While Apol′los was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve of them in all.

And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God; but when some were stubborn and disbelieved, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the hall of Tyran′nus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

–Acts 19:1-10

Good morning from the river Great Ouse in Ely, Cambridgeshire
A bright start with a freshness in the air 9c.
Wishing you a lovely Wednesday 🤗#goodmorning #swans #lovenature #August #river #sunrise pic.twitter.com/03FbEu5Qoi

— Veronica in the Fens 🧚🏼‍♀️ My Heart in Nature (@VeronicaJoPo) August 6, 2025

We do not judge people. We affirm God’s grace for all who turn to Him. But love does not mean ignoring sin. Unity cannot exist without truth.

This step by the Church in Wales makes it extremely difficult to find a faithful and lasting resolution to the divisions within the Anglican Communion. While many of us are diligently working to discern a way forward in this painful dilemma, continued actions of this nature hinder reconciliation, deepen the fractures, and risk rendering our efforts fruitless.

We continue to pray for the Church, and for strength to remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ.

Read it all.

Looking at the events of the past few years in the Church of Wales, beginning from the leadership of Bishop Rowan Williams who was also bishop of Monmouth, then Archbishop of Wales before becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury; the immediate past Archbishop of Wales, Archbishop Andrew John who ended in a most shameful circumstance, and the recent election of Bishop Vann, it may be said that biblical and godly leaders are now few in the leadership of the Church of Wales.

Thus, that an openly lesbian woman is the “right leader for the moment” in the Church of Wales shows how deep the church has sunk. Rather than advocating reconciliation as being championed by the new Archbishop of Wales, the important matter of the moment should be a call for genuine repentance. It is becoming clearer as echoed by Paul in Romans 1:28 in view of what had just happened in the Church of Wales that some in the global Anglican world have ultimately chosen not, “…to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales. We will strive to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism and holy Christian living. We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will build His Church and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16 :18). We call upon faithful Christians of the Anglican fold to denounce, reject, condemn and expel the rebels in our midst, while we realign ourselves with Anglican remnants scattered in troubled dioceses all over the world, under the umbrella of faithful Anglican Christian bodies like GAFCON.

Therefore, as a matter of urgency, the Church of Nigeria believes that this moment calls for prayer for the Church of Wales, hoping that the Church of England will not follow in her steps.

Read it all.

Nigerian Primate Archbishop Henry Ndukuba accused the Church in Wales of abandoning “the truth of God’s word by sacrificing the authority of the Scripture for a postmodern agenda that has no divine backing".https://t.co/fmTgJhPkD8

— The Christian Institute (@christianorguk) August 5, 2025

We must confront serious error that compromises God’s glorious and authoritative word on human sexuality.

We must speak up and take a stand.

As we met to reform and renew the Anglican Communion in 2008, Gafcon delivered the Jerusalem Statement which outlined the true heart of Anglican orthodoxy.

We took a stand about the truth of God’s word, and we continue to stand in fellowship with the majority of the world’s Anglicans who grieve this rejection of God’s voice.

We must stand again against the relentless pressure of Anglican revisionists who blatantly impose their immorality upon Christ’s precious church.

Read it all.

Theologically orthodox groups within the Anglican Communion are lamenting the election of a bishop in a same-sex civil partnership as the new Archbishop of the Church in Wales. https://t.co/e039mqRoh2

— IRD (@TheIRD) July 31, 2025

Nearly 10 million American children are living in poverty, the most since 2018, according to the latest Census Bureau figures from 2023. 

Tens of millions more—like the Meazler kids—are precariously close. Their families have been pushed to the edge by a storm of economic factors, including the expiration of Covid-era relief programs and the impacts of inflation on food and housing. 

The strain is expected to be worsened by cuts to federal spending on aid programs, including food benefits and Medicaid. President Trump on July 4 signed legislation passed by Congress that reduces funding and tightens work requirements for government assistance, and will likely result in less food aid and millions losing health coverage.

Even before the new cuts, several markers show that households with children are falling behind, though statistics around poverty have been complicated by the upheaval the pandemic brought to jobs and living arrangements, and the unprecedented federal aid distributed in response.

The share of families with children living in poverty jumped to 12.9% in 2023, the most recent year available, after plummeting to a record low of 5.6% in 2021, driven down by temporary pandemic programs like the expanded Child Tax Credit and extra unemployment insurance, according to census data compiled by the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. 

Poverty for all ages has inched up, but no other age demographic has seen a sharper rise in poverty between 2021 and 2023 than children, data compiled by the center show. 

Read it all.

Earning More but in Worse Shape: Hardship Overwhelms Many American Families

Nearly half of kids in the U.S. live in households below the middle class as inflation and the end of Covid relief hit working parentshttps://t.co/MmvB2XmIdG via @WSJ

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) August 5, 2025

We give thee thanks, O Lord, for the vision and skill of Albrecht Dürer, Matthias Grünewald and Lucas Cranach the Elder, whose artistic depictions helped the peoples of their age understand the full suffering and glory of thine incarnate Son; and we pray that their work may strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and the mystery of the Holy Trinity; who livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Albrecht Dürer made this print of a ‘fast, lively and cunning’ rhino without ever seeing one! The German Renaissance artist was born #onthisday in 1471. pic.twitter.com/YJUJZQSRiS

— British Museum (@britishmuseum) May 21, 2018

Fill us, O Christ, with thine own compassion for the hungry multitudes of the world of our day; and use us now, as thou didst use thy disciples of old, as thy willing instruments to minister to their needs, through all such means as thou shalt show us; for thy mercy’s sake.

Gateway to Avalon Orchard, Glastonbury. Taken shortly after sunrise. pic.twitter.com/VBL9KE8boj

— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) August 5, 2025

But when Gallio was proconsul of Acha′ia, the Jews made a united attack upon Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, “This man is persuading men to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, I should have reason to bear with you, O Jews; but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I refuse to be a judge of these things.” And he drove them from the tribunal. And they all seized Sos′thenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to this.

After this Paul stayed many days longer, and then took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aq′uila. At Cen′chre-ae he cut his hair, for he had a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself went into the synagogue and argued with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined; but on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

When he had landed at Caesare′a, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phryg′ia, strengthening all the disciples.

Now a Jew named Apol′los, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aq′uila heard him, they took him and expounded to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Acha′ia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully confuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

–Acts 18:12-28

Rainbow low on horizon. Have a nice day😊10C🌈🦋🌸 pic.twitter.com/FGZxnrPiM4

— Anne Grete Hagby (@AHagby) August 5, 2025

 Saint John Henry Newman is to be declared a Doctor of the Church, the Pope has announced, in an acknowledgement of the significance of Newman’s teaching.

The announcement, on Thursday, was welcomed by the Archbishop of York, who wrote on social media that Newman was a “profound teacher both to Anglicans & Catholics, spiritual guide, and model of holiness”.

Roman Catholic churchmen in England also welcomed the announcement. The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said: “This recognition that the writings of St John Henry Newman are a true expression of the faith of the Church is of huge encouragement to all who appreciate not only his great learning but also his heroic sanctity in following the call of God in his journey of faith, which he described as ‘heart speaking unto heart’.”

The RC Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Revd Bernard Longley, said: “It is remarkable that his writings, first as an Anglican and then as a Roman Catholic, but considered as one entire corpus of written work, have led to him being declared a Doctor of the Church.”

Newman was canonised in 2019 (News, 25 October 2019).

Read it all.

“It is remarkable that his writings, first as an Anglican and then as a Roman Catholic, but considered as one entire corpus of written work, have led to him being declared a Doctor of the Church.”https://t.co/hDFvmmuonV

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) August 4, 2025

The Anglican Church in North America’s ecclesiastical trial of the Rt. Rev. Stewart Ruch III is on hold until August 11, but a series of public resignations and allegations of procedural misconduct have demanded the attention of its members and governing bodies alike in the interim.

On August 1, the denomination announced the appointment of its newest provincial prosecutor to pursue the case against Bishop Ruch, who is accused of mishandling reports of abusive ministers in his Diocese of the Upper Midwest. Thomas Crapps, of the ACNA’s Gulf Atlantic Diocese, will step into the role—the third to fill it in as many weeks.

His immediate predecessor, the Ven. Job Serebrov, was appointed as prosecutor by Archbishop Steve Wood on July 22. Serebrov resigned nine days later, citing a desire to avoid the appearance of impropriety after anti-abuse advocates in the denomination raised concerns about his connection to an educational institution closely linked with Bishop Ruch’s diocese.

C. Alan Runyan preceded Serebrov as prosecutor, serving through the pretrial and five days of trial proceedings until his surprise resignation on July 19. Runyan alleged that on the final day of the prosecution’s argument, a member of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop questioned one of his witnesses for over an hour using information the court had previously ruled inadmissible, leaving the trial “irreparably tainted.”

