Oak Ridge Today

Palestinian Christian to speak at three area churches

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Amal Nassar at her family’s farm in the West Bank. (Submitted photo)

Amal Nassar at her family’s farm in the West Bank. (Submitted photo)

 

By Carolyn Krause

Amal Nassar, a Palestinian Christian who lives with her family on their 100-acre farm amid Israeli settlements in the West Bank, will speak in three area churches June 26 and June 28.

She will talk about her family’s dedication to making peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

On Sunday, June 26, she will speak in Oak Ridge at 9:45 a.m. in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Then, at 11:15 a.m., she will speak in the fellowship hall at First Presbyterian Church at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

On June 28, she will speak at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension at 800 South Northshore Drive in Knoxville. The public is invited to attend any of Nassar’s church presentations. [Read more…]

Summer menu starts at Unitarian Universalist Church free community meal on Friday

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The “it’s too hot for soup” summer-style menu will start at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Stone Soup free community meal on Friday, June 24. The homemade meal will include ham sandwiches, smashed potato salad, brownies, and fresh fruit.

ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. Dine-in or take-out will be available from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday. An assortment of nonperishable family friendly groceries will be available for free to anyone in need.

“For some, attending is as much about the friendly atmosphere as it is about the meal. Everyone is welcome,” coordinator Jinx Watson said. The Stone Soup free community meal is offered on the final Friday of each month. [Read more…]

Vacation Bible School, Free Block Party at Central Baptist starting June 11

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Central Baptist Church in Oak Ridge has its 2016 Vacation Bible School and a free block party starting Saturday, June 11.

“Please join us (for) Bible stories, crafts, music, and games,” a press release said.
The Submerged Block Party, which is free, is scheduled from 4-6 p.m.Saturday, June 11.

Vacation Bible School is Sunday through Thursday, June 12-16, from 6-8:45 p.m., with classes for all ages, nursery through adults. [Read more…]

St. Brendan’s Orthodox Celtic Festival is Saturday in Oak Ridge

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St. Brendan Celtic Festival

You can celebrate Celtic orthodoxy, Celtic heritage, and the Celtic roots of East Tennessee on Saturday, May 14, in Oak Ridge.

The Celtic heritage of East Tennessee and Appalachia runs deep, sharing so much in common—from food to language, music, and dance, and the sense of the sacred, a press release said. The peoples of the British Isles were Orthodox Christians for more than a thousand years, producing many of the world’s most-loved saints, and a spiritual heritage second to none.

The St. Brendan’s Orthodox Celtic Festival at St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge on Saturday is a celebration of Celtic and Appalachian culture and folkways, of our common spiritual heritage of Orthodox Christianity, and of great music, food, and dance, the press release said.

Food

  • Irish fare from St. Andrews Square
  • Big O’s BBQ
  • Ice cream from Razzleberry’s

Music and Dance

  • 11-12—Oak Ridge Folk Dancers
  • 12-1—Myrrh-bearers Dancers
  • 1-2:30—Rowena Irish Dance School
  • 3-4:00—Red-Haired Mary
  • 4-5—Shamrock Road

[Read more…]

CWU celebrates reconciliation, grace, friendship on May 6

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Church Women United of Oak Ridge invites the public to its May Friendship Day celebration on Friday, May 6.

The celebration will feature a worship program titled “Finding Grace at the Table.” The program focuses on the table as a place for reconciliation and the need to recognize God presence in every person.

CWU will present Key Woman Awards to Mary Stephens and Judy Cohan for their dedicated service at Oak Valley Baptist Church and United Church, Chapel on the Hill, respectively, in addition to their contributions within the wider Oak Ridge community and Church Women United. [Read more…]

Pastor addresses CWU on school concerns

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Community-Matters-Unitarian-Universalist-Nov-1-2015-14

Pictured above at a Community Matters forum at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Nov. 1, 2015, are the Reverend Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, center, the Rev. Jake Morrill of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, left, and Father Brent Shelton of St. Mary’s Parish. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The high stress levels of students at Oak Ridge High School. The increasing number of students who take multiple Advanced Placement courses for status reasons, in response to parental pressure or to be in class with friends. The lack of social workers at ORHS, which has a rising number of at-risk, underfed students who qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches.

The finding that less than 2 percent of ORHS students are referred for almost half of the disciplinary actions taken, including suspensions. Yet, because of privacy laws, people interested in mentoring at least two dozen disciplinary students cannot learn their names.

These were some of the teacher and community concerns highlighted by the Reverend Derrick Hammond, pastor at Oak Valley Baptist Church, at a recent meeting of the Oak Ridge unit of Church Women United.

He announced that on Sunday, April 24, at Oak Ridge High School, from 4-5:30 p.m., city leaders will respond to public concerns raised during the three “Community Matters” sessions held last October and November. The speakers will include Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald and Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi. [Read more…]

Church Women United addresses Community Matters on Friday

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Community-Matters-Unitarian-Universalist-Nov-1-2015-14

Pictured above at a Community Matters forum at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Nov. 1, 2015, are the Rev. Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, center, the Rev. Jake Morrill of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, left, and Father Brent Shelton of St. Mary’s Parish. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Church Women United invites the public to a program “Since Community Matters” on Friday, April 1, at Kern Memorial Methodist Church in Oak Ridge. Reverend Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church will be the guest speaker.

Hammond will summarize three community meetings initiated in fall 2015 by the clergy of Oak Valley, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, along with Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi, to encourage citizens to speak up about community concerns. Hammond will give an update about the process of addressing those concerns and suggest steps that we and our church families can take to help strengthen our community.

