1. The episcopal glass ceiling is finally shattered
Libby Lane was consecrated as the Church of England's first female bishop. Admittedly she is only a suffragan, a sort of junior bishop, but she is a genuine Rt Rev, complete with cope and mitre. More to the point, no one has a bad word to say about her and she is widely regarded as a good pick. We are not, of course, quite at the point of complete Church-wide acceptance of the equal ministry of women. A sizeable number of Anglicans aren't happy, and special arrangements have been made for them. But it was a happy time, despite the intervention of an objector who tried to spoil it.
2. We don't invite people to church because we're scared
Researchers have found that one of the main reasons we don't invite people to church is because of a "paralysing fear of rejection" – though we tend to say it's because we don't think they'd like the music or the chairs are too hard. Or is it because we know what we're asking them to sign up to, and find it hard enough to cope ourselves? Either way: the Back to Church movement under Michael Harvey (pictured) has been enormously successful, but it seems that we have to get over our reluctance to ask people to come to church if it's not to run out of steam entirely. Here's a thought: instead of thinking of our church as being like a fortress, why don't we think of it as a really nice coffee shop?
3. The cat who came back from the brink
We don't usually do this sort of story, but readers enjoyed the tale (sorry about that) of the zombie cat. This is the moggie that was hit by a car in Tampa, Florida, and accordingly buried. Reports of its death were greatly exaggerated however, and Bart – one imagines him as a sort of feline Uma Thurman in Kill Bill – clawed his way out of the grave and walked home. He was not in a good way, but is on the road to recovery. The Humane Society is referring to him as "Miracle Cat", which seems a little unimaginative. Is Lazarus too irreverent?
4. HTB's empire is expanding, in a good way
Worship leader Tim Hughes is to leave London's Holy Trinity Brompton church and head off to Britain's second city, Birmingham. HTB is forming the very commendable habit of moving into churches that are a bit down on their luck and turning them round. St Luke's, an imposing building near the city centre, is ripe for the HTB treatment. Hughes will take a team with him, and will retain his links with the Brompton church. It is a return home for him: his father was vicar of the city's St John's Church in Harborne.
5. A college president resigns, unable to cope with his son's death
The president of a Christian college resigned from his position six months after the suicide of his 15-year-old son, saying he was unable to cope. Ergun Caner's son Braxton killed himself last year and he father went straight back to work, saying "Frankly, that's all I knew how to do." He was hospitalised in November with heart problems and has finally called time on his role at the college, saying: "It is one thing to lead a college through a crisis, but this position demands a person's full attention and full strength. At the moment, I have neither." A sad, sad story, and we should pray for that family's healing.
6. Leggings and lust: the sequel
And finally: a Christian woman who gave up wearing tight leggings because of the lustful thoughts they might arouse in men has faced a bit of a backlash; not from the men, oddly enough, but from women irritated that she seemed to be associating bad behaviour by men with a particular choice of clothing by women: it isn't women's fault, it's men's. Poor Veronica Partridge hadn't thought she would be quite as vilified as she was – or, indeed, as praised – but that's the internet for you.
A good week for:
The Clint Eastwood film American Sniper, which is breaking box-office records with its portrayal of a Christian marksman who killed 160 Iraqis.
A bad week for:
American Arabs, whose Anti-Discrimination Committee claimed that the film was encouraging "violent threats" against them and called on Eastwood to denounce "hateful language".
The story you might not have read, but ought to know about:
Police in Florida have been using pictures of black men for target practice.
And one for pure enjoyment:
A Japanese bishop has told of his wartime training as a kamikaze pilot. Obviously, it has a happy ending.
