Jul
28
VIGIL SERVICE
in support of our sisters and brothers in Knoxville
Wednesday, July 30, 7:30pm at the Fellowship
As many of you know by now, a tragic event of violence took the lives of two members of the Tennessee Valley UU Church in Knoxville on Sunday. A gunman unrelated to the congregation entered the building during the Sunday morning service of worship and began firing a shotgun.
The heroic acts of an usher (who lost his life in the process) and of several members of the congregation brought about a quick disarming of the gunman who was held until police arrived.
Since the service had featured a number of children from the church’s summer music program, there was great concern for the young people; none of them was physically hurt in the event, but all were witnesses to the violence.
Our Association has responded to the tragedy by dispatching our Trauma Response Team and President Bill Sinkford will travel to be with them today. In the meantime, our best support for our sister congregation is to offer up our thoughts, meditations, prayers, and healing energy.
I know that events which enter our lives in this way, touching institutions and people related to us by beliefs, may stir up deep emotions for some of us. I am available for any in our congregation who feel the need for pastoral support in dealing with those emotions - contact me either by email (minister@uufkw.org) or phone ( 305-735-3990). To our sisters and brothers in Knoxville: we stand with you in sympathy.
Rev Randy
