Letter to the Congregations: 18th July 2026

Our Dear Brethren,

This morning the skies in Brooklyn are mostly clear, as we expect the temperature to be relatively cool (a high temperature of 85ºF) compared to a few days ago (around 95ºF). I’m glad to see the blue skies behind the white clouds this morning, letting the yellow of the sun shine through. Not only is there a relatively comfortable temperature, but also there is a noticeable lack of brown hazy smoke in our part of the city. Yesterday our skies were filled with the smoke coming down from wildfires burning in parts of Canada.

In one social media post among brethren, someone was frustrated that people affected by the smoke seemed only to complain about the nuisance rather than becoming upset that people are actually being affected more directly by these fires. This comment got me thinking about the way we consider our own situation versus how we consider how the greater situation may be affecting other people in more significant ways.

I don’t mean to downplay the impact of the smoke on those in its pathway. I can only imagine the severe impact on those who already suffer from various breathing problems. But a nuisance or inconvenience doesn’t quite have the same personal impact as the threat of life. There are people whose homes and lives are currently being threatened by wildfires spreading in various parts of North America. I have a friend who fights fires as part of his job and he, very intimately, knows the dangers of such fires.

For those of us who aren’t actively fighting fires, what can we do to, not only acknowledge such dangers, but fight against them?

The apostle James wrote, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b). This was directly after he spoke about our sins being forgiven when we sincerely repent in prayer before God. It seems logical that we cannot pray the prayers of righteous men and women when we haven’t yet had our sins forgiven. In this same chapter James also reminds us that, although we are flawed human beings, we can and should pray. In God’s patience and grace He listens to our prayers while we are still in the midst of struggling against our own frailty and sin.

James compares us to one of the most famous prophets in history, reminding us that it is not through our strength and abilities that miracles happen. But still we must pray and humbly request miraculous salvation from our God, both in our spiritual lives and in our physical struggles in the world around us. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 6:17).

We can pray for the forgiveness of our sins. We can pray for the mercy of God even upon those who do not yet know Him. We can pray that God brings rain on the just and the unjust at this time for the sake of His mercy and for the sake of His people who are helpless without Him. And of course we can pray that His will be done, humbly requesting that His will at this time includes the cessation of fires that are affecting so many lives.

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe