30/08/2026
View from the “pulpit” 30 August 2026
Joy Walkers: Take 5! (delivered by Alison)
Luke 24: 13- 35
As you know, through August we have been “walking talking Jesus” with the children who have attended our Lighthouse holiday club this summer. Although this was only our first year of Lighthouse Burghfield , it is a well-established brand. In 2026 there were five weeks of 16 AMAZING Lighthouses shining and sharing Jesus with 2398 children and 1568 volunteers. We have been privileged and delighted to be part of Lighthouse, and we are planning for next year already!
Lighthouse Burghfield contributed 53 children and 45 volunteers to those numbers- wow! And those are actually just the headline figures- as I said last week, all that activity was underpinned by prayer and many supporting actions from others, who were not directly involved perhaps, but who also played a very important part.
Since this is the fifth in this sermon series focusing on Lighthouse material, and, as you know, there needs to be some maths in any sermon of mine, somewhere- we are thinking about the number 5 today.
5 organisations
There were 5 organisations directly involved in bringing Lighthouse Burghfield into being this year- 4 churches and the central organisation, who were fabulous in supporting us. Pictured are the “Welcome” letters, made by the 4 churches collaborating and illustrating our themes for each day. One of the unexpected and amazing “side” benefits of taking part in Lighthouse Burghfield has been meeting, working, praying and praising with other local Christians. I have been to Mortimer West End Chapel for the first time; I had never visited before, despite living in this area for nearly 40 years! I have met some brilliant brothers and sisters, who have given me new insights into faith and the God we all love and serve. We have prayed aloud, and sung together, and colluded to bring just the right mix of talents and energy to help Lighthouse Burghfield become a reality. It was beautiful to behold. Churches together indeed. And I think this speaks powerfully to the families and villages we serve- that we are working together for our community’s benefit and not focusing on what divides us. What unites us is so much more powerful, and important- and we are following the command of Jesus himself, who just before his crucifixion made this prayer.
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. (John 17:21)
During Lighthouse we DID let our corner of the world know that God sent Jesus, and through our love for one another, let the world see that God loves them too.
5 Activities
We divided the children into 4 groups (5 next year!?) and each day they did 5 activities. These were:
• Mainstage
• Craft
• Sport
• Drama
• Teaching
5 groups of people
made all this possible;
• Adult leaders-
• Lamplighters (12-16)
• Children who attended (4-11)
• Other supporters praying/baking/crafting/admin etc at home
• Next timers (maybe including you?)
5 surprises
● Working with other churches, new friendships. One of our helpers came from maidenhead to help, and brought some great ideas- God is good!
● Teenagers. Not everyone believed that there would be enough willing and able teenagers to act as our Lamplighters. They were AMAZING, and we had 17 teenagers helping the adult leaders. We literally couldn’t have done it without them.
● The right skills and resources- things we didn’t know we had it in us to do, things we didn’t quite know how they would or could happen. But God blessed us, as we stepped out in faith. We got the full grant that we asked for from the Development Fund. Other churches and individuals donated to the cause. People to lead the sports appeared, as we prayed. The drama sessions were beautifully led by Star; the right person with the right skills, offering us their talents and their time- it felt miraculous and meant to be. We had the right equipment for the right moment. When there was a misunderstanding about what we need for Tuesday’s craft, I went home, looked on my shelf and found exactly what I needed; some bright yellow stickers that I had bought about 15 years ago for a completely other purpose. That again felt pretty miraculous at the time…Speaking personally, I was challenged in the role of Chair of Trustees, but also upheld by so many people, and of course provided I was not doing things in my own strength, all was well! God held us all
● Conversation with Abigail/Don- side discussion.
• What sandwich filling would you be? ( I chose peanut butter- but not on the Lighthouse site!)
• If you could go to any point in history, where would you go? ( I think I would go to the resurrection morning and see Jesus. Don was there for that conversation. He said something along the lines of “Jesus will say, “Oh hello Alison, you’re early!”. I have been turning this small exchange over in my mind and feel that I have learnt some profound things- Jesus knows me and my name, and he is expecting me to meet him!)
● Peace! Throughout the preparation for, and on the days of Lighthouse, there was an enormous sense of peace, even amongst the busyness and noise and fun. I truly believe we were joining in with what God had planned for Burghfield and Mortimer- and so everything fell into place. We had a number of hiccups and difficulties, but even in the midst of coping with any setbacks, I felt tremendously peaceful and “right”
5 days
As you might know, there were 5 days of Lighthouse, with 5 Bible stories, and 5 steps, and 5 associated verbs. It seems to me that each of these 5 days illustrates a different aspect of our wonderful God. Which brings me to 5 challenges- I’m not expecting us all to do everything, but perhaps something here will feel like God whispering in your ear?
● The God who creates- we looked at Genesis, at our Creator God, and our choices about caring for creation. Hopefully the Lighthouse kids have had a chance to think more deeply about the choices we all make. What about us? The Creation Matters group is meeting this week- we are making final plans for the Eco Festival on 3 October- can YOU choose to help? Or is there something that you would like to do differently that better cares for our beautiful planet
● The God who speaks- The Lighthouse children learnt about the wise ones following the star- listening for God’s voice. How can you hear God more clearly? You might not have star to literally follow, but perhaps you can find a way to focus more fully on what God has planned for you?
● The God who loves- The children really enjoyed the lost sheep parable- the God who loves and always looks for us, even if we are the 1 in 100 who has strayed away. Like we heard in today’s Gospel, the disciples on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognise the signs of the God who loves us enough to suffer and die and rise again for us. Maybe we too miss the signs sometimes. We need to keep looking for the evidence of our loving God at work in our lives- then perhaps our eyes will be opened, and our hearts burn within us?!
● The God who serves- On the Thursday we talked about the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet- the God who helps, who takes the lowliest place, who is not a bystander in our lives, but who serves us and calls us to serve others. A very different picture from other Gods; one who saves and serves- how can each of us follow in those footsteps?
● The God who saves. It is appropriate that the climax of the week was the ultimate Christian story- of the miraculous resurrection, and the need to tell everyone the good news! The children were sent out from Lighthouse to tell other people the good news- and the challenge is there for us too, of course.
The fifth and final theme was “Joy walking”, as we just heard; the story of the dispirited and confused and disbelieving disciples encountering Jesus on the Road to Emmaus, and being transformed into excited evangelists who have met and recognised the risen Christ, and are now ready to go out and spread the good news of the resurrection.
I hope my words and the pictures have given you a sense of the joy of the week, and the miraculous way in which it refreshed us even as we worked, as we walked and talked with joy about Jesus to these young people.
My heartfelt prayer now is that the children who attended Lighthouse Burghfield will indeed be joy walkers, spreading the good news. The children were a great mix of children already growing up knowing Jesus well, and children who have never heard the stories, and children of other faiths, and none. I don’t know how far down the road to Emmaus each of them has already travelled. I don’t know how or when they will continue the journey, but I do know and believe that, to mix my Biblical metaphors, that seeds were sown that will bear fruit, with God’s help. I do know that it felt like an enormous privilege and joy to join in with God’s work and will for Mortimer and Burghfield and surrounding villages. I pray now that you too will have the chance to shine at Lighthouse Burghfield, or to enjoy the reflected love and glory of our fabulous God that Lighthouse Burghfield glows with, shining in the darkness, bringing us each safe to shore. Amen
