Proposals to cut the Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) department at Exeter University by more than one quarter in a matter of months would have “irreversible consequences”, a letter from theologians and others has warned.

The letter has been signed by more than 600 people, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams; the Bishops of Newcastle and Winchester; and academics including Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford.

The Vice-Chancellor of Exeter, Professor Lisa Roberts, announced the proposals to staff last month. Of the proposed 153 full-time-equivalent academic redundancies, 114 fall within the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. The TRS department could lose up to five members of staff.

“The University is not removing poorly performing units but dismantling areas of established excellence and international renown,” the letter warns. The department was ranked first nationally for world-leading research in the Research Excellence Framework, in 2021. Among the staff raising the alarm is the Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, whose public scholarship includes a recent documentary for the BBC.

Read it all.

"The University is not removing poorly performing units but dismantling areas of established excellence and international renown." I had a look to potential cuts to Theology & Religion at Exeter – part of a wider trend across the country https://t.co/rN152K8qwm

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) July 22, 2026

Finally, gambling must be recognized as wrong because it corrupts our society. The legal gambler and the corrupt politician have ever been close friends. Some would suggest that gambling should be legalized because its taxes will help to support our government, but gambling is a social leech; it has no product of value to offer. The revenues of the gambler have first been created by some legitimate business venture and should have found their way to another. The money received by the gambler means less business for the grocer, the clothing store, the gasoline station.

Then too, the fact is that gambling always corrupts government. The report of the Senate crime commission indicated that 20 percent of the gambler’s “take” is used as a fund to corrupt public officials. Responsible public officials always agree that wherever illegal gambling is conducted openly, it can be done only at the expense of the corrupted character of public officials.

At one time, former mayor William O’Dwyer of New York City proposed that legal gambling be permitted in New York State. Governor Thomas Dewey made a powerful response:

It would be an indecent thing for a government to finance itself so largely out of the weaknesses of the people which it had deliberately encouraged. … The entire history of legalized gambling in this country and abroad shows that it has brought nothing but poverty, crime, and corruption, demoralization of moral and ethical standards of living, and misery for all the people.

Read it all.

(Christianity Today from 1962 [!]) George Desmond–'Gambling Is a Moral Crime gambling must be recognized as wrong because it corrupts our society. The legal gambler and the corrupt politician have ever been close friends. Some would suggest that gambling should be legalized…

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) July 22, 2026

Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by thy grace we may be healed of all our infirmities and know thee in the power of his endless life; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.

Today's the feast of St Mary Magdalene. Three scenes from her story in glass at Little Horkesley, Essex by Hugh Powell, 1963: she weeps as Christ is taken down from the cross, she meets the Risen Christ in the garden, and she tells the disciples that she has seen him. pic.twitter.com/0yS8XovHL8

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) July 22, 2026

Then Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the Lord, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, “an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man has lifted an iron tool”; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. And all Israel, sojourner as well as homeborn, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Ger′izim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

–Joshua 8:30-35

Sunrise over the Farnes 🙂 pic.twitter.com/MZXcPNYhGD

— Graeme Peacock (@GraemePeacock1) July 22, 2026

…The Government stresses that the “permanence” of marriage will be strengthened by enabling more questioning of candidates ahead of their weddings.

“Many couples have a religious-only wedding that reflects their faith and traditions, followed by a separate legal ceremony — or no legal ceremony at all. Research shows around two thirds of women who had a religious-only Muslim wedding did not also have a separate legal ceremony,” the consultation document says.

“To protect against forced, predatory and sham marriages, couples must complete a two-stage process, including in-person interview, to verify their identity and demonstrate eligibility to marry.”

Anglican banns of marriage would continue “as an important part of the established Church”, the document says.

Read it all.

Couples will be able to marry almost anywhere, including forests, beaches, cruise ships at sea, canal boats, and at home, under Government proposals that “shift the focus from bricks and mortar to people and promises”. https://t.co/1C2vRDXkpE

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 17, 2026

As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand.

One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

So each of us shall give account of himself to God.

