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- Members of Reformation Lutheran Church in Orlando, Fla., gather near the bell tower during a worship service led by Bishop Bob Schaefer of the Florida-Bahamas Synod.
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- Bishop Schaefer declared Sunday, June 19, a day of mourning and lament.
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- The congregation received this “Hope Quilt” from Trinity Lutheran Church in Kissimmee, Fla., sent as a gesture of peace and comfort following the tragic shooting in Orlando.
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- Bishop Schaefer distributes communion at Reformation.
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- During prayers, the 49 victims’ names were read and a bell was rung for each.
Joan Brown Williams, a member of Reformation Lutheran Church in Orlando shares her reflections in the aftermath of the June 12 shooting at the Pulse nightclub. Williams is also editor of the church newsletter.
On Sunday, June 12, as members of Reformation Lutheran Church gathered for worship, the helicopter whirls overhead reminded all of the tragic shooting that had occurred a few hours earlier less than a mile away. Pete Zieg was filling in as the supply pastor while Rob Cosmas, pastor of Reformation, attended the Florida-Bahamas Synod Assembly in Daytona Beach, Fla. Some worshipers were out of the area on vacation; first responders who normally worshiped at Reformation were missing.
Fast forward to the next Sunday, June 19, when Florida-Bahamas Synod Bishop Robert Schaefer was the invited guest to deliver the message and lead the service with Cosmas. The sanctuary was almost Easter-crowded with members, former members, assistant to the bishop Jaime Dubon, members of the Alcoholics Anonymous group that uses the facilities, members of the Hispanic community, members of the LBGT community, retired clergy from around the synod, neighbors and family members. Schaefer’s message was clear: God’s Work. Our Hands. Orlando Strong. Go—proclaim what God has done for us.
In the Gospel of the day, Luke 8:26-39, Jesus commissioned the man he healed of bondage to demons to “return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” Indeed, by our baptism, we must do the same. We must stand for peace and reconciliation of all people, even those who hate and/or are considered marginalized by society, as they, too, are created in God’s image.
During prayers, the 49 victims’ names were read and a bell was rung for each.
The service concluded with a processional led by the cross and All Saints banner to the bell tower that fronts Michigan Street. This served as an Easter proclamation of resurrection to world.
From there, participants were told to “Go in peace. Serve the Lord. ” We were nourished, inspired, fed. We go into the world as God’s hands with no fear.
