Cremation practice is ‘following the US’
“DIRECT cremations” in which the body is taken straight from the place of death to the crematorium, before the ashes are returned to the family, are increasingly popular, The Daily Telegraph reported this week. They currently represent five per cent of all cremations. The funeral director Dignity launched a service last year, and other companies have “shifted their focus almost entirely” to this approach, which accounts for 40 per cent of cremations in the US.
CBM Sunday launched in October
THE charity Christian Blind Mission (CBM) is launching CBM Sunday, which will take place on 15 October: the closest Sunday to World Sight Day. The charity has also launched a range of new free resources to help churches to plan activities, including prayer and worship guides, sermon ideas, a film, and children’s activities.
DIOCESE OF PORTSMOUTHExpressing solidarity: the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, visited the city’s Jami Mosque last week, after the terrorist attacks in Spain. “It is clear to me that IS is not Islamic,” he said. “By using Islamic in its name it misuses your faith.”
Police investigate after break-in at Bangor Cathedral
POLICE are investigating after vandals broke into Bangor Cathedral, causing “a significant amount of damage”. A processional cross was found damaged last Friday, as were three windows, wood panelling, carved pieces in the sanctuary. “What has been so encouraging, in light of all this, is the community response,” the Dean, the Very Revd Kathy Jones, said this week. “Some of the faith leaders in the city have emailed me this afternoon, to see if they could arrange an event to show support for the cathedral.”
KINGDOM OUTREACHBag of goodies: a lunchbox scheme is feeding more than 1000 children each day in Blackburn and Darwen. Kingdom Outreach, a Christian charity, is running the scheme with the support of Anglicans, Methodists, and others. Each lunch costs £1 to produce, and includes a sandwich, fruit, a drink, and a cereal bar. The Archdeacon of Blackburn, the Ven. Mark Ireland, is one of those who have helped pack the lunchesTheological writers sought by BRF
A WRITING competition launched by the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) seeks to find new contributors to The Upper Room, a series of Bible notes read by an estimated three million people worldwide. Entrants are asked to write a short meditation on a Bible verse, “rooted in their own experience”. The winning entry will be published in a future edition of the series. For more details, contact Judith Moore on 01235 858 239 or judith.moore@brf.org.uk. www.brf.org.uk.
Bristol Cathedral hosts silver-screen event
TERMINATOR is among the films to be screened at Bristol Cathedral over the coming months as part of its Electric Shadows programme. It will be introduced by Dr Peter Walsh of the regional film organisation South West Silents. Each film has a “theological aspect”, the cathedral website says. Others include Babette’s Feast and The Mission. https://bristol-cathedral.co.uk