Read it all.

The Ven. Job Serebrov, the replacement prosecutor in the trial of ACNA Bp. Stewart Ruch, has resigned. Taking his place will be Mr. Thomas Crapps of Tallahassee, Florida, says the Province. He will be the third person in the role since the trial began. pic.twitter.com/yunbIMtUG1

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) August 1, 2025

President Donald Trump wants lower interest rates. Achieving that objective will require overcoming bigger obstacles than Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

There are structural forces that drive the cost of borrowing, and right now they’re pointing up. Governments and businesses are piling on debt to pay for tax cuts, military spending, and AI investments — which means more demand for credit. As the Baby Boomers retire and China decouples from the US, the pool of saving to finance those loans is drying up.

Attacks on Fed independence risk shrinking the pool further. Investors don’t want to see the value of their hard-earned cash inflated away by a central bank under political control.

Add all of this together and it points to a world where 4.5% may be the new normal for ten-year Treasuries — the crucial rate for mortgages and corporate bonds, and the one Trump’s team says it wants to bring down. In fact, Bloomberg Economics analysis shows it’s more likely to trend above that figure than below it. For the world’s biggest economy, that means a wrenching transition.

Read it all.

"Trump’s Interest Rate Obstacle Is Bigger Than Powell" https://t.co/CcNXpiVOuR pic.twitter.com/MLa29IeB2h

— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) August 4, 2025

President Trump’s extensive tariffs have already started to generate a significant amount of money for the federal government, a new source of revenue for a heavily indebted nation that American policymakers may start to rely on.

As part of his quest to reorder the global trading system, Mr. Trump has imposed steep tariffs on America’s trading partners, with the bulk of those set to go into effect on Aug. 7. Even before the latest tariffs kick in, revenue from taxes collected on imported goods has grown dramatically so far this year. Customs duties, along with some excise taxes, generated $152 billion through July, roughly double the $78 billion netted over the same time period last fiscal year, according to Treasury data.

Indeed, Mr. Trump has routinely cited the tariff revenue as evidence that his trade approach, which has sowed uncertainty and begun to increase prices for consumers, is a win for the United States. Members of his administration have argued that the money from the tariffs would help plug the hole created by the broad tax cuts Congress passed last month, which are expected to cost the government at least $3.4 trillion.

Read it all.

Trump’s Tariffs Are Making Money. That May Make Them Hard to Quit. https://t.co/0IaBKVoYff

— tony romm (@TonyRomm) August 3, 2025

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your grace that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; 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. As usual a bit of brightness to start the week with a recent revisit to Derwentwater to catch the early morning light. Have a great day.#lakedistrict pic.twitter.com/QaRygUTnpo

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) August 4, 2025

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aq′uila, a native of Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them; and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and they worked, for by trade they were tentmakers. And he argued in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedo′nia, Paul was occupied with preaching, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

–Acts 18:1-11

The sunrise in Bushy Park this morning was really rather lovely. 4.08.25 @theroyalparks @TLTeddington @TeddingtonNub @Teddington_Town @TWmagazines @Visit_Richmond1 @SallyWeather @itvweather #MondayMotivation @StormHour pic.twitter.com/VLOYotNw6F

— Sue Lindenberg (@patlinberg) August 4, 2025

Generous God,
through your Spirit you give us gifts and make them grow:
though our faith is small as mustard seed,
make it grow to your glory
and the flourishing of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen (slightly edited-KSH).

Sunday dawned with a beautiful predawn glow in the sky. #BushyPark 3.08.25 @theroyalparks @TLTeddington @Teddington_Town @TeddingtonNub @TWmagazines @Visit_Richmond1 @fbhp @ChrisPage90 @itvweather pic.twitter.com/5ncM0w2qQc

— Sue Lindenberg (@patlinberg) August 3, 2025

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 14:7-12

Afternoon Sunshine. 22°C and a Westerly breeze. Phacelia. pic.twitter.com/F5WcZqkBnb

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) August 3, 2025

Almighty God, who didst raise up thy servant Samuel Ferguson and inspire in him a missionary vision of thy Church in education and ministry: Stir up in us through his example a zeal for a Church, alive with thy Holy Word, reaching forth in love and service to all; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Samuel David Ferguson (1842-1916), Missionary Bishop for West Africa (Liberia) and the first African-American member of the Episcopal House of Bishops pic.twitter.com/pF8qSCQkfF

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) August 2, 2024

Stir us up to offer to you, O Lord, our bodies, our souls, our spirits, in all we love, and all we learn, in all we plan, and all we do, to offer our labours, our pleasures, our sorrows to you; to work through them for your Kingdom, to live as those who are not their own, but bought with your blood.

—Give us Grace: An Anthology of Anglican Prayers, ed. Christopher L. Webber (Harrisburg: Morehouse, 2004), p. 282

Cloudy Saturday mornings beach walk 😎 pic.twitter.com/IpnlswbETt

— graham ross (@grahamr27165817) August 2, 2025

So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for

‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

as even some of your poets have said,

‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from among them. But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

–Acts 17:16-34

Before the world awakens!🌅 Good morning lovelies!😎#Cornwall #StormHour #ThePhotoHour #saturdaymorning pic.twitter.com/L7RVG5Snyl

— Kate 🏄‍♀️🌊🤙〓〓 (@CornwallK8) August 2, 2025

Amid debate among bishops about the pros and cons of the “strings” attached to financial grants from the Archbishops’ Council, national funding of £6.2 million has been awarded to Liverpool diocese, the poorest in the Church of England.

The award is part of a larger sum agreed in principle — about £30 million over the next seven years — with a goal of ensuring that every parish is “missionally and financially sustainable”, the diocese says.

The grant will enable it to maintain a reduced level of parish share, avoid a reduction in clergy numbers for financial reasons, and invest in a youth and children’s hub in most deaneries. Other aims include the creation of deanery resource hubs, with employed administrative posts, “lightening the load for parish offices and volunteers”.

Last year’s national Diocesan Finances Review warned of dioceses’ “increased dependency on the NCIs”. In the General Synod last month, some bishops criticised this balance of power, referring to the “exhausting” demands of the grant system (News, 18 July). Last year, only Archbishops’ Council fundings prevented the exhaustion of Liverpool’s usable reserves.

Read it all.

I had a look at the £6.2m granted to Liverpool, the poorest diocese, by Archbishops’ Council (£30m over 7 years in principle). The diocese will now be able to maintain a lower level of parish share & invest in the frontline. https://t.co/jveEjll9DU

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) August 1, 2025

Worldwide, people in more countries are living better lives and expressing more hope for the future than they have in years.

In 2024, a median of 33% of adults across 142 countries rated their lives well enough to be classified as “thriving,” continuing a trend of steady improvements in life evaluation going back more than a decade.

Gallup’s Life Evaluation Index, based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale, asks people to rate their current and future lives on a ladder from 0 (worst) to 10 (best). Those scoring 7+ for the present and 8+ for five years ahead are “thriving,” while those rating both 4 or below are “suffering.” Everyone else is “struggling.”

Understanding how people evaluate their own lives is an important measure of human progress, unlike traditional economic metrics like GDP, which, while related to living standards, fail to capture whether people are living well.

Read it all.

The world is becoming happier. More people across more countries say they are living better lives today and are hopeful for tomorrow, and fewer are suffering. 33% of adults across 142 countries rate their lives as "thriving", and the trend suggests even better times to come 🌍😊 pic.twitter.com/hqUk9N3nLu

— Mark Henry (@Mark_J_Henry) July 30, 2025

The U.S. economy is growing again, helped by trade swings and American consumers who keep spending. There are also signs of caution.

The Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product—the value of all goods and services produced across the economy—rose at a seasonally and inflation adjusted 3% annual rate in the second quarter. That is up from a 0.5% contraction in the first quarter.

Taken together, the two quarters show an economy that is growing, but more slowly. GDP grew at an average annual rate of 1.2% in the first six months this year, a step down from the 2.5% average pace in 2024.

Both quarters this year were heavily influenced by swings in trade as businesses tried to navigate tariff threats and trade deals from the White House.

“Businesses are very cautious—they don’t know the road map and so they’re driving in the right lane very slowly,” said U.S. Bank chief economist Beth Ann Bovino.

Read it all.

US economy rebounds a surprisingly strong 3% in the second quarter https://t.co/vJqYzkFiUY

— O.C. Register (@ocregister) July 30, 2025

Some obese Americans on Medicare and Medicaid could get access to expensive weight loss drugs under a five-year experiment being planned by the Trump administration.

Under the proposed plan, state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D insurance plans will be able to voluntarily choose to cover Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound for patients for “weight management” purposes, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services documents obtained by The Washington Post.

It’s a strong signal that the administration is open to more broadly covering GLP-1 drugs — lauded by many as a miracle solution to Americans’ long-standing struggle with weight — through government insurance programs. Medicare covers the drugs mainly for patients with Type 2 diabetes, even as some private insurance plans cover them for patients with obesity.

Read it all.

Medicare, Medicaid Plans To Experiment With Covering Weight Loss Drugs – @washingtonpost https://t.co/ctAu2B9pX5

— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 1, 2025

Merciful God, whose servant Joseph of Arimathaea with reverence and godly fear did prepare the body of our Lord and Savior for burial, and did lay it in his own tomb: Grant, we beseech thee, to us thy faithful people grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

A deeply moving Deposition from the Cross – Joseph of Arimathea lifts the lifeless body of Jesus down.

Made c. 1200 in England from walrus ivory.

(V&A, London) pic.twitter.com/h03NyHu44E

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) April 1, 2025

Help us this day, O God, to serve thee devoutly, and the world busily.  May we do our work wisely, give succour secretly, go to our meat appetitely, sit thereat discreetly, arise temperately, please our friend duly, go to our bed merrily, and sleep surely; for the joy of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

King Edward’s Bay. pic.twitter.com/oEnqzTYMX3

— Jim Scott (@jimscottphoto) August 1, 2025

Now when they had passed through Amphip’olis and Apollo’nia, they came to Thessaloni’ca, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

–Acts 17:1-4

God's own county 💙

Happy Yorkshire Day! pic.twitter.com/jBoiXOukyN

— York Minster (@York_Minster) August 1, 2025

The next Bishop of Worcester is to be the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson, Downing Street announced on Tuesday. He succeeds Dr John Inge, who retired last year (News, 3 May 2024).

Bishop Nelson has been Bishop of St Germans, in Truro diocese, since 2020 and was Acting Bishop of Truro during the vacancy-in-see after the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen’s translation to Winchester (News, 6 July 2023). Bishop Nelson also serves as Diocesan Warden of Reader. He will remain Bishop to the Armed Forces when he is translated to Worcester.

Speaking to the Church Times on Tuesday, Bishop Nelson described the calling as “an enormous privilege”. He said that he was most looking forward to “getting to know the people and places of Worcestershire and Dudley” and “finding out what God is up to amongst them and calling them on to next”.

He continued: “My priority will be getting out and about, getting to as many churches, as many of the local communities as I can, and hearing what’s going on. I hope, in doing that, to communicate to people as I listen, that the Church is called to be communities of hope. I’m sure I’m going to find lots of places that are already serving their neighbours practically, and pointing people towards God and changing lives in big and small ways.”

Read it all.

The new Bishop of Worcester: the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson. He served his curacy in 6 rural parishes before serving for 8 as parish priest for two village churches. Before ordination, he spent 13 years living and leading the community of L’Arche London.https://t.co/lK1K9mxVuG

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) July 29, 2025

A Nobel Prize-winning Scottish chemist has told the BBC he thinks drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease will be available within five years.

Princeton University’s Prof David MacMillan, who is originally from North Lanarkshire, said “phenomenal things” are happening within medical research into neurological diseases.

“I would bet my house that within five years that we have marketed drugs for Alzheimer’s,” Prof MacMillan told the BBC’s Scotcast podcast.

“My father died of vascular dementia and my aunt had dementia. I think that’s such a horrible way to go.”

Read it all.

'I'd bet my house' on treatment for Alzheimer's, says Nobel prize winner https://t.co/jS2dZGZKr0

— BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) July 31, 2025

Thousands of feet above the Great Rift Valley that runs through East Africa, the small city of Iten, Kenya, calls itself the Home of Champions. It has long produced and attracted world-class running talent, its high altitude and red dirt roads a training ground for thousands.

The town also has a far less laudatory reputation. It is a well-documented center of a doping crisis that shows little sign of being tamed.

Runners come here for access to competition, coaching talent and the benefit of training in thin air, all to try to earn riches from running. Many Kenyans who try to join the elite endure cramped and dirty living conditions, little food and separation from their families in service of their ambitions.

In a region where the average annual income is the equivalent of little more than $2,000 and the competition so intense, the potentially life-changing lure of banned substances, referred to locally as “the medicine,” is obvious. A few thousand dollars in prize money or participation in a single overseas race can be the difference between runners and their families eating three meals a day and scratching around for the next bite.

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Officials acknowledge that Kenya has a doping problem, but many athletes who are seeking an edge also want a way out of poverty. https://t.co/oOC3T6Ir7y

— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) July 29, 2025