Hope Continues to Bloom: A Katrina Remembrance Litany

Let us pray,
God of many names and many faces, God of love and acceptance, God of struggle and rebirth, receive our thanks for being able to gather together from across the nation, yet be in one spirit and heart as we remember those who were, and continue to be affected by Hurricane Katrina.

As we pause today to recognize the 20th anniversary of this disaster, we acknowledge the trauma and devastation that was experienced throughout the Gulf-Coast Region. We remember the 1,833 lives lost, and the tens of thousands who were also injured in body, mind, and soul as many were unable to evacuate. Communities were destroyed, and only some were rebuilt. We witnessed the realities of racism and classism in the response to this storm, and recognize that our society still wrestles with these challenges today. The secondary trauma of this disaster was felt throughout the nation and the world. As we commemorate this day, we also lift up the ongoing effects of this tragedy, from both natural and human influenced causes, that continue to ripple out into the future.

Yet our faith does not keep us in grief, but calls us to be a resurrection people – death will not have the final word. So, we lift up and give thanks for those who came to lend a hand and bring hope to a place where the destruction was beyond words. Through the waves of pain and sadness, the UCC and relief agencies across the globe brought hope. The UCC chose the theme “Hope Shall Bloom” for our Gulf Coast Recovery effort, as we witnessed hope blooming in the midst of the devastation. So join now in this litany that shows us how hope bloomed and continues to bloom. We pray for:

One: The early warning systems that helped over one million people evacuate the gulf coast region prior to the storm.
All: Hope bloomed

One: All those that gave of their time, talents, and treasures; including communities across all 50 states and across the world who welcomed, housed, fed and clothed the Katrina diaspora. All who gave  were transformed by the testimonies and resiliency of the survivors
All: Hope bloomed

One: The financial generosity of the wider church that enabled the UCC to accompany the Gulf Coast for many years after the storm, and the tireless dedication of UCC leaders, staff, and volunteers in coordinating the work.
All: Hope bloomed

One:  The more than 6,750 people who volunteered for the recovery effort with the UCC in New Orleans alone, working a total of 170,000 hours to clean out almost 850 houses and rebuild 110 homes.
All: Hope bloomed

One: The nine UCC congregations in New Orleans that were directly impacted, especially Beecher Memorial Church and Central Congregational Church which sustained major damage as a result of the storm.
All: Hope bloomed

One: The more than 7,500 volunteers who volunteered for the recovery effort at Back Bay Mission, a UCC ministry in Biloxi, Miss., working a total of 240,000 hours and rebuilding more than 150 homes in the five years after the storm;
All: Hope bloomed

One: We give thanks that out of this devastation, Back Bay Mission found a new focus, shaping a ministry to build new affordable housing;
All: Hope continues to bloom

One: The merger of New Orleans churches Central Congregational UCC and St. Matthew UCC in 2011 to become Central St. Matthew UCC, a congregation that lives into the vision of what could be. They continue to be deeply involved and invested in their community. 
All: Hope continues to bloom

One: The spiritual lessons and post-traumatic growth that has taken place in the years after this tragedy, including the truth that telling one’s story and sharing one’s own pain is integral to healing; Stories matter and are our testimonies to survival, to hope, and to God.
All: Hope continues to bloom

One: The lessons learned that continue to  inform how the UCC prepares for and responds to disasters throughout the country and the world.
All: Hope continues to bloom

One: Embodying the UCC’s vision of “United in Christ’s love, a just world for all” highlighting our commitment to empowering local communities to decide for themselves how best they should recover, amplifying local voices in the recovery process, and reminding us of the importance of relationships.
All: Hope does bloom

One: Learning that even though we are called to support others, blessings also abound when we allow others to help us as well, and that God is always present, but might not always be felt.
All: Hope does bloom

One: Understanding that laughter and tears can co-exist at the same time, that both are part of the healing process, and they remind us that we are human.
All: Hope does bloom

All: With grateful and stretched hearts, we give thanks to you, God of Many Names, for the blessings that have reshaped these communities in the aftermath of the storm, and through the efforts of rebuilding and revisioning that were supported by so many. We look forward as hope blooms into new co-creations through our embodied love. Thanks be to God. Amen.