Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

–Philippians 1:1-11

Morning everyone I hope you are well. As usual a bit of brightness to start the week. Descending from Loughrigg towards Grasmere. Have a great day.#LakeDistrict pic.twitter.com/j2VAnZcmlu

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) September 8, 2025

God of constant mercy,
who sent your Son to save us:
By your Spirit remind us of your goodness,
increase your grace within us,
that our thankfulness may grow,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen (slightly edited-KSH).

Dappled Morning Sky. 18°C. Sparrows in the hedgerow. pic.twitter.com/MdtYSIpN0A

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) September 7, 2025

My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat,
    and my mouth praises thee with joyful lips,
when I think of thee upon my bed,
    and meditate on thee in the watches of the night;
for thou hast been my help,
    and in the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to thee;
    thy right hand upholds me.

–Psalm 63:5-8

In uns selbst ist Ruhe und ein Heilungszentrum, in das wir uns zurückziehen können, wenn es draußen zu laut und hektisch wird.
☀️🌳🌸☀️🌳🌸☀️🌳🌸☀️🌳🌸☀️
Guten Morgen und einen schönen, entspannten Sonntag wünsche ich euch allen. pic.twitter.com/9d1WCR6cPu

— Brigitta Neurauter (@BrigittaNeurau2) September 7, 2025

Almighty God, whose only-begotten Son led captivity captive: Multiply among us faithful witnesses like thy servant Hannah More, who will fight for all who are oppressed or held in bondage; and bring us all, we pray, into the glorious liberty that thou hast promised to all thy children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Writer & anti-slavery campaigner Hannah More (1745-1833) of Bristol was one of the original Bluestockings: 18th century women championing the inclusion of women in intellectual discussions. Hannah established schools in Somerset so less fortunate children could be taught to read. pic.twitter.com/zKwibdlvYW

— The Women of Wessex #XX (@WomenOfWessex) July 29, 2023

O Holy Spirit, Who abhorrest all uncleanness and rejoicest and delightest to dwell in pure and innocent hearts: I beseech Thee by Thy mercies that, as I owe to Thy loving-kindness this glorious treasure which I carry in an earthen vessel, so I may keep it safe by Thy goodness, and daily pleasing Thee more and more with undefiled soul and body, may come to that life which knows no corruption, in which Thou livest and reignest with the Father and the Son.     

–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)

Today's view near the border with Austria #Dolimites ⛰️ pic.twitter.com/Rc8ve0Cn1p

— Sarah Lister (@ABTheAdventure) September 5, 2025

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.

 For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

–Psalm 30:4-5

Viele Wege führen zum Ziel.
Einer davon führt über die Berge.
💙🌞Schönes Wochenende🌞💙
💛 🍀Happy weekend🍀💛 pic.twitter.com/hCZnSqxJMu

— Brigitta Neurauter (@BrigittaNeurau2) September 6, 2025

One of the most quoted metaphors in the early days of the ACNA was that we were “flying the plane while building it.” Apt—and dangerous. Circumstances in those first months demanded urgency. We “ready–fired–aimed” the Province into existence, united in our goal: the restoration and renewal of biblical Anglicanism in North America.

Another favorite image came from the maritime world. In those tense days, TEC was likened to the Titanic, already struck by the iceberg of modern secular liberalism. The ship of the church was taking on water and would soon sink. Those who could launch lifeboats or lashed together the flotsam and jetsam into makeshift rafts. Out in open water, people could jump from lifeboat to lifeboat while waiting for rescue from our Global South friends—our ecclesial Carpathian.

It was all very compelling.

And then there was Shakespeare’s line from The Tempest: “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” Anglo-Catholics, charismatics, and evangelicals agreed to be strange bedfellows—if only for the sake of getting off the runway—to mix our metaphors.

Since “bedfellows” isn’t the most appealing picture—who really wants to sleep together anyway?—we borrowed a gentler idea from Psalm 46:4: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. One river, three streams. Many clergy and bishops even claimed to be “all three.”

But the reality was more fragile than the slogans. Compromises were stamped with a large “TBD.” Let’s get along for now so we can get going.

Read it all.

I fully agree with @DHRoseberry’s conclusion in today’s article. https://t.co/8EkxYBMktE pic.twitter.com/SQH9G3VAfQ

— Fr. Ron Offringa (@RonOffringa) August 12, 2025

During our two-hour lunch, we cover a lot of ground: from nuclear threats (“A normal person assisted by AI will soon be able to build bioweapons and that is terrible. Imagine if an average person in the street could make a nuclear bomb”) to his own AI habits (it is “extremely useful”) and how the chatbot became an unlikely third wheel in his most recent break-up.

But first, Hinton launches into an enthusiastic mini-seminar on why artificial intelligence is an appropriate term: “By any definition of intelligence, AI is intelligent.” Registering the humanities graduate before him, he uses half a dozen different analogies to convince me that AI’s experience of reality is not so distinct from that of humans.

“It seems very obvious to me. If you talk to these things and ask them questions, it understands,” Hinton continues. “There’s very little doubt in the technical community that these things will get smarter.”

Read it all.

Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton: ‘AI will make a few people much richer and most people poorer’ https://t.co/RZu9DMxw7p

— Financial Times (@FT) September 5, 2025

Back in the 20th century, bored scholars had to make do with flicking rubber bands at their classmates, doodling in their textbooks or staring out of the window. Modern technology has revolutionised slacking. Most teenagers in the rich world own smartphones. Many are allowed to bring them into classrooms, where each provides a bottomless source of apps designed to be as compelling—and distracting—as possible.

A backlash is under way, as parents and teachers worry about the effects on classroom performance. On August 27th South Korea passed a ban on smartphones in classrooms. Governments from China to Finland, as well as dozens of American states, have introduced bans and restrictions of varying severity. The Economist is queasy about micromanaging the job of head teachers to such a degree—but schools that still welcome smartphones would be wise to think again.

This may seem fusty and technophobic. It is not. Even diehard libertarians agree that children do not always know what is in their own interests. Nor does banishing phones from maths lessons mean depriving children of experience with modern technology. They get plenty of that outside school; gaps can be patched up in dedicated lessons.

Read it all.

Smartphones are far from the only problem schools face. But they are one that is easy to solve https://t.co/4ivUs7mZgn

Photo: Shutterstock pic.twitter.com/KlelrkBzHB

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) September 4, 2025

China is undertaking a large-scale build-out of infrastructure along its eastern coast, including air and naval sites that show its growing readiness for a potential conflict over Taiwan.

Satellite images and other open-source material examined by The Wall Street Journal illustrate how these facilities would strengthen China’s hand if it launched an invasion of the island democracy. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has pledged to take it, by force if necessary.

The sites range from a large new base for amphibious warships to a multibillion-dollar airport that sits around 3 miles from front-line Taiwanese islands. “All of it goes to supporting China’s one military planning scenario, which is a Taiwan scenario,” said Michael Dahm, a retired U.S. Navy intelligence officer and senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies who closely tracks these projects.

Read it all.

How China’s New Naval and Air Sites Would Aid an Attack on Taiwan—Satellite images show major infrastructure expansion, including on the Taiwan Strait@NiharikaSM https://t.co/YKNu0YP3KThttps://t.co/YKNu0YP3KT

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) September 5, 2025

Almighty God, whose servant Katharina Zell toiled for the reform of thy church both in word and in deed: Fill us with the wisdom to speak out in defense of thy truth, with love for thee and for our neighbor, that we may serve thee and welcome all thy people with a mother’s heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

500 yrs ago today, 3 December 1523, Matthäus Zell, a Protestant Reformer based at Strasbourg, married Katharina Schütz (-Zell). The idea of clerical marriage, which we now consider commonplace, was unfamiliar & scandalous to most people in the early 1520s.#ILoveTheReformation pic.twitter.com/yIXGCYfDI2

