Aug. 2, 2026
Dear Saints of the Northwest Intermountain Synod,
My heart breaks for the greater Spokane Community in the face of wildfires, which are still burning as I write this. I remember wildfires growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota. My half-brother, a Forest Service ranger in Northern Minnesota, spent most of his summers fighting fires out west. All of that make some of this familiar but no less easy to take in.
I know you are already praying for community members in Spokane, and all across our synod, who have lost their homes and for those who have evacuated and are still waiting word. We give thanks for all providing shelter, including some of you watching this, and we pray for continued welcome and hospitality. Finally we pray for firefighters and those coordinating responses to the wildfires and planning for recovery.
We pray all of this recognizing it is only Aug. 2 and the wildfire season is not over. This morning I read that the Holden Bed and Breakfast was evacuated due to a wildfire. I’m watching the fire on the edge of Yakima and the wildfire north of Davenport. And there are huge fires in North Central WA and along the Oregon-Idaho border that are very concerning.
This afternoon I spoke with Ray Sherjven, our WA VOAD rep and Lutheran Disaster Response liaison. He’s hoping to have a Zoom meeting with some of our Spokane pastors later this week.
In consultation with Ray earlier this summer, we as a synod staff lifted up the following organizations, who can receive your financial donations:
ELCA Disaster Response - still there after the dust settles
Innovia - Spokane Complex Fire Response Fund
American Red Cross - on the ground during emergencies
Feel free to give to the United Way or American Red Cross in your state. You may also find a local agency that is doing amazing work. We, as the NWIM Synod, are not well resourced to handle disaster relief donations, or their distributions.
We will, as we always do, partner with local organizations. We will care for our individual neighbors. We will step into the disaster response and recovery as each of us has ability. We will pray, not as an empty gesture but because God has asked us to pray, because prayer allows us to take a breath, and because prayer, especially prayer together, can help us discover the next faithful step God is calling us to.
Let us pray: Holy God, in you alone we find safety and shelter. Be a sure refuge to all suffering from wildfires. Grant courage, protection, and favorable weather to firefighters and emergency responders; embrace with supportive communities all who are newly displaced or homeless; comfort those grieving all that has been destroyed and give patience to those who are anxious, not knowing when relief will come. Heal your whole creation, that out of flame and ashes new growth will spring forth. We pray through Jesus Christ, our life and our strength. Amen.
(All Creation Sings, page 50)
What else is the church called to right now?
I want to remind you that showing up for those who have experienced fear and loss is so valuable and something you can do. You can see Jesus in the face of all those neighbors you encounter. You do not have to have answers. Simply remind them that you love them and, if appropriate, that the God we worship loves them too and is big enough to hold all of their sorrow and anger. Sitting with someone in silence, listening deeply and just being there is important and it’s not something everyone is comfortable doing. God equipped you for this holy work in the waters of baptism, beloved saints.
Let me close by leading you in this Litany in Time of Wildfires from our ELCA Worship Resources in the time of Wildfires
Holy God, in the wake of fires that devour and consume,
Refresh us with the water of life.
In the barren places of ash and dust,
Restore us with the water of life.
When all we can see is devastation and despair,
Renew us with the water of life.
In Christ, we are washed clean.
We are refreshed.
In Christ, we drink from the wellspring of hope.
We are restored.
In Christ, we dance in the fountain of life.
We are renewed.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Thank you, saints of the Northwest Intermountain Synod for continuing to be Wellsprings of God’s love. God be with each of you and your neighbors near and far.