Neil Rees
Why is 1 Corinthians 13 often read at weddings?
St Paul wrote a timeless definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13, known as the “love chapter”, which is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible and is often read at weddings. This is the story …
Who were Saints Cyril and Methodius?
Everyone associates 14 February with Valentine's Day but did you know it is also the day to remember Saints Cyril and Methodius, who created the Cyrillic alphabet used in many eastern European countries. This is the story …
What we don’t know about Noah’s Ark
The story of Noah’s Ark is one of the most well-known Bible stories and has been retold in songs, children’s storybooks, cartoons, and films. Many people think they know the story; however, there are many things we simply do not know. This is the story …
Epiphany: where in the Orient did the wise men come from?
Many people associate the wise men with Christmas, but January 6 is traditionally the day in the Church calendar that commemorates their visit to the child Jesus.
The story of New Year’s resolutions
1 January is when people traditionally start the new year with a fresh resolution. This is the story …
The pope that is remembered each year on December 31
In many European countries, December 31, also known as New Year’s Eve, is better known as St Sylvester’s Day or simply Sylvester, named after a pope from the time of the Council of Nicaea. This is the story …
Who were all the Herods in the New Testament?
We've just celebrated Christmas with its usual flurry of Nativity plays, where Herod is typically the villain. But did you know there were different rulers in the New Testament called Herod who formed part of the background history of Jesus and the New Testament? This is the story …
Who was St Stephen and why is he remembered on December 26?
The carol says, “Good King Wenceslas last looked out on the Feast of Stephen.” In many countries, December 26, also known as Boxing Day, is better known as St Stephen’s Day. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. This is the story …
A brief history of Christmas bans
These days, Christmas is hard to miss and nearly impossible to avoid. But at various times it has been banned in different countries, including Britain. This is the story …
William Tyndale and the 500th anniversary of the Christmas story in English
This Christmas is the 500th anniversary of when ordinary men and women could first hear the Christmas story being read from print in plain English. This is the story …
The first Christmas song to be sung in churches
Every Christmas, people sing the song “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night”. Unlike many other songs and carols that include elements of non-biblical tradition and myth, this song is pure Scripture. It was the first Christmas song authorised to be sung in the Church of England. This is the story …
The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914
On Christmas Eve in 1914, many men were in the trenches fighting the war, but the spirit of Christmas halted the conflict for a brief period. This is the story …
What we don’t know about Christmas
Every Christmas people are bombarded with images of the Nativity in Christmas cards, the lyrics of songs and Nativity plays. Yet many of the images embedded in our minds are pure tradition. In fact, there is a lot that we do not know. This is the story …
The mystery of the Wise Men
The carol assures us that “We three kings of Orient are…” and tells us they were “following yonder star”. Can we be sure there were three of them? Were they kings? Where in the Orient were they from? What was the star they followed? In fact, there is a lot that we just do not know. This is the story …
The little-known prayers written by Jane Austen
It is now 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen whose books and their many screen adaptations are beloved around the world. Not many people know that she was a devout Christian who also wrote devotional prayers. This is the story …
The Anglican worldview of Jane Austen’s life and novels
16 December 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of novelist Jane Austen, who was born in southern England in 1775. Her novels are steeped in biblical analogy and practical theology. This is the story…