This October, listeners to BBC Radio 4 Extra are invited to join a special week of Daily Services that bring The Lord’s Prayer to life.
From Friday 3 October to Friday 10 October, six services will be shared, each led by voices from across the North of England and the Isle of Man. Together, they will reflect on the words of this well-loved prayer and what it means for our lives today.
The series opens with ArchbishopArchbishop Bishop who also presides over a group of dioceses or provinces. Stephen Cottrell, who has invited others serving the church in different contexts across the Northern Province to share in leading worshipWorship 1. Doing homage and giving honour and respect to God. The Bible includes a wide range of physical expression in worship, including bowing down, lifting hands, dancing, processions and singing. The main day on which Christians gather for communal worship is Sunday (the day when Christ is believed to have risen from the dead). 2. Christian liturgy including sung material and prayers of thanksgiving and praise.. Each service takes a line from The Lord’s Prayer and connects it with everyday faithFaith 1. Belief and trust in someone or something. 2. Acceptance of particular religious teachings., hope, and challenge.
The services include:
- Friday 3 October – Archbishop Stephen Cottrell: Who is God our Father?
- Mon 6 October – The Ven Miranda Threlfall-Holmes: Where is God’s kingdom now?
- Tues 7 October – The Revd Dave Ho Young: What does “enough” look like?
- Weds 8 October – The Revd Alex Brown: Why forgiveness matters
- Thurs 9 October – The Revd Amy Bland: How do we stay on the right path?
- Friday 10 October – Bishop Philip North: Living to glorify God
The week concludes on Paulinus Day (10 October), with a special event at Blackburn CathedralCathedral (Latin cathedra' throne') Church which contains the throne of the bishop and hence the mother church of the diocese. Archbishop Stephen will be speaking about the continuing power of The Lord’s Prayer—not only as words to say, but as a way of life. Similar teaching and learning events are taking place across the North of England, with more planned for 2026, as part of the growing Faith in the North, encouraging a movement of prayer, storytelling and church planting.
The focus for Faith in the North in 2025 is The Lord’s Prayer, with free resources available for schools, churches, and individuals via the website. This builds toward a moment of great heritage significance in 2027: the 1600th anniversary of the baptismBaptism The Sacramental rite of admission into the Christian Church. The candidate is immersed in or sprinkled with water in the name of the Trinity and may also be anointed with oil. of King Edwin by St PaulinusPaulinus, St Bishop of York 627-644. Sent to England with Saint Augustine. Accompanied Queen Ethelburga north on her marriage to King Edwin of Northumbria. Converted King Edwin and the Northumbrians in 627 and founded the first York Minster., which laid the foundations for what is now York MinsterYork Minster Popular name for the cathedral and metropolitan church of St Peter in York. Seat of the Archbishop of York, the cathedral was established in 627 by St Paulinus as a baptistery for King Edwin. The present building contains elements of the Norman cathedral of Archbishop Thomas of Bayeux, but dates largely from the 13th-15th centuries..