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.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Daniel – 16th January 2026Holding the Plough: Faith, Work, and Hope in Our CommunityLast Sunday morning I had the privilege of speaking at the Plough Service at All Saints Church, Bolton Percy, a traditional service held to pray for, and acknowledge, the daily work of our farming communities. The prayers, hymns, and poems shared at that service were both uplifting and thought provoking, and the respectful procession of an ancient hand-plough into the church to be blessed movingly represented the importance of the farming community in our daily lives.Thinking about that Plough Service, I realised its history draws us together at a moment that is both ancient, and deeply present. Although rooted in rural life, its message actively invites us all to reflect on God’s blessing over the land, our labour, and our shared life as a community. While many of us do not work in the fields, the symbolism of the plough can still speak powerfully into who we are and how we live.At its heart, a plough service is about beginnings. Traditionally held at the start of the agricultural year, it asks God’s blessing on the soil before it is turned and sown. Scripture often returns to this image of preparation and hope. The prophet Hosea urges, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord” (Hosea 10:12). Before growth can come, the ground must be opened. Spiritually this challenges us now, in January, to ask what in our own lives needs turning over so that God’s grace can take root.The plough also reminds us of vocation and faithful work. In the book of Genesis, humanity is placed in the garden “to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Work, whatever it may be, is not a punishment but a calling. In our community this can take very many forms – teachers and carers for example, shop workers, volunteers, and health care workers, to name but a few. The message of the plough service honours all honest labour, recognising that each role contributes to the flourishing of the whole community in which we live.Jesus himself used the image of the plough when speaking about commitment: “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). These words are not meant to discourage, but to focus us. Following Christ calls for perseverance, especially when the work is slow, tiring, or unseen. Just as a ploughman, or woman, must keep their eyes fixed ahead to cut a straight furrow, so we are invited to keep our gaze on Christ, trusting him with the outcome of our efforts.Community lies at the centre of the plough service message. Farming has never been a solitary task; it depends on shared knowledge, mutual help, and trust in forces beyond human control. Likewise, the life of our church is shaped by cooperation and care for one another. St Paul reminds us, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). We must each play our part, but it is God who brings the fruit from our collective labour.Finally, a plough service speaks of hope. To plough a field is an act of faith. The labour comes long before the harvest, and much remains uncertain - weather, health, circumstances etc. Yet we can trust in God’s promise that whatever our work, be it secular or spiritual, when offered to him it is not in vain. As the psalmist writes, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy” (Psalm 126:5).The message of the plough is that we are always a part of our community’s future - the work we will do, the relationships we will nurture, and the faith we will carry into 2026, and beyond. This January, may we go forward with willing hands, open hearts, and the confidence that God walks with us in every furrow we plough.Daniel Khan (Licenced Lay Minister)
