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Three years after failing to qualify for the World Cup, Italy advances to Euro 2020 final.https://t.co/l33aoGOTPl

— CNN International (@cnni) July 6, 2021

After 8 years serving as Bishop of Liverpool, The Rt Revd Paul Bayes has announced he intends to retire in February 2022. His farewell service will be on February 12th 2022 at Liverpool Cathedral.

In a letter to clergy, churchwardens and other ministers, the bishop said “I’m deeply grateful to God for the years spent ministering alongside my outstanding colleagues and friends here in Liverpool Diocese. For me the time has come to prepare for a new chapter in life and ministry, and to contribute in a different way”

Bishop Paul, who joined us from St Albans Diocese where he served as Bishop of Hertford, has steered the diocese on our journey as we seek to grow and serve our communities. Adopting the growth agenda on his arrival, he helped us think as a diocese on how we ask God for a bigger church to make a bigger difference with more people knowing Jesus and more justice in the world. In consultation with the Diocesan Synod he developed and framed our thinking around a Rule of Life for our spiritual disciplines with the inward journey of pray, read, learn matched by the outward journey to tell, serve and give.

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The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd @paulbayes announces his retirement in February 2022

Find out more on the news section of our Diocese website:https://t.co/TSCpPJgSoH pic.twitter.com/mHZf4K24e2

— Diocese of Liverpool (@LivDiocese) July 2, 2021

“Kansas teachers Mason McDowell and Alexandra Stamps, both first-year teachers, invited their third and fifth grade students to be junior bridesmaids and groomsmen at their wedding.”

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A church shouldn’t have to compromise its identity, he said.

“Do you have to have an elaborate document in order to get permission to preach the gospel?” Pearson said. “That shows me there’s something not quite right in the relationship from the get-go. It really was those core issues that were being brought to bear and of course, yes, they manifest themselves in the sexuality issue.”

He was not pressing other churches to change to the Advent’s position, he said.

“In one of our earlier conversations the president of the Standing Committee said to me, ‘Well, Andrew, what would you say if an Episcopal Church in Birmingham hired a transgendered clergy person to be their associate?’” Pearson said. “My answer was, ‘What I’d say is ‘Welcome to the Episcopal Church.’”

It was more about the Advent’s right to keep its tradition, he said.

“The issue really became, for me anyway, I think the individual congregation should have the ability to go in the direction they feel called to go, but I’d ask the same for the Advent,” he said. “I wasn’t really concerned what other Episcopal churches in the diocese were doing, but there seems to be a great concern from other churches as to what the Advent is doing.”

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Andrew Pearson on why he left Advent Cathedral and dealing with the diocese. “I would often engage in conversations with leaders of the diocese and at given points it was clearly said that Jesus’ death on the cross was just a political accident.” https://t.co/gPsEhk5Jvd

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) July 5, 2021

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, together with the Bishop of Carlisle, James Newcome, the Church of England’s lead bishop for health and social care, and the Bishop of Newcastle, Christine Hardman, said people with disability should be “valued, respected and cherished”.

The “#downrightdiscrimination” campaign led by Heidi Carter (née Crowter) and Máire Lea-Wilson argues that the law discriminates in its treatment of people with Down’s Syndrome.

The bishops said: “The Church of England has consistently argued that the law on abortion is discriminatory on two counts.

“In the first instance, it permits abortions to be carried out solely on the basis of disability; secondly, it removes the twenty-four week time limit for abortions in cases of disability.

“We do not believe that such discrimination, founded on the probability of disability, is justifiable.

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"People with disability should be valued, respected & cherished”. @CottrellStephen @BishopNewcastle & Bishop @CarlisleDiocese voice support for a legal challenge at the High Court to the law relating to abortion & Down's Syndrome https://t.co/U9DAtqELRk#DownrightDiscrimination

— Church of England in Parliament (@churchstate) July 6, 2021

He protested against the ecclesiastical system, he preached in favour of reform in the Church and advocated a return to the poverty recommended by the Scriptures. Indeed, the Scriptures were the only rule and every man had the right to study them. In Questio de indulgentis (1412) he denounced the indulgences.

He admired Wyclif’s writings and defended him when he was condemned as a heretic. He was excommunicated. An interdict was pronounced over Prague and he had to leave it and go to southern Bohemia, where he preached and wrote theological treatises, notably the Tractatus de ecclesia (1413), known as «The Church».

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Řekl jsem mu: „I kdyby mi to celý svět říkal, já, maje rozum, jehož nyní užívám, nemohl bych to říci bez odporu svědomí." – Jan Hus 1415 (a aktuální i teď…právě teď). pic.twitter.com/1uMUt3Wj9l

— Zbyněk Drozd (@Dromed86) July 4, 2021

Faithful God, who didst give Jan Hus the courage to confess thy truth and recall thy Church to the image of Christ: Enable us, inspired by his example, to bear witness against corruption and never cease to pray for our enemies, that we may prove faithful followers of our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ℹ️ In the Czech Republic, 6 July is celebrated every year as a public holiday in commemoration of the life and work of Jan Hus, religious leader and advanced thinker who died for his beliefs more than 600 years ago. https://t.co/0AdiudwwxT pic.twitter.com/E7Mw8H6mxm

— Prague Morning (@PragueMorning) July 6, 2021

Set a watch, O Lord, upon our tongue, that we may never speak the cruel word which is not true; or being true, is not the whole truth; or being wholly true, is merciless; for the love of Jesus Christ our Lord.–Daily Prayer, Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs, eds. (London: Penguin Books 1959 edition of the 1941 original)

Good morning 🌹🌹 pic.twitter.com/s5SQtXiUe6

— Cheryl (@CherylCoppola3) July 6, 2021

Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, rise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

–Acts 9:32-43

Tabitha: An Exemplary Disciple (Acts 9:36-42) https://t.co/ey3oHk9kN1 via @MargMowczko [Wolfymoza CC BY-SA 4.0] pic.twitter.com/vFwIUhJhBT

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) July 6, 2021