ReligionNashville Pastors Find Comfort in Palm Sunday Service After Nashville School Shooting by Gabriel Martinez April 2, 2023 written by Gabriel Martinez April 2, 2023 0 comments Bookmark 55 Today is Palm Sunday, and across the Nashville area a lot of Christians are feeling sad because of what happened at The Covenant School. They went to worship services hoping to figure out why such a terrible thing took place. The pastors then tried their best to comfort those who were hurting after an attacker brought fear and horror to the Christian grade school in Nashville. At Christ Presbyterian Church, Pastor Scott Sauls told his congregation that the week has shown us that we shouldn’t take life for granted since none of us know what will happen even in the next hour. The only thing that can give us comfort during hard times is knowing that we belong to our faithful savior Jesus Christ. The message of the Bible doesn’t take away our sorrow and sadness. Even scripture cannot answer why bad things, like the death of a beloved teacher and grandmother, has to happen. Pastor George Grant, a local Christian leader who is connected to the school and adjacent church, said that on the first Sunday after the shooting tragedy happened, it is important to not ignore what happened. He told Big Big News a few days later saying that according to the Bible, we must be sad with those who are saddened by this incident. The police reported that someone who used to go to Covenant school, a 28-year-old person, killed six people and police shot him. Because of this sad event, Grant and other pastors decided to give people time in their Palm Sunday services so they could express their sadness together. Bishop J. Mark Spalding from Nashville says that pastors and preachers this weekend are like healers, but they are hurt veterans too! He recommends us to be part of a community instead of staying alone in tough times. That way we can heal better by reaching out to people around us. On Palm Sunday, their church members grieved the passing of six people; three 9-year-olds – Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney – as well as Katherine Koonce (the head of the school) who was 60 years old, Mike Hill (a custodian) who was 61 years old, and Cynthia Peak (a substitute teacher) who was also 61 years old. Palm Sunday is a special day for Christians, because it celebrates Jesus entering Jerusalem before he died and was resurrected. Even when things seem very hard and uncertain, Christianity can still offer hope in these times. Grant, the pastor of Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin (a city near Nashville), said that Palm Sunday gives us hope – even though it’s a sad season. He believes there is light in the darkness and we can find joy even when we’re feeling sorrowful. Reverend Grant is trying to be supportive to Parish Presbyterian’s members who are feeling really sad about something that just happened. He knows some of the people from both churches and was even a Sunday school teacher at Covenant Presbyterian long ago. On a cold, sunny morning, people went towards the white church at the countryside of Franklin. They said hello to each other before entering the red doors with crosses made out of palm leaves. Some stopped for a bit and asked about how everyone was doing after having a tough week. Kim Goff let out a deep sigh as she prepared coffee and hot water for the people coming to church. She went on to explain that since Parish and Covenant are connected, if something bad happens in one it affects the other too. Palm Sunday was an important event because it gave everyone a chance to show their sadness while still feeling hopeful – this was why they were all there in the first place. Covenant Presbyterian Church was also celebrating Palm Sunday, but the service, which journalists weren’t allowed to attend, was not held in their house of worship on top of a hill in Nashville’s Green Hills area. Molly Sudderth, who speaks for Covenant Presbyterian Church, said this. At the first morning service in Parish Presbyterian, the message of hope was an important part of their worship. The speaker mentioned that it had been a difficult week and then talked about Jesus resurrecting Lazarus which showed how they believe even when faced with horrible things. He also spoke from Psalm 118 to emphasize this message. Our world is sadly filled with violence, like when kids have to go through a terrifying experience at school on what was supposed to be just another normal day. Do you feel mad about this? You should – Jesus did too! He also showed empathy for those who are hurting. That’s something we all need to do too. Before the end of their service, they said a special prayer for all the victims and their families. As they did this, many people in the seats had palm fronds – plants with a fresh smell which filled up the room. At Woodmont Baptist Church, which is only a few miles away from the school, the children’s choir has been rehearsing some songs, like “Hosanna”, for a special performance on Palm Sunday. Pastor Nathan Parker said that this church also served as a place where parents and students of Covenant could come back together after what happened at the shooting. The people who go to this church were more than happy to help out with this. Sunday’s service was all about reminding the congregation that God will always forgive them no matter what. But with the effects of the shooting, the church decided to focus more on giving people real hope from the Gospel instead of decorations or other things for Easter week. Parker said “Nobody needs ‘show’ this week; they need real hope”. At Woodmont Christian Church, across the street, Reverend Clay Stauffer (the pastor of one of the kids who was tragically killed) and Covenant students (who survived) decided to celebrate Palm Sunday while also supporting their church family and Nashville community in the healing process. Stauffer said on Friday that no matter how sad, bad or dark the situations are, there is always something good and light to come from them. He was speaking at Evelyn Dieckhaus’ funeral to remind us all that death does not have the ultimate power. We believe in resurrection which means that even after death there can be hope. Stauffer said he is willing to discuss the shooting but will wait for the right time. He isn’t sure how to fix it, but he knows we need Easter this year. We definitely need Easter. The Associated Press works with The Conversation US to provide news about religion. This is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Associated Press has full responsibility for the content that comes out of this collaboration. You Might Be Interested In Vatican Altar Desecrated by Nude Protester: Cardinal Performs Rite of Restoration Must-haves for the Hajj: From protective sun hats to convenient shoe pouches, a resourceful guide for Muslim pilgrims Get to Know the Real Life Story Behind The ‘James Bond of Exorcists’ and His Role In Russell Crowe’s Latest Film As tourists flock to view volcano’s latest eruption, Hawaii urges mindfulness and respect Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Expansion Plans Might Be Challenged by Climate Change Official confirms departure of Yemeni pilgrims from Sanaa to Saudi Arabia; First direct flight since 2016 NashvilleReligion Share 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail Gabriel Martinez Follow Author Gabriel Martinez is a science and technology journalist who covers the latest news and developments in the world of science. 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