October 2013 Bushfires NSW

   It's going to be a long dry summer with such strong westerly winds already in October [Spring] here in NSW in Oz!! I drove to and from the Upper Hunter Valley today and saw plumes of smoke from at least three of the tens of fires alight tonight here...
   From our front verandah at Elermore Vale we could see a wall of flames at Newcastle's Link Rd near Cameron Park [a long way off but clearly enough to know how scary it would be up close] and we listened to updates fro Heatherbrae and Salt Ash and surrounds near Tomago from our brilliant ABC Local Radio emergency updates and general coverage... The flames disappeared as we think we heard the helicopters [sounded different to the Rescue chopper that is a regular over our place]
   If I'm right [alongside opening local churches for people to use toilets, for making sandwiches and coffee and for prayer or conversation] the Uniting Church part in Disaster Response is still 'pastoral care'... I think the Salvos do 'sandwiches' for example!! I'll hear more in coming days no doubt BUT my role is ALSO about resourcing locals for response in worship or as gathered communities in coming days... I fear we don't always do a good job of being 'real' and making sure we participate in our communities at these times... to this END and at risk of having too many possibilities, I share the following links from past episodes, that might inspire creativity or at least give people some idea of how to invite response... THERE MAY BE FOLLOW UP POSTS IN THE DAYS TO COME...

An excellent compilation of Resources following 2009's Bushfires
collated by colleague Darren Wright at Digital Orthodoxy here

My own previous thoughts from 2009 here and here

Uniting Church in Australia General Resources List here

Jean Mayers Reflection Poem following Victoria's 2009 Bushfires here

Uniting Church Vic/Tas Synod Bushfire Response Resources here
[includes full worship liturgies to adapt, prayers and reflections, stuff to use with young people]

NSW Council of Churches Ecumenical Resources in a PDF here

And I'm reminded of Christine Sine's reflections on the Aussie bushfires in February 2009 here

A Broad set of Resources following disasters at Text Week here