Whirlwind or flat calm? Who is shaping your plans?
Gavin Calver
Date posted: 3 Sep 2026
Just over two years ago, on 4 July 2024, Sir Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to a decisive general election victory. After 14 years in opposition, the party won 411 seats and a large parliamentary majority, giving him a clear mandate to govern. Yet the honeymoon period was incredibly brief. By the autumn, pressure was already building, and by the summer of 2026 he had stepped aside as Prime Minister.
During much of that same period, Andy Burnham appeared to be flourishing away from Westminster. As Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017, he had built a strong profile, not least during the pandemic, when he was widely dubbed the “King of the North”. A former MP and minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, he had seemed to find a different kind of political voice outside the Westminster bubble.
Does Jesus hate people because of their ancestry?
Paul Blackham
Date posted: 1 Sep 2026
I have been involved in reaching out to Muslim people for over 35 years and, surprisingly often, I hear Christians talk as if descendants of Ishmael are cursed by God.
Few Muslims are actually descended from Ishmael, but I have often had to confront the idea that certain ancestries are less likely to be Christian – as if there is a genetic favouritism from the living God. I have even heard modern conflicts between Israel and Palestine framed as if one DNA is blessed by God whereas another is not.
Should Christians support the Equality Act?
Rhys Laverty
Date posted: 31 Aug 2026
The Equality Act 2010 has been in the headlines throughout 2026.
Most notably, this was regarding the murder of Henry Nowak. Nowak was stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in an unprovoked attack in December 2025. Digwa and his family falsely told the police that Nowak had racially abused him. The police response, caught on body cam, showed a dangerous willingness to initially side with ethnic minorities in such situations.
politics & policy
To govern is to choose
James Mildred
Date posted: 31 Aug 2026
What is one of the most pressing and urgent political problems we face? The need to sort out defence spending? The lack of trust in our democracy? Who to vote for at the next election?
All are important! But what about adult social care? How high is that on your list of priorities? It might be near the top if you’ve experienced trying to sort social care out for a loved one. But for others of us, I suspect it is just not on our political radar. I think it’s refreshing, therefore, that our new Prime Minister has made reforming social care his big political mission. He’s willing, or so he says, to spend a lot of political capital on it.
now this...
Faith’s submissiveness
Ian Hamilton
Date posted: 30 Aug 2026
It is the easiest thing in the world to say, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord”, when all is well with you and yours.
When life is sweet, when your children are trusting in Christ, when your church is united and loving, when your spouse loves and cherishes you, when your health is fine, when your job is secure, it is not hard to sing “Whate’er my God ordains is right”.
Our culture must not be defined by our technology
Kirsten Birkett
Date posted: 29 Aug 2026
Essex university has announced it is cutting positions equivalent to about 150 full-time roles, potentially affecting over 500 staff, BBC News reports.
The staff being lost are “disproportionately concentrated in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), where 85% of all staff placed at risk of redundancy are based”. It is not surprising; the role of education in the humanities, once the main form of higher education, has been strongly questioned in today’s world. What is the use of knowing ancient history, or English literature? What is the point of learning obscure languages? How will that help society?
Comment USA
Prayer in schools?
Tony Bennett
Date posted: 26 Aug 2026
When I attended state schools in Derby from the mid-1950s to the late-1960s, every school day began with an act of Christian worship which included a hymn, a Bible reading, and prayers always concluding with the Lord’s Prayer. All this was a requirement of the 1944 Education Act. I gather things are somewhat different today. Most British schools don’t feel comfortable any more “doing God”, let alone Jesus.
That’s the reverse of what’s happened in the USA. It’s all very different over there where such things are decided not by legislation but by the Constitution as interpreted by the US Supreme Court. Let’s start with the Constitution. The First Amendment to the Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.” From the 1960s through to 2000, the Supreme Court interpreted that prohibition on a nationally-prescribed religion to declare unconstitutional a host of Christian practices in public (i.e. state-run) schools.
Comment
Is there a 'silver bullet' for the Christian life?
Friends, I have some bad news and some good news for you.
The bad news first: there are no silver bullets when it comes to the Christian life, or Christian ministry. No shortcuts. No secret wisdom. No hidden tip or technique. No one conference, book, strategy, leadership tactic, staffing structure, app, discipleship pathway, or productivity system that will suddenly make everything easy.
