Students vote to keep traditional grace before meals

Prof Kate Tunstall, the interim provost of Worcester College, came under fire from students over a series of decisions about the customs practised at formal hall.

This provoked an angry response from Worcester College’s junior common room (JCR), who held a referendum on the issue. The overwhelming majority of students were in favour of preserving the practise.

 

 

As well as the grace before meals traditions, Prof Tunstall also wanted to put an end to students standing up when a teacher walked into the hall.

Damon Falck, the JCR vice president, said that students are “passionate about keeping the theatre that reminds them of this place’s history and that it’s a special place to be”.

He told The Daily Telegraph it is “significantly more awkward to sit in silence while the tutors arrive or leave than it is to stand” and added that standing is “an excellent way to signal the start of the meal, and for everyone to be silent for grace”.

Mr Falck, a second year mathematics and computer science student, said: “There was also a feeling that the governing body didn’t realise just how much the students cared about this”. He added that the move would have “no real impact on access”.

The alternative proposed to the Anglican Grace, which is read before meals in Latin, was going to be a range of texts of thanksgiving from any world culture, religious or not.

Plans to alter both the…

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Former President Jimmy Carter Is Recovering from Procedure to Release Pressure from His Brain

Former President Jimmy Carter Is Recovering from Procedure to Release Pressure from His Brain



Former President of the United States Jimmy Carter has been admitted into the hospital.


According to Fox News, Carter, 95, was admitted on Monday evening into Emory University Hospital in Atlanta in order to have a procedure to reduce pressure on his brain.


A statement released by the Carter Center said that the 39th President needed the procedure as a result of a recent fall that caused a brain bleed. 


Mr. Carter has had several health scares in recent years, CBS News reports.


In 2015, the former president announced that he was receiving treatment for melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain. Less than a year after announcing his diagnosis and after receiving immunotherapy drug treatments, Mr. Carter announced that an MRI showed no signs of cancer. 


Then in May of 2019, Mr. Carter took a fall that left him with a broken hip. 


Soon after the fall, however, Mr. Carter was back to teaching Sunday School lessons, something he does regularly at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. 


In October, Mr. Carter fell several more times. This time the former president fractured his pelvis, leaving him hospitalized. 


Mr. Carter’s neurological procedure was scheduled for Tuesday…

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Jeremy Corbyn branded ‘terrorist sympathiser’ by Glasgow church minister

As the Labour leader was entering the Heart of Scotstoun community centre in Glasgow on Wednesday, he stopped to tell reporters about a scarf he was wearing, which had been given to him by representatives of the Who Cares Scotland charity.

But he was interrupted by Richard Cameron, the minister at Scotstoun Parish Church, who shouted: “I thought you’d be wearing your Islamic jihad scarf.

 

“Do you think that the man who is going to be prime minister of this country should be a terrorist sympathiser, Mr Corbyn?

“Who’s going to be the first terrorist invited to the House of Commons when you’re prime minister?”

Mr Corbyn did not react to Mr Cameron, and was then ushered into the community centre by Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard.

Mr Cameron then accused Mr Corbyn of “running away”.

A spokeswoman for the Church of Scotland later rebuked Mr Cameron.

She said: “The Church of Scotland as an organisation has a long history of engaging with politicians through a number of different channels.

“Whilst we may occasionally robustly challenge policy issues with which we disagree, we always intend to do that in a way that is polite and measured and allows for reasoned debate.”

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Timeline of Cardinal George Pell’s career and accusations

Some events in Pell’s career and the criminal case:

July 16, 1996: Auxiliary Bishop George Pell is appointed Archbishop of Melbourne. He molests two choirboys that December inside St Patrick’s Cathedral, according to testimony from one of the victims.

 

26th March 2001: Pell becomes Archbishop of Sydney.

21st October 2003: Pope John Paul II makes Pell a cardinal.

25th February 2014: Pope Francis appoints Pell to the powerful position of Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy.

8th April 2014: One of the molested choirboys dies of a heroin overdose without alleging the crime and having told his mother he had not been abused.

5th August 2014: Victoria state police establish Task Force Sano to investigate how religious and other non-government organisations handled abuse accusations.

18th June 2015: The surviving choirboy gives his first statement to Sano detectives outlining criminal allegations against Pell.

12th December 2015: Australian media report that Pell has cancelled an appearance before an Australian inquiry into how institutions responded to child sexual abuse. Pell said he could not fly back to Australia because of ill health.

23rd December 2015: Sano publicly appeals for information relating to allegations of sexual offences while Pell was Melbourne archbishop.

1st March 2016: Pell begins testifying by video link from Rome to the Australian child abuse…

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Karen Pence’s powerful analogy for religious liberty: How and why to speak the truth in love

Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence walk off of Air Force 2 on Oct. 10, 2019 in Minneapolis.

Karen Pence is in the news as she increases her role in the 2020 presidential campaign. In an interview with USA Today, she was asked about her decision to resume teaching art at Immanuel Christian School, which doesn’t allow gay teachers or students.

The reporter suggested that “a gay person might say that your faith is attacking them for who they are.” Mrs. Pence replied: “I don’t make that connection. This country was founded on religious liberty. And I think we have to be careful about infringing on anyone else’s beliefs. I think that if you have someone who has a certain belief, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily judging you.” 

She illustrated her point effectively: “For example, there are people who have certain dietary restrictions because of their faith. I don’t feel like they are judging me if I eat that food.” 

She then added: “That’s unfortunate if someone feels judged. It certainly would never, ever, ever be my intention for anyone to feel judged by me. Definitely not. But I’m just a person who believes in the Bible, so it shouldn’t be right for someone to attack me for my beliefs.” 

