THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Vicar GeoffReaching our village communitiesMany of us are used to traditional worship from the Book of Common Prayer that we have known most of our lives: Holy Communion, Mattins (Morning Prayer); Evensong. They are nourishing and encouraging, and we enjoy what we have known for many years. Indeed, we may have grown up with that kind of worship from an early age. It is wonderful. It is rich. Surprisingly, it does not appeal to everyone. You may be aware that for 4 years we have had something called Messy Church. You may think that it is not proper church, because it doesn’t include communion or there are no traditional hymns. But did you know Messy Church has grown to have the largest attendance of any service across all seven of our villages? It regularly attracts around 50 - 60 adults and children, many of whom attend no other worship opportunity. That’s why we have been holding it Askham Bryan College Main Conference Hall, because none of our churches have a hall big enough.During August we followed a theme ‘Encountering the Divine’ as we explored together accounts from the Acts of the Apostles where folk had encounters with God. At our 5th Sunday in August, ABC Communion Together, Emma Peers, who will be licenced as a Lay Minister on 27th September 2025, preached a sermon which I encourage you to listen to the audio recording here: Encountering the Divine God in the Mess Emma Peers Sermon 31st August 2025.Emma has been leading Messy Church for the past 4 years, for which I am very grateful. In that time, I estimate that around 300 people have benefitted from this wonderful ministry. People often say children and young families are the future of the church. They are the church of today, even if the kind of church is out of our own personal comfort zone. The church must be for everyone and not everyone likes the same kind of thing. Over the years I have endeavoured to offer a range of various styles of worship across the churches. That may mean that ‘your’ kind of worship on any given Sunday may be found in a church which you don’t consider to be your own, and may involve travel, but you may find you have the opportunity to encounter the divine. Do ask around for a lift if you can’t get there yourself.The ABC Churches Leadership Team, myself and our PCCs believe we need to invest in this congregation and so we are praying about employing a Children and Families Worker to ensure that this vital and important ministry not only continues, but thrives to ensure the continuation of the church we all know and love. We are one church, made of people of all ages, traditions and preferences, so please pray that we find a way forward for Messy Church (and out pre school playgroups) which currently all rely on a limited pool of volunteers. Messy may not be where you ‘Encounter the Divine’, but it is a place where many people of all ages do.So, if you missed the final sermon of our August ‘Encountering the Divine’ sermon series, I encourage you to listen to it, it lasts just 17 minutes. Please pray about how we continue to serve these important congregations and how you might be able to help. That doesn’t mean you have to do crafts if that isn’t your bag. There are plenty of ways you can serve, including through prayer, which I believe is vital for any endeavour we undertake.Geoff
Back to School, Back to God: facing a new season with faithAs September arrives and the summer holidays come to a close, we find ourselves returning to familiar routines—early mornings, packed lunches, school runs, and the flurry of schedules. For many families, this season marks the beginning of a new school year: a time of anticipation, opportunity, and understandably, anxiety.Whether you're a student stepping into a new classroom, a parent watching your child grow up too fast, a teacher preparing lesson plans, or a grandparent praying from the sidelines, the start of the school year stirs many emotions—hope, fear, excitement, and uncertainty.In these moments, it’s good to be reminded that our God is not distant from our daily rhythms. He is present in classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, and homes. The Scriptures assure us: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” — Psalm 121:8Whatever our age or role, transitions can be daunting. Children may worry about making friends or keeping up in class. Parents may feel anxious about letting go or meeting new demands. Teachers may feel overwhelmed by the weight of their responsibilities. And yet, we are not alone in any of this.Jesus, who welcomed children and blessed them (Mark 10:14–16), reminds us that God values even the smallest among us. The same Jesus who calmed storms and fed multitudes walks with us into school playgrounds and staff rooms.Let us also remember Paul's words to the Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” — Philippians 4:6This is a season for prayer—not just for good school results and healthy lunches, but for peace, patience, kindness, and wisdom. Let us pray for our children: that they may learn and grow in confidence. Let us pray for our educators: that they may teach with joy and compassion. Let us pray for families: that homes may be places of support and understanding.And as a parish, let us recommit ourselves to being a community that supports our young people and their families—not only in word, but in presence and action. Could we offer a silent prayer during Sunday worship for teachers and students? Could we visit that single parent we know to offer support?This new school year offers each of us a chance to grow in faith and service. May we face it with courage, knowing that: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” — Proverbs 9:10May the love and peace of Jesus go with every student, teacher, and parent this year, and may our parish continue to be a place where all are formed in faith, grounded in love, and guided by hope.Daniel Khan
Citizens of HeavenReading yesterday’s papers on the journey back from Cambridge I noticed an article entitled “Raising the colours”. Apparently there’s a social media campaign encouraging people to fly the Union Jack or St George’s Cross flags. Having been off for weeks looking after 5 grandchildren (3 more on the way) and grabbing some R&R on the Dorset coast I must say I hadn’t noticed. But then driving over to Rawcliffe to pick up the dog from his sitter we saw no less than 4 makeshift St George Cross flags, tied to bridges and lamp posts. Apparently this has divided public opinion, with some saying it’s just harmless patriotism and others fearing racist undertones, given the worries over illegal migrants and the pressures on the NHS, schools, benefits and housing.As Christians, how should we view this? We have an identity which transcends nationality and we are tasked with sharing the Good News about Jesus with all nations, to the ends of the earth. Philippians 3:20 says “but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” There’s nothing wrong with expressing loyalty to one’s country, team or organisation, but we have another, higher loyalty which demands that we sometimes put aside our own fears, needs and desires and take up our cross to follow Jesus. My 3 year old grandson finds it hard when his 1 year old sister wrecks his puzzle, or dismantles his Duplo house. But he has to learn to be tolerant and to share, and it’s hard. And sometimes doing what God requires of us is hard too. A few years ago Philip and I took two Ukrainian refugees under our roof. We had to share. We had to sacrifice. It wasn’t always easy, but we knew that we were doing the right thing. It was ours to do. And through it I hope we grew in grace and tolerance. So fly your flag if you want to, but remember whose Kingdom you ultimately belong to. When the Kingdom of God comes in all its fullness, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, flags and nationalities won’t matter anymore. And meanwhile if we practice these Kingdom values of humility, mercy, love for God and neighbour, forgiveness and reconciliation, Heaven touches earth and we get a glimpse of the heart of God for humanity. Rachel
