Responding to the Shooting at Tennessee Valley UU Church

[Joanne98]

Love is the spirit of this church and service is its law.
This is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace,
to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.
- James Vila Blake
-- From the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church website

Yesterday morning a gunman entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) of Knoxville, TN, and opened fire on congregants from TVUUC and nearby Westside Unitarian Universalist Church, who were gathered for a joint worship service. Linda Kraeger, 61, and Greg McKendry, 60, were killed. Seven people were wounded, five of whom have been hospitalized in serious or critical condition.

Today our thoughts and prayers are with the Unitarian Universalists of Northeast Tennessee and their loved ones. We hold in our hearts those killed and injured, and their families and communities. We also pray for the attacker, Jim Adkisson, and his family.

As an office, we took a break a short while ago to light a chalice and share in a moment of silence and prayer. We invite you to also take a moment from your day to offer prayers of healing for our UU community.

UUA President, Rev. William G. Sinkford, has released a statement on the shootings (http://uua.org/news/newssubmissions/117154.shtml) and UUA.org is maintaining a webpage (http://www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/117156.shtml) with news updates and resources, including links to Making Meaning After Disaster and Trauma Resources for Families and Congregations.

For UUs in the Northeast Tennessee area, a vigil will be held tonight at a church neighboring TVUUC. See Unitarian Universalists Respond to Knoxville Shooting Disaster for details.

To send letters of support and sympathy to the congregations, TVUUC’s address and contact information are available at http://www.tvuuc.org/ and Westside UU Church’s information can be found at http://westknoxuu.org/.

http://uuasocialjustice.blogspot.com/2008/07/responding-to-shooting-at-tennessee.html

If u want to send messages of support.

[tanyev]

1. Can any UU members comment on the phrase "light a chalice"?

That doesn't really make sense with what my understanding of a chalice is. Is that an error, or is there some other usage I'm not aware of? Thanks.

[SteelPenguin]

2. The Chalice is the UU "symbol"

Sort of like a cross would represent Christianity, in a simliar but less omnipresent way, the chalice is a symbolic representation of Unitarian Universalism. It's a candle in a chalice with a circular shape.



When they say "light a chalice" they're talking about lighting the main candle. At one point in the UU service anyoen who wishes can come to the front to share their joys and sorrows, and light a candle if they wish (or just light a candle if they won't wish to talk about it). For instance I go to the Pittsburgh UU church, where Randy Pausch was a member and they lit all the chalice candles for Randy....except for one, which was lit as a joy by one of the younger members of the congregation because he just got a lava lamp. We all needed the giggle.

that make sense?

[tanyev]

4. Yes! Thank you so much.

And thanks also for the anecdote about Randy Pausch. I didn't know he was UU.

[SteelPenguin]

5. Not to evangalize

but I recommend everyone interested to attend a UU service to learn more about it. We're very welcoming of new people, and I think most of the people on this board would feel more welcome in a UU church than just about anywhere else.

Seriously, the social hour afterwards is like a live DU meeting at our church.

[Lex]

6. Although I'm not a member, no where else have I felt so welcome

and felt so comfortable than at the several UU services I have attended.

[tanyev]

7. I work for an adult literacy program that uses volunteer tutors,

and two of the people at our last training workshop were from the local UU church--they've decided to take on literacy as a special project. I think they'll be wonderful tutors for our program.

I've thought about visiting there. I've checked out the website and they certainly seem like my kind of people, but I am looking for a church home that has traditional liturgy and ritual.

[SteelPenguin]

8. Oh absolutely

It's obviously not for everyone, though it's accepting of everyone. It's worth one look just to learn more about it I think when you get bored one sunday. ;)

[Lex]

3. This picture is on one page