— Stephen Eccher (@Stephen_Eccher) December 4, 2023

Almighty God, only giver of all mercies, whose Son, Jesus Christ, has taught us how to pray aright: Save us, we beseech thee, from all presumption in our prayer, and grant unto us the grace of humility and contrition; that we may, sharing the vision of thine apostle Saint Paul, know that it is by the grace of God alone that we are what we are, and that we can do nothing but through the strengthening of thy Son, Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

September mornings 🧡 pic.twitter.com/GhF2wZhWST

— Alison O’Neill ~ Shepherdess (@woolismybread) September 5, 2025

‘But I trust in thee, O Lord,
I say, “Thou art my God.”
My times are in thy hand’

–Psalm 31:14-15a

The Mont Saint Michel rising above a sea low fog, captured on a beautiful morning last spring…
Sometimes the coolest shots happens just few km from home 😉. pic.twitter.com/8CvRE5kKhA

— Armand Sarlangue (@ArmandSarlangue) September 4, 2025

The Suffragan Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Revd Beverley Mason, has announced her resignation, after being away from the diocese for nearly two years.

Announcing the decision on Wednesday in a letter to the diocese, Bishop Mason said that she did not know what her future held, but she thanked supporters for their friendship and prayers.

The Interim Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd Ruth Worsley, said on Wednesday: “It is with heavy hearts we receive this news today. We are thankful for all that Bishop Bev has given in her ministry among us here in the Liverpool diocese. She goes with our love and prayers for the future.”

Bishop Mason has been on a leave of absence from Liverpool diocese since autumn 2023, and revealed in January that this was connected to a complaint that she had made about the then Bishop of Liverpool, Dr John Perumbalath. Dr Perumbalath resigned after Bishop Mason and another woman made allegations of misconduct against him, which he denied (News, 31 January).

Read it all.

The Suffragan Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Revd Beverley Mason, has announced her resignation, after being away from the diocese for nearly two yearshttps://t.co/VB4gIbsrgb

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 4, 2025

Scientists have used artificial intelligence to choreograph teams of robots to work together without colliding, an advance that promises to boost the efficiency of carmaking and other complex production lines.

The system, known as RoboBallet, potentially allows machine troupes to plan their work faster and complete more tasks, according to research from UCL and Alphabet’s subsidiaries Google DeepMind and Intrinsic. The project shows how AI is driving efforts for industrial process optimisation, as developers seek to solve long-standing problems of robot team members getting in each other’s way.

“RoboBallet transforms industrial robotics into a choreographed dance, where each arm moves with precision, purpose, and awareness of its teammates,” said Matthew Lai, a researcher at UCL Computer Science and Google DeepMind. “It’s not just about avoiding crashes; it’s about achieving harmony at scale.

Read it all.

AI ‘robot ballet’ promises to choreograph production line gains https://t.co/NNZ3ymsZtg

— FT Technology News (@fttechnews) September 3, 2025

At its military parade on Wednesday, China showcased hypersonic missiles to sink ships, drones that serve as wingmen and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that can strike the continental United States.

The jets that screamed across the sky and the columns of missiles and armored vehicles that rolled past Tiananmen Square in Beijing provided a rare look at China’s new weapons.

The massive military parade, presided over by China’s leader Xi Jinping, was a warning to his country’s prospective foes.

The anti-ship missiles seemed tailor-made to menace American forces in the Asia-Pacific region. Long-range rocket launchers magnified Beijing’s threat to Taiwan, the self-governed island democracy. The armored vehicles that can be dropped from planes appeared to extend China’s ability to defend its growing global interests.

If one theme stood out, analysts said, it was that the People’s Liberation Army is betting on unmanned systems to gain a potential edge in battle.

Read it all.

China’s Latest Missiles, Drones and Submarines, Up Closehttps://t.co/PYguT31WQg

— FJ (@Natsecjeff) September 3, 2025

While a tech future in AI, democracy, and environmental solutions might sound exciting to some and uncompelling to others, Christians have always had a nuanced and hopeful response to the world’s greatest difficulties. First, Christians can encourage a holistic perspective, and that applies to AI and the preservation of democracy. Tech leaders or engineers often see the world through the lens of their hammers and software programs, and it is easy to condemn them for their reductionist view of the world and its problems.

But an overspiritual view of the challenges of this world has the same problem; seeing our world only through the lens of morality (“Poor families are broken because of divorce” or “We should just consume less, and the food shortage problem would be solved”) is reductionistic as well.

A Christian worldview could help us understand the problems of our times by seeing any challenge more holistically. Dutch philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd argues there are 15 or more different aspects of being in any phenomenon. We should look at a thing not only technically and physically (how many there are, how it moves, where it is located, how it reacts in its environment) but also psychologically, legally, morally, religiously, and so on through other perspectives.

Read it all.

Neuralink, Mars colonization, transhumanism, an autocratic technocracy.

Can the tech bros save the world?https://t.co/WuaC9hDJbZ

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) September 4, 2025

Churchgoers  in the United States are increasingly mixing online and in-person worship, a new study suggests. Since the pandemic, many now attend several different churches.

The study, Exploring Pandemic Impact on Congregations, published by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, is based on a survey of 24,000 churchgoers in the US, carried out last autumn.

One quarter of respondents said that they regularly participated in both virtual services and in person. Newer churchgoers were more likely to attend both in person and online.

“By far, the most common reason [to attend online worship] is convenience,” the study said: it was given as a reason by nearly half (46 per cent) of respondents. Other reasons included illness, caring duties, and being homebound.

The study, Exploring Pandemic Impact on Congregations, published by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, is based on a survey of 24,000 churchgoers in the US, carried out last autumn.

One quarter of respondents said that they regularly participated in both virtual services and in person. Newer churchgoers were more likely to attend both in person and online.

Read it all.

Churchgoers in the #UnitedStates are increasingly mixing online and in-person worship, a new study suggests. Since the pandemic, many now attend several different churches https://t.co/H4HiOXRQGS

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 4, 2025

O Lord our God, who hast committed to us the glorious gospel of our risen Saviour and Master: Grant that as we joyfully receive the good news for ourselves, so we may gratefully share it with others, and ever give glory to thee, by whose grace alone we are what we are: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

I know I get a lot of stick for my gate obsession, which I really don't mind at all, but they're more than just a few planks of wood and an elegant cross-brace, aren't they?! They tell stories, they're the opening chapters of adventures, they symbolise new beginnings, different… pic.twitter.com/ky2FNSlJCc

— peaklass (@peaklass1) September 4, 2025

What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you that you judge your neighbor?

–James 4:1-12

Ich wünsche euch allen einen wunderschönen guten Morgen 😊 pic.twitter.com/HVlaaC2xwt

— Renate Umundum (@RUmundum) September 4, 2025

Archdeacon Betteridge described the announcement on Thursday as “an amazing privilege”. She said: “Whenever anyone has offered to pray for me in this new role I have asked for wisdom, kindness and courage. I’d like these qualities to be hallmarks of this new phase of ministry for me.”

She will become the first female bishop of Basingstoke when she is consecrated in Southwark Cathedral on 15 October. She will be formally welcomed at a service at St Mary’s, Andover, on Saturday 15 November.

Archdeacon Betteridge enjoys reading, baking, live music and theatre, and walking. She is married to Simon, who is the National Director of Linking Lives and head of community development for Compassionate Communities UK. She has two stepchildren. “With their partners, our granddaughter, parents, siblings, and cats, we have our own growing community of blessedness,” she said.

The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, said that she combined “a warm pastoral heart” with strong experience in parish ministry and diocesan leadership. “She has a deep passion for growing a church for all ages, and her ministry has been very much appreciated by the clergy of her current Archdeaconry,” he said.

Read it all.

The next Suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke is to be the Ven. Kelly Betteridge, the present Archdeacon of Bodmin, in the diocese of Truro, Downing Street announced on Thursday#BishopofBasingstoke #Bishopappointments #churchnews https://t.co/63WtYx3Yal

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) August 29, 2025

A major new initiative that will see the Good News of Jesus blaze across the hearts of children and young people in Lancashire launched this week.

The Ignite Project is part of the Diocese of Blackburn’s ambitious vision to see Jesus made known amongst the younger generation in the County. Funding for the project follows a generous grant from the national church.

