Today we started a 3 week series on hurt, pain, sorrow, etc…why is life so hard? It was an awesome day at church. One of those days when you are so thankful for what you do.
I came home at 2:30 only to read about a church in Tennessee that is dealing with indescribable amounts of pain and sorrow. A gunman shot and killed a member of the congregation and injured 8 others during a youth led service. The subject of hurt and pain is one I haven’t had a lot of life experience with. All of my close family members are still alive, and I’ve only had one pet die. This isn’t to say I haven’t experience pain, but compared to many of my friends I know I’ve had it very easy. Somehow this shooting tugs at my heart. Maybe it is because it was a youth service, something I’ve been a part of countless times at various churches. Or maybe it was what the Associated Press wrote about what the church is known for:
“The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church is a community that meets to worship and work together for social change, according to the church’s Web site. Since the 1950’s, the congregation has worked for desegregation, racial harmony, fair wages, women’s rights and gay rights, according to the Web site. The congregation also has provided sanctuary for political refugees, fed the homeless and founded a chapter of the ACLU.”
I think a large majority of the things this congregation was known for supporting are incredible. I love that this church was known for its “worship and work together for social change.” The message today was one about being a community for those in pain, and it was when I got home that it hit home for me.
Will you join me in prayer for them?
