1st ANNIVERSARY OF EARTHQUAKE IN CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND

Christchurch Cathedral after the earthquake

Bosco Peters at Liturgy:

On the anniversary of the Christchurch devastating 6.3 earthquake we remember those who died, those injured, and all we lost. We commit ourselves to a journey, hoping for new, transformed life from these ashes.

See Bosco's blog for more.

The cathedral was deconsecrated and partially demolished. What's left standing will be made safe, until a decision is made on the future of the structure.

I'm late to the anniversary for the folks in Christchurch. It's already Ash Wednesday there, and Lent has begun.

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND, STRUCK BY EARTHQUAKE

Photo / Geoff Sloan

From the New Zealand Herald:

Quake-weary residents in Christchurch's eastern suburbs were again flooded with silt from liquefaction just two days from Christmas.

Flooding covered streets and homes in suburbs already devastated by the September and February earthquakes, including Bexley, Avonside, Parklands and Wainoni.

Civil Defence said the situation in the city was similar to the magnitude 6 quake in June in terms of damage and liquefaction. St John treated about 60 people with earthquake-related injuries.

Christchurch Deputy Mayor Ngaire Button, speaking while mayor Bob Parker made his way back from a holiday in Taupo, said the timing was almost as bad as the damage.

"Our hearts go out to the people of Christchurch tonight. We're just devastated that this has happened at this time of the year, right before Christmas.

From Bishop Victoria Matthews at Anglican Taonga:

Bishop Victoria’s request for prayer

I feel a bit guilty asking for prayer yet again. Or maybe even greedy. So I ask you to bear with me as I explain our need.

In the early part of this afternoon, shoppers here in Christchurch were thronging the malls.

We know what happened at 1:58pm – and again and again during the afternoon.

Those malls, of course, were evacuated.

And tonight, as I drove through the city and especially through the suburbs, there was hardly a car or pedestrian in sight.

It was as though people were hiding. When the whole world begins to tilt and roll, they’re frightened to be caught again in a crowd.

So I ask your prayers for the people of greater Christchurch.

I ask your prayers for courage and good humour and incredible resilience.

I fear the rise of anger, too. It’s hard to get angry at an earthquake – so the tendency is to turn on others. And what’s doubly sad is that many already experience Christmas as a stressful time.

Oh, and one more thing.

For the most part, we will be worshipping outdoors this Christmas, 'where sheep may safely graze'.

The late night services will be ‘BYOT’ events – Bring Your Own Torch – because candles and earthquakes don’t go together, either.

Would you, in your mercy, pray for those who are frightened?

And pray that they will dare to venture out and that the Christmas services will be havens of praise and wonder at the birth of the new born King?

And that we may all return safely home again as well?

Thank you, and we pray for you who have been at our side every step of the way.

Thank you and God bless you this Christmas.

Prayer from elca.org.

Gracious God, you are our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.
In the wake of the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand,
reveal your presence so that all may know your healing, hope, and love.
As one community on earth bound together by your grace,
inspire us to pray, serve, and help all those who suffer.

Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

H/T to Andrew Gerns at The Lead.

EARTHQUAKE DISASTER IN TURKEY

From the Christian Science Monitor:

More than 100 people were confirmed killed and hundreds more feared dead Sunday when a powerful earthquake hit southeast Turkey, flattening buildings and leaving survivors crying for help from under the rubble.

As a cold night fell, survivors and emergency workers battled to pull hundreds of people believed to be buried under debris in the city of Van and town of Ercis, where a student dormitory collapsed.

Residents in Van joined in a frantic search, using hands and shovels and working under floodlights and flashlights, hearing voices of people buried alive calling from under mounds of broken concrete in pitch darkness and freezing temperatures.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who traveled by helicopter to the area to see firsthand the scale of Turkey's worst earthquake in a decade, told a nationally televised news conference at least 138 people had been killed -- 93 in Van city center and 45 in Ercis. The toll was expected to rise.

