THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Daniel – 20th February 2026Running the Race on Ice: Faith, Courage, and the Road to the FinishEvery four years, the world turns its eyes to the spectacle of the Winter Olympics. We watch athletes step onto the ice and snow after years of unseen early morning discipline, aching muscles, and quiet sacrifices. Whether it’s the speed of the skater, the focus of the skier, or the steady nerve of the bobsleigh team, each event tells a deeper story of perseverance, hope, heartbreak, and courage. As I watch the Winter Olympics currently taking place in Italy, I am reminded that behind every medal stands a journey. Some athletes stood on the podium with tears of joy. Others finished far from the medals, yet with equal dignity. In both victory and defeat, we can glimpse something profoundly Christian.Working Hard for What Is UnseenOlympians train for years for a race that may last less than a minute. Their preparation often goes unnoticed by the crowds. This echoes the words of St Paul: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)Paul is not encouraging rivalry in faith, but commitment. The Christian life, like Olympic training, requires discipline, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and steadfast love. These are habits that are formed in the hidden places of our lives. We may not stand in a stadium, but each of us is called to faithfulness in our own lane, be it parenting, serving, studying, caring, working, or praying. Much of it feels ordinary, yet in God’s eyes, no faithful effort is wasted.Winning with HumilityWhen an athlete wins gold, we celebrate an excellence that is rewarded. Yet the finest champions often show humility by acknowledging coaches, teammates, family, even competitors. They know their victory is not theirs alone. Scripture reminds us: “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above.” (James 1:17)When success comes, whether in career, ministry, family, or personal growth, we must not receive it as proof of our superiority, but as gift from God. Our Christian response to success should be gratitude, giving praise to the One who made it so.Losing with GracePerhaps the most powerful Olympic moments are not the victories, but the falls - the skater who rises after a crash to finish the routine, the skier who misses a medal by a fraction of a second yet smiles through tears. In those moments, we see resilience. The writer of Hebrews encourages us: “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1–2)Not every effort brings visible success. Prayers sometimes seem unanswered, good work may go unnoticed, we may fail, stumble, or come last. Yet we know we are not running for applause, we run looking to Christ for our help, our joy, and our salvationCourage on the IceWinter sports demand courage. To launch down an icy track at high speed or leap into the air on skis requires trust, trust in preparation, in training, in something beyond fear. Faith also requires courage. To forgive when wounded, to hope when discouraged, to stand for justice, and to love when it costs us something. God repeatedly tells His people:“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)Our courage does not come from self-confidence alone, but from the assurance of God’s presence.Finishing the RaceFor many athletes, simply reaching the Olympics is the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. Finishing the race, regardless of placement, is itself a victory. At the end of his life, St Paul wrote: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)The Christian life is not about being the fastest or most decorated. It is about finishing faithfully, it is about remaining rooted in Christ through joy and sorrow, gain and loss. So, as we reflect on the spirit of the Winter Olympics, may we remember that our lives, too, are a kind of race. There will be training seasons and waiting seasons. There will be victories and disappointments. There will be moments when we feel strong and moments when we fall. But we are not alone on the ice. Christ runs beside us, the communion of saints cheers us on, and the prize set before us is not a medal that fades but the eternal embrace of God.Daniel Khan, Licenced Lay Minister
Being Lights for ChristOur ABC Churches Lent Course is all about discipleship and based on Matthew 5:14-16. There will be the opportunity to discuss with others and explore what God is calling you to be as a follower. Suitable for new Christians and those more mature in the faith we will meet at 10:30am for coffee and a 11am start in St Giles Church and Centre on Wednesdays 25th February, 4th March, 11th March and 18th March 2026. The sessions will last about an hour.
New Ainsty Deanery Lent Courses 2026There are a wide variety of Lent courses happening around the Deanery this year happening at a variety of different times. Have a look at the list below and see what you would like to attend. They have been listed according to the days of the week. See attached page.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Vicar Geoff – 13th February 2026Transformation and TrustThe Gospel reading last Sunday was that very well-known passage where Jesus instructs His followers not to worry. Instead, we are to trust. I preached on the importance of seeking God’s Kingdom instead of focussing on what is around us and what the future holds. When we seek God’s Kingdom, we are focussing on God and placing our trust in Him. It is all about trust and transformation, for when we trust in Jesus our lives are transformed. Seeking God’s Kingdom is part of that trust. For when we prioritise God’s Kingdom, when we put Jesus at the centre of all we do, we find that our lives are naturally transformed because we are focussing on Him rather than our own wants and needs.It is striking that when we focus on what we want, it pushes Jesus out of the picture and we become the focus. Our trust is in ourselves. When we trust in ourselves worry creeps in because what can we offer? No certainty or future. Indeed, when we focus on ourselves rather than Jesus and the Kingdom of God we are putting ourselves in God’s place. And who are we to usurp God?The Message paraphrase puts it in these terms: 25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. 27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen colour and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. 34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.The final part of these verses reminds us that God will deal with whatever tough things we face, but He will only do that when we are obediently living for Him. Worry is a sign of disobedience, so how can we expect God to help us out when we are worrying? Instead, when we trust in Him there is never anything for us to get concerned about because we then know that all will be in His hands. And that is the best place we can ever be.
