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Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a great week. I guess it’s “back-to…” week, now that we’re into September.

You know what I mean. For many families, it’s back-to-school. For some, the annual work cycle changes and it’s back-to-the-fall-routine at the office. Many of us are back to the normal rhythm of small group and Bible study meetings that paused or at least went more slowly over the summer months. Yesterday, Diane and I walked past the local sports field and saw about a million young kids practicing with their baseball teams as they get “back to” the fall season. Same are for soccer, basketball, music lessons, bridge club, sewing circles, pottery class, and all sorts of other activities.

It’s likely that we’re all “back-to…” something or other this month. If that’s true in your household, I hope it all goes very well. May the joy of those activities and involvements compensate for the shorter days that come with September. As we prayed on Sunday, we need to keep asking our Lord to bless and be with all those who are back to school now. May He also bless and bring good fruit to all those other things that will keep us busy in the coming months, so that all will be honoring to Him and productive for the sake of His Kingdom. (Yes, God can do wonderful things through baseball teams and pottery classes, as well as Bible studies and courses at school.) 

While I’m thinking about prayer requests, today I’m struck with the importance of praying for the folk who work to fight wildfires here in BC and further afield. This year, Vancouver has been spared a lot of the really bad smoke that has impacted others, and it’s been tempting to forget about the challenges that forest fires can create. But I came out of the office this afternoon and was hit in the face (especially the nose!) by the haze that has descended on the Fraser Valley. For me, it was really just a nuisance. But it was also a reminder that fires represent a real threat to homes and communities, to transportation and other infrastructure, and to the health of a lot of people whose lungs suffer when the smoke starts to get thicker. Of course, they also pose a risk to the brave and committed people who work long hours to contain and control the blazes.

So today, I’m praying for all who are affected by the fires that are closest to us, and by others around the country. I invite you to join me. May our Lord protect those who live near the affected areas, their loved ones, their homes and businesses. May He guard and help the firefighters. May He send rain in the right places and amounts, and use the wind to direct the flames away from harm. May He protect and help all those who are dealing with the smoke downwind, especially those whose lungs and cardiovascular systems are compromised. May He turn difficulty into good, in that unique way only He can do. And may these fires serve as another reminder that we live in a world that is larger than we are and greater than what we can control, all pointing us upward to a Lord who is so very much larger and greater, who deserves our respect and reverence as well as our love.

Now there’s a thought. I don’t love the taste of the smoke today, or the way it makes me cough. But even so, it can be a prompt to worship - to remember how dependent I am on God, how great He is, and how glad I am that He has placed me in a world where catastrophes are relatively uncommon while His blessings surround me pretty much every day. May He always turn my thoughts in the direction of worship, in sunshine, rain, or smoke.

On the subject of worship, this coming Sunday, we’ll be completing our short summer sermon series on worship in the Psalms. So, if you’re reading ahead, this week we’ll be in Psalm 84. This is another of my favorites. It’s full of memorable and inspiring phrases. It’s an encouraging reminder of God’s goodness. And it always challenges me (in a very helpful way) with the question: Ken, what do you love most in life? What do you really worship?  It’s only 12 verses long, so it’s an easy read. If you’re able to spend a little time in Ps 84, I know you’ll be encouraged and challenged by it too.

Meanwhile, have a wonderful week. Take care of yourself if you’re sensitive to the smoke. Enjoy whatever “back-to…” activities you may have. Keep our community in prayer. May God bless you richly, and may your heart respond to Him in worship. See you soon!

Pastor Ken