Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Every Tuesday lunchtime, a service in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Westminster gives people an opportunity for reflection in the midst of a busy and demanding parliamentary life. On 6 March the theme will be ‘The God of incomparable power - Isaiah 40:12-26’. We can pray for the Lord Jesus to pour out a fresh move of his Spirit across Parliament at this time. Pray also for our leaders and all who work in Westminster to recognise how powerful our God is and the vastness of His ability to change situations, turn circumstances around and give those who know Him the ability to hear His voice of wisdom in all decision making. Pray for the power of God to rest on our appointed politicians and bring about His Kingdom purpose for our nation.

A draft section of the UK and EU withdrawal agreement, reflecting the EU’s stated directives (yet to be finalised), was leaked to the media. It said that the EU wants to restrict the UK's access to the single market in the transition phase if there is a difference of opinion after Brexit. There will be an EU summit at the end of March. Between now and then Theresa May and her government will be discussing options and deciding the best proposals for a way forward which would avoid having tariffs imposed on British goods. Speaking on Radio 4, Bernard Jenkin, chair of the Commons public administration committee, said it would be utterly perverse if the EU imposed tariffs on British goods, and its comments indicate how fearful it is - so much so that it has to make these silly threats.

Noel Conway has motor-neurone disease and has taken his case for a medically-assisted death to appeal. He is supported by Dignity in Dying, the campaign group for legalising assisted suicide. They say Noel should have the option of an assisted death and be able to die with dignity. ‘Dignity’ is being used in this debate to mean ‘freedom to choose how and when to end your life medically’. Traditionally, it means recognising and conferring value on a person. Noel’s condition prompts compassion, as did Tony Nicklinson and Debbie Purdy, who also fought to have medically-assisted deaths. But linking dignity with assisted dying sends the wrong message. Dignity means deserving honour or respect, but this use of the word means something different. If we let ‘dignity’ be hijacked to mean choice and independence, we will add to the sufferings of those at the end of life.

An event designed for entrepreneurs and business owners looking for ways to grow and export their products into the UK market is to be held on 6 March. The workshop is aimed at people who want to learn strategies and practical skills so that they can plan for export for future trade in the United Kingdom. This particular event is targeting Nigerians, but it is recognised that similar events need to be organised elsewhere and be available to businesses wanting overseas trading opportunities with the UK post-Brexit. Pray for this type of event to be multiplied across the nations, to enable men and women in manufacturing, information technology, and other enterprises to enter new UK markets.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the first women getting the vote in the UK, the Bishop-elect of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, has called for patriarchal culture to be ‘challenged at every possible opportunity’. She writes: ‘In the year that I am to be installed as Bishop of London, the year we celebrate the centenary of the vote for some women, I believe more is possible - not just possible, but necessary.’ The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, echoed this opinion, saying there was ‘still a long way to go’ for gender equality. Bishop Treweek, the Church of England’s first female diocesan bishop, said that ‘we need to go on adding our voices to those who stand against practices and accepted cultural norms which demean women and girls across our world’. British business have been warned by the Church Investors Group that unless firms have at least 33% of women on their boards, the group will vote against the re-election of their directors.

In May 2016 a two-week mission began in Reading. On the first day 80+ people accepted the invitation to pray to Jesus. Many more heard that God had an awesome plan for them and allowed a church member to pray a blessing over their life. On 8 June, Reading Christian Network affirmed that something extraordinary was happening. After ten days over 720 people had prayed on the streets of Reading, the mission was extended, and The Turning was born. It is now becoming a phenomenon - a gift from heaven that empowers ordinary Christians to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. What started in a Baptist Church is not just for one Church or even one town. The Turning leaders are considering the possibility of reaching three million people across Europe within five years. There will be a national day of prayer and worship at City Gates Church, IG1 1BH on Wednesday 21 February, to launch ‘Turning’ in London. See

Downing Street said there was ‘some distance’ between what the UK wants for the Brexit transition and what the EU wants. Pray for grace and strength for all our politicians who are involved in the negotiations, both now and in the weeks to come. When the EU Bill was debated in the House of Lords it was said to be 'constitutionally unacceptable'. Pray for clarity of thought to replace confusion and God-inspired debate to replace controlling attitudes that dominate debate; also that the doubts about Theresa May’s leadership which have been expressed this week do not adversely affect the Brexit negotiations.

The CofE has called for a ban on betting adverts before the 9pm watershed, in a bid to tackle the growing ‘moral crisis’ facing children and young people. Rev Alan Smith said, ‘There is a lot of evidence that young people are seeing extraordinary levels of advertising, which is normalising and socialising gambling. That is a moral issue, one which we as a society need to stand back and reflect about. We will reap a terrible harvest if gambling is “normalised” for children and young people.’ The Church is calling for social media giants to take greater responsibility. According to official figures, children see an average of 185 gambling adverts a year, and one in five adverts broadcast across 25 British football matches are for betting firms. The world has changed dramatically, with a huge rise in gambling adverts on every sort of media.

Theresa May is currently on a three-day state visit to China, to discuss expanding trade between the two countries. CSW says that while such talks are important, they shouldn’t come at the expense of challenging President Xi on his treatment of Christians. Mrs May’s visit coincides with new restrictions on churches. The government wants all churches to be registered, and to control the appointment of pastors and what they teach. Some Christians simply cannot do that. Christians who are not part of the official, government-sanctioned, church are branded as evil cults. This month in Yunnan Province, six members of an unregistered church were sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for ‘using an evil cult to organise and undermine law enforcement’, and a 500-member church in Shanxi Province was demolished with dynamite.

CofE leaders are concerned that a growing number of parents who discover their child will be born with Down’s Syndrome are choosing to terminate the pregnancy, a pattern which could see such children wiped out completely. The General Synod next week will debate a call to regulate providers of non-invasive prenatal testing, a relatively new test for the condition which carries no risk of miscarriage, unlike older procedures. The Church said that women should be provided with ‘comprehensive, unbiased information’ by doctors and test providers. In a document entitled Valuing People with Down’s Syndrome, the Church warned that the test might lead to major reductions of Down’s Syndrome live births. Iceland and Denmark have screening and almost 100% termination rates. Currently there are unregulated websites offering a blood test for a few hundred pounds, with no context or information about the prospects for someone with Down's Syndrome. See also