knoxville service

Welcome to this place of hospitality and peace and healing.
Welcome to this place of memory and hope.

If you have felt lonely,
You are welcomed here.

If you have felt afraid,
You are welcomed here.

If you have known tragedy and somehow found a way to keep breathing and keep living,
You are welcome here.

If you have known loss,
You are welcome here.

If you have been at a loss for words when someone you love is troubled,
You are welcome here.

If ever you have sat with someone who was sad, held their hand, fed them soup, listened to them patiently, kindly,
You are welcome here.

If you’ve reminded yourself and others that the sun will come out again, the storm will end, a smile will return,
You are welcome here.

If you have known courage, if you have shared courage,
You are welcome here.

If your spirit is heavy this morning, may you find here a place to share with one another something of comfort and peace. May you be a blessing here.
If life is smiling upon you this morning, if you are discovering a new way, a new faith, a new day, welcome, may your joy be truly contagious and may you be a blessing here.A word about this service…
Last week, while our service included a playful and meaningful ritual that had as its refrain: You are welcome here, a devastating and shocking event took place in a Unitarian universalist church in Knoxville, Tennessee. A man, named Jim Adkisson, entered the sanctuary of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on July 27 and began shooting indiscriminately. The shooting occurred during a performance of a children’s play, Annie. 25 young people gathered to share their talents, their gifts, to put on this play, and they were interrupted by gun shot.Thankfully no children were shot.
Six were injured. Two people died. One was an usher and a board member named Greg McKendry. The other was Linda Krager, who belonged to West Side Unitarian Universalist Church but was there to enjoy the performance
In the news that followed this week, we understand now that Mr. Adkisson targeted the Unitarian Universalist church for its support of liberal causes, for its stance in favor of human liberation and freedom and dignity for all, including members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.
We also learned that the board member, Mr. McKendry, jumped in front of the shooter, sacrificed himself, basically, in hopes that the community might be safer as a result. His is a powerful story.
This is not the service I intended for today. Instead we’ve pushed the sermon I intended for today back to August 31. Rather, today we gather in a spirit of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Knoxville. We gather to attempt to reflect deeply on the precious and dare I say fragile nature of life—the miracle of it, the gift of it, the random accident of it and the opportunity it presents.
As you can imagine I’ve heard from many of you this week. I want to lift up one powerful thing one of you said: How can we be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Knoxville: by being the very best Unitarian Universalist church we can be here. By standing for what it is we believe it, with passion, power and clarity.
Welcome to this service.


Let us enter into a period of reflection, which some call prayer, or attentiveness, or reflection. Whatever you call it, you are welcomed here.

Bill Welch, the congregation's minister for programs, talked about how isolating it can be to be a liberal in today's world of right-wing talk radio and conservative Christians "that talk about liberals as if we are bad people." "In our prayers, we should remember that we're not alone, that there are people who share our beliefs, that we are part of a larger body," Welch said.

So let us then gather in that spirit. Deep in your heart you have known love, I invite you to invoke that love just now.
Great Spirit of Life, Spirit of Love,
We gather today with heavy hearts. Our world is filled to the brim with senseless violence, maddening divisions, prejudice and blaming. There are strange and foolish walls that divide us. Today, in Knoxville there are families, congregations, a community torn apart by loss and fear and grieving. May they know peace and comfort, and the kind of healing that comes from deep in our human capacity for caring and compassion and solidarity. As the wounded heal physically, may they heal emotionally and spiritually. As the congregation in Knoxville rededicates itself today to its mission of radical inclusion, may they know courage and strength. May they know they are not alone, may their voices not be stilled. May the children be well. We pray for them especially. That their fear will cease and love increase.

And for the shooter. We pray that as the journey toward healing begins for the victims, that it might begin for Mr. Adkisson too. Let him too be touched by love’s long and unconditional embrace. May those who serve him medically and emotionally provide for him a healing that will bring to him a sense of peace and well-being.


May the little that we know of goodness and compassion, be enough to guide us O god, O love, O beauty, as we journey on our way to wholeness.

Let us sing.

Making Sense of Tragedy

Processing Grief

Power of Forgiveness

Culture of Guns and Violence

Our Congregation and Safety

Silence

You’ll Never Walk Alone

The Edwards Rock
Liv: Message from the TVUUC

124 Be That Guide

Building Rededication

Offertory
What can you do:
Keep courage
UUA Relief Fund
Monica and Marco

Benediction. Liv

Postlude Annie