THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Rachel Reid – 13th March 2026

Why are we here and what is God’s purpose for our lives?

Following on from Vicar Geoff’s Thought for last week on Whole Life Discipleship, you might be asking yourself what this might mean for you?

We find ourselves in turbulent times. A new war has broken out in the Middle East, and our TV screens and social media feeds are alight with missile strikes and devastating scenes of destruction. The world struggles with the effects of climate change. People suffer injustice, persecution and prejudice. We might sometimes feel, like Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings, that we wish we had been born in more peaceful, simpler times. But as Gandalf says, that’s not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

In Minneapolis, where terrible things have happened to people under the anti-immigration ICE agents, Christians are resisting by singing.

The red sun rises on a world on fire
But it also rises on a holy choir
Singing through the dark times
Through the ash and smoke
Weaving grief into the song
Singing our way back to hope

We may not have ICE agents in our streets, nor missiles hitting our cities. We may not be directly affected by the sufferings of our fellow humans far away. We may feel safe and as though we can just carry on as we always have done. We might not feel any need for change. We may, in fact, be sleeping.

What should we be doing? What will bring us joy, abundant life and purpose? What will help us to ride out the storms of life and hang on to hope? What could Whole Life Discipleship look like for us? We need each other’s help and encouragement, working together and sharing our lives together. I’m sure we will explore this further in our community of seven village churches, but here’s a few ideas, taken from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (licc) website:

Be intentionally kind to our neighbours, going out of our way to do so

Shop sustainably and consume in a way that promotes justice

Be ready to share the gospel with a friend at the right moment, in a meaningful way that speaks to their questions and longings

On the last bullet point, come to the Oasis service at St Nicholas’, Askham Bryan, this Mothering Sunday at 10:30, to hear more!

Rachel