Connection Responds to Tragedy in Bridgeville
I sent out an e-mail through the Bishop's network last week requesting prayer after the tragic shooting rampage at the LA Fitness Center in Bridgeville. The response from my colleagues was, as expected, overwhelming. I also posted comments on Twitter and Facebook. Within minutes, people across the world responded that they were praying for Western Pennsylvanians.
Last Friday I talked about the response in remarks at a prayer service outside LA Fitness. In particular I mentioned an e-mail message sent by my friend Bishop Hope Morgan Ward to the people of the United Methodist Church in Mississippi. Here’s what it said:
Many of you have heard the recent news report of the tragic shooting in a LA Fitness gym in Bridgeville, PA, just south of Pittsburgh.
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton of the Western Pennsylvania Conference has informed us that two of the victims were from our United Methodist family, one a single parent leaving behind her sixteen-year-old son, who is an active member of his district youth council. There were also other members of our UM family in the fitness center at the time of the shooting.
Bishop Bickerton has requested our prayers for these families, the pastors as they minister to these families, the members of their congregations, and the community that has been traumatized by this act of violence.
In his message he states that he “…was struck once again and blessed by the awesome power of the connection.”
We in the Mississippi Conference understand that “awesome power” as we too have been blessed throughout our continued recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Our friends from the Western Pennsylvania Conference have been a large part of that blessing.
Tomorrow, Bishop Bickerton will be a part of a community-wide prayer service. Let’s join him in prayer for healing.
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton of the Western Pennsylvania Conference has informed us that two of the victims were from our United Methodist family, one a single parent leaving behind her sixteen-year-old son, who is an active member of his district youth council. There were also other members of our UM family in the fitness center at the time of the shooting.
Bishop Bickerton has requested our prayers for these families, the pastors as they minister to these families, the members of their congregations, and the community that has been traumatized by this act of violence.
In his message he states that he “…was struck once again and blessed by the awesome power of the connection.”
We in the Mississippi Conference understand that “awesome power” as we too have been blessed throughout our continued recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Our friends from the Western Pennsylvania Conference have been a large part of that blessing.
Tomorrow, Bishop Bickerton will be a part of a community-wide prayer service. Let’s join him in prayer for healing.
One inspiring part of all this for me is that at the prayer service were members of United Methodist churches in that area who had been part of mission teams to the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. One man was wearing a United Methodist Disaster Response T-shirt. He and others from Crossroads Church still travel to Pas Christian each year to help with on-going recovery work. We have a great connection, which continues to grow in strength through prayer.
A former District Superintendent of mine frequently called our church the “blessed” connection. Last week in Mississippi and in Bridgeville, PA, it was just that.
The Journey Continues, . . .
By: Bishop Thomas Bickerton On 8/14/2009
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