The situation is dire in so many ways. Pray for the people in the area of the earthquake.

OH DEAR!

From Reuters:

The Washington National Cathedral, the highest point in the capital, suffered damage in Tuesday's earthquake, with three spires in the central tower breaking off of the gothic-style building, a spokesman said.

Richard Weinberg, director of communications at the Episcopal cathedral, said the three pinnacles on the 30-story-high central tower had broken off and were lying in the grass.

"A fourth is leaning," said Weinberg. "There was other minor structural damage to buttresses and smaller pinnacles."

No one was injured from the damage, but the cathedral -- host to state funerals, and memorial services for many U.S. presidents and the site of several presidential inaugural prayer services -- was closed to the public so the building could be inspected.

Thanks be to God that no one was injured. Prayers for all who have been affected by the earthquake.

Picture from Wikipedia.

UPDATE: A picture of the damaged spires many be seen at Huffington Post.

UPDATE 2: From The Lead, by Nicholas Knisely, St Stephen's Episcopal Church in Culpepper, Virginia, was so badly damaged by the quake that the building is condemned.

"A LITANY FOR JAPAN"

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us and for the people of Japan.

Hear our prayers, O Christ our God.
Arise, O Christ, and help us.

For all who have died in the earthquake and tsunami striking Japan that they may be given entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of all your saints,
Arise, O Christ, and help us.

For all who grieve the death of family, friends, and fellow citizens that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your goodness, and strength to meet the days to come,
Arise, O Christ, and help us.

For all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit that they may be comforted, healed, and given courage and hope,
Arise, O Christ, and help us.

For all aid workers, that they may be filled with strength, generosity, and compassion,
Arise, O Christ, and help us.

For the wisdom, resources, and technological skill that a nuclear disaster might be averted,
Arise, O Christ, and help us.

For eyes to see that you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and linked our lives one to another that we may never forget our common life depends on each other’s toil and that we will always work for the common good,
Arise, O Christ, and help us.

Gracious God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of all who suffer: Let the cry of those in misery and need come to you, that they may find your mercy present with them in all their afflictions; and give us, we pray, the strength to serve them for the sake of him who suffered for us, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From Interrupting the Silence.

H/T to Nicholas Knisely at The Lead.

"SEARCHING, BUT NOT MUCH RESCUING"

The scene in Natori, Japan

From the New York Times:

The tsunami that barreled into northeast Japan on Friday was so murderous and efficient that not much was left when search-and-rescue teams finally reached Natori on Monday. There was searching, but not much rescuing. There was, essentially, nobody left to rescue.

The mournful scene here in Natori, a farm and fishing town that has been reduced to a vast muddy plain, was similar to rescue efforts in other communities along the coast as police, military and foreign assistance teams poked through splintered houses and piles of wreckage.

Also from the New York Times:

The risk of a meltdown spread to a third reactor at a stricken nuclear power plant in Japan on Monday as its cooling systems failed, exposing its fuel rods, only hours after a second explosion at a separate reactor blew the roof off a containment building.

The widening problems underscored the difficulties the Japanese authorities are having in bringing several damaged reactors under control three days after a devastating earthquake and a tsunami hit Japan’s northeast coast and shut down the electricity that runs the crucial cooling systems for reactors.

The situation is dire in ways unimaginable for those not actually on the scene.

Prayer for Japan after the Earthquake
from the Church of England

O loving Creator, bring healing and hope to those who, at this time, grieve, suffer pain, or who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We remember those who have died and we pray for those who mourn for them. We pray for those who were affected by the tsunami. May we all be aware of your compassion, O God, which calms our troubled hearts and shelters our anxious souls. May we pray with humility with our troubled and struggling brothers and sisters on earth. May we dare to hope that through the generosity of the privileged, the destitute might glimpse hope, warmth and life again. Through our Savior Christ who lives with us, comforts us and soothes us. Amen.

If you'd like to help, you may donate to: Episcopal Relief and Development, the Red Cross, or the Salvation Army.

