Ready. Set. Go.

On Labor Day I went on a drive up Rte. 22 through Mill City and Detroit, past the remnants of the Labor Day fires of 2020. I stopped at the Marion Forks Hatchery to watch the fish swim and the salmon move upstream. It was a beautiful, clear day, and I was relieved, as I always am, to move beyond the burned scars of those hillsides and back into the green of the Cascade forests.

This trip I chose to take Rte. 20 back, meandering along the South Santiam River through the lush, untouched beauty of this part of the Willamette National Forest. I was struck by the contrast—the charred reminders of fire behind me, the thriving forests around me. As I drove, I found myself wondering about the people living in the small enclave of Cascadia. Are they prepared if a fire roars down their valley?

In Oregon, we know the language of wildfire season: Ready. Set. Go.

These words are not abstract, they are instructions for survival. They remind us that preparation is not optional when the world around us can change in an instant.

The same is true for us as people of faith. Preparation is part of how we love one another, and resilience is how we live that love out in community.

Ready.

View from Short Bridge Cascadia, OR

Ready is the quiet work of preparation. Families pack go-bags; congregations write safety policies. Over the summer, each of our Ministry Circles was charged with naming what “safety” means in their area of responsibility, whether that’s building security, emergency response, hospitality practices, children or technology. Together, those lists will be the basis of a living document that helps us be ready when the unexpected arrives.

Spiritual readiness is just as vital. Our prayers, our practices, our relationships - these are our “spiritual go-bags.” They hold us steady when the ground shakes, literally or figuratively. What are you doing to be ready?

Set.

Set is the posture of alertness. When conditions change, when danger draws closer, we move from preparation to readiness.

In the life of our church, Set means cultivating awareness; watching over our neighbors, noticing where crisis is already pressing in, preparing ourselves to respond with meals, rides, presence, and care.

This Sunday, we’ll travel to Portland to visit Leaven Community and Salt and Light Lutheran Church. Their story is not identical to ours, but they share a vision of becoming a Resilience Hub - a place where spiritual life, community support, and practical preparedness meet. As we listen and learn, we’ll carry our own questions with us: What might resilience look like in downtown Salem? How might we deepen our calling to be sanctuary for our neighbors?

Go.

Go is the moment when plans turn into action. It is the decision to move, to act, to embody what we have prepared for. In evacuation, it may mean leaving your home. In the life of faith, it means opening our doors wider, welcoming the vulnerable, creating safety in real and tangible ways. It also means leaning in to do the hard work of repair when relationships are fractured, choosing reconciliation over retreat, trust over division.

Our policies and preparations matter, but they matter most when they are lived out: when a guest feels safe in worship, when a neighbor finds welcome in our building, when our community knows we will show up in love when the storms come.

Last Thoughts

We cannot predict the crises that will come - wildfires, earthquakes, violence, heartbreak. But we can prepare. We can root ourselves in prayer and community. We can build structures of safety and trust. And we can remember that preparedness is not about fear. It is about love.

And one more thing: preparedness also means rest. Resilience isn’t only built in action; it is renewed in stillness. The practice of Sabbath - stepping back, setting down our striving, remembering that God holds the world - gives us the strength to meet whatever comes.

That’s what I was reminded of on my Labor Day drive, as I witnessed the charred slopes bearing scars and the green forests drenched in antiquity. Both tell the truth: fire has come before, and fire may come again. But the forest rests and heals and grows back into new life.

So let us be Ready. Let us be Set. And when the moment comes, let us Go, confident that the God who is our refuge and strength goes with us. Let us remember that in God’s rhythm of rest and renewal we find all we need.

In God’s strength and Sabbath rest,

Pastor Robin

PS - It’s one thing to reflect on resilience, it’s another to practice it. Here are some simple spiritual practices you might carry with you into the week, ways of being ‘ready, set, go’ in your faith.

Ready — Cultivating Spiritual Go-Bags

• Prayer Journal: Try keeping a written prayer journal where you record gratitude, concerns, and scriptures that steady you. This becomes a “spiritual go-bag” to turn to when life shakes.

• Scripture Memorization: Memorize a single grounding verse (e.g., Psalm 46:1, Matthew 7:24). Let it be a mantra that is there when you need a boost.

• Community Covenant: Answer the question: "What one thing I can do for my community if crisis comes?” Make a plan to follow through if the moment arrives.

Set — Practicing Awareness

• Breath Prayer: Use a simple breath prayer like “Be still and know / God is near.” This helps us stay alert without being overwhelmed.

• Daily Check-In: Pause once a day to ask: Who around me is vulnerable today? Who needs my care? Say a prayer for them and call or stop by to just say hi.

• Neighborhood Prayer Walk: Walk your street or neighborhood, silently praying for the homes and people you pass. It builds awareness of what’s stirring around you. If walking is hard, use a map and trace the streets with your finger. Pray for your neighbors and see what Spirit brings to you in this practice.

Go — Turning Readiness into Action

• Acts of Service: Name a concrete action — bringing a meal, offering a ride, writing a note of encouragement — as a spiritual discipline.

• Reconciliation Practice: Take one small step toward repairing a strained relationship — sending a text, offering an apology, listening without defensiveness.

• Hospitality Prayer: Each time someone enters your home (or church), pray silently: “God, may they feel safe and loved here.” Let this action be a spiritual grounding practice.