Leonard Monroe and Lajean King, both of Lawrence, hold hands across the center aisle as they stand and sing with the rest of those in attendance during a Service of Solidarity hosted by Lawrence's St. Luke AME Church, 900 New York St., on the afternoon of Sunday, June 21, 2015. The special service was in response to an attack days before at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., in which a gunman killed nine people during a bible study class.

Brooklynne Mosley hadn’t been inside a church since her grandmother’s funeral last year.

But Sunday afternoon, Mosley sat in St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church, 900 New York St., at a service of solidarity for the nine people shot and killed Wednesday at the historic Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C.

“I was extremely moved by what happened in Charleston,” she said. “And being here it feels like a weight is being lifted off me.”

St. Luke’s filled quickly Sunday, and pew space was in short supply. Several people familiar with the congregation made trips to the basement, fetching folding chairs to accommodate the larger-than-usual crowd.

Several local clergymen and women led the service, encouraging those in attendance to greet each other, shake hands, hug and share goodwill.

After a brief song, St. Luke’s Rev. Verdell Taylor approached the pulpit, speaking of his reaction to the shooting, which has captured the nation’s thoughts and prayers.

“I felt numb from the beginning,” he told the crowd. “I was trying to wrap my mind around it.

“When you have this kind of emotion attached to A.M.E., you feel this is right here,” Taylor said, striking his chest with his fist. “Right at home. And it pierced me.

“All of a sudden you find yourselves weeping. And then you pick up and you keep going.”

Taylor then turned to the audience for participation, encouraging them to approach the microphone to share their thoughts and feelings on the Charleston tragedy.

Many people took their turn speaking to the crowd. Personal experiences, fear, frustration, faith, forgiveness and hope were all discussed.

One of many adding to the conversation, Shawn Alexander approached the podium and began by condemning Wednesday’s slayings as “an act of terror.”

Recalling a home he saw earlier in the day, flying the confederate flag “as high as can possibly be,” Alexander told the crowd that Lawrence isn’t untouched by racism and the community must come together, acknowledge problems that exist, work to combat them and take action against complacency.

“We must continue to fight, continue to educate and let people understand that racism exists and that terrorism exists — and terrorism comes from within our nation, not only from the outside,” Alexander said.

One of the last to take their turn at the microphone was Clarence Scott, who noted the majority of the crowd was elderly.

Scott praised the older generations for sharing their experiences and pleaded with them to continue their work. But it is up to younger generations to learn from those experiences and implement change, he said.

“Parents, grandparents, continue to be that beacon of light that can instill the experiences in those kids that are necessary for change,” he said.

As the service of solidarity drew to a close, the church’s pianist began playing softly. The congregation joined hands, swaying as they sang the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.”

“Together you can change things, you can change attitudes, and you can change your heart,” Taylor said after closing the public comment session. “I thank you for your truth, but now what are you going to do about it?”