Archbishop of Canterbury reveals royal wedding highlights

The Archbishop of Canterbury married Harry and Meghan at St George’s Chapel on Saturday.

A day later he told those gathered at a Thy Kingdom Come event in Westminster that witnessing the connection between Prince Harry and Meghan was striking.

 

“What caught my eye at the time, and was the thing that lasts, was the sheer intensity of the emotional commitment of the duke and duchess,” he said.

“It was summed up in that service… their commitment to each other, to support each other, to communicate and to love on another.”

Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

The archbishop said his second highlight was the passionate sermon by US Bishop Michael Curry.

He added: “I saw a comment today that said that was the gospel light. It was not the gospel light, let me tell you. If that was the gospel light I’d hate to see the gospel heavy.

“It was extraordinary because there was the power and the passion but there was Jesus at the centre of it.”

Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

 

Shortly after Prince Harry and Meghan were proclaimed husband and wife, Kensington Palace’s social media pages and the royal family’s website had been updated to reflect their newest member.

A biography of the Los Angeles-born Suits star on the monarchy’s official website described her “lifelong commitment” to working to promote “social justice and women’s empowerment”, carrying a…

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Jesus Rode A Dinosaur: Conference Looks at What Churches Tell Teens about Science

Jesus Rode A Dinosaur: Conference Looks at What Churches Tell Teens about Science



Growing up a conservative Southern Baptist, Mike McHargue loved science.


He would drive his youth pastor and Sunday School teachers “insane,” he said, with difficult questions in his quest to reconcile his faith with science.


Eventually, his youth pastor handed him a book, said McHargue, whose questions led him to embrace atheism before he returned to a more progressive Christianity.

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What I would have added to the royal wedding

History was made Saturday in Great Britain. The day after another horrific shooting, this time in Santa Fe, Texas, it was good to watch good news. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married before a watching world, we witnessed a fascinating mix of tradition and innovation.

There was much in the wedding to celebrate. But I would have added a vital element to the ceremony.

Celebrating inclusiveness

Seated directly opposite Queen Elizabeth II was Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, a descendant of slaves on plantations in the American South. A black choir sang; a black cellist performed; a black minister preached. African-American women flew from America to join the procession in the streets and participate in history.

Denise Crawford, a court stenographer from Brooklyn, made my favorite observation of the day: “One of the children of slaves is marrying a royal whose forerunners sanctioned slavery; the lion is lying down with the lamb.” She added, “Today is a day that history will never forget.”

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female” in God’s eyes (Galatians 3:28). Nor should there be in ours.

Observing tradition

The couple’s decision to wed on a Saturday was unusual, as royal weddings usual occur on weekdays. The Queen was married on a Thursday; William and Kate were married on a Friday.

However, their choice of Windsor Castle was traditional, making them the sixteenth royal couple to celebrate their marriage at the castle since 1863. I have visited the site and can attest to its stunning architecture and remarkable history.

The castle was built in the eleventh century after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. It is the now the longest-occupied palace in Europe.

St. George’s Chapel, the site of the wedding service, was established in the fourteenth century and expanded in the following centuries. Henry VIII is buried there; Queen Elizabeth plans to…

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On the Pilgrim Trail Across England, 400 Years After the Mayflower

(PHOTO: DENNIS LENNOX)Harwich was the home of Mayflower Captain Christopher Jones. His house stands second from the right.

In two years time the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in New England will be celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ahead of this anniversary, I jetsetted to the Old World — in considerably less time and much, much more comfort than the Pilgrims could have ever imagined — to discover the places they left in pursuit of a new life in present-day America.

My first stop was Harwich (population 17,684) in Essex, a county to the east and north of London on the North Sea coast.

The town was the home of Christopher Jones, who captained the Mayflower on its voyage across the Atlantic. It’s also widely believed to be where the ship was built, though definitive proof is elusive.

While much has changed in the ensuing centuries Harwich pleasantly surprised me.

(PHOTO: DENNIS LENNOX)The early 17th century dockyard crane in Harwich, England, is an example of the town’s rich maritime history.

Not only is the footprint of the historic old town basically the same as it was during the time of the Pilgrims in the early 17th century — many of the old wooden buildings remain, albeit behind a brick Georgian-era façade — but Harwich remains a bustling center of maritime activity with cruise ships, ferries to the Netherlands and container ships. Jones and the Pilgrims with ties to Essex and neighboring Suffolk would certainly recognize the town today.

Despite being an easy drive from London it isn’t a stop on the tourist trail for many Americans, at least outside of…

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‘It’s unusual but very much welcomed’, vicar welcomes Grenfell fire commemorative hearings

Rev Mike Long, who has been supporting families affected by last June’s disaster, also said the sessions were an appropriate way to begin an inquiry into what happened.

The leader of Notting Hill Methodist Church – located a short distance away from the block of flats – told Premier: “Although it’s a very long process – these commemorative hearings – because sadly so many people have died, I do think it’s very significant and very important, both for the bereaved and for the wider community.”

 

Relatives and friends of the 71 people who died in the fire, which broke out on 14th June 2017, are being invited to pay tribute to their loved ones during the next two weeks.

Concerned that the public inquiry respect the grief experienced by the local community, Rev Long went on to say: “I think it’s quite unusual but I think it’s very much welcomed.

“I don’t know how many families have taken up the invitation to do this but I would like to think this signals something important about the approach of the public inquiry…”

Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

 

Chaired by retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick (pictured), the public inquiry was announced in response to widespread anger that safety concerns raised by residents of the tower before the fire were not addressed.

The first phase of the inquiry – scheduled to last until late October – will examine the immediate cause of the blaze and how…

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Texas mourners endure grief that ‘none of us can comprehend’

Just two days after the deaths of eight students and two substitute teachers, graduating seniors also marked the end of the school year with a baccalaureate service that acknowledged the pain experienced in Santa Fe, a town of 13,000, while Muslim mourners remembered the life of a slain exchange student from Pakistan.

“They will never be forgotten in this community, these young people, children just going to school,” said Brad Drake, pastor of the Dayspring Church, where a service was held that included memories of a student victim who was a congregant there.

 

“We have families today that are grieving a grief that none of us can comprehend.”

The pastor read the names of the dead, including Angelique Ramirez who attended Dayspring and was a member of the church’s youth ministry.

“She was a sweet young lady, had a style all of her own,” he recalled. “She almost always had a new hairstyle.”

In a nearby church kitchen, parishioners prepared plates of barbecue to be sold after the service, with all proceeds going to victims’ families.

At Arcadia First Baptist Church, Texas Governor Greg Abbott hugged parishioners as they arrived. Among them was Monica Bracknell, an 18-year-old senior who survived the shooting. She stopped to tell the governor that the attack should not be turned into a political battle over gun control.

Surrounded by television cameras, photographers and…

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Three Accidents That Did Not Happen at Your Church

If you are the pastor I met in Richmond, Virginia recently, thank you.

Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for your faithfulness. And thank you for your wise words about pastors and struggles: “It is good to know I am not alone.” Your words were meaningful. Your words were powerful.

You were speaking about the thousands of church leaders at Church Answers. You were speaking about the number one benefit you get from being in this safe community. You see the vulnerability, the lack of pretense, and the acknowledgments of struggles among other pastors and church leaders. It is a constant and encouraging reminder you are not alone.

I want to share those same words with the community who reads this blog post. I want you to know you are not alone. Ministry can be tough. Ministry can be frustrating. Ministry can even be depressing. But ministry in the local church can also be one of the greatest joys you’ve ever known.

Allow me to give you three reminders. It is my prayer these three brief points will be a source of encouragement and hope for you. It is my prayer they will be used by God to encourage you to keep pressing on. I simply call them the three accidents that did not happen at your church.

  1. Your church address is not an accident. God placed your church where it is for a reason. You might be dealing with deferred maintenance issues in your building. You might be wishing your facility was up to 1980 standards. You might long for a faster-growing demographic. You might desire a more…

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Pope told man ‘that you are gay does not matter’, reports

A man from Chile has spoken with a Spanish newspaper about a conversation he had with the Catholic leader three weeks ago.

Juan Carlos Cruz told El Pais: “He told me, ‘Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like that, and he loves you like that – and I do not care.’

 

“The pope loves you as you are. You have to be happy with who you are.”

The Vatican has neither confirmed nor declined the alleged comments.

Pope Francis also offered Mr Cruz an apology for the sexual abuse he had suffered at the hands of Catholic priests, including the notorious paedophile Fr Fernando Karadima.

AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis

 

The Roman Catholic Church in Chile has been rocked by a sex abuse and cover-up scandal which last week saw all the country’s 31 active bishops offer their resignation.

His latest comments may be interpreted as a fresh indication of the pontiff’s commitment to seeing the Roman Catholic Church become more inclusive of people identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

Speaking to reporters on a flight from Brazil in 2013, he affirmed the Church’s stance that homosexual acts were sinful but homosexual orientation was not, adding that gay people should not be marginalised but rather integrated into society.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more…

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