Almighty God, we praise thy name for thy bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch, who offered himself as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that he might present unto thee the pure bread of sacrifice. Accept, we pray thee, the willing tribute of our lives, and give us a share in the pure and spotless offering of thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

O Heavenly Father, who hast taught us to show forth thy praise in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: So fill us, we pray thee, with thy Spirit that we may make melody to thee both in our hearts and with our lives, evermore giving thee thanks for all things, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, wrote on X/Twitter: “By all means let’s have the debate. Consideration should also be given to proper investment in pal­liative and social care. And let’s call it what it is: assisted suicide. It’s a slip­pery slope and an absolute de­­grada­tion of the value of human life.”

The Bill was also condemned by leaders of the Church in Wales, who said in a statement on Tuesday that the Christian faith had always been rooted “in the reality of pain and mortality”, as well as “the incalculable value of each human person, irrespective of social standing, access to resources, or physical or mental ability. . . In that spirit, shown to us in the person of Jesus, we give our heartfelt support to the extension of the best possible palliative care to all who require it, so that no limits are put on the compassion which we show as individuals and as a society.”

“This is an extremely difficult issue over which different people, including Christians, will have arrived at differing views with the best of intentions,” said the statement from the Archbishop of Wales, the Rt Revd Andrew John, with the Bishops of Bardsey, Llandaff, Monmouth, St Davids, St Asaph, and Swansea & Brecon.

Read it all.

Bishops warn of ‘duty’ to die if Leadbeater Bill is carried https://t.co/owjUo4W5Xz

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 16, 2024

… legalising assisted suicide would disproportionately impact many millions of vulnerable people, who might perceive themselves as a burden on those around them and the health service. My concern is that once you can ask for assisted suicide, it soon becomes something that you feel that you ought to do. Permission slips into being duty. This does not represent true choice for all, and I worry that no amount of safeguards will ensure everyone’s safety at the most vulnerable point of their lives.

A good death and compassionate care should be available to everyone, but the Bill being introduced today will not achieve that.”

Read it all.

Not half.

Assisted Dying Legislation is 'Dangerous' says Archbishop Welby – BBC News https://t.co/NhK26S8S9c

— Erica Wooff (@ericauk) October 16, 2024

Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, after the examples of thy servants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer; that we may live in thy fear, die in thy favor, and rest in thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

A blessed Oxford Martyrs' Day

'O Lord, we beseech thee, for whom thy martyr Stephen did pray, and whom thine holy Apostle did so truly and earnestly love, that, for their salvation, he wished himself accursed from thee. Remember, O heavenly Father, the prayer of thy dear Son our… pic.twitter.com/b82tsQ9qNI

— Richard Tarsitano ⚓️ (@GodRemembrancer) October 16, 2024

O Blessed Jesus, who hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, and hast consecrated us in baptism to be temples of the Holy Ghost: Make us, we beseech thee, both in body and soul, meet for thy dwelling place; that our hearts may be houses of prayer and praise, of pure desires and holy thoughts of thee, whose we are and whom we serve, and to whom be glory, now and for evermore.

Good morning everyone wishing you a lovely day 😀autumn says hello at wonderful Weston Park this week 💚#Sheffield pic.twitter.com/Ukrbgjtpli

— doristhehat (@doristhehat) October 16, 2024

In summary, almost everything of substance that the Archbishop says about PLF in the quotation above (apart from “the church is deeply split over this”) is demonstrably either false or misleading unless the previous explanations and commitments offered by him and the bishops to General Synod are false or misleading. 

The Archbishop’s interview gives the impression that the Church of England, with the agreement of the majority of bishops, now teaches that sexual relationships, including same-sex sexual relationships, are acceptable as long as the couple are in a committed relationship, either a civil partnership or a marriage. Furthermore, he claims that the Church of England will provide a service of prayer and blessing in church for couples in such relationships. 

