THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Rachel – 6th February 2026TransformI was walking on Acaster Airfield with Philip and our cocker spaniel Rufus one dreary day in late January. We had splished and sploshed through mud and worse, and were walking along a flooded runway between two fields. The sky was grey and the distant woods blurry in the mist. Our toes, fingers and noses were icy and all seemed dead and sodden. Suddenly I noticed a red admiral butterfly, fluttering drunkenly amidst a struggling, waterlogged crop of field beans. Where on earth had it come from? How was it even alive in this season of watery wastes, fog, mud and bare branches?Somehow, a caterpillar had managed to find food and survive the January frosts. It had pupated safely and transformed into the beautiful, bright insect that danced about in the desolation, the only spot of colour in a bleak landscape.And I began thinking about Vicar Geoff’s Word of the Year for 2026. Transform. In Romans 12 Paul tells us that we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. By spending more time with God, in private devotions and corporate worship, and spending time with fellow believers, we begin to align our values with God’s, listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, slowly, slowly becoming more like Jesus. It’s a work of a lifetime.But Transform has a particular meaning this year, wider than just personal, as we seek to merge the ABC and AAA churches into a wider Mission and Ministry unit under Rev’d Geoff. We are a diverse group of churches who each have a particular way of doing things. Roots go deep and change can be unwelcome. Yet in order to grow and flourish we sometimes have to try new things, make new connections and appreciate each other as pilgrim disciples, slowly being transformed to be more like Jesus. This doesn’t mean losing our identity, but deepening our understanding of what it looks like to be part of a bigger family of churches.To become a butterfly, my little Red Admiral first had to move on from being a caterpillar. Living in a folded leaf tent on a stinging nettle, secured with silk she spins herself, she becomes a chrysalis, staying in this unformed state for up to 50 days in cold weather. She has to die to herself, as we Christians are urged to do, to become what she was always meant to be.We can never say we’ve arrived as followers of Jesus; we are always on a journey of discovery, faith, adventure, hope and longing. Let’s join hands and hearts across our villages as we work to serve our communities and bring the Gospel of Christ to our friends and neighbours.Lord, may your Kingdom come.Rachel
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Alan JohnstonThe eternal promisesSo as we reach the end of January, we look back to Christmas which seems so far away. For many January is the time when we think about giving something up or changing behaviour. A New Year's resolution sits on many a person’s lips as we enter the new year . How long does it last? How many of us are still keeping to the promises we made to ourselves and to loved ones. It is so easy to slip back into the old ways before we made those resolutions. You could in some ways suggest that January is the month of the broken promises. OK, often not big promises, just resolutions of how we are going to change, change our lives and change them for the better. Diets, more exercise, be kinder and treat others well are just some of those resolutions we may make.So, did we make any resolutions, any promises. If so, have we failed to keep them. Personally, I gave up making these promises many years ago, because quite often I'd have got to this time of year and would have failed. Somebody would always take great delight in telling me I’d failed, but then the truth is we all fail. For most of us failure is within our DNA.Fortunately as Christians however, we have a Lord and Saviour who keeps his promises. A Lord who doesn't fail. Jesus made many promises. Some that stand out for me are:“I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mathew 28:20bSo as we look forward to the months ahead, and we identify Easter on the horizon (Easter Eggs are already on the shelves) let us value those promises that Jesus has made and remember;“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Vicar GeoffNot of the worldOur word for the year 2026 reminds us that those who follow Jesus, that is all who have made a commitment to serve Him before themselves, are in the world but not of it. That is why Paul writes in our ‘Word for the Year’ that we are not to conform to the pattern of the world. We are to stand out from the world, reflecting God’s purposes, not those of the world around us. I was reflecting only this week that the world seems to be in such a mess. There is conflict between nations, world leaders are forcing their position to gain power and so many people are struggling with life, with health, bereavement or simply living in the confused society we find ourselves in.Living in the world, but not of it, can be a challenge. It is so easy to be swept along by our peers. What they get up to can look exciting and fulfilling, so we join in and before we know it we are being swept along, doing things that if we stopped to think about them we would immediately stop. Jesus speaks, similarly to Paul, in Matthews Gospel when he encourages us to be like light: 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)Light stands out in the darkness. It only takes a little light to make a difference in a dark space. You can see the light of a lighthouse for miles around. We are called to be seen and to stand out. To be different to the world around us. If we just blend in, what difference can we make? If we conform to the ways of the world, we are no longer distinct and unable to point to Jesus, as we get lost in everything around us.Jesus makes a similar point, when he talks about salt: 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matthew 5:13)A tiny bit of salt makes a remarkable difference to food, in fact it brings out the flavours, highlighting the taste. We can also do that for those around us. But it is not possible for us to be salt or light if we have been conformed to the ways of the world around us. So stand up, stand out and be the difference in the circles you move in.Pray for … The formation of the new ABC Mission and Ministry Unit Our Licenced Lay Ministers (LLMs) Opportunities to be salt and light in our communitiesGive thanks for … Messy Church, Little Fish and Little Apples as they draw families into the life of our Mission and Ministry Unit Those involved in our Alpha course The increasing number of people attending our traditional services across our villagesWe pray for all who live and work in the following streets in our communities:In Copmanthorpe - Vavasour Court, Fairfax Croft, The Recreation CentreIn Bolton Percy & Colton - The Coach HouseIn Askham Bryan - Church CloseIn Acaster Malbis - Brocket Court, Holly Close, Garth FarmIn Appleton Roebuck - Main Street (from Chestnut House to West End Farm)In the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
