Our community has been through an extraordinary time of devastation and the crisis continues for the thousands who have been displaced by the fires of the last year. More than 50 homes were lost in the Rocky and Jerusalem Fires and another 1,290 in the Valley Fire. The Clayton Fire claimed an additional 200 homes. More than 3,000 people have lost their home to fire in Lake County over the last 15 months.
The rebuilding process can be overwhelming as can the trauma of the ordeal. Still beauty can come out of the ashes.
A Hebrew word for ashes is epher. A Hebrew word for beauty is pheer. Just move the “e” and you have a new word. Luke records that it was this text from the prophet Isaiah (61:1-3) Jesus quoted when he walked into the synagogue in his first public sermon:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Do you need some help moving the “e” in your post fire world, from epher to pheer, from ashes to beauty? Please join us at Clearlake Community UMC (located at 14521 Pearl Ave in Clearlake) for a free support group for survivors of the fire. Two sessions will be offered so you can come to the one most convenient to you:
Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 6-8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon
The convener of the group is Rae Eby-Carl, a Disaster Case Manager for the Clayton Fire. This group is not limited to Clayton Fire survivors. Anyone who lost their home to fire in Lake County is welcome.
For more information please call the church office at 994—2134.
