Trauma is the underlying thread running through the last four years of life in Sonoma County. Even before the pandemic of 2021 locked down our communities, the congregation I serve was battling the effects of having lived through four seasons of the worst wildfires ever seen in our area. I began my ministry at First Congregational Church Sonoma, United Church of Christ in August of 2017. In October, just three months later, the Tubbs fire burned over 36,000 acres and claimed 22 lives. It would become known as the most destructive wildfire in California history, burning vast portions of Napa, Sonoma, and Lake County.

I realized then, and believe even more so now, that pastors and congregations need easily accessible rituals rooted in our Christian tradition, to ground us and remind us of our strength in Jesus even during these fearful and lifechanging events. The “go bags,” have taken up permanent residence in our closets. They consist of our vital documents, memories, medical records, and more than a little of what is dear to us. What we do not currently have are spiritual resources that can “go” with us to help us get through the crisis. Some years may not be a devastating as others, but each season of loss and resiliency reveals triggers and scars left behind by the traumatic experience. Pastors and congregations need liturgies devoted to marking the anniversaries of these events.

I plan to meet with other pastors who have lived through recurring climate events and learn what has worked in their settings. FCCS will also be working with an organization called, “Capacitar” to design body-based practices that empower people to heal from trauma using inner wisdom and movement. At the conclusion of a year of study and practice, I anticipate being able to effectively document and implement new rituals and liturgies in my own setting and avail them to the Disaster Relief Teams of the West Coast United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ.