New Bible for Cornish speakers
Cornish speakers can now read the complete Bible - An Beybel Sans - in their chosen language. The New Testament was translated into Cornish by Prof Nicholas Williams and published in 2002. It has taken him about six years to translate all the books of the Old Testament, using a variety of versions, including Hebrew and Greek texts. An Beybel Sans is written in standard Cornish and its 10 maps also have place names in Cornish. The 69-year-old professor from London, who is considered to be one of the leading experts on Celtic languages, taught himself Cornish at the age of 15 because it seemed ‘a bit odd and a bit bizarre’. He told BBC Radio Cornwall: ‘One of the reasons we lost the language was because there was no Bible in Cornish. ‘Once you have the Bible you have created your literary heritage and I hope this book will be influential in the Cornish revival.’
Pray: for this new version of the Word of God to raise interest and reach new audiences. (Acts12:24)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/new.bible.for.cornish.speakers/28768.htm
Archbishop celebrates 200 years of church schools
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, preached last Friday at Westminster Abbey in a service to celebrate 200 years of church schools. He spoke of the importance of church schools in providing an environment for children to become good citizens. Preaching to a packed Westminster Abbey congregation of school children, teachers and church and education leaders, the Archbishop said that whether pupils were of the Christian faith or not church schools provided a vision for them ‘to see the biggest possible picture of humanity and the world they live in.’ Church school children from across England and Wales carried specially-made banners to celebrate the founding of the Church of England's National Society in 1811 offering education to the poor in every parish - 50 years before the state joined in. The Revd Jan Ainsworth, Chief Education Officer for the Church of England, said ‘Our task is to make sure our church schools find a place within the new system and to bring other schools into relationship with us.’
Pray: Thank God for the work of the National Society and pray for the future of our Church schools in an increasingly secular society. (Col.3:17)
Bishop of London attacks top public school after it demolishes its chapel
St Paul's has become the first of Britain's top public schools to pull down its chapel and do without a place of worship. It is one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious public schools, founded 500 years ago by the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's School has knocked down its chapel to make way for new science classrooms, becoming the first of the country's leading public schools to do without a place of worship. The decision has upset the Church of England and brought complaints that the institution is turning its back on its Christian heritage in favour of a more secular approach to education. The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, has expressed his dismay in a letter to the school and the Rev Robert Stanier, an Anglican chaplain and former pupil said he was appalled, ‘This is a school with a Christian foundation. They're spending nearly £80 million and yet they can't find any space for a chapel.’
Pray: for the school authorities to reconsider their decision and also that this does not mark the start of a new trend. (2Ki.17:37)
Judge slates same-sex couples’ fight over girls
A High Court judge has criticised a lesbian couple and a male homosexual couple who are fighting over parenting rights for two little sisters they had by IVF. Mr Justice Hedley said: ‘The four adults in this case regard the price paid by these two children as an acceptable price for the pursuit of their own adult disputes.’ The judge also said: ‘The case provides a vivid illustration of just how wrong these arrangements can go.’ A social worker informed the court that the older girl has suffered serious emotional harm. The couples met after the women placed an advert in a homosexual publication in 1999 asking for ‘a gay man or couple who would like to start a family with a lesbian couple’. The men replied, saying, ‘We would love to be father and stepfather’. But relations broke down in 2008 when they fell into a dispute over the girls.
Pray: for the children in this case and for society to recognise the serious problems that may emerge in such flawed arrangements. (Pr.11:3)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/judge-slates-same-sex-couples%e2%80%99-fight-over-girls/
