The UN climate talks, COP26, are just around the corner. In just 18 days world leaders will gather in Glasgow to discuss how to tackle the climate crisis.</span> This will be a significant moment in the fight for climate justice and a unique opportunity for us to put pressure on decision makers. Now is the time to act, to make our voices heard and to stand in solidarity with those on the front lines experiencing the most devastating impacts of the climate crisis. On 6 November, people around the world will be marching through major cities, gathering in their local communities, and uniting for climate justice. Click on this link to find out more:Join the Global Day of Action ►
Revd Laura Martin, Curate at St John’s and St Luke’s Harrogate (pictured) said the Daily Prayer podcast from the Church of England was “a revelation” amid the “thoroughly exhausting” last 18 months.“Finding the time and energy to retreat into prayer became more difficult” she explained.“I found that my established rhythms of prayer went out of the window with the demands of home learning, home working and the general chaos of everything.“I established a pattern of taking a walk whilst listening to the podcast and found much needed peace, connection with God, space to reflect and a deep sense of God’s presence as I walked.”She added: “It made a significant difference to my spiritual and emotional wellbeing during the winter period of lockdown.”Canon Simon Wilkinson was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2013. In the years that followed his diagnosis he continued turning to Matins and evensong to keep him “on track spiritually” – a pattern he said he followed ever since starting at Cuddesdon Theological College in the 1970s. “It was the bedrock of my spirituality along with the Eucharist for all those 40 or so years” he said.On discovering the Church of England’s online Daily Prayer podcast, Simon expressed his relief at “not needing to carry so many bits of paper or books at the same time”, as he explained:“I have found the whole experience to be transformative for me and for many others whom I have recommended doing the same thing. “When I am particularly unwell, I am now able simply to switch on the iPad and lie back and listen to the services.”Dr Rob Mannion, retired medical lecturer and writer, described finding “much joy and peace” in listening to the Daily Prayer podcast while unable to attend his church due to a health condition, “From the comfort of my special armchair, I’m able to share in the worship with all the wonderful music and voices” he explained.“We may seem to be apart” he added, “but in fact, we’re brought much closer together through the online medium.” The Daily Prayer podcast is also integrated into the free Daily Prayer app. Since its launch in March 2021, it has registered more than 1,000,000 downloads. Have you listened yet? Find out more about the Church of England's Daily Prayer app and podcast.
Off the back of Archbishop Justin’s welcome visit to the diocese, I was struck by the Morning Prayer readings last week, and especially by one verse from 2 Chronicles 19: Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. This Jehoshaphat was one of the more strategic kings of Judah, establishing networks of magistrates to ensure that justice was properly administered and sending off mission teams (ordained and lay) to ‘visit all the towns of Judah’ and teach people from the Law of the Lord. But along with his excellent skills at delegation, he never lost a personal commitment to the task in hand - to reaching out to those whom we might describe as the ‘dechurched’ and turning them back to their Lord and King. I guess that many of us are enjoying the fresh opportunity to get out and about across our parishes following all the restrictions of the past eighteen months. Along with the need for good strategic thinking at a time like this, let’s pray too for a fresh enthusiasm in ‘drawing people back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors’. Every blessing, +Andrew
Few visitors to a cathedral would expect to see a 26 metre long dinosaur in the nave – but that is just what has been pulling in the crowds keen to see the much loved 'Dippy the Diplodocus' from the Natural History Museum, London.Canon Andy Bryant of Norwich Cathedral explained that the Natural History Museum had sent “Dippy” the dinosaur on a national tour, with the emphasis on education, after it had been removed from its original hall due to a reorganisation."The Bishop of Norwich is the Church of England lead for environmental issues. We put in a bid as the venue for the Eastern region on a three-fold basis – the relationship between faith and science, climate change and issues of food sustainability.”Dippy (see photo) has been dominating the cathedral's nave all summer. Thousands of people have visited him, including more than 7,000 school children as part of an integrated schools programme. Visitors are encouraged to consider and engage with the issues surrounding Dippy - with giant dinosaur footprints and adjacent displays opening doors to further discussions - and there have also been reflective talks focusing on climate change and spiritual theology. Visitors have also been encouraged to make pledges for the planet and, to date, nearly 10,000 pledges have been made. One of the most striking is a specially commissioned walk through sculpture of a giant wave shimmering with fish designed to encourage reflection on the regenerative power of the sea, and our dependence on healthy waters. Every part of the sculpture will eventually be recycled, with the fish being sold in aid of the Cathedral. The base of the sculpture leads visitors from a polluted seabed through to pristine prehistoric sands – school children have had to be stopped from removing the rubbish because they thought it shouldn’t be there. Visitors have been moved to tears. Access to Dippy has been made as extensive as possible within the wider community, encouraging everyone to visit the cathedral. “Our aim has been to extend the demographics of those who come to the cathedral," said Canon Andy Bryant. "We have had visually impaired groups, intergenerational sessions involving care homes and children at the same time, autism friendly sessions. We have built links with these groups and we intend to build on those links in future."As Dippy’s departure from Norwich looms, the cathedral is intent on maximising community involvement.“We are aiming to make our farewell to Dippy a big bang, attracting as many people as possible," said Canon Bryant. "People who have been here before, people who have not seen him yet, and people who can see him in new ways. We are planning to illuminate Dippy imaginatively in blue lights every evening during his last week.”
