Oak Ridge Today

Yoga Peace Day is Saturday

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Peace begins with you! On Saturday, September 23, in honor of International Day of Peace, the yoga group at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is hosting an event, “Yoga Peace Day,” that is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Presenters of the day will include Serene White, who will lead a restorative yoga session; Amanda Caldwell, who will lead a guided meditation with a slide show; and Jan Coe, who will treat everyone to a sound immersion concert, a press release said. There will be a blessing led by Reverend Tandy Scheffler to dedicate the new peace pole installed on the property, the press release said. [Read more…]

Suicide prevention training on May 16

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Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis can as well.

As a resource for the community, the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Pastoral Care Team will host a QPR Institute suicide prevention training on Tuesday, May 16, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the church’s Social Hall. This event is free and open to the public. ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike (close to traffic light 2) in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Opinion: Rev. Morrill addresses ‘Black Lives Matter’

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Jake Morrill

Jake Morrill

By the Rev. Jake Morrill

This past July, a church committee requested a new message on the electronic sign, which faces the Oak Ridge Turnpike. The message they requested was “Black Lives Matter.” The board of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, or ORUUC, voted to approve it, and the message was added to the sign’s series of scrolling messages.

Since then, we’ve received feedback from different members of the community. Some has been to praise the sign; some, to criticize.

The Police Lives Matter Rally

Saturday night, I attended a rally called Police Lives Matter in A.K. Bissell Park. My colleague at ORUUC, the Rev. Tandy Scheffler, attended as well.  She’s a recent graduate of the Citizen’s Police Academy.

She told me she saw the rally as a chance to demonstrate that support of police officers and support of black lives is not an “either/or,” but a “both/and” for her. Yes, she said, police lives matter, and yes, black lives matter, and yes, all lives matter. I agree. Along with my gratitude for police officers and first responders, I also attended because the rally’s organizers have been critical of the church’s “Black Lives Matter” sign.

When people have an opinion, I believe it’s important to listen. In fact, responding to online criticism of the sign in recent weeks, I’ve extended at least 15 invitations to people to sit down together so we could talk. I’m sorry to say that no one, as yet, has accepted my invitation. [Read more…]

Local church makes plans for same-sex weddings after expected Supreme Court decision

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Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, and Tennessee residents and state government officials are waiting to see how the Court’s decision will affect the state’s policy. In the midst of the wait, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church has begun making plans, a press release said.

“In keeping with our beliefs and to offer a sense of love and support to same-sex couples, ORUUC will offer free wedding services and a reception for same-sex couples as soon as the County Clerks’ offices are able to issue licenses,” ORUUC minister Reverend Jake Morrill said in the release. “Those who plan to marry should call the church office to request a time to speak with one of our ministers prior to the wedding day.”

“In the Book of Ruth, when Ruth tells Naomi, ‘Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people,’ people don’t get caught up with the gender,” said ORUUC Minister of Faith Formation Reverend Tandy Scheffler. “What they hear is love. What counts in this life is love. And at ORUUC, we are ready to bless public commitments of love between couples who’ve waited too long for the rights and honor denied to their families.” [Read more…]

Photos: Community leaders sleep outside to raise awareness of homelessness

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Pastor Steve Sherman with Homeless Sign

Pastor Steve Sherman of First Christian Church is pictured above at a camp-out on a cold Thursday night at First United Methodist Church that was intended to raise awareness of homelessness. (Photos by James Lewis) 

 

Several community leaders camped out Thursday night at First United Methodist Church to raise awareness of homelessness. The volunteers also collected linens and personal care items for the upcoming Warming Center project and brought attention to the need for volunteers to help with the Point in Time Count.

Here are photos by James Lewis.

The community was invited to come out to support the sleep-out participants from 6-7 p.m. Thursday (January 15), and local homeless providers were expected to talk about their agencies and what they are providing to homeless individuals in the community. [Read more…]

Cold hands, warm hearts: Leaders to sleep outside to raise awareness of homelessness

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Several community leaders will spend the night of Thursday, January 15, sleeping outside at First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge to raise awareness of homelessness and to collect linens and personal care items for the upcoming Warming Center project and bring attention to the need for volunteers to help with the Point in Time Count.

The community is invited to participate by coming out to support the sleep-out participants from 6-7 p.m. Thursday. There will be a free soup dinner. All community members are invited to attend.

Local homeless providers will be present to talk about their agencies and what they are providing to homeless individuals in our community. Information on the warming center project and the Point in Time Count will also be available. [Read more…]

League of Women Voters receives $20,000 national grant

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League of Women Voters Logo

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge has received a $20,000 national grant that will fund an educational project for young adults (30 years or under) on hazardous waste management. The project is titled the Environmental Management Education Initiative Project.

The grant is made possible through the New Mexico Community Foundation’s Community Involvement Fund and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The purpose of the project is to expand the knowledge and understanding of these young people about the environmental management process and remediation actions in the Oak Ridge community.

The project will consist of two educational sub-projects: a Citizen’s Academy and a Rainbow Academy, a press release said. [Read more…]