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The first type of love we are exploring is eros.

Named after the Greek God of love and fertility eros was associated with the primal impulse to procreate, with sexual passion and desire.

Because eros was a primal emotion, ancient Greeks believed it to be a potentially dangerous and frightening form of love marked by a loss of control and…[Read more]

Journaling can be a therapy, a release, an art form or a way of organising the world. Lent is a good time to set aside a few moments each day to reflect upon the Lenten themes of penitence and abstinence. If you remove those precious five minutes from your normal day what are you giving up? Is it really of value to you? What significance does your…[Read more]

Less popular now than they were but still available and widely used are the annually released York Courses.

These have a tried and tested formula with an audio CD of discussion starters featuring well known Christian contributors from a variety of traditions and denominations. A transcript of the CD, and a course book for participants allows…[Read more]

Written by Kent University Reader in Theology and Religious Studies, Christmas as Religion takes a serious look at the religious nature of Christmas as it is celebrated today. Author, Christopher Deacy, argues that, whilst Christmas may not popularly be churchy these days, there is a lot of space for the spiritual. He foes on to explore the idea…[Read more]

If you’re looking for a last minute children’s play then look no further! Children don’t need to learn new songs to have fun. Brian Ogden’s Nursery Rhyme Nativities features three mini-nativity-plays, with songs set to the tunes of nursery rhymes. Once you get used to singing new words to old familiar tunes, it’s a lot of fun (as nativity plays s…[Read more]

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, tells the story of the titular wood carver whose life is transformed at Christmas by an encounter with a child and his mother who ask him for a special commission of a set of nativity figures.

The Religious Resources Centre has created this pack, working with a local craftsman, to enable a creative…[Read more]

RRC staff miss having Stephen Cherry in the North East but we can remind ourselves of his insightful mind and sensitive theology with his ‘Barefoot Ways’. This concise little book contains material for every day from the start of Advent, through Christmas & Epiphany and all the way to Candlemas on February 2nd. With a poem, meditation or prayer…[Read more]

If getting involved with a church isn’t for you, then there are plenty of other opportunities to do something worthwhile during Advent which will keep alive the spirit of the season. In winter, in particular, North East foodbanks and homeless charities need extra support and volunteers. National organisations like Cafod, Oxfam, Save the Children…[Read more]

The crib scene doesn’t need to come out with the decorations and nor does it need to be orthodox! You could do something imaginative with your crib scene – see if you can out-do these examples – and send us a photo. If that’s not your cup of tea, think of a way to use the crib scene over the course of Advent (and maybe beyond). We know people who…[Read more]

A quick search will bring up all sorts of online activities and things to do over the Advent period, but we thought you might like two sites that have previously provided word-prompts for the Photo Challenge mentioned previously on our post on the 31st October: Busted Halo ( https://bustedhalo.com/tag/advent) & the LEC Family (…[Read more]

Paula Gooder is a popular author with our RRC members so it’s fitting to mention her The Meaning is in the Waiting. This short reflection on the theme of waiting has a a section for each week of the Advent season although each chapter is broken into six sections if you want to read something daily.. Following the weekly themes presented in the…[Read more]

We still have plenty of time before advent begins so how about creating your own ‘Do it yourself Advent Calendar’?

If you find the chocolate stuffed shop bought versions a little lightweight why not create your own? Create the calendar with numbered paper bags, 24 socks or the adventurous might create their own Matchbox Chest: This requires…[Read more]

The Religious Resources Centre has a lot of books to use with children during Advent to prepare them for the Christmas story.

Alison Mitchell & Catalania Echeverri; The Christmas Promise – a retelling of the Christmas story, is a beautifully illustrated version of the Christmas story told with a sense of fun and drama, it ends up focusing on the…[Read more]

Some people enjoy a book to dip into during Advent. Haphazard by Starlight, an anthology, chosen by Janet Morley, features a poem for every day from the beginning of Advent, through Christmas, and up to the feast of Epiphany. With poets as varied as Rowan Williams, Sylvia Plath, Philip Larkin and William Blake there’s something for pretty much all…[Read more]