Grief And Gratitude Service Held At First United Methodist Church Of Tulsa

First United Methodist Church of Tulsa held a grief and gratitude service Sunday night as a way to remember the lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Church leaders said Sunday night that it was about bringing people together who may be experiencing grief and taking time to remember what makes them feel most grateful.

"We have just been through so much in the last 15 months, and I think there have been a lot of people who haven't had the chance yet to process their losses and their grief," First United Methodist Church of Tulsa minister of worship arts Nichole Nordeman said.

While people were able to grieve, the service also focused on gratitude. 

During the service, there was a time thanking first responders and healthcare workers for their work during the pandemic. 

The service was open to anyone who wanted to attend. 

"For our community, this can bring a unity. It can be a bringing together of people who really don't even know each other," First United Methodist Church of Tulsa Rev. Jessica Moffatt said.

Rev. Moffatt said she's lost seven people who were dear to her heart in the last 15 months, including the mother of one of her friends. She thought of her Sunday night. 

"I was searching for a way to grieve, and so tonight, when we lit the candles and put them into the sand, I thought of her and all the other people I have lost," Rev. Moffatt said. 

A part of the service was also dedicated to kids and what they have been through during the pandemic.

Nordeman said she hopes the service helped people begin the grieving process, if they haven't already. 

"Grief is patient, and if you don't want to acknowledge it, or feel it or live with it, or let the tears come, or let the anger come, it will wait for you until you do," Nordeman said. 

Rev. Moffatt said she hopes to have more of these services in the future.