–Romans 14:1-12

Secondly, unless something almost miraculous happens, there will remain deep divisions over where those boundaries of legitimacy are to be drawn and over the implications for church teaching and discipline of drawing them in different places. Related to this are the questions noted above concerning our disagreement about the level of disagreement that we are having to navigate. Here the recent FAOC work must not be forgotten and in particular the implications need to be considered of its strong and clear statement (GS Misc 1406, paper 1, para 139), that 

it is a failure of Christian love for one side to declare what kind of disagreement is being experienced by the other. It must surely be the case that those who disagree with a given decision are themselves determinative of what kind of disagreement is in view, not the content majority. Those who dissent from the majority view or decision get to define the nature of their disagreement: if it is widely held that such-and-such a belief or practice calls into question apostolic communion or ecclesial communion, then the disagreement simply is a first- or second-order disagreement, regardless of whether the majority think it merely strains communion (third order).

This is the deeper problem with the approach of the amendment: it appears that those who conscientiously have come to a position which represents a rejection or expansion or development of traditional teaching seem to be demanding that those who are not convinced by their arguments should nevertheless accept that their view is now within a “legitimate range of theological perspectives” and/or that if a majority can be shown to hold this view as to what is legitimate then church practice needs to adapt to embrace the full range of perspectives. There is an attempt to jump from acknowledgment of an indisputable pluralism in reality (a range of views clearly exists) to a pluralism that recognises that range of views as acceptable, indeed, legitimate.

Thirdly, as noted in the first proposed amendment, part of the remit of the new group set up by the bishops is “pastoral reassurance”. This points to the fact that our disagreements over the previous two areas are such that some form of ecclesial reconfiguration will most likely prove to be necessary if any way is to be found, within the Church of England, for opposing views to be able to be officially approved and for the opposing sides in votes such as that this week in Synod, to be able to co-exist well, even flourish. This might be understood as institutionally enabling some recognised form of principled pluralism that comes to terms with both the pluralist reality and the impossibility of sufficiently widespread acceptance of that pluralism being formally accepted as legitimate within the current episcopal and synodical structures. 

It was the refusal of the bishops to seriously address these matters of “pastoral reassurance” or “good differentiation” that in large part contributed to the winding up of the LLF/PLF process. We could continue with a “head in the sand” refusal to grapple with the ecclesiological implications of our deep disagreements about discipleship and about the legitimate range of discipleship options the Church of England can recognise and bless. The experience of this last, short debate in this recent Synod is, however, a further pointer to the fact that if we do not face this question head-on and with honesty and theological rigour early in the new Synod then, barring a sea-change one way or the other in the election results, and perhaps also now in the House of Bishops, we are simply preparing for continued unresolvable conflict and pain in the next five years.

Read it all.

Andrew Goddard on the Helen King motion discussion at CofE General @synod 'This is the deeper problem with the approach of the amendment: it appears that those who conscientiously have come to a position which represents a rejection or expansion or development of traditional… pic.twitter.com/U3ZkfLUbBN

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) July 20, 2026

Patristics, theology, and right sense in public discourse lost a giant. On June 6 of this year, Robert Louis Wilken passed from this life at the age of eighty-nine. He leaves behind his beloved wife of sixty-six years, Carol, their family and loved ones, and many admirers who know him through his books. 

Before he was a prolific author, Robert was an avid reader. He loved books. In an act of great generosity, he emailed me on April 29, 2022: “The time has come to dispose of my library. Is it possible that the Dominican House of Studies would be interested?” My Pontifical Faculty at the House of Studies in Washington, DC was very glad to receive well over 1,500 books and other library materials from him. I told the librarians that if they saw underlining and marginalia inscribed in the books, they should realize that the books were made even more valuable. Those scribbles were the marks of Robert Wilken! 

Robert’s life traces a fascinating intellectual and spiritual journey. Raised in a devout Lutheran family, he wanted at a young age to go into ministry. After attending a Lutheran prep school in Texas, Robert went to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis where he studied under his early mentor, Arthur Carl Piepkorn. Piepkorn himself had done doctoral studies at the University of Chicago, and Robert followed his example. Robert became not only a Lutheran pastor, but also a well-trained professor specializing in the Fathers of the Church. In 1994, in the little St. Thomas Chapel of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., Robert entered into full communion with the Catholic Church. By doing so, he became one of the Catholic Church in America’s leading scholars. 

Robert held a unique place in the academy. No other person served as president of these three societies: the North American Patristics Society (1985-86), the American Academy of Religion (1989), and the Academy of Catholic Theology (2012-13). 

Read it all.

Robert Louis Wilken, who died yesterday, was a giant of church history. His work on early Christian thought is incisive & so well-written that it’s a joy to read. I assigned his books in my classes & met him on numerous occasions. A true scholar & a faithful disciple of Christ. pic.twitter.com/fvaAb5GDAA

— Ryan N. Danker (@RyanNDanker) June 8, 2026

But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things; for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.

Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-a′ven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are but few.” So about three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of them, and chased them before the gate as far as Sheb′arim, and slew them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

Then Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why hast thou brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?”

The Lord said to Joshua, “Arise, why have you thus fallen upon your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own stuff. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become a thing for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in the midst of you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted things from among you.”

–Joshua 7:1-13

On the seventh day they rose early at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times: it was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout; for the Lord has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Then they utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and asses, with the edge of the sword.

–Joshua 6:15-21

Ms [Lyndall] Bywater encourages clergy to engage regularly in different types of prayer rather than “making prayer in our own image”, she says.

“Church leaders will also often have people coming to them who are struggling with prayer, and it is important to be able to help them understand how their personality interfaces with their spirituality.

“Are they essentially cataphatic: preferring knowledge and understanding? Or are they apophatic: preferring mystery and deep questioning? Do they love the task of prayer most, or the relationship of prayer? Where and how have they previously connected with God in helpful ways?

“If leaders can ask these questions and understand how to help people based on the answers, then many more people would develop a deep love for prayer.”

MOST people feel guilty about prayer, believing that they are bad at it, Ms Bywater says. Part of that comes from a “work hard, be passionate” personality, and part from comparing themselves with others, she says.

While recognising that prayer is a discipline and involves choices about making space in our lives to pray, Ms Bywater says: “What prayer is — the conversation with God — I refuse to believe it’s possible to be bad at that.

Read it all.

"One difficulty that faces ordinands as they leave the formation of their training institutions, is teaching prayer to an unchurched generation." Loved this piece. https://t.co/RfaRNaP3gB

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) July 17, 2026

As many are aware, the Final Order from the trial of Bp. Ruch in 2025 (the 71-page document, not the decision itself) left many concerns about how the trial was conducted. After consulting with the Provincial Executive Committee, our Diocese proposed two resolutions to be considered at Provincial Council. One called for the public release of the full trial transcript. The other called for the public release of the final investigation report already commissioned by the Province. 

The two resolutions to the Council, that were the result of the work of our Bishop and Standing Committee with the Executive Committee of the ACNA, were consequently withdrawn without prejudice on the day they were to be debated and voted upon. This withdrawal was not the result of any attempt to thwart the purpose of these resolutions, nor did it represent a lack of resolve on our part. Rather, God opened a door for us to gain fuller access to the proceedings of the Ruch trial through the above-mentioned agreement with the Court for the Trial of a Bishop. We are now in a very favorable position with our chancellor Ben Hagood taking the lead in the inquiry.

Because all of this happened on the ground in Tulsa and Bishop Edgar was the only one of us present, he took the lead in the negotiations. The Standing Comittee President was informed of the opportunity on Wednesday night and was an early part of the decision to withdraw the resolutions. The Standing Committee and Bishop regret the lack of process these deadlines prevented as well as the void of information that existed in the aftermath. We wholeheartedly believe that the work of this inquiry and its release to the Standing Committees of the Province represents a large step forward in our quest for transparency.

With the trial of the Archbishop currently set to begin on September 7, we will again redouble our prayers for the health and welfare of the Anglican Church in North America and our Diocese. 

Read it all.

The ACNA has posted a "Potential Timeline" for what may happen procedurally after the trial of Abp Wood, assuming it goes ahead with its currently scheduled starting date of September 7. pic.twitter.com/tJraKclI2i

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) July 15, 2026

While the people of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. And on the morrow after the passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased on the morrow, when they ate of the produce of the land; and the people of Israel had manna no more, but ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, “What does my lord bid his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Put off your shoes from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

–Joshua 5:10-15

A hazy Peak District sunset – the low sun lighting the swaying grasses, the barn full of gathered hay and swooping swallows, and the quiet country lane stretching away into the still-warm fields. These are my memories of summer as a child and I love that they're still my present… pic.twitter.com/K2mSWv8gd8

— peaklass (@peaklass1) July 17, 2026

An investigation into why the public have lost confidence in the Church of England is required, the General Synod heard on Monday afternoon.

The Rector of St Bartholomew’s, Smithfield, Fr Marcus Walker (London), speaking during a debate on the report Trust and Trustworthiness in the Church of England, observed that all 16 members of the laity interviewed for the report were involved in the Church’s structures (News, 3 July). They comprised six diocesan secretaries, and ten lay chairs or members of General Synod.

“The elephant in the room — the elephant herd harrumphing around the report — is all of those who are outside, alongside, walking with the household of faith,” he said.

“The people who have not lost faith from within the institution of the Church, but who have lost trust in the institution of the Church. Who have lost trust in the Church and its mission. . .

Read it all.

An investigation into why the public have lost confidence in the Church of England is required, the General #Synod heard on Monday afternoon#trust #churchnews #churchtimeshttps://t.co/mJy7udBTA3

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 14, 2026

I’m pre-writing your obituary. I hope it does not have to get published immediately, but I did feel it would be interesting to have you speak to people from beyond the grave, if it does get published. So: Do you have anything you would like to say?

In the past few months, I had to make an interesting choice to go on this clinical trial that’s pretty nasty. And you do a little bit of introspection: What’s the point of extending life a couple of months? My girls are now 24 and 22, so they are launched and are doing well. And my wife is mindful of the truth that death is a wicked thief, but she is not despairing at all through this. So I really think that I made the choice to do this clinical trial and extend the few months of life because my boy’s only 14. I want him to have a dad for a little bit longer and slap him upside the head and love on him.

But it’s really a function of the two great commands, trying to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves.

And what does it look like to live well in this time? For me, these months have been largely about my son, Breck, but they’re also more broadly about the challenge of what it means to raise kids in this time and place. We spend so much time talking about the jobs apocalypse in light of AI and the digital revolution. And that’s an interesting question. I care about it a lot. But much more fundamental than just the paid-vocation piece, the jobs piece, is what does it mean to be human in this time when we’ve got technological tools that are distorting reality in such fundamental ways?

I think we have a big, big collective action problem of what it means to raise kids in a world that will be this disrupted this frequently. People who are 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 years old are going to have their world upended again and again. What are the fundamental truths and roots that give life meaning and place meaning? I’ve been reflecting about that a lot.

America works and thrives to the degree that people have thick local communities and places and small platoons and congregations to assemble for worship on Sunday morning and throughout the week. Right now, I think we’re living through a period of institutional collapse, and we’re going to need to go through a wave of Tocquevillian institution-building. We’ve been mostly harvesting the consumer benefits of a technology revolution without acknowledging the production, vocational, and communal costs of burning all the districts where local community happens.

Read it all.

“I’m better at thanking God for the gifts he gives us. And it makes me more aware of my childlike dependence upon him.”@BenSasse spoke to CT from his hospital room as he underwent cancer treatment, discussing life, death, and our true hope in Christ.https://t.co/YimbwA6InI

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) July 14, 2026

When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe; and Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever.”

–Joshua 4:1-7

Tulips in terracotta pots at York Museum Gardens in the centre of York, North Yorkshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/11MTbrD0zJ

— Pictures from the United Kingdom (@PicturesfromUK) July 16, 2026

In the report on Trust and Trustworthiness which we will consider as a Synod, Professor Veronica Hope Hailey and Professor David Ford have helped us to discern how trust and trustworthiness might be restored within the life of the church. Relationships of trust are the soil from which hope springs. If hope is the fruit, trust is the root. And roots grow slowly, with patience, listening, and the steady work of walking together.

Across our Church there is no shortage of passion, conviction, or commitment. Indeed, Prof Hope Hailey expresses her amazement in the report at how deeply committed you and your fellow church members are to the Church. Yet many of us would recognise that commitment is not trust, and the trust we do see is fragile. Many in the Church have been wounded. We cannot simply vote trust into existence, as if those wounds will heal with the raising of a few hands. Neither can we create hope through anxiety, fear or urgency.

Christian hope is the confidence that God is still at work, tending the soil, tilling the earth, sending the rain and the snow, planting the seed. These are all acts of hope, built on trust that God is at work even when we don’t see the results just yet. God’s word will not return empty. God is faithful – we need not act from fear; we need not act from anxiety; and we need not imagine that the future of the Church rests solely in our hands.

Read it all.

“Many in the Church have been wounded,” and, to heal, trust must be nurtured, the #ArchbishopofCanterbury said in her sermon at York Minster on Sunday, midway through the meeting of General #Synod#churchnews #churchtimes https://t.co/eMFF3imrDC

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 12, 2026

You may listen directly here:

Or you may download it there.

