Staff from all three Council for World Mission (CWM) offices in Singapore, London, and Johannesburg, along with the Pacific liaison staff in Fiji, gathered in person and online on 5 January, the first working day of the year, for a staff devotional and communion service to mark the beginning of 2026.
The service opened with a prayer led by Rev. Dr Graham McGeoch, CWM mission secretary for discipleship and dialogue. He also guided staff through two Bible readings—from Exodus, recounting Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush, and from Galatians.
Based on these readings, CWM General Secretary Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum delivered the sermon and warmly welcomed staff back to the office at the start of the new year.
“Yet it was not consumed”
Drawing on the advent of the Year of the Fire Horse in the traditional Chinese Zodiac, Keum reflected on the motif of a flame that does not consume. He explored the nature of God revealed through this image, ultimately pointing to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom he described as the ultimate embodiment of the burning bush—one who was touched by death but not destroyed by it.
“Today, God still calls us to turn aside and see – to behold a fire that does not destroy, a holiness that heals, a presence that sustains,” Keum reminded.
He titled his sermon “Unquenchable Fire,” referencing a book by Dr Frank William Schofield (1889–1970), a British-born Canadian veterinarian, missionary, and Korean independence activist who devoted his life to the struggle for Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
Guarding against weariness and cynicism
In closing, Keum reflected on the Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 6:9, urging the early church to “not grow weary of doing good.” While acknowledging that weariness is a reality even for missionaries, he cautioned that it must never be allowed to take root in CWM’s calling.
He warned against the danger of cynicism in the face of a fractured world, particularly when staff may feel too small or powerless to effect meaningful change.
“The danger we face is not simply exhaustion, but cynicism—the quiet belief that nothing really changes, that our efforts are too small, that the forces arrayed against life are too strong,” Keum cautioned. He emphasised that while CWM’s vocation is not to guarantee immediate missiological outcomes, it must remain faithful to the work of justice, solidarity, and accompaniment.
“Let us deepen our partnerships, walking alongside one another in service and solidarity… [and] be bold in sharing the liberating Gospel, attentive to the life, justice and peace of the marginalised, and fearless in responding to God’s call wherever it leads us this year,” he encouraged.
The service concluded with a staff communion led by CWM’s new Mission Secretary for Mission Programme and Partnership, Rev. Dr Minwoo Oh.
