“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:14 (NRSV)
Here is the link for Sunday, October 18, 2026 worship service: https://youtu.be/7bOwlMg2x2g?si=N3qNmmjztZVcxYbs
Sunday, October 25 – Worship starts at 10:45 a.m.
Scripture to Ponder & Prayer
Week of Campfire Sunday & Reformation Sunday
“Keep the Fire of Hope Burning”
Lectionary Texts This Week:
Deuteronomy 34:1–12; Psalm 90:1–6, 13–17; 1 Thessalonians 2:1–8; Matthew 22:34–46
Chosen Scripture: Exodus 3:1–6; Luke 24:28–35
Pondering: Keep the Fire of Hope Burning
Friends, you may wonder why we have chosen different scripture readings this week instead of following our regular lectionary. You are right to notice! This coming Sunday is our Campfire Service, led by our Second Chance Band, and also Reformation Sunday. Even our seating arrangement will be different, inviting us to experience worship in a more informal and communal way.
Our chosen readings invite us to reflect on how God’s presence can ignite hope in unexpected places.
In Exodus 3, Moses encounters God through a burning bush in the wilderness. What interests me is that Moses is not searching for a religious experience. He is simply going about his daily work. Yet the ordinary ground beneath his feet becomes holy. More importantly, this encounter leads to God’s call to respond to the suffering and oppression of the Israelites.
In Luke 24, two disappointed and grieving disciples encounter the risen Christ on their journey to Emmaus. They do not recognize him until they share bread together. Later, they ask, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” (Luke 24:32).
These two stories remind me that the fire of hope is not always something we see; sometimes it is something we experience within us through encounters, relationships, and acts of compassion.
As I look at our world today, where wars, hunger, displacement, injustice, and environmental crises continue to affect millions, I sometimes wonder how we keep hope alive. Can hope survive when circumstances seem overwhelming?
The theologian Jürgen Moltmann understood Christian hope not as passive optimism but as something that inspires us to participate in God’s transforming work in the world.
Perhaps this is also the message of Reformation Sunday. The church is continually called to renewal, not simply to preserve traditions, but to remain attentive to the Spirit’s movement toward justice, inclusion, and new possibilities.
Like Moses, we are invited to recognize God’s presence amid suffering and respond with courage. Like the Emmaus disciples, we are invited to discover Christ in hospitality, shared meals, and companionship.
As we prepare to gather around our symbolic campfire this Sunday, I wonder: What keeps the fire of hope burning in our own lives? How might we share its warmth with those who are discouraged, lonely, or struggling? And what might God be calling our church to do differently?
Perhaps keeping the fire of hope burning is not about holding on to everything familiar, but about keeping alive the love, compassion, courage, and faith that make transformation possible.
Let us pray …
God of the burning bush and the Emmaus Road,
You meet us in unexpected places and awaken hope when our hearts grow weary.
Open our eyes to recognize your presence in everyday life and in those who journey beside us.
As we gather for Campfire Sunday, renew the fire of faith within us.
Give us courage to embrace change, compassion to respond to suffering, and wisdom to recognize your Spirit at work in our world.
Continue reforming your church into a community of welcome, justice, and love.
May the fire of hope keep burning within us, among us, and through us, bringing warmth, healing, and new possibilities to our world. Amen.