Or you may watch it there:

Philosopher Marshall McLuhan famously notes the medium is the message. As a result, many evangelical churchgoers are growing weary. The old church buildings and services of our grandparents’ childhood may have appeared boring and irrelevant—designed as they were for prayer and silent reflection, weddings, baptisms, and funerals—but since our present churches have been optimized for entertainment and advertisement, we’re beginning to feel the loss. The message, indeed, must be heard; but man cannot live on truth alone. Without beauty in particular, the soul starves.

Don’t get me wrong. Our megachurch parking lots are still mostly full on Sunday mornings. But the lots remain full of cars in much the same way that our Instagram feeds remain full of content: The people are still coming, but they aren’t exactly thrilled to be there. Exhaustion has set in.

A certain subtle odor, resembling the beginning of mainline decline, can now be sensed in the nondenominational evangelical corner of the world. The growing cracks in the empire appear to be coinciding with a new and widespread interest in more traditional forms of Christianity. I can’t even count the number of conversations I’ve had recently with young evangelicals pondering conversion to Catholicism or the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In my own community, we are in the early stages of developing a new (old) parish model of church, focusing on three key attributes—local, restful, and holy—that act as an antidote to the disembodied, frenetic, and addicted spirit of our helplessly online age.

To me, at least, this is where we must go.

Read it all.

A vision for the future church as local, restful, and holy—as an antidote to our helplessly online age.https://t.co/PgfBuYSaFf

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) July 15, 2026

Do not forsake me, O Lord!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!

–Psalm 38:21-22

Superbe vue de la Pointe du Van par Ronan Follic #Finistère #Bretagne #MagnifiqueBretagne #BaladeSympa #MagnifiqueFrance pic.twitter.com/Y2HekH7kLY

— Gwénaël Santerre (@Gsterre) July 15, 2026

Finally, I wanted to update you on Provincial Council and Assembly with a particular eye towards the Resolutions our Diocese presented to the Provincial Council.

You likely heard that our two resolutions to Provincial Council that came from a meeting of our Standing Committee and the Executive Committee of the ACNA, were withdrawn without prejudice on the day they were to be debated and voted upon. This withdrawal was not the result of any attempt to thwart the purpose of these resolutions, nor did it represent a lack of resolve on our part. God opened a door for us to gain an even fuller access to the proceedings of the Ruch trial through an agreement with the Court for the Trial of a Bishop. We are now in a very favorable position with our chancellor Ben Hagood taking the lead in an inquiry into those proceedings.

This all happened on the ground in Tulsa. It began with an offer that answered what we had originally requested—a review of the courts process. It became a conversation about the nature of the review and how this inquiry would proceed. I kept Shay Gaillard, President of the Standing Committee, informed of these matters, and he offered his counsel and advice. After Provincial Council, I went on a retreat and haven’t had the opportunity to update you until now. I believe, and the Standing Committee has affirmed this, that the work of this inquiry and its future release to the Standing Committees of the Province represents a large step forward in our quest for transparency.

I wanted to send this letter before I leave town so that you would be up to date on these matters. I also want you to pray for the trial of the Archbishop currently set to begin on September 7, for the health and welfare of the ACNA, and for our Diocese.

Read it all.

ACNA legislative news: Bp Chip Edgar (South Carolina), joined by Bp Chris Warner (Mid-Atlantic), withdrew the diocese's 2 resolutions seeking the release of the Ruch trial transcripts & the eventual third-party report on the Ruch investigation. 🧵 https://t.co/lYhxW83zqL pic.twitter.com/NH7xhk0rsG

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) June 18, 2026

The Court for the Trial of a Bishop is aware of recent commentary within the wider church concerning
the Court’s proceedings and communications. The Court does not intend to respond to every public
statement, nor will it litigate this matter in the public square. The Court does, however, believe it is
right to remind the faithful of the solemn foundation upon which its work rests.

At its commissioning and seating, this Court was constituted in prayer and sworn before Almighty
God by the Acting Ecclesiastical Authority of the Province. Each member of the Court solemnly
declared, in the presence of Almighty God, a willingness to serve to the very best of his or her ability.
Each member promised to support, defend, and be guided by God’s Holy Word and the Constitution
and Canons of the Anglican Church in North America in all deliberations. Each member promised to
approach every matter before the Court with an open heart and mind, without prejudice, malice, or
guile. Each member promised to treat every person who comes before the Court with the respect and
dignity due a Child of God washed in the blood of the Lamb.

These are not ceremonial formalities. They are binding oaths, made before God and His Church, and
the Court will conduct these proceedings accordingly. The Court was commissioned with the prayer
that it be saved from all error, ignorance, prejudice, and pride, and that the order and discipline of
Christ’s Church may be maintained. That prayer governs the Court’s work each day.

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The ACNA's Court for the Trial of a Bishop has stated awareness of commentary on its proceedings and communications ahead of the trial of Abp Steve Wood, and requests refraining from "speculation and public contention." pic.twitter.com/yMiClmAm2z

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) July 10, 2026

THIS MATTER is set for trial beginning September 7, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.
Counsel for all parties shall also appear at a calendar call via Zoom at 1:30 p.m. EDT on
September 4, 2026. The trial will be held in Charleston, South Carolina from September 7-12,

2026. The specific courtroom location will be provided in advance of the calendar call.

Read it all.

The ACNA's Court for the Trial of a Bishop has issued a new scheduling order regulating more discovery ahead of Abp Steve Wood's trial, which is set for September 7. pic.twitter.com/VXY8dGP1Vz

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) July 9, 2026

“For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ”˜Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ”˜Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ”˜Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ”˜Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ”˜Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ”˜You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’

–Matthew 25:14-30

Clashnessie Falls, Assynt Wilderness, North-Western Highlands, Emily in Scotland!💙 pic.twitter.com/8PTxNr1e0c

— Flor Corte (@Flora86ZN) July 14, 2026

Despite the well-intended efforts of the Church, the prayer was widely mocked on social media. As a result, vicars and lay members of the General Synod raised their concerns in writing, asking: “Is there a requirement for staff writing such prayers to be practising Christians?”

Despite the well-intended efforts of the Church, the prayer was widely mocked on social media. As a result, vicars and lay members of the General Synod raised their concerns in writing, asking: “Is there a requirement for staff writing such prayers to be practising Christians?”

Among those who criticised the prayer, published last month, were commentators such as the Rev Jamie Franklin. On his Irreverend podcast, he described it as poorly written, theologically shallow, embarrassingly unserious and a perfect symbol of the institution’s current woes.

A post on the Anglican Ordinariate Forum on Facebook read: “The Church of England insists on making a mockery of itself and of prayer.”

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A prayer for the World Cup 2026. ⚽ pic.twitter.com/32I2TgC2it

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) June 11, 2026

“So I’m going to try two things just to get your juices flowing. So the first thing I want to do, we’re in Mark, we’re still in the first nine chapters, so we’re mostly in and around Galilee. And we’ve said in chapter 10, he goes from Galilee to Jerusalem, and then chapter 11, he’s in Jerusalem basically to the end.
So it’s got a nice geographical break up, nine chapters, a transition chapter, and then the final five chapters. And if you know Mark, you know that chapter 16 ends very abruptly at the resurrection. And they were afraid, that’s the last word of Mark’s gospel, which people like to change, so they wrote a whole other edition at the end.

The two things that I want to introduce just to get your juices flowing, the first thing I want to do is I want to say something about this word CLAIM. And we’ve talked about Jesus’ authority again and again. So what we’re going to confront today is something very interesting, and it’s kind of an interesting way to go about Mark’s gospel.”

“So one of the things that Mark is acutely trying to do, especially at the beginning of his gospel, is to give us an incredibly broad and deep sense of Jesus’ authority. And we’ve talked about this again and again and again. We’ve talked about his authority in chapter four and chapter five and into the beginning of chapter six.
And you’ve got these four stories. So four ends with the stilling of the storm. Five begins with the garrisoned demoniac.
Then you get the story of Jairus’ daughter at the end of chapter five, which is interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood. And she’s healed. And then at the end of chapter five, you get the raising of Jairus’ daughter.
So you have Jesus’ authority over nature, stilling of the storm, peace be still. Jesus’ authority over evil and demonic, the garrisoned demoniac. Jesus’ authority over sickness, which is the woman with the issue of blood.”

