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July 26, 2007
Recovery in the community ...
Yesterday our Bishop came to see us and to spend time with those affected by the flooding. His own home in Gloucester, though unaffected by the flood, has no running water and was without electricity for several days so he is able to identify very closely with all of us as we deal with sorting ourselves out. Many of the smaller parishes ditted around the Diocese have been devastated by the floods. Where the Abbey had a couple of inches of water at the West End, other churches have had four or five feet through them. And those are the churches, usually built on high ground ....
The houses around many of these churches are devastated. The hotels, restuarants and other businesses all face a huge clean up and loss of business in the interrim. The long term effect on everyone here is likely to be pretty harsh. Many businesses will not survive, many homes will not be repairable and sadly the death toll will continue to rise. So far we have one man missing, two confirmed dead and two babies born prematurely also dead.
It will be a very long hard road to put things right again and we will need your prayers and support to do it. Our Bishop has written the prayer below for use in all our churches as we start the recovery process, please pass it on for others to use as well.
Bishop Michael’s PrayerCreator God, hear our prayer.
As we look with dismay on the floods across our county,
we ask you to look with compassion on all who are suffering on those whose homes are spoilt,
whose livelihood is threatened.We thank you for acts of courage and of kindness
and pray a blessing on all who rescue and relieve.And, when the floods have gone, guide us to learn lessons.
Help us to live in harmony with the laws of nature
and in reverence for a creation you have made to be very good.Creator God, hear our prayer.
Posted by The Gray Monk at July 26, 2007 01:57 PM
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