Longboat organizations bring healing opportunities for residents

During the exchange of peace at its Sunday service on Oct. 20, congregants at All Angels By the Sea Episcopal Church lingered longer than usual, chatting with their friends and making their way around the room to say hi to everyone.

“Exchanging peace today with everyone was different,” said congregant Carol Erker. “It was a bit moving. People were just grateful to see each other after this time away and are looking forward to healing everything we lost from these past few weeks.”

After weeks of hurricane fatigue, Rev. David Marshall at All Angels and other community organizations recognized the need for a space of healing on Longboat as residents try to move forward. With this in mind, he led a gratitude and healing Sunday service on Oct. 20 and was astonished at the turnout.

Photo by Petra Rivera

“The beginning part of healing is gratitude,” said Marshall in his sermon. “This sense of gratitude is what set the early church apart from many others, and I would argue that our sense of gratitude is still what is setting us apart right now. What we do here through gratitude will bring healing out into our community, and our community will continue to bring gratitude and healing out into the world.”

After Marshall’s encouraging sermon, congregants got the opportunity to have healing prayers and chat with friends at the after-service coffee hour. 

Marshall held the church's first healing service the Sunday after to Helene. Continuing the pattern, he led a more intimate service in the house of Music Director David Stasney on Oct. 13. The 20 congregants said the service was crucial to giving them hope as they came back to the island after Milton. 

Marshall hopes to continue to make All Angels a space for people who feel welcomed after weeks of displacements. They will continue with normal activities such as discussion groups, choir practices and services in the upcoming weeks.

Similarly, Christ Church of Longboat Key was delighted to be back on the island on Oct. 20 after weeks of worshipping with Kirkwood Church in Bradenton. The Rev. Julia Piermont led its service at 10 a.m. with a snack hour afterward to provide a space for people to rekindle friendships after weeks of being off the island.

Photo by Petra Rivera

The Paradise Center will also be focusing on themes of healing for its classes during the month of October. People can attend free classes that focus on resetting the nervous system, such as sound baths, yoga, pilates, Qigong and Tai Chi. 

Taking over for the usual current events discussion on Mondays, retired therapist Scott Anstadt will be leading a storm-related support group from 1 to 2:30 p.m. for people to speak about their experiences during and after hurricane season. 

“We've been in trauma mode for weeks now,” said Paradise Center Wellness Director Debby Debile. “So, these particular programs are going to help us come out of that trauma zone and come back into our bodies so that we can actually feel things again and begin to heal physically and emotionally.”