Charissa Clark Howe
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Sanctuary: an official response to the violence in a local congregation

10/28/2018

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Yesterday, Pittsburgh was rocked by a terrible and violent terrorist act. At around 10 am, a man entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill and opened fire on the worshiping community on their sabbath day. Even as he was apprehended by police and the FBI, he was uttering anti-semitic hate speech.

11 worshipers died.

6 people, including four responding officers, were seriously injured.

In a place of worship.

In their sanctuary.

The word sanctuary means “A place of refuge or safety.” That’s where the word for the space in which a community worships got its name. It’s our place of refuge and safety. For one local congregation yesterday, that sanctuary was horrifically violated.

Those of us who gather in our sanctuaries today to pray must remember that we gather as a people of peace in a place that is meant for peace. When fear knocks on the door, we cannot allow it to seep in. When hate barges in, we must shower it with messages and actions of love. Because as Martin Luther King Jr said: Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love...  

To all those who are afraid, all those who feel beaten down, pushed to the edges, dropped through the cracks, and just plain hurt, let me be among those who sincerely say:

I am sorry. This is not God’s intention for the world. And those of us who have watched this sort of behavior happen without speaking out boldly in truth and love and working together to change the script are part of the problem. I am sorry.

Jewish, Muslim, Presbyterian, Catholic, atheist, black, white, young, old, gay, straight, whoever you are, you are welcome here. You are welcome to seek peace and rest with us in this sanctuary. Come here for refuge and safety in a troubled time.

Each week for a few weeks now, we have sung the same song at the beginning of every worship service.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary,

pure and holy,

tried and true.

With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living

sanctuary

For you.

To those who are in a position of privilege and safety, those who are not on the margins but have lots of space on the page, I challenge you to go to your sanctuaries this morning. Seek that peace for your own troubled soul, but when you go out, go forth as a living sanctuary. BE the place of refuge and safety for those around you.

Be the sanctuary our world needs right now.

Pittsburgh: I know you. You are so full of love. Now is the time to make that more real and apparent than it’s ever been.

Be the sanctuary.

May God bless you and keep you.
May God be kind and gracious to you.
May God look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.

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    Charissa Clark Howe

    Pastor, author, musician, audiobook narrator

    All content on this blog is the personal writing/ranting/brain dumping/sharing of Charissa Howe and does not claim to represent and/or stick to the mission, vision, values, or theological beliefs of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, my professors, the PC(USA), the church(es) I work at/am affiliated with, my fellow pastors, or any other entity other than my own strange little brain. I try to maintain scripturally based Christian values and ethics on this blog, but I realize I'm human and my flaws bleed through no matter how much I love Jesus. One day, all this nonsense will be fully redeemed.

    Publication of sermon audio and manuscripts on this blog and podcast does not express permission for others to use as their own sermon in a church service. Quotes and excerpts may be used with appropriate citation and acknowledgment of the author.

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