In fact, the theological argument presented by the bishops (and sight of the legal advice to bishops might demonstrate that this is also crucial for PLF’s legality) has been that any sexual relationship other than marriage between a man and a woman is contrary to the Church’s doctrine of marriage. Despite this, it has nevertheless been claimed by the majority of bishops that any committed same-sex couple (with or without a legal status) can be offered PLF as prayers within an existing authorised liturgy. This is even though it is also acknowledged that because their relationship may be sexual, such prayers are indicative of a departure from the church’s doctrine.

The Archbishop’s answer might have been “better” in the sense of probably being more appealing to Alastair Campbell. It is, however, in fact so highly misleading and inaccurate as to suggest a disturbing level of some combination of ignorance, misrepresentation, dishonesty and inaccuracy on the Archbishop’s part in his account of the church’s recent decisions, its doctrine, and its stated rationale for PLF. 

Our dire situation as a church is bad enough as a result of having been so divided because of the direction set by the Archbishops and most of the bishops. The fact that there are such deep theological disagreements on these matters that need to be addressed cannot and must not be avoided. However, such significantly erroneous statements as these from no less than the Archbishop of Canterbury, unless swiftly followed by an apology and correction, can only add further to the widespread erosion of trust and growing sense of disbelief, betrayal, deception, anger and despair now felt across much of the Church of England in relation to both the PLF process and our archiepiscopal leadership.

Read it all.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has now made claims about the debate on sexuality and the Church's teaching which are demonstrably untrue. Why has he done this, and what will be the impact on trust, the unity of the Church, and the future of the debate?https://t.co/Falt0kuP5Q

— Dr Ian Paul (@Psephizo) October 15, 2024

O God, who by thy Holy Spirit didst move Teresa of Avila to manifest to thy Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we beseech thee, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a lively and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever.

Today's the feast of St Teresa of Ávila, 16th Century Spanish mystic. Here she is in glass by Margaret Agnes Rope, 1929 at Kesgrave Holy Family, Ipswich. It's a detail of one of two panels she made as a wedding present to her brother Michael and his new wife, Lucy Jolly. The… pic.twitter.com/a2nojSs9hS

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) October 15, 2024

O Lord God of time and eternity, who makest us creatures of time that, when time is over, we may attain thy blessed eternity: With time, thy gift, give us also wisdom to redeem the time, lest our day of grace be lost; for our Lord Jesus’ sake.

Glendalough pic.twitter.com/JIEHsZlkGB

— Veritatis Cupitor (@English1Maiden) October 15, 2024

AtaLoss was founded in 2016 by Canon Yvonne Tulloch. When she was suddenly widowed, she realised how little she and those around her knew about bereavement, its difficulties and needs, and how hard it was to find understanding support. Yvonne had been trained in funeral ministry, but grief tends to be felt most in the months following the funeral.
 

As a society, we’ve not been good at talking about death. We’re loss-averse and death-denying. The two world wars and medical and economic advances are the major causes of our death denial. Death’s an inconvenient truth, and we avoid talking about it because it’s too painful. In a culture where we worship at the altar of success, losing people feels like failure.
 

We don’t even realise that we need to deal with grief, though it affects our lives so deeply.
 

We’re beginning to realise that change is needed, though, and there’s talk in the media about death, but this tends to be about preparing for death, not grief. We need to understand bereavement better — its profound impact on our physical and mental health — to help those left behind.

Read it all (registration or subscription).

Click below to read the @ChurchTimes interview with Roger Greene, Deputy CEO of @AtaLosscharity as he chats about his role,@thebereavementj, and his book Dancing When the Lights Go Out.https://t.co/0ynQ5bjVt3

— Loss and HOPE (@LossandHOPE1) October 11, 2024

You may listen directly here:

Or you may download it there

Manna from the Mountains
IN WHOMS – In Ephesians
1. We have Redemption (1:7)
2. We trusted (1:13)
3. Believing we are sealed (1:13)
4. We have an inheritance (1:11)
5. We are builded together (2:22)
6. The building is framed together (2:21)
7. We have access (3:12) pic.twitter.com/sgDfuAskoR

— Bro Dave Noffsinger (@mbcbrodave) August 20, 2024

.

O God, who in thy providence didst call Joseph Schereschewsky from his home in Eastern Europe to the ministry of this Church, and didst send him as a missionary to China, upholding him in his infirmity, that he might translate the holy Scriptures into languages of that land: Lead us, we pray thee, to commit our lives and talents to thee, in the confidence that when thou givest thy servants any work to do, thou dost also supply the strength to do it; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

With St. James and St. Gamaliel, Bishop Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky is one of my favorites. Like me a he was convert to Anglicanism from Judaism. Unlike me, he was very gifted with languages.

Blessed feast! pic.twitter.com/X6cUcjshY4

— Fr. Brandon ⚓️ (@barukalas) October 14, 2022

O God, our refuge and strength, true source of all godliness: Graciously hear the devout prayers of your Church, and grant that those things which we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Morning everyone I hope you are well. Dawn about to break over Brougham Castle on the banks of the River Eamonn, with the Lakeland fells in the distance. Have a great day. #LakeDistrict @keswickbootco pic.twitter.com/pCLV8BXAtx

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) October 14, 2024

God, the giver of life,
whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church:
by the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ
and make us eager to do your will,
that we may share with the whole creation
the joys of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Living God, who art the source of all healing and wholeness: we bless thee for the compassionate witness of thy servant Edith Cavell. Inspire us, we beseech thee, to be agents of peace and reconciliation in a world beset by injustice, poverty, and war. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

12 Oct 1915, British nurse Edith Cavell shot. Guilty of treason for aiding 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium. Had deep Christian faith. On night b4 died, said, ‘Standing as I do in view of God & eternity .. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone' pic.twitter.com/MuNWPqVrM1

— Revd Nicholas Pye (@RevdPye) October 12, 2024

We pray Thee, O Lord, to purify our hearts that they may be worthy to become Thy dwelling place.  Let us never fail to find room for Thee, but come and abide in us that we also may abide in Thee, Who as at this time wast born into the world for us, and dost live and reign, King of kings and Lord of Lords, now and for evermore.     

Morning everyone I hope you are well. Nestled in the far Western Lake District, I found the beautiful 17th century church in Ulpha, which is just as beautiful inside if you get the chance to stop. Have a great day. #LakeDistrict @keswickbootco pic.twitter.com/I6FwjKLiZv

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) October 12, 2024

As this debate unfolds there are three points I would like to put before you. I hope that you will take part in the debate, whenever and wherever you can, and that you will write to your Member of Parliament.

The first point is this: Be careful what you wish for.

No doubt the bill put before Parliament will be carefully framed, providing clear and very limited circumstances in which it would become lawful to assist, directly and deliberately, in the ending of a person’s life. But please remember, the evidence from every single country in which such a law has been passed is clear: that the circumstances in which the taking of a life is permitted are widened and widened, making assisted suicide and medical killing, or euthanasia, more and more available and accepted. In this country, assurances will be given that the proposed safeguards are firm and reliable. Rarely has this been the case. This proposed change in the law may be a source of relief to some. But it will bring great fear and trepidation to many, especially those who have vulnerabilities and those living with disabilities. What is now proposed will not be the end of the story. It is a story better not begun.

The second point is this: a right to die can become a duty to die.

A law which prohibits an action is a clear deterrent. A law which permits an action changes attitudes: that which is permitted is often and easily encouraged. Once assisted suicide is approved by the law, a key protection of human life falls away. Pressure mounts on those who are nearing death, from others or even from themselves, to end their life in order to take away a perceived burden of care from their family, for the avoidance of pain, or for the sake of an inheritance.

Read it all.

This Wednesday a bill will be introduced to Parliament proposing a change in the law to permit assisted suicide. As this debate unfolds, I ask you to play your part in it. Write to your MP. Have discussions with family, friends and colleagues. And pray.https://t.co/mgjUOwehms

— Cardinal Nichols (@CardinalNichols) October 10, 2024

Holy God, no one is excluded from thy love; and thy truth transformeth the minds of all who seek thee: As thy servant Philip was led to embrace the fullness of thy salvation and to bring the stranger to Baptism, so grant unto us all the grace to be heralds of the Gospel, proclaiming thy love in Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Design: Edward Burne-Jones, 'Philip the Deacon Baptizing the Ethiopian Eunuch' (1876), stained glass, St. Barnabas Chapel (Mission Church), Norfolk Island, Australia; window by Morris & Co. pic.twitter.com/lFmOdXeGpm

— Tellmesomethinggood (@JaelZebulun) January 9, 2024

Give me, O God, the spirit of true devotion, such as may give life to all my prayers, so that they may find acceptance in Thy sight.  By Thy Almighty power, O King of heaven, for the glory of Thy Name, and for the love of a Father, grant me all those blessings which Thy Son taught us to pray for.     

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

I know it's not for everyone, but I feel so lucky to live in a place where I can stand on the morning lanes and listen to absolute, complete, utter silence. The more I read about the fear and destruction out there, the more I shrink into here. I may never come out. #peakdistrict pic.twitter.com/QVUVRSbunN

— peaklass (@peaklass1) October 11, 2024

Disciplinary proceedings against the Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer, have been dropped, even though the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Procurator said that there had been a “realistic prospect of conviction”.

In a “note of reasons”, published on Tuesday evening, the Procurator, Paul Reid KC, wrote that proceeding with the prosecution was not in the public interest. The allegations, he wrote, were of “bullying and the abuse of a position of trust and responsibility”.

The alleged behaviour “is said to have caused [the complainants] harm”, he said, and this was one factor “in favour of a prosecution being in the public interest”.

The Procurator is formally independent of the Church, and is responsible for deciding whether a case proceeds to tribunal.

Read it all (registration or subscription).

Disciplinary proceedings against the Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer, have been dropped, even though the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Procurator said that there had been a “realistic prospect of conviction” https://t.co/Uq7oFZGTZM

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 9, 2024

Four years on, the data has astonished us – and reinforced our fears.

Our findings:  Boko Haram and ISWAP (the local ISIS group) carry out only a fraction of civilian killings:  just 10%.

A terror group unrecognised outside the country murders far more people

The Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) – a loose network of Fulani Islamist militias – are behind at least 39% of all civilian killings, and probably more.  Christian farmers are their special target.  ‘Land-based attacks’ – planned invasions of selected villages or homes, and occupation of the land  –  are their strategy.  Communities are chosen;  this is jihadist violence.

Overall, 2.7 Christians were killed for every Muslim killed in the data period.  Notably, Muslims are also terribly affected by the violence.  In states where the attacks occur, proportional loss to Christian communities is far higher.  In terms of local populations, 6.5 times as many Christians were murdered as Muslims.   As the charity Open Doors notes, a vast flight of poor Nigerians is now underway.

Read it all.

Clarity from chaos: does the truth of Nigeria’s mass murders lie in data? @FdnLeah @Lord_Collins @AndrewmitchMP @USCIRF @RFInstitute https://t.co/r1u4IpkXPj

— Lord (David) Alton (@DavidAltonHL) October 2, 2024

Hear us, O Lord, as we come to thee burdened with our guilt, and bow in faith at thy feet.  Speak to us thy word of absolution; say to our souls, Thy sins be forgiven thee; that with good courage we may rise up and go forth to serve thee, now and all our days, to the glory of thy holy name.

TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham has led calls to the Church of England to commit to re-wilding 30 per cent of its land. 

The call is backed by high profile figures including former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, former cabinet minister Michael Gove, and actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry, as well as 100,000 members of the public. 

The campaign, by the Wild Card group, was launched on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, where Packham unravelled the ’95 Wild Theses’ – a spin on Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses that triggered the Protestant Reformation. 

Read it all.

Chris Packham leads calls to rewild Church of England https://t.co/4f3SxzEfvE

— Sharon K. Gilbert (@sharonkgilbert) October 8, 2024

The Rev. Rt. Jack Iker, also known as the “lion of Fort Worth,” died Oct. 5 at the age of 75. 

Iker is survived by his wife, Donna Iker, their three daughters and four grandchildren. 

