THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Alan – 19th September 2025

Courses for Horses: Meeting Jesus in our messy (complex) lives.

Last week, Vicar Geoff wrote the thought for the week focussing on our different preferences, and our need to provide for multiple congregations consisting of a diverse community of worshippers. I want to continue that theme this week and consider how and where we meet Jesus in different ways in or lives which are often filled to the brim.

I often reflect back on simpler times. I was not brought up in a church family, and so for most of my youth Sunday was on the whole a day of boredom. Not much happened on a Sunday. We had three, then four and then five TV channels, although the morning was generally religious programmes or documentary based, the afternoon filled with westerns, with the odd relief of the occasional (very occasional) live football match. Shops were closed. In essence Sunday for many like me was a lazy day, sat around the house.

I returned from University, a Christian, and started attending my local church. The people I had played football with pre-University on a Saturday afternoon, had moved to a Sunday afternoon due to many working on a Saturday. Suddenly my Sundays were full. Most weeks were the same routine 10.30am service at Church, 2pm playing footie, 6pm service at Church. It was busy but a simple routine. As we move forward during the next 30 years: marriage; children; increased responsibilities in work; career advancement; church meetings; church warden; lay ministry training, life becomes messy and complex. Suddenly we are faced with difficulties getting to and from activities and events, especially where the children are concerned. Both my children played football for local sides which meant chunks of Saturday and Sunday mornings were taken up travelling to some of the weird and wonderful places that are York and North Yorkshire. This became Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons and then just Sunday afternoons, but as the age groups rose so it seemed did the travelling with many a Sunday afternoon spent in Teesside. Coupled with that are jobs required the need to often undertake preparation work at weekends for the week ahead. It was messy and complex, and often required the balancing skills of the greatest trapeze artist.

Therefore we need to think about this as we consider our engagement with Jesus. For many Sunday at 10.30 is still the time most associated with Church services. But many of our group of churches hold a 9am service. It suits. Messy Church on a Sunday afternoon suits many families and we see this in the depth and breadth of the congregation. This Sunday I have the pleasure of preaching at St John’s, Acaster Selby at a 3pm Evensong service, something new for me, but something I am really looking forward to. But Church is not just about Sunday Services, during the week we have Deepening Connections, Little Apples and Little Fish, we have house groups, Wednesday Communion, all the courses (eg Alpha, Encounters etc) that we run, and many other activities that we deliver. Of course, that is not to forget all our personal 1:1 engagements we have with Jesus in our personal lives.

Personally, I would like to thank every single person who contributes their time and effort to make these things happen (or have helped them to happen in the past). We want to be a church that supports our multiple congregations and helps us to me Jesus at times which suit us in ways that suit us. We are a broad church because we are a diverse people, joined by one Lord and Saviour. Let us build this together.