue and headaches for a couple of weeks. Just be reminded that the virus is still out there and thanks for your prayers and support–KSH.

The text comes from Hymns of the Anglo-Saxon Church, ed. Inge B. Milfull (Cambridge, 1996), pp. 317-8. Here’s a translation:

Hail Dunstan, star and shining adornment of bishops, true light of the English nation and leader preceding it on its path to God.

You are the greatest hope of your people, and also an innermost sweetness, breathing the honey-sweet fragrance of life-giving balms.

In you, Father, we trust, we to whom nothing is more pleasing than you are. To you we stretch out our hands, to you we pour out our prayers….

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19 May is the feast of St Dunstan, one of the greatest saints of Anglo-Saxon England, who died in 988 – a multi-talented archbishop, statesman, musician, metal-worker, and devil-fighter https://t.co/HblFsbRp5o pic.twitter.com/8ujcJ3pQuq

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) May 19, 2023

O God of truth and beauty, who didst richly endow thy Bishop Dunstan with skill in music and the working of metals, and with gifts of administration and reforming zeal: Teach us, we beseech thee, to see in thee the source of all our talents, and move us to offer them for the adornment of worship and the advancement of true religion; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

St Dunstan with his tongs in Peterborough Cathedral, by Carter Shapland c1960 I think. Today's the feast of St Dunstan. His somewhat anguished face may be repeated by many in Peterborough today after the remarkable events of last night. pic.twitter.com/G8Y3bjoFIh

— Simon Knott (@last_of_england) May 19, 2023