Kern Memorial Methodist Church is at 451 East Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge. Fellowship at the Friday meeting begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by a short meeting, prayer, and program at noon. [Read more…]

Grace Lutheran Church celebrates ‘Rising of the Son’ Easter Sunday

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The outdoor cross at Grace Lutheran is draped for Easter Sunrise Services on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (Submitted photo)

 

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge invites you to join in a celebration of the “Rising of the Son” on Easter Sunday, March 27.

Services will be held at 7 a.m. (sunrise outside), at 8:30 a.m. (traditional service), 9:30 a.m. (contemporary service), and 11:15 a.m. (traditional service). The Men’s Group will provide breakfast after each of the 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 9:30 a.m. services.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church is a part of the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and it is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue.

Grace Lutheran Church is a Christian church dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in a diverse community by loving our neighbors as ourselves, developing vibrant ministries to meet current and emerging needs, and helping people know Jesus, a press release said. For more information, call (865) 483-3787 or visit the church on the Web at www.graceoakridge.org.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Roane State lectures to address differences between Islam, Islamic State (ISIS)

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Rihab Sawah

Rihab Sawah

Scholar Rihab Sawah from St. Louis Community College will discuss differences between Islam and the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, on Thursday, March 31, at Roane State Community College’s Roane and Oak Ridge campuses.

The Roane County lecture will be held at 11:30 a.m. in room 101 in the O’Brien Humanities Building on the main campus in Harriman, 276 Patton Lane. The Oak Ridge lecture will be held at 3 p.m. in the City Room at the Oak Ridge campus, 701 Briarcliff Ave.

The lectures, presented by Roane State’s International Education Department and the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning, or ORICL, are free and open to the public.

The presentations will define Islam and the Islamic State and will contrast 12 main points that highlight the diverging point of view of ISIS in relation to Islam. Sawah will also present the historical roots of a movement such as ISIS and explain why the movement misuses Islamic ideology and how it serves ISIS leaders’ aim to establish their influence in the region. [Read more…]

High Places Community Church has first ‘Night of Doubt’ on March 26

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High Places Community Church

High Places Community Church is pictured above.

 

The first annual “Night of Doubt” will be hosted by High Places Community Church at the Historic Grove Theater at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 26. The coffee house-style event is an offering of space to the community for the sole purpose of creating a safe place to ask questions, express skepticism, and share doubt in a group setting.

“There will be no sermon, no rebuttals, and any attempt to answer the doubts expressed will be strictly forbidden,” according to Reverend David Allred. “This is about affirming the reality of doubt as being central to the human experience; it is not an opportunity to debate or argue.”

Allred says the idea came from a Rob Bell book the church read for a recent retreat, but also from an experience he had with a high school girl 10 years ago who openly asked in small group where God was hiding when she was sexually assaulted.

“We were talking about God’s presence and how God is with us when she erupted with powerful emotions surrounding this terrible memory,” Allred said in a press release. “It would have been highly inconsiderate of her experience to even attempt a ‘pat-answer’ about faith in that moment. The doubt, grief, and anger she felt needed a safe release. No answer would have sufficed for that kind of pain as she shared. Sometimes healing comes through just being able to let it out safely and the best ‘Christian’ response is to simply listen.” [Read more…]

Rationalists representative tells Council it shouldn’t invoke deities at meetings

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Aleta-Ledendecker-Oak-Ridge-City-Council-Invocation-Jan-11-2015

Aleta Ledendecker, secretary of Rationalists of East Tennessee, told the Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, that no gods should be invoked at the openings of their meetings, and the Council should recognize that secular authority in government is not only sufficient but preferable. (Image from City of Oak Ridge video)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3:34 p.m.

A member of Rationalists of East Tennessee told the Oak Ridge City Council that no gods should be invoked at the openings of their meetings, and the Council should recognize that secular authority in government is not only sufficient but preferable.

“In honor of separation of church and state, no deities need to nor should be invoked at the openings of your meetings,” said Aleta Ledendecker, secretary of Rationalists of East Tennessee. “Doing so gives the appearance if not actual governmental preference to one group of citizens over others.”

It was an unusual invocation. They are generally led by local pastors, ministers, or reverends of various faiths. The secular Monday night invocation by Ledendecker has apparently caused some backlash.

“The City Council is a civic body, not a religious one, so should recognize that secular authority in government is not only sufficient but preferable,” Ledendecker said. [Read more…]

Normally not controversial, this proclamation, recognizing the sanctity of human life, was

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Oak Ridge City Council on July 27, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, approved a proclamation that recognizes Sunday, January 17, as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Ellen Smith, third from right, cast the only vote against the proclamation, saying it was a controversial political statement. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:48 a.m. Jan. 13.

Proclamations by the Oak Ridge City Council are normally not controversial, but one that passed on Monday was. It was perceived by some as a controversial political statement that entered the abortion debate.

The proclamation recognizes Sunday, January 17, as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It says Tennessee residents “aspire to honor the dignity and worth of every person and to defend the sacredness of each human life.” Also, the proclamation says Tennessee residents care for “society’s weakest and most vulnerable, including the infirm, the elderly, and the unborn,” and no person shall be deprived of his life, liberty, or property.

The question of what rights to grant to the unborn or fetuses can be controversial because of the impact they might have on abortion rights. There is also considerable debate about when life begins.

Tim-Stallings

Tim Stallings

Tim Stallings, executive director of Choices Resource Center in Oak Ridge, requested the City Council proclamation, and he did not think it weighed in on the political debate.

“It’s not just about the unborn,” Stallings said. “It’s about people with infirmities, the elderly.”

He said the day started with former President Ronald Reagan and has been recognized by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Reagan established National Sanctity of Human Life Day on Sunday, January 22, 1984, the 11th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the still-controversial Supreme Court decision that granted women the right to an abortion in 1973.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is on the third Sunday in January, near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. [Read more…]