Whirlwind or flat calm? Who is shaping your plans?
Just over two years ago, on 4 July 2024, Sir Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to a decisive general election victory. After 14 years in opposition, the party won 411 seats and a large parliamentary majority, giving him a clear mandate to govern. Yet the honeymoon period was incredibly brief. By the autumn, pressure was already building, and by the summer of 2026 he had stepped aside as Prime Minister.
During much of that same period, Andy Burnham appeared to be flourishing away from Westminster. As Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017, he had built a strong profile, not least during the pandemic, when he was widely dubbed the “King of the North”. A former MP and minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, he had seemed to find a different kind of political voice outside the Westminster bubble.
Churches, do you really know your communities?
Who is missing from your church?
Who feels at home in your church? And who doesn’t?
Unholy hubbub?
What is your church like shortly before a Sunday service starts? In the September issue of en, John Brand raises the important question of whether most church families are, to put it bluntly, too noisy as corporate worship begins.
It’s not that fellowship isn’t important, of course. As Jesus puts it: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13v35). So there is a place for catching up with each other – it is part of how we show we care.
Does Jesus hate people because of their ancestry?
I have been involved in reaching out to Muslim people for over 35 years and, surprisingly often, I hear Christians talk as if descendants of Ishmael are cursed by God.
Few Muslims are actually descended from Ishmael, but I have often had to confront the idea that certain ancestries are less likely to be Christian – as if there is a genetic favouritism from the living God. I have even heard modern conflicts between Israel and Palestine framed as if one DNA is blessed by God whereas another is not.
Have we forgotten about Israel?
Freshly revived from another invigorating experience at Keswick – the Galilee of England as I coined it last year – I am stirred anew by the glorious gospel which alone can heal our sick society.
Repeatedly urged to drink of the living waters Jesus promised to those who are spiritually thirsty, I know of no other Christian convention that is more Christ-centred.
Should Christians support the Equality Act?
The Equality Act 2010 has been in the headlines throughout 2026.
Most notably, this was regarding the murder of Henry Nowak. Nowak was stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in an unprovoked attack in December 2025. Digwa and his family falsely told the police that Nowak had racially abused him. The police response, caught on body cam, showed a dangerous willingness to initially side with ethnic minorities in such situations.
To govern is to choose
What is one of the most pressing and urgent political problems we face? The need to sort out defence spending? The lack of trust in our democracy? Who to vote for at the next election?
All are important! But what about adult social care? How high is that on your list of priorities? It might be near the top if you’ve experienced trying to sort social care out for a loved one. But for others of us, I suspect it is just not on our political radar. I think it’s refreshing, therefore, that our new Prime Minister has made reforming social care his big political mission. He’s willing, or so he says, to spend a lot of political capital on it.
What I am doing to 'rest well' this summer
I just finished a role in Parliament. After eight eventful years that included Brexit, five Prime Ministers, and a global pandemic, I have said goodbye to the (quite literally) gilded halls of the Palace of Westminster, choosing to accept the Lord’s will for me to move further into ministry at my church in East London.
My hope is that, alongside working for my church, I can continue to use my organisational management and leadership development skills to support organisations across all sectors.
Faith’s submissiveness
It is the easiest thing in the world to say, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord”, when all is well with you and yours.
When life is sweet, when your children are trusting in Christ, when your church is united and loving, when your spouse loves and cherishes you, when your health is fine, when your job is secure, it is not hard to sing “Whate’er my God ordains is right”.
Big Church Festival: 'The site became eerily quiet'
We live in West Sussex, just down the road from the site of the Big Church Festival (BCF) – an annual Christian music festival in the UK. Groups from our church have attended it each year since it started in 2009 as the Big Church Day Out. My wife and I arrived at BCF mid-morning on day one.
We headed to the Tea Garden Stage at the far end of the site. On the way, we remarked on the improved layout and signage that made the site easier to navigate.
Forced adoption and the need for lifelong support
The Government’s apology for historic forced adoption practices in England is a significant and long-overdue moment. For many of the mothers, adopted people and wider families affected, it comes after decades of grief, silence and unanswered questions.
