Rev. Dana Worsnop, minister of a Universalist Unitarian congregation in Ventura, woke up a little earlier than usual on Sunday, Dec. 10 to write her sermon.
It had been one of the busiest weeks of her life — Worsnop and members of the UU Church of Ventura spent it in the jaws of the massive Thomas fire — the largest of Southern California’s five infernos still burning,
When it-broke out Dec. 4, Worsnop organized a team of staff and volunteers to call church members to make sure everyone was accounted for.
The church opened its doors to evacuees and pets. It also offered childcare for parents who had to go back to work while nearby schools were closed. On Friday, the church hosted an informal potluck to offer people internet service and an opportunity to share a meal.
“I knew that there was just a whole range of emotions and feelings, and part of what I wanted to do was minister to the hurting,” said Worsnop, 59, who also had to evacuate from her home.
UU Church of Ventura has parishioners from Ventura, Camarillo, Oxnard, and Ojai. Two families lost their homes, Worsnop said. Others were evacuated and their homes were damaged. Some congregation members shared their homes. As of Sunday, Worsnop said mostly everyone who still had a home was back in it.
“I knew, coming in, people were going to be in all sorts of different places,” Worsnop said.
Worsnop said her sermon focused on hope and healing. She wanted to minister to the “unsettled feeling you get when something like this has happened.”
“I didn’t say to folks, ‘Lets all just be hopeful now.’ I said, ‘I believe that hope and grace and possibility exist,'” Worsnop said. “You don’t have to be hopeful right now. Know that it will return. Your sense of that will return.”
Worsnop also addressed homelessness. She said the fire destroyed mansion-like homes and also tents or makeshift shelters.
“We need to heal our own wounds and our own broken hearts and then start looking around and … be paying attention to these people that are even more vulnerable than we are feeling right now,” she added.
Worsnop said Sunday service was packed.
“I knew we would,” Worsnop said.
“We had so many people taking care of so much all week,” she said. “I was able to do my part because I knew that other things were being taken care of by other people.”
“I saw so much kindness and so much willingness to pitch in.”