The Diocese knows that employing a youth or children’s minister is the biggest common factor to seeing sustainable growth of ministry to those age groups. So we are strategically placing 30 youth and children’s leaders in parishes across Lancashire to enable greater engagement with local young people.

Read it all.

(Lancashire Post) Ignite Project aims to fire up county's young people for Jesus https://t.co/vMi9aOgLvW 'The Diocese knows that employing a youth or children’s minister is the biggest common factor to seeing sustainable growth of ministry to those age groups. So we are…

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) September 3, 2025

American companies are once again beating profit expectations, but this time around they aren’t banking on blockbuster consumer spending to make it happen.

Instead, the latest batch of quarterly earnings is getting a lift from managers who are squeezing out costs, boosting productivity and turning to new technologies. Companies from Monster Beverage to Estée Lauder said they are holding down hiring, often while finding new ways to get employees to work more efficiently. And they are raising prices when they can.

“The processes are human-light now,” Damon Lee, chief financial officer of C.H. Robinson Worldwide , said last month as he told investors about an initiative that includes automation upgrades. The global logistics company reported higher profit margins in the second quarter despite a nearly 8% drop in revenue, which it attributed to a prolonged freight recession. It said it had increased productivity 35% since 2022.

“The outcome of those transformations means less head count, more productivity,” he said.

More broadly, the gains enjoyed by companies and their investors aren’t softening the unease consumers and employees feel—and might be obscuring signals that ordinary Americans are putting their anxiety into action.

Read it all.

For retailers, price increases have generated most of the growth in sales since 2021, with volumes largely flat. Meanwhile, companies are cutting staff on the margins and relying on new technologies to fill gaps. “The processes are human-light now." https://t.co/61FEHkzBCa pic.twitter.com/nprY1Qo2Mg

— Lisa Abramowicz (@lisaabramowicz1) September 3, 2025

Ukraine is pursuing a multibillion-dollar arms buildup that would be funded by Europe, seeing it as the best chance of ensuring the country’s long-term survival as American assistance dries up and Western security guarantees remain uncertain.

Kyiv wants not only to sustain its army through the current war but also to make it the backbone of any postwar settlement, with the goal of deterring Russia from invading again. As Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, recently put it: “Ukraine must become a steel porcupine, undigestible for potential invaders.”

At the center of these efforts is a new NATO-backed procurement system that will channel European funds into buying U.S. weapons for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes the system will enable $1 billion in purchases each month, with a particular focus on acquiring U.S.-made Patriot air-defense systems to expand Kyiv’s limited arsenal.

The new system would both help replace U.S. arms donations that President Trump has ended and also increase and streamline deliveries of weapons to Ukraine over time. A first sale of cruise missiles and GPS navigation kits, worth $825 million, was announced on Thursday.

Read it all.

Ukraine Pursues a Weapons Buildup More Potent Than Any Security Guarantee https://t.co/pEmO0N1JJZ via @NYTimes

— Luba Howard 🇺🇦 (@marynlm) September 3, 2025

Eternal God, who didst raise up thine servant Phoebe as a deacon in thy church and benefactor of the Gospel, such that she took the message of thine Apostle Paul into the very heart of a hostile empire; grant unto us thy same grace, that aided by her prayers and example, we too may take the Gospel unto the ends of the earth, Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today is also the feast of Saint Phoebe of Rome, a first century Christian woman. Mentioned by Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans as both a deacon and helper or patron of many (Greek prostatis), she was Paul’s personal envoy to the Romans. pic.twitter.com/2uMnhRtGzN

— Chess Valley RC (@ChessValleyRC) September 3, 2025

O God, who hast brought life and immortality to light by the gospel, and hast begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: Make us steadfast and immovable in the faith, always abounding in the work of the Lord, who died for our sins and rose again, and now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, world without end.

#Aurora at Skye Bridge, Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿@bbcweather @SkyNewsWeather @StormHour @ThePhotoHour @VisitScotland pic.twitter.com/mFsqWMGhyT

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) September 2, 2025

And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.

Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barab′bas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he was wont to do for them. And he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barab′bas instead.

–Mark 15:1-11

Morning everyone I hope you are well. As I always say, even in grey and moody weather there is still beauty to be found in the Lakes. Have a great day. #LakeDistrict pic.twitter.com/h8KdvKhb7h

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) September 3, 2025

The Church of England’s latest cathedral statistics show continued growth in 2024, with weekly attendance rising to 31,900, an increase of eleven per cent compared to 2023. The rise was driven particularly by midweek services, which saw a 15 per cent increase in adult attendance and a 16 per cent increase in child attendance, although still lower than the pre-pandemic figure. 

Easter services attracted 50,200 worshippers, a 12 per cent increase year-on-year, while Holy Week attendance reached 90,200. However, Christmas attendance dipped slightly to 121,100, down three per cent from 2023, and Advent services saw a similar decline. 

Visitor numbers continued to climb, reaching 9.87 million in 2024 – surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Cathedrals also hosted 6,000 public and civic events, including 370 graduation ceremonies, with a total attendance of 1.74 million. 

Musical life in cathedrals flourished, with 2,120 choristers and lay clerks (adult professional singers), and 2,070 voluntary choir members meaning figures are now above pre-pandemic levels. The total number of cathedral choirs also reached a record high of 207.

Read it all.

BREAKING:
The Church of England’s latest cathedral statistics show continued growth in 2024, with weekly attendance rising to 31,900, an increase of eleven per cent compared to 2023.

"By most measures, attendance, participation, and engagement were higher in 2024 than in…

— English Cathedrals (@engcathedrals) August 29, 2025

Tolkien later wrote that he began creating his Middle Earth mythology – the foundation for the future “The Lord of the Rings” – while “in grimy canteens, at lectures in cold fogs, in huts full of blasphemy and smut, or by candlelight in bell-tents, even some down in dugouts under shell fire.”

Yes, the man who survived days huddled in shell craters and trenches in France would later write, in a blank page in an Oxford student’s exam book, these famous words: “In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.”

Tolkien and Lewis remain stunningly popular – in print and on digital screens. A graphic novel by John Hendrix, “The Mythmakers: The remarkable fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien,” will soon become a feature-length animated film. Netflix recently began filming the latest movie and cable-television production based on “The Chronicles of Narnia,” the seven novels Lewis wrote for children and families. Another film linked to “The Lord of the Rings” – “The Hunt for Gollum” – is scheduled for 2026 release.

Loconte stressed that the faith woven into the works of Lewis and Tolkien was a sharp contrast to the despair and doubt found in many classic books after “The War to End All Wars,” which killed 16 to 22 million soldiers and civilians.

Read it all.

#Tolkien, #Lewis and great post-World War I myths https://t.co/Iepqr5gWB0

— Religion Unplugged (@ReligionMag) August 21, 2025

I fully recognize that many, if not most, readers don’t share my view that each embryo — and each unborn child with Down syndrome — is a human life worthy of protection under the law. But I would ask you to put aside thoughts of the law for just a moment and think carefully about the culture we’re creating, from the beginning to the end of life.

What happens when we make a transition from understanding that suffering is an inevitable part of the human condition, one that rallies people to love and care for the people they love (or even to love and care for people they don’t know), to it being somebody’s fault — perhaps it’s the parents who wrongly brought you into this world or your own fault for hanging on too long?

It is understandable and deeply human to want to bring all aspects of our health as much into our control as possible. Terminally ill patients often face horrifying levels of pain. We should try to treat that pain as best we can. Vulnerability is terrifying, but it is also inescapable. In our quest for health and fitness, we are fighting a delaying action. There is no earthly victory over decay and death.

Yet at each stage of life, we can fool ourselves into believing we possess more control than we really do. If we test to control the beginning of life and die by suicide to control the end of life, the negative side of movements like what has come to be known as MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) is to teach you that your health is under your control throughout your life.

Read it all.

What It Really Means to Choose Life https://t.co/1ZKwZLRQ99

— Anders Carlgren (@AndersCarlgren) August 25, 2025