Hope in the Ashes

Wildfires are devastating. They move fast, leaving destruction behind—homes lost, families displaced, and entire neighborhoods turned to ash. And the fires in California right now - they are some of the worst in history.

In just one month, 2025 has become the second most destructive fire year in California’s history. In the Los Angeles area alone, over 16,000 homes and other structures have been damaged or destroyed by just two massive fires. 16,000 homes. That’s not just a number—that’s 16,000 families trying to figure out what’s next.

It’s overwhelming to think about. When disasters like this happen, it’s easy to feel helpless. We’re hundreds of miles away, living our daily lives, while others are experiencing unimaginable loss.

So what can we do? I find these words from the Prophet Isaiah helpful: 
 

"If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail."
(Isaiah 58:10-11)
 

Even in the face of devastation, we can be a source of hope. We can be like a spring of water in parched places.
 

This Sunday, as we come to the Communion Table, we have an opportunity to respond with compassion and love for those in need of mercy. Our Communion Offering this month is going to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), which is already on the ground in California, helping those affected by these fires. Every dollar we give goes directly to disaster relief, ensuring that families have food, shelter, and the resources they need to begin rebuilding.
 

We can’t bring back what was lost. We can’t erase the pain. But we can step up. We can remind these families that they are not forgotten. We can proclaim that even after the flames, there is still hope.
 

This Sunday, I invite you to come to the table with an open heart—to reflect, to pray, and to consider how God is calling you to respond:

Maybe it’s through your offering. 

Maybe it’s through your prayers. 

Maybe it’s simply by remembering that even in the face of loss, God is present, and hope is never gone.
 

I look forward to worshiping with you—in person or online—as we share in Communion and close out our Season of Rest sermon series.

With Gratitude,

Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC