ELCA offers prayers for victims of Pennsylvania shootings

CHICAGO (ELCA) – The Rev. Claire Burkat, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, offered a pastoral message in response to the Dec. 15 shootings that left six people dead and one person severely injured. The suspected gunman was found dead Dec. 16.
“Like you, I was shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic series of murders that transpired across Montgomery County yesterday. A family has suffered unspeakable loss, and that loss ripples through the relatives, friends and neighbors who are grieving,” said Burkat in her statement.
“Sadly we see stories like this play out in our media on a regular basis. But it is different when violence strikes close to home,” the statement continued. “It brings up a deeper fear, but it also allows us to respond in compassion and prayer to those near us who have been devastated by tragedy. I urge you, in your personal devotions and in your congregation's worship, to hold all who have been affected by these tragedies in God's mercy and compassion.”
The Rev. Thomas E. Kadel, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Kulpsville, Pa., organized a prayer vigil for members of the community who needed a place “for prayer and reflection.” Many of those who attended the service lived in the apartment building where one of the victims also lived. Kadel said the vigil was a “ministry of presence rather than a ministry of words.”
“In communities such as these people are, sadly, growing accustomed to reading about gun violence but are surprised and dazed when that violence comes close to home,” said Kadel, who also serves as a disaster chaplain through Lutheran Disaster Response in eastern Pennsylvania.
“We all carry deep within us what has been called a sacred story – an understanding of how life operates and how we operate within it,” said Kadel. “That sacred story is largely unconscious to us. However, when unexpected tragedy strikes, that sacred story may be damaged or worse. Immediately after a tragedy, it is important for people to hear their worries and confusions and those of others, and with helpful guidance, can begin to forge that new story. All of this, of course, for us Christians has deep faith implications and can be cast in images and language that draw directly from our faith.”
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Phelps Ollikainen, executive director for Lutheran Congregational Services, a ministry of Liberty Lutheran in Allentown, Pa., said her role during these situations is to make sure churches are responding to the needs of the community. The ministry is an affiliate of Lutheran Disaster Response.
“In the end, we hope this starts a conversation about who we are as a community and how we can help each other,” said Ollikainen.
“Many will ask, ‘Where was God?’ said Burkat in her statement. “The promise of the incarnation of Christ, which we celebrate next week, is that God is right here with us in the midst of tragedy and suffering of all kinds. And we know that God works through us, and our concern and compassion for those who suffer in any way. As our region continues to comprehend and process these horrific events, I call each of us to prayer and to reach out, where we can, to comfort the grieving and frightened and provide safe spaces for people to try to make sense of these tragedies.”