“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:14 (NRSV)
Sunday, August 30, 2026 – Joint Summer Worship starts at 9:30 a.m. Led by Trinity United Church
Scripture to Ponder & Prayer
August 24, 2026
Harm Reduction Week
Texts for the Week: Exodus 3:1–15; Psalm 105:1–6, 23–26, 45b; Jeremiah 15:15–21; Psalm 26:1–8; Matthew 16:21–28
To Ponder: Exodus 3:1–15 and Matthew 16:21–28
In the Exodus reading, Moses encounters God in the burning bush. God has seen the suffering of the Israelites, heard their cries, and knows their pain. God does not remain distant from their suffering. Instead, God calls Moses to participate in the work of liberation and assures him, “I will be with you.”
Moses is understandably hesitant. He questions whether he is the right person for the task. Yet God’s call is not based on Moses having all the answers or possessing perfect courage. God calls him to pay attention, to listen to the cries of people who are suffering, and to take part in the work of bringing life and freedom.
This speaks powerfully to us during Harm Reduction Week. Harm reduction invites us to move beyond judgment and complacency and toward compassion, accompaniment, and care. It asks us to pay attention to places where lives are at risk, where people experience stigma and isolation, and where hope is urgently needed. At its heart is the conviction that every life has dignity and that no person should be treated as disposable.
A few years ago, while serving Valley Pastoral Charge, I had an opportunity to attend a regional leadership gathering at Knox United Church in Brandon. As part of that gathering, we visited a historic site connected with the residential school system and reflected upon the children whose lives were lost and the continuing pain carried by Indigenous families and communities.
That experience stayed with me. It reminded me how devastating the consequences can be when institutions and communities fail to recognize the sacred worth of people who are vulnerable. Every person has a story, belongs to a family and community, and bears the image of God. Remembering painful histories calls us not only to grief, but also to examine how stigma, neglect, discrimination, and systemic failures continue to affect lives today.
In Matthew 16, Jesus tells his disciples that following him involves taking up the cross. This is not an invitation to glorify suffering. Rather, it is a call to courageous discipleship—to stand with those who suffer, to challenge systems that diminish human dignity, and to choose compassion even when doing so is uncomfortable.
The call to harm reduction, then, is larger than our personal comfort or convictions. It asks whether we are willing to meet people where they are, to listen before judging, and to participate in God’s life-giving work in the world.
Perhaps the burning bush still appears wherever suffering demands our attention. Perhaps God still says, “I have seen… I have heard… I know… and I am sending you.”
Prayer
God of the burning bush,
you see the suffering that others overlook,
you hear the cries that others ignore,
and you know every person by name.
Open our eyes to recognize your image
in every neighbour we encounter.
Free us from fear, judgment, and indifference,
and give us courage to stand alongside those
who experience stigma, isolation, addiction, poverty, or rejection.
Bless all who offer harm reduction, care, advocacy, and compassionate presence.
Give them wisdom, patience, strength, and hope.
As you promised Moses, remind us that we do not enter difficult places alone.
You are with us.
Teach us to follow Jesus with courage,
to seek justice with humility,
to protect life with compassion,
and to help build communities where every person
is treated with dignity, grace, and love.
May our words and actions proclaim
that no life is beyond your care
and no person is outside the circle of your love.
Amen.
Bomber Season 🏈 and Summer Concerts 
Bomber Season 🏈 and Summer Concerts 
Trinity United Church 