Elim Lutheran Church

The Rev. Sandra Bochonok, right, uses a branch to sprinkle water that has been blessed on Elizabeth Engel, pastor of Elim Luther- an Church, and George Larson, retired pastor of Spirit of Life Lutheran Church, during a "moment of blessing" at Olympic Court West Apartments in Bremerton. A handful of clergy and community members gathered to participate in the blessing for Kimberly Shine, who was murdered by her brother in their apartment on Dec. 27, 2006.

Delivering Peace to a

Very Negative Place

A retired pastor wants to turn the spots where violent deaths have occurred into places containing hope.

BY JOSH FARLEY JFARLEY@KITSAPSUN.COM

BREMERTON

Acts of violence produce "a whole lot of agony," but there are ways for the community to heal from the hurt, South Kitsap resident George Larson says.

On Monday, the retired pastor led a group of six people in a "moment of blessing" outside an apartment complex off 11th Street, the site of the brutal murder of Bremerton resident Kimberly Ann Shine on Dec. 27, 2006.

It was Larson's fourth such blessing in Kitsap County. The gatherings include some simple scripture readings and a short ceremony aimed at taking back “a place of violence and death” – in this case the site where Shine was killed with an ax by her brother, William Ame Windsor - and reclaiming it as a "place of life community and hope." "Daily we are inundated with news of horrible things happening and people saying 'I never thought this could happen,"' Larson said. "But people have not been empowered to do something positive where someone has chosen to make it a very negative place."

Larson learned about the ceremonies from ones held in neighboring Pierce County, and he said he noticed their therapeutic effect on communities that have been rocked by violent deaths.

He held his first ceremony last year after a deceased baby was found on the side of Bielmeier Road in South Kitsap on April 5.

The baby's parents have yet to come forward, but Larson hopes that holding a ceremony near the site helped heal some emotional wounds for the people asking, "Why?"

He also held two other ceremonies after back-to-back suicides of two teens in North Kitsap.

At Monday’s ceremony, trimmings from a fir tree were dipped in water and

HOW DO COMMUNITIES HEAL?

Areas rocked by violent death eventually move on, but retired pastor George Larson wants to help the healing process. What's the best way to do that? Make your voice heard at the Kitsap Sun's Crime and Justice forum at http://blogs.kitsapsun.com/kitsap/crime/

splashed toward each of the six in attendance. Larson also displayed a bamboo pole with streamers of the four people for whom he's held ceremonies.

Given the event's intimacy, everyone was given an opportunity to speak. One point hit home with Elizabeth Engel, pastor at Elim Lutheran Church in South Kitsap, who said that while life goes on after the news of Shine's murder fades, those closest to it still feel the impact intensely. "We're saying it still matters," Engel said.

Windsor, who pleaded guilty to Shine’s death in early January, will be sentenced in Kitsap County Superior Court Monday.

Four deaths in Kitsap County have been memorialized in the past year with a Moment of Blessing. Each victim's name is added to the ribbon that is attached to the bamboo pole.