Life giving resources. Faithfully delivered.
FREE delivery on orders over £10
Serving over 2 million Christians in the UK
with Bibles, Books and Church Supplies
Our Buy-Now-Pay-Later accounts used
by over 4,000 UK Churches & Schools
Simon Cross
Christians are being encouraged to use their LOAF during Lent, as campaigners call for a reintegration of faith and ethical living.
Christian Ecology Link (CEL) a body which helps Christians engage positively with environmental matters, is recommending that throughout Lent believers should aim to eat food which is Local, Organic, Animal friendly, and Fair trade.
And the group have produced leaflets in time for the forthcoming season of Lent, asking all of us to take action on the food we eat.
As well as being a handy acronym, the loaf is a powerful metaphor for Christians.
Ruth Jarman, CEL's Climate Change campaigner said, "Bread has a special place in the Christian life. Not only does Jesus bless and break bread with his disciples but he refers to his own body as bread, broken for us.
“It is fitting, therefore, for us to follow Jesus' teachings of justice and love for the vulnerable when we purchase or make our daily bread. CEL's LOAF principles are an easy way to embed justice and righteousness into our food consumption."
And Jo Abbess of CEL added: "The earliest Christians tried to live in strong unity, putting into action the principle that Jesus taught, to love each other just as completely as he loved them.
“It wasn't a sentimental creed, it was one of daily, practical action, articulated sacramentally in the common meal of remembrance, centred on the symbols of bread and wine.
"Christians shared their financial resources, assets and skills, and put in place administration for relief work in aid of the dispossessed, poor and needy.
“The New Testament letter writers often emphasised that Christians should consider themselves equal with one another, and this is still recalled in many liturgies - "though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread."
"That original communion is not as universal as it used to be. Many people today live in situations of deprivation and poverty. We may still be branches in the same Vine, but are we still in full loving community? What are Christian responsibilities towards the nourishment of the poor?
"Many are asking questions about food production and supply systems. Crops and food supplies are at risk from not only poor governance, but changing environmental conditions, irregular rainfall, floods, droughts and storms.
“If we truly want to help feed the world, we need to prevent further dangerous climate change, by cutting the greenhouse gas emissions in the food chain. However, we also need to support sustainable development in poor economies, through Fair Trade.
“Christian Ecology have summarised the key principles that all churches may like to consider, particularly during Lent. At the centre of this group of food principles is the theology of our shared daily bread - what works for Britain can work for Burkina Faso. The LOAF principles emphasise that all can prosper from eating locally produced food, grown organically, using animal-friendly rearing and Fair Trade."
Lent, which begins on February 22nd, is traditionally a time of fasting for many Christians, and this year CEL is asking supporters to try and eat only according to 'LOAF programme principles.'
Churches keen to use their LOAF can download recipes and ideas to try from CEL’s website.
Bible
Finding the right Bible isn’t easy. There are dozens of translations and hundreds of editions to choose from. Our new series of guides is here to answer your questions about the different Bibles on offer today.
Bible
Finding the right Bible isn’t easy. There are dozens of translations and hundreds of editions to choose from. Our new series of guides is here to answer your questions about the different Bibles on offer today.
Featured
Finding the right Bible isn’t easy. There are dozens of translations and hundreds of editions to choose from. Our new series of guides is here to answer your questions about the different Bibles on offer today.
Featured
Finding the right Bible isn’t easy. There are dozens of translations and hundreds of editions to choose from. Our new series of guides is here to answer your questions about the different Bibles on offer today.
Bible
With more than 20 English Language translations each available in 25 or more different editions the choice of Bibles excites and bewilders. Choosing the right Bible for you is important - even if you already have more than one.
Spiritual Growth
Long overshadowed by the celebrations of Easter Sunday, Lent is being rediscovered as a sacred time of reflection and renewal in its own right and a time of preparation for the joyous seasonal finale.