Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Did God initiate the invention of the atomic bomb?

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Y-12 Plowshares Protesters

Pictured above are the three anti-nuclear weapons protesters who broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28. From left, they are Michael Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed.

I hear the siren. It’s noon on May 1, the first Wednesday of the month. What a coincidence, as I sit at my computer reading the Washington Post article “The Prophets of Oak Ridge.” It mentions that siren and reveals the circumstances of the Y-12 security system breach last year. The article links Oak Ridge’s first known prophet, John Hendrix to the nun, painter, and drifter who made national news.

I think to myself, “God WAS responsible for the creation of the atomic bomb….and there ARE real prophets in Oak Ridge – still today!”

“What?” your mind must be responding, as you wonder how I could think such a thing. Well, if you’ll stick with me, you’ll see the path to my conclusion. [Read more…]

Faith column: Roger Ebert’s final critique

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The history books will record Roger Ebert as a great film critic. He was that and, I am certain, much more to those who loved and knew him best. His loss has been felt by many around the globe because of the millions he touched. Ebert took us to the movies for years; he guided our ticket purchases, awakened in us a poetic appreciation for films we might not otherwise have seen; and best of all, he called the public away from the mindless, lowest common denominator of entertainment. His ability to critique film and his way with words had the effect of “raising all our boats” in the areas of culture, intellect, emotion, and even an awareness of the sacred.

Ebert’s ability to awaken us is what makes his death feel so tragic; but it is also what makes his now popularized letter, “I Do Not Fear Death,” equally as tragic. Ebert’s final critique came to us not in the form of a film review, but in a staunch and unwavering gaze cast toward seeming permanence of death. It has taken the Internet somewhat by storm and praised by many.

I confess, I found little praiseworthy in it. In fact, it primarily aroused in me a deep sense of pity to see a man with such brilliance and appreciation for beauty in life take those gifts and place them in a room with such a low ontological ceiling. [Read more…]

Faith column: The Prophet of Oak Ridge

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Prophet of Oak Ridge Column

In light of the upcoming visit from a Harvard psychologist who will discuss dreams and other problem-solving phenomena which occur during states of sleep, I offer the local story about supernatural predictions which pointed directly to the development and worldwide impact of the city of Oak Ridge:

There was a prophet in Robertsville. Yes, right around the turn of the 20th Century, one farmer’s life underwent such a transformation that his community nicknamed him “The Prophet.”

It began in the late 1880s when a young man brought his new wife up the Emery Road and claimed a piece of property with a cold water spring for his new home. Over the years they built cabins and barns and planted an orchard. They had five children: one boy and four girls. [Read more…]

Presbyterian leader to deliver lecture on science, religion tonight

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James Bradley Miller

James Bradley Miller

The Rev. James Bradley Miller—general missioner of the Presbyterian Association on Science, Technology and the Christian Faith—will deliver the Tenth Annual Jackson B. Davidson Lecture on Science and Religion at 7 p.m. today at First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge.

The title of the free lecture is “From Wow to Work: Science and Congregational Worship, Education and Mission.” It will be held in the church sanctuary, located at the southeast corner of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette Drive.

“We live in and are part of an ever-amazing creation,” Miller said. “However, I will focus on particular implications that a scientifically mediated understanding of God’s creation has for the worship, education, and mission of Christian congregations.” [Read more…]

Anderson County Commission gives final approval to ‘In God We Trust’

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Note: This story was updated at 2:49 p.m.

CLINTON—After hours of discussion and five meetings, the Anderson County Commission has agreed to place four black granite signs inscribed with the national motto “In God We Trust” in gold letters above each of the four doors at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

The signs would be paid for by donations. Commission agreed to accept contributions and donations in the Anderson County Budget Director’s Office.

It’s the third time the signs have been considered by the commission since February. They’ve also been considered twice by the Anderson County Operations Committee. Much of the debate among commissioners and residents has focused on the whether the signs should be posted at all—some opponents would like to keep a strict separation between church and state—and whether other mottos such as “E pluribus unum” and “Liberty and Justice for All” should also be included. [Read more…]

Faith column: This ‘High Tech…Low Touch’ world of ours

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Occasionally while holding our grandson in my lap as he begins to drift off to sleep, he will look up into my face with all the inquisitiveness of any four-year-old. Slowly and gently, he will reach upward to touch my nose, lips, and eyebrows and with his tiny fingers begin to explore what to him must seem like a vast terrain of the unknown. My eyes follow his, and then unexpectedly I begin to experience the kind of bonding that develops when one gazes intently into the face of another. This small gesture of a child touched my soul in a way I didn’t anticipate, much different than, for instance, shaking someone’s hand, even of family and friends.

A book came out some 30 years ago called “Megatrends,” which predicted a major shift in the world, in one instance characteristically described as “high tech…low touch.” The more technologically advanced we are, the less is our interpersonal connectedness. We see evidence of this today in our relationships with one another, especially in the fracturing of the traditional family and the steady decline of meaningful interaction within households. This brings to mind how important it was for Jesus to gather his disciples around a table and be able to look into the faces of those whom he loved dearly. The next time we gather with family and friends around the table, take a moment to gaze into the faces of those around us. There is something magical and perhaps even mystical about what happens to us when we are intently focused on the face of another, especially when we remember it is one shaped in God’s own image.  [Read more…]

Faith column: ‘A Poem: Everybody in Church’

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What if everybody in church was just like me?

What kind of church would it have to be?

Would everybody have long blond hair?

Or would the only color be light gray? [Read more…]

Faith column: Fear vs. faith

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What is the difference between the fear mentality and the faith mentality?

It is important to know that there are three different types of fear. First, there is the Fear of the Lord, which is a deep and profound reverence and respect for God. Second, there is an instinctual fear that tells us to “fight or flight” when we are confronted with dangerous or adverse conditions. And thirdly, there is a spirit of fear.

Sometimes in the event of tragedy, life experience, home environment, or over the course of time, thoughts and feelings become skewed, leading to fearful perceptions and anticipations in life’s circumstances and relationships. This can be rooted deep in the individual’s spirit and could eventually take over one’s thought life, consuming every aspect of who they are if not addressed. [Read more…]

Free community meal at Unitarian Universalist Church today

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The Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church has a free community meal this evening, a press release said.

It’s the Stone Soup Ministry meal, and it’s held the last Friday of every month in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Universalist Church. Food for the free monthly meal is provided by the ORUUC congregation with financial help from Oak Ridge community members. [Read more…]

Kern Methodist has ‘Living Last Supper’ on Maundy Thursday

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Kern United Methodist Church Last Supper

Members of Kern United Methodist Church will perform a “Living Last Supper” in the church’s Family Life Center at 7 p.m. on Maundy Thursday, March 28. (Submitted photo)

On the eve of Jesus’ Crucifixion, Jesus and the twelve Apostles met in an Upper Room in Jerusalem to observe the Passover. At this meal, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, a memorial observed by Christians to this day. As they ate together, Jesus announced that one of them would betray Him. Leonardo da Vinci sought to capture their reactions in his famous painting, “The Last Supper.”

Several members of Kern United Methodist Church will recreate this masterpiece on Maundy Thursday, March 28, in a dramatic interpretation of “The Living Last Supper” at 7 p.m. in the church’s Family Life Center. In addition to the drama, there will be several musical and dance selections. The service will conclude with Holy Communion and dismissal by prayer. [Read more…]

Faith column: Dimensions of the Resurrection

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Resurrection

On several occasions, I have stood beside empty tombs or graves. I have seen the incredulous, empty stares of shocked family members forced to bury a loved one. Many times the death has been untimely and seemingly unfair. It is hard to make sense of death. But its pain can be absorbed by the promise of resurrection. The apostle Paul reminds us that everything truly stands or falls on the resurrection.

This holiday (holy-day) comes around annually. It is never on the same Sunday, and sometimes I am amazed at either how early or how late it is for that particular calendar year. Teachers and students eagerly anticipate its appearance on the calendar for Spring Break. Though hardly ever on the same date, it comes around like clockwork. But its annual appearance is obscured by the fact that it falls in line with a host of regular holidays. We often know that it comes around spring time, and before Mother’s Day. [Read more…]

Commission sends ‘In God We Trust’ back to committee for design work

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Anderson County Commission and In God We Trust

Anderson County Commissioner Jerry Creasey, standing, says a proposal to put the national motto on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton is dividing commissioners, and the county and Oak Ridge. Also pictured from left are commissioners Whitey Hitchcock, Zach Bates, Tracy Wandell, and John Shuey.

CLINTON—Questions about designs were unresolved Monday, and the Anderson County Commission sent a proposal to put the national motto “In God We Trust” on the county courthouse in Clinton back to a committee that has already considered it once.

The Anderson County Operations Committee recommended last week in a 5-3 vote to install black metal signs with white lettering and the national motto above the courthouse’s four entrances.

But the full 16-member commission discussed putting the national motto in granite lettering during a Monday night meeting, among other things.

[Read more…]