H/T to The Daily Office for the prayer which I posted in a slightly edited form to reflect the present situation.

PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN JAPAN

From the New York Times"

An earthquake of 8.9. magnitude struck off the coast of Japan on Friday, the strongest ever recorded in the country. The quake churned up a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country and threatened coastal areas throughout the Pacific and as far away the west coast of the United States and South America.Fragmentary early reports of the toll indicate that hundreds of people have been killed. Japanese police officials told the Associated Press that 200 to 300 bodies were found in Sendai, a port city in the northeastern part of the country and the closest main city to the epicenter.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks prayer in response to natural disaster.

Adon ha-olamim, Sovereign of the universe,

We join our prayers to the prayers of others throughout the world, for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami which this week has brought destruction and disaster to many lives.

Almighty God, we pray You, send healing to the injured, comfort to the bereaved, and news to those who sit and wait. May You be with those who even now are engaged in the work of rescue. May You send Your strength to those who are striving to heal the injured, give shelter to the homeless, and bring food and water to those in need. May You bless the work of their hands, and may they merit to save lives.

Almighty God, we recognise how small we are, and how powerless in the face of nature when its full power is unleashed. Therefore, open our hearts in prayer and our hands in generosity, so that our words may bring comfort and our gifts bring aid. Be with us now and with all humanity as we strive to mend what has been injured and rebuild what has been destroyed.

Ken Yehi Ratzon, ve-nomar Amen.
May it be Your will, and let us say Amen.

From Beliefnet.

PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (2)

From 3News NZ:

Before any bodies can be brought out, the cathedral must first be stabilised.

Sight-seers were known to have been in the steeple when it collapsed, crashing into an area where there were more tourists.

The victims remain trapped under piles of rubble right up to the windows.
“It's a very delicate task, because the building is quite unsafe, and we can't put these guys into a dangerous situation. I think they are going to be removing another part of the tower and they may have to take down part of the west wall if not altogether,” says Dean Peter Beck.

Bricks and mortar were still falling when 3 News arrived minutes after the quake, while dazed survivors comforted each other, Beck realised his cathedral had become a tomb.

He believes all the victims were tourists. Staff and volunteers have all been accounted for.

“I haven't cried yet but I think I'm on the verge of it it's just the enormity of the whole thing mate,” says Dean Beck.

From Christ Church Cathedral website:

A PRAYER IN TIME OF NEED

Lord, at times such as this,
when we realize that the ground beneath our feet
is not as solid as we had imagined,
we plead for your mercy.

As the things we have built crumble about us,
we know too well how small we truly are
on this ever-changing, ever-moving,
fragile planet we call home.
Yet you have promised never to forget us.
Do not forget us now.

Today, so many people are afraid.
They still wait in fear of the next tremor.
They remember the cries of the injured amid the rubble.
They roam the streets in shock at what they see.
And they fill the dusty air with cries of grief
and the names of missing dead.

Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.
Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still,
and shelter them under your wings
when homes no longer exist.

Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this week.
Console the hearts of those who mourn,
and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.

Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion,
we who watch from afar,
find only misery upon misery.

Move us to act swiftly this day,
to give generously every day,
to work for justice always,
To pray unceasingly for those without hope.

And once the shaking has ceased,
the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,
and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,
let us not forget that we are all your children
and they, our brothers and sisters.
We are all the work of your hands.

For though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be tossed to the ground,
your love shall never leave us,
and your promise of peace will never be shaken.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
now and forever. Amen.

H/T to Brian R at Noble Wolf and Nicholas Knisely at The Lead.

"UPDATE ON OUR FRIENDS IN NEW ZEALAND"

From the comments at MadPriest's post "UPDATE ON OUR FRIENDS IN NEW ZEALAND":

Brian R said:

Thanks, yes I was even further south on Stewart island (the third very small island of NZ). I am driving my sister and her husband around. Thankfully we had decided not to go to Christchurch this trip. It is very upsetting, the nation is in a state of shock. The loss of the cathedral is terrible but the loss of life (now 75) is far worse. Glad to hear Bosco and family are safe, also Alcibiades family.

PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

Christ Church Cathedral after the earthquake

From the New York Times:

A large earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey, causing buildings to collapse and burying vehicles under debris. There were preliminary reports that the 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck in the early afternoon, resulted in fatalities, but none were confirmed.

Damage was extensive and people were trapped inside crumbled buildings, The Associated Press reported. Prime Minister John Key told Parliament that there might be casualties. “Sadly, I cannot rule out whether there have been fatalities or not,” he said.


Video from the scene by 3 News New Zealand showed extensive damage to the city’s main cathedral, as well as people running through the streets to safety. One person called it “the most frightening thing of my entire life.”

Christ Church Cathedral before the earthquake

Photos from twitpic here and here.

H/T to Nicholas Knisely at The Lead.

UPDATE: From Anglican Communion News Service:

The Dean of Christchurch Cathedral, the Very Revd Peter Beck, has said he is fearful that people may have been in the Cathedral's tower when it collapsed after an earthquake struck the city.

Speaking to the BBC's 5 Live Radio programme he said that he had himself been in the cathedral office when the quake struck, but was able to escape and get others out of the Cathedral. However, he warned that others could still be trapped inside.
"We were in the cathedral when this happened," he said, "in the office and fortunately that wasn't too badly damaged, but the tower has collapsed and some of the walls have collapsed and we're pretty fearful there may be some people underneath that."

He said that, while there was no service taking place at the time, the cathedral is one of the biggest visitor attractions in the country so there would still have been visitors inside. "There will have been people in the Cathedral, as well as our own staff of course, when this happened. There's a huge amount of dust, it's like a fog inside there.

"We got all the people out that we could, but there are piles of rubble, especially where the tower has collapsed. We don't know whether there were people in the tower at the time, but I'm fairly fearful of that."

H/T to MadPriest.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks prayer in response to natural disaster.

Adon ha-olamim, Sovereign of the universe,

We join our prayers to the prayers of others throughout the world, for the victims of the earthquake which this week has brought destruction and disaster to many lives.

Almighty God, we pray You, send healing to the injured, comfort to the bereaved, and news to those who sit and wait. May You be with those who even now are engaged in the work of rescue. May You send Your strength to those who are striving to heal the injured, give shelter to the homeless, and bring food and water to those in need. May You bless the work of their hands, and may they merit to save lives.

Almighty God, we recognise how small we are, and how powerless in the face of nature when its full power is unleashed. Therefore, open our hearts in prayer and our hands in generosity, so that our words may bring comfort and our gifts bring aid. Be with us now and with all humanity as we strive to mend what has been injured and rebuild what has been destroyed.

Ken Yehi Ratzon, ve-nomar Amen.
May it be Your will, and let us say Amen.

From Beliefnet.

HAITI - ONE YEAR AND ONE DAY AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE

From the AP via the Miami Herald:

The air was choked with memory Wednesday in this city where everyone lost a brother, a child, a cousin or a friend. One year after the earthquake, Haitians marched down empty, rubble-lined streets singing hymns and climbed broken buildings to hang wreaths of flowers.

The landscape is much as the quake left it, thanks to a reconstruction effort that has yet to begin addressing the intense need. But the voices were filled with hope for having survived a year that seemed to get worse at every turn.

"We've had an earthquake, hurricane, cholera, but we are still here, and we are still together," said Charlemagne Sintia, 19, who joined other mourners at a soccer stadium that served as an open-air morgue after the quake and later housed a tent camp.

The Haitian government estimates the number of deaths at 316,000. Bodies are still being found in the rubble, so the number will go higher. Approximately one million people remain homeless.

The people of Haiti still need our help. I give through Episcopal Relief and Development, because the organization has low overhead, and the donations go where they are needed, to help those who need help. Also ERD pays local people to do the work of cleaning-up and rebuilding.