Ordering a cheeseburger in a kosher restaurant 

Let’s work with Mrs. Pence’s analogy for a moment. 

The website Dallas Kosher lists a large number of restaurants that serve kosher food in our city. If I walk past one of these restaurants while eating a cheeseburger (violating the orthodox Jewish interpretation of Exodus 23:19 and Deuteronomy 14:21), I cannot imagine that I would feel judged by those inside. 

If they are observant Jews, they are simply following the teachings of their religion. As a Gentile Christian, I am following the teachings of mine (cf. Acts 15:19–20). 

But imagine that I walk into one of these restaurants and demand that they cook a cheeseburger for me….

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Bishop urges Irish schools to ban yoga

In a letter addressed to teachers and school staff members in Waterford City and County in Ireland last month, Most Rev Alphonsus Cullinan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore described yoga as un-Christian and not suitable for students.

He wrote: “I have been asked by several people to say a word on yoga and mindfulness. My question is, ‘Will they bring us closer to God or replace him?’

“Yoga is not of Christian origin and is not suitable for our parish school setting and especially not during religious education time.”

 

Bishop Alphonsus referenced a sermon by Pope Francis in 2015 that said practices like yoga do not allow people to open their hearts out to God.

The bishop also talked about mindfulness, saying that Christian mindfulness is “not mindlessness” but “mediations based on Christ, emptying the mind of everything unnecessary so that we become more aware of the prescence and love of Christ.”

Bishop Alphonsus also let the teachers know many people were praying for them and also encouraged them to help children to spend time with Jesus.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has responded, saying the primary school curriculum allows schools some flexibility with regard to how it’s implemented.

It said in a statement to the Irish Times: “The INTO believes that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they implement the curriculum, taking into…

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Vicar resigns after having affair with parishioner

Rev Simon Bone wrote to the Bishop of Truro resigning as priest in charge.

“I am deeply sorry for the hurt and upset that I have caused to everyone, but especially to my family,” he wrote.

 

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Truro confirmed Father Bone’s resignation and said: “The diocese takes all matters of professional and personal conduct seriously, and will take appropriate action as necessary and depending on individual circumstances.”

According to a profile on the website for the Eight Saints churches, which is comprised of St Day, St Petroc, St Paul, St Piran, St Stythians, St John, St Feock and St Wenappa, Rev Bone is married with one daughter.

He added: “I trained for the priesthood at Ripon College, Cuddesdon and was ordained Deacon at Petertide 2009. I served my title as an Assistant Curate at St Michael’s Church, Newquay and I am currently the priest in charge of the 8 Saints’ Cluster and WAY2 internship.

“I am a training incumbent for a curate, a member of the management board for the St Petrocs Society, the assistant rural link officer for the Diocese, a chaplain for the fire brigade, a member of Diocesan Synod and the assistant diocesan director of Ordinands.”

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Kanye West to appear at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church

According to US entertainment news site TMZ, the US rapper will have a 20-30 minute conversation with Pastor Osteen during Lakewood Church’s 11am service.

TMZ said West, who recently released his first Christian album, Jesus is King, will discuss how he has “overcome significant adversity in his life”.

 

West will also bring his travelling choir with him to Houston, Texas and will perform at the church during a Sunday evening service later that day.

 

TMZ reported that Pastor Osteen and West have developed a friendship “especially since Kanye has doubled down in his devotion to God”.

Lakewood Church is one of the largest congregations in the United States, averaging about 52,000 attendees per week.

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Prayers for teenager stabbed near church

Three people have been arrested.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to North Street in Barking, east London, at 7.24pm on Monday following reports of a stabbing.

Police and the London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene, near Barking Abbey Grounds, where they found a male, believed to be 17, suffering from a stab wound.

The teenager was taken to hospital, where his condition is believed to be life-threatening, the Met added.

One witness told the PA news agency that three people in hoodies had been seen fleeing the scene in a car moments after the attack.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the teenage victim was a black male who is believed to live locally.

She added: “There was a group of youths around here, then three of them ran across the road and, literally 30 seconds later, ran back and jumped in a car.

“The police turned up, there was a young lad on the floor. They had stabbed him in the stomach.

“Then they had the blatant cheek to come back and watch. They literally walked over and stood there, seeing the people working on this kid.

“Then they walked back and got back in car, laughing their heads off.

“That was what shocked me more – that they had the cheek to come back.”

Joe Gammie/PA Wire

A police cordon in Barking, east London, where a 17-year-old boy was stabbed on Monday, leaving him with…

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Seven Ways to Love Your Community

By Sam Rainer

Church leaders should love their churches where they are now, not where they wish their congregations could be in the future. That’s a given, or at least should be. But what about the community? Church leaders should love their communities as much as their churches. Granted, some churches are easier to love than others, and some communities are easier to love than others. A calling to a place, however, requires a love for that place.

One of the pitfalls of church leadership involves the call to a new place—a location in which the new minister has little knowledge. Some of us grow up living in a number of different places. My family moved every three years or so when I was a child, and I’ve pastored from Florida to Indiana. But even if you have experienced several transitions, a new place of ministry can prompt infatuation or disdain with the community.

Infatuation occurs when you feel like the new location is more exotic: big city, rural community, beachside, in the mountains—whatever excites you more than your current location. But infatuation quickly fades as you settle into a routine. Disdain occurs when you feel like the new community does not provide what your previous community offered. And disdain can stick with you. Whether you’re infatuated or disappointed with the location of your ministry, you must learn to love your new community in the same way you learn to love a new congregation. Love for a congregation mismatched with disdain for a community will cause you…

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