WINDER — The Rev. Chris Strickland ended his Sunday service at Winder First United Methodist Church a little differently this week.
Instead of the usual closing hymn, Strickland issued an invitation: Anyone in the pews who needed to sort out the emotions they may be feeling after four community members were shot and killed earlier this week at Apalachee High School were welcome to seek sanctuary and kneel in prayer at the altar.
“If you’re like me, and you’re still in the throes of the sadness of what has happened in our community, if you’re angry, if you’re still filled with rage, you don’t know yet what to do with all of that emotion,” Strickland said.
“If you’re confused this morning, if it doesn’t quite make sense to you, you don’t know how this happened in our community — then I invite you to come to pray.”
Nearly every member of the church knelt and prayed — many also cried — at the altar.
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was the first time members of the church community had gathered in the sanctuary since the shooting on Wednesday, which left two 14-year-old students and two teachers dead. The worshippers at First United Methodist on Sunday included family members of one of the victims. They declined to speak with the press.
The service was one of many in Barrow County on Sunday as the rural community turned to their faith to grapple with their grief.
The parishioners at First United Methodist prayed, hugged and shed tears for the four people who were killed and nine others that were injured earlier this week in a mass shooting that stunned the community and horrified the nation.
Apalachee High student Colt Gray, 14, has been charged with four counts of felony murder. The teen, also accused of shooting and injuring nine others, made his first appearance in Barrow County court on Friday morning.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that Gray’s father, Colin Gray, 54, has been also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. He also had a court appearance Friday morning.
Many Georgians across Barrow County and the state were trying to make sense of Wednesday’s shooting, while honoring those who died and were injured.
Several online fundraisers have collected hundreds of thousands of dollars to support families of the deceased victims with funeral and other expenses. Other fundraisers are geared toward helping the survivors with medical costs. They include one teacher and eight students, and all expected to survive.
In Atlanta, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and some players wore Apalachee Wildcats T-shirts during warm ups on Sunday before their game against Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A memorial service for Apalachee teacher and assistant football coach Ricky Aspinwall was scheduled for Sunday evening in Flowery Branch.
At First United Methodist, teary-eyed parishioners shared their connections to the victims, survivors or the school in general, wondering how something like this could happen in their tight-knit town.
Barrow County students, other than those at Apalachee High School, are scheduled to return to classes on Tuesday. The district suspended classes in the days after the shooting.
Strickland, associate pastor at First United Methodist, also teaches middle school in neighboring Jackson County. On Sunday, he recounted being with his 6th-grade students when learning about the shooting at Apalachee.
“I didn’t know it was possible to experience that many different emotions at one time,” Strickland said. “The pastor in me was hurting for my community. I was sad, I wanted to be here with you, but I couldn’t get away at that moment. I felt useless. I was hurt.
“The teacher, the one who was sitting with those sixth-grade students, felt anger, felt rage,” he said. “Someone had violated one of my sacred spaces — the place where I apply my craft — they had come in and committed an act of terror.”
In a video message recorded the day after the shooting, senior pastor the Rev. Geoff Murphy told his church members that evil can appear anywhere and take many forms, but they needed to combat it with love.
“I think that love is the only power that overcomes evil,” he said. “This is a mantra that I came up with (Wednesday) that I just feel like is deep in my soul: Evil may rear it’s head, but good will rise and God will reign.”
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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