“And then you have Jesus’ authority over death itself with the raising of Jairus’ daughter. And the whole point is Jesus Christ is Lord. So when Matthew’s gospel ends, before the Great Commission, I point this out all the time, the Great Commission is, go therefore into all nations and baptize them and teach them all that I’ve commanded you.
You know that very well. But what is often left out is what he says before that, which is, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And you remember one of my favorite illustrations of the Lordship of Jesus is one of the great Dutch theologians of all time [Abraham Kuyper] who’s speaking at the Free University of Amsterdam, and it’s at a secular university.
And he says in the middle of this lecture, in this very secular place, he says, there is not one square inch of the whole of creation where God does not say, this is mine, this belongs to me. So one of the things about the image that Jesus is being given in Mark is, he has an authority and he makes a claim. And this is the thing about meeting Jesus…the Jesus that you meet in Mark’s Gospel is anything but safe, right? They don’t feel safe in the back of the boat, the Gerasene demoniac doesn’t feel safe, and Jairus doesn’t feel safe with his daughter getting ready to die and then she actually dies. So there’s this huge claim and it’s again and again, Jesus has claim over the, over the synagogue, he has claim over the, my father’s house is being made a den of robbers.
He has claim over the Old Testament scriptures. So Jesus Christ is Lord, but it’s not a neutral Lord. It’s Jesus Christ is king.
One of my favorite lines from the Book of Acts is, these people are proclaiming that, that there’s another king and that everything belongs to him. They’re, they’re proclaiming not that Caesar is king, but that Jesus is king. So they’re, they’re seditious.”

“That was one of the accusations of the early Christians, is these people are completely seditious and undermining the public order, because they’re proclaiming that somebody else, aside from our government, has ultimate authority. And that’s a constant theme. Now, here’s the thing about this morning’s text that’s so important is, what I want to do is just for a second, I want to combine this idea with a counter idea.
And the counter idea is this. So Jesus makes claim, Jesus has authority, Jesus Christ is Lord. So this is a positive affirmation, right?
Okay, now, here’s, this is us, okay? We don’t have any claim. So part of the power of what Mark is trying to portray is, not just that Jesus has a claim over absolutely everything, right, but that at the same time we do not have any claim….

You may listen directly here:

Or you may download it there.

Jesus said to the Canaanite woman, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” -Matthew 15:28 #GospeloftheDay “Jesus and the Woman of Canaan” by Michael Angelo Immenraet (1673) #CatholicArt pic.twitter.com/F3FKNVXoNi

— Lady of Good Counsel (@ofgoodcounsel) August 7, 2019

And it was told the king of Jericho, “Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, “True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

–Joshua 2:2-9

🧡💛Guten Morgen, ihr Lieben💛🧡

Eine neue Woche wartet auf uns.
Ich wünsche euch einen sonnigen, und bunten Montag! pic.twitter.com/sk3iTwsrnx

— Brigitta Neurauter (@BrigittaNeurau2) July 13, 2026

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

–Joshua 1:1-9

This week I'm wandering through hidden medieval York – from the ancient timbers of St. William's College to the city's remarkable snickelways.

Come and join me in the latest Genius Loci Digest. 👉 https://t.co/jBKdHcEMk3 pic.twitter.com/a6tJQQicaZ

— Andy Marshall 📸 (@fotofacade) July 12, 2026

But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

–Romans 10:14-21

Good Morning and a happy weekend (Packwood) pic.twitter.com/sdFWPCVRcP

— Terry (@No1GhostDog) July 11, 2026

Adroit, acerbic, and dry in his selective use of examples, Norman instanced Dr Robert McAfee Brown, Professor of World Christianity at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Addressing the World Council of Churches in 1975, in the guise of a penitent who now realised that he was a sinner, the Professor confessed his embodiment of “racism, sexism, classism, and imperialism”, and spoke of Jesus as a “liberator”, to be “identified with the demands of oppressed people”.

Another instance nearer to home was that of a sincere Anglican cleric interviewed on the radio, extolling the Sex Pistols’ song to change the world order as a model of true “Christian prophecy”.

Unconvinced by this unlikely juxtaposition, Norman highlighted the lacunae in the punk-rock gospel: nothing about the Christ who was the Lord of history or the sin that affects liberator and oppressor alike; silence concerning the need for the repentance and forgiveness, which are fundamental to prayer and spiritual maturity, or any acknowledgement of the final judgement of all human actions. Absent, too, was the unique Christian teaching concerning the place and ultimate end of humanity, along with any serious critique of secular visions of the future for the forsaken of this world.

The lecture series was praised for its clarity, intellectual depth, and the way in which it had facilitated a serious discussion of the relationship between Christianity, politics, and contemporary society.

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Edward Norman, who died in April, deplored the politicisation of Christianity, writes Rod Garner https://t.co/Bs176KKzH4

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 10, 2026