Issue Number 444 December 2017, January 2018 From the Rector Do your wurst In the middle of November the bakery chain Greggs launched an OUR MISSION Advent Calendar. Its publicity campaign included an image depicting A community seeking to live well with God, the three wise men gathered around a crib containing a sausage roll. gathered around Jesus Christ in prayer and fellowship, It is fair to say that reaction was mixed: the social media group and committed to welcome, worship and witness. Christians on Twitter described the advert as ‘disrespectful’; the The Church Office Freedom Association (curiously one might think, given its name) Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6AL called for a boycott of what it described as a ‘sick, anti-Christian 01756 710238 calendar’. On the other hand a member of the clergy commented in
[email protected] The Rector a national newspaper that ‘the ability to receive (the calendar) in The Rectory, Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6AL good part is a sign of grace’. 01756 710326 Personally I was mildly amused that a bakery chain was marketing
[email protected] an Advent Calendar in the first place (though I was astonished at the Curate 07495 151987 price of £24). As to being offended, I couldn’t really see what the
[email protected] fuss was about: I simply do not consider a parody of a nativity scene Website a threat to my faith. A few days before Greggs launched the www.boltonpriory.church advertisement, news began to emerge of the extent and violence of SUNDAY recent attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt.