A local Christian dropped a letter into our church post box last Thursday. He had taken the trouble to write out two short prayers from the Book of Common Prayer that seem particularly appropriate to our present circumstances. The first was for a plea to the God of grace for help and deliverance in time of sickness and mortality; the second a plea for God to be gracious in answering to the needs of those in hospitals and places of care, whether the sick or those looking after them. I was grateful for the letter...

John Lennox is Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University and a renowned speaker on science, faith and religion. He recently published a short book on a question being asked by many, 'Where is God in a coronavirus world?'. Professor Lennox wants to give people - whether atheists, agnostics, Christians or of any other worldview - food for thought, hoping they may realise that Christianity has something very important to say in this crisis. He writes with sympathy, desiring to bring 'some kind of glimmer of hope and solace'...

Hope is such a powerful word. It is the thought that something better is coming, or that troubles will one day be over. It is the feeling of anticipation that comes from not yet seeing or possessing what we hope for, yet it is perhaps a feeling mixed with a lurking anxiety that it may not happen. During the past few days there have been numerous Easter-time messages in the media. Several that I have read or heard, even in the secular media, have picked up the theme of hope from the Christian message of Easter...

Let me suggest some additional reading for the Easter weekend. Here is a simple Thursday to Monday plan to read about the so-called passion of Jesus Christ - His arrest, trial and crucifixion - and His resurrection from the dead. The readings are from Luke's Gospel and John's Gospel. Christians, of course, are familiar with the story but never tire of it. If you are someone who has never read the story in the Bible itself, then I encourage you to do so...

More than 24 million people are believed to have listened to the Queen's broadcast last night. Doubtless many more will have listened subsequently on catch up or will have read reports of it. This was only the fifth such address she has made, apart from her annual Christmas Day broadcasts, and so it was a significant moment in the country's history. She spoke with realism about these tragic days but also offered comfort and hope to the nation. Her Majesty's words carry weight. It is the weightiness of a wisdom born out of a long life and vast experience...