Born Aug. 31, 1949, Iker was a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as a Rector of the church of the Redeemer in Florida before being consecrated as bishop coadjutor, someone who assists a diocesan bishop, for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth on April 24, 1993. 

Iker became the third bishop to serve the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth on Jan. 1, 1995. 

Read it all.

"Many of the men who served under [Anglican Bishop Jack] Iker in Texas praised him for his faithfulness in the face of sustained opposition. The word they used most often was steadfast," writes @danielsilliman. https://t.co/fLzwpks6gK

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) October 15, 2024

O God, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant Robert Grosseteste to be a bishop and pastor in thy church and to feed thy flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of thy Holy Ghost, that they may minister in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Robert Grosseteste, c. 1175-Oct. 1253. As Bishop of Lincoln he was conscientious and regular in visiting his diocese, which was a departure from the usual practice of his day. Grosseteste was also a supporter of the Franciscans. pic.twitter.com/3efhLujto9

— Saint Barnabas Anglican Church (@Barnabas_FW) October 9, 2024

Write deeply upon our minds, O Lord our God, the lessons of thy holy Word, that only the pure in heart can see thee.  Leave us not in the bondage of any sinful inclination.  May we neither deceive ourselves with the thought that we have no sin, nor idly acquiesce in aught of which our conscience accuses us.  Strengthen us by thy Holy Spirit to fight the good fight of faith, and grant that no day may pass without its victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

O Lord, because we often sin and have to ask for pardon, help us to forgive as we would be forgiven; neither mentioning old offences committed against us, nor dwelling upon them in thought; but loving our brother freely as thou freely lovest us; for thy name’s sake.

De bewolking neemt toe en omsingelt het #Veerhuis. Fijne dinsdag😀 #natuur #landschap #herfst #Rhenen #ElstUt #Elsterbuitenwaard #Nederrijn #zonsondergang #mooieluchten pic.twitter.com/kKbraz2rFR

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) October 8, 2024

The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, the joint lead bishop on health care for the Church of England, echoed Bishop Smith’s concern.

She said: “No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society, should there be a change in the law allowing for assisted suicide”

Bishop Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England, said: “I worked for many years as a nurse in the NHS, including as a cancer specialist, and I understand first-hand the crucial importance of compassionate care and dignity for all patients, including those who are most vulnerable and reaching the end of their lives.

“In the Church of England, we are backing urgent calls for adequate funding and resourcing of palliative care services, to ensure the highest possible standards of care for all. This should include action to ensure that our hospices receive the level of state funding that they are so badly lacking at present.”

Read it all (registration or subscription).

Letby and Shipman murders show NHS workers cannot be trusted on assisted dying https://t.co/51pSDKdIzO

— Anna Gaudreault (@ladevita12) October 5, 2024

God of all comfort and hope, who in Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, proclaimed good news to the poor, bound up the broken-hearted, and set the captives free: We remember before You this day all who are affected by the violence of October 7, and we ask You to heal the wounded, comfort those who mourn, and bring justice and peace to the land of Israel. Look with mercy upon the peoples of the Middle East, that, in Your great compassion, the light of Christ may shine in the darkness and bring hope to every nation. As Simeon rejoiced to see Your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel, so we pray that Jesus, the Messiah, would be known as the true hope for all the earth. May Your Kingdom come, and may Your peace reign in every heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”

Read it all.

A prayer on the anniversary of the October 7th attack in Israel:https://t.co/0tlzzCnNay pic.twitter.com/orSPT44Pl7

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) October 7, 2024

Loving God, Shepherd of thy people, we offer thanks for the ministry of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, who left his native land to care for the German and Scandinavian pioneers in North America; and we pray that, following the teaching and example of his life, we may grow into the full stature of Christ; who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

#OTD October 7, 1787:
Death of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, patriarch of Lutheranism in North America. He had written a unified liturgy for America’s Lutherans and founded the North America’s first Lutheran synod. pic.twitter.com/3WwJLvYbcI

— ☧ Today in Christian History (@HistoricalRook) October 7, 2024