An estimated half a million children were adopted in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976, many of them born to unmarried mothers. Not every adoption during this period was forced, but parliamentary inquiries and testimony from those affected have documented practices in which women were denied meaningful choice or did not give genuine and informed consent.
Our culture must not be defined by our technology
Essex university has announced it is cutting positions equivalent to about 150 full-time roles, potentially affecting over 500 staff, BBC News reports.
The staff being lost are “disproportionately concentrated in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), where 85% of all staff placed at risk of redundancy are based”. It is not surprising; the role of education in the humanities, once the main form of higher education, has been strongly questioned in today’s world. What is the use of knowing ancient history, or English literature? What is the point of learning obscure languages? How will that help society?
Faithfulness in a 'post-Christian' Britain
There was a time when much of British public life at least assumed a broadly Christian moral framework. That did not mean Britain was ever truly a “Christian nation” in the Biblical sense, nor that previous generations were necessarily more godly. But Christian convictions about marriage, family, human dignity, sexuality, the value of life and the place of religion in public life were often understood, even by those who did not personally believe the gospel.
That landscape has changed.
LIV Golf uncertainty – good for the game?
Much sporting focus has gone into the end of the calendar’s traditional summer events and the start of the new football season, but one development worthy of attention is the uncertainty surrounding the future of LIV Golf, a professional men's golf tour.
The infamous Saudi-backed start-up venture was launched in 2022 to rival the flagship PGA Tour and it pinched several of the game’s biggest names thanks to eye-watering financial incentives: Phil Mickelson was reportedly signed for $200 million, while big-hitter Bryson De Chambeau was offered a $125 million signing bonus and Jon Rahm eventually followed them for a multi-year deal believed to be worth over $300 million.
Prayer in schools?
When I attended state schools in Derby from the mid-1950s to the late-1960s, every school day began with an act of Christian worship which included a hymn, a Bible reading, and prayers always concluding with the Lord’s Prayer. All this was a requirement of the 1944 Education Act. I gather things are somewhat different today. Most British schools don’t feel comfortable any more “doing God”, let alone Jesus.
That’s the reverse of what’s happened in the USA. It’s all very different over there where such things are decided not by legislation but by the Constitution as interpreted by the US Supreme Court. Let’s start with the Constitution. The First Amendment to the Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.” From the 1960s through to 2000, the Supreme Court interpreted that prohibition on a nationally-prescribed religion to declare unconstitutional a host of Christian practices in public (i.e. state-run) schools.
Truth, shame & the search for blame
There was a stream of articles and commentary in the weeks leading up to Jason Arday’s resignation as Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge; the stream became a deluge in the weeks following, and the deluge almost an ocean in the wake of his death. I followed the story avidly—did you?
First, I laughed: stories of inflated achievements invited ridicule, and the pomposity of an elite institution was put on display. The academic emperor was exposed as decidedly underdressed.
Churchill & Arday: Double standards?
In 1898, the young Winston Churchill rode with the 21st Lancers at Omdurman, later describing the charge as a desperate struggle for survival in a "whirling melee of death".
In My Early Life (1930), he portrayed himself as a fearless cavalry officer cutting through enemy ranks while bullets flew around him. He painted a similar picture of his service on the North-West Frontier of India, presenting himself as a calm and decisive officer, while under intense enemy fire.
What does FIFA's dispute reveal about leadership?
Some of the most powerful people in world football are currently arguing about power. And one of the things they apparently agree on is that leadership should not be about possessing it.
Amid threats of World Cup boycotts, breakaway competitions and an increasingly bitter struggle over Gianni Infantino’s future, one sentence in an extraordinary letter from three of FIFA’s confederation presidents stands out: "Leadership in football is not a possession. It is a duty of service."
How do I rest when the pastures aren't so 'green'?
After struggling with insomnia for all my adult life, I can tell you with great confidence that there are many different reasons why someone may struggle to sleep. Rest, with which sleep overlaps so much, is obviously the same.
Just as the shepherd calls the sheepdog away so the sheep can settle, resting requires us to safeguard ourselves – for a while and as best we can – from those things which conspire to keep us constantly in physical, mental or spiritual motion.