Rev. Chris Buice, Minister, TVUUC.
Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, a member of the UU Trauma Response Ministry, also participated in the July 28 vigil.
Knoxville Community Gathers to Honor Shooting Victims with Joy and Tears
July 29, 2008
At 7:30 p.m. on July 28, the greater Knoxville community gathered at Second Presbyterian Church, adjacent to the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC), for a service of memory and healing (PDF). The service participants included Rev. Mitra Jafarzadeh from the Westside Unitarian Universalist Church (WUUC); Rev. Chris Buice from the Tennessee Valley UU Church; Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt of the UU Trauma Relief Ministry; and Rev. William G. Sinkford, Unitarian Universalist Asssociation (UUA) President.
Buice, in his welcoming remarks said, “There is power in this room. The presence of many people of so many different faith traditions and ideas being here to support our church, means so much to us."
During the service Sinkford said, “We live in a society where there are differences of opinion, and Unitarian Universalism and our congregations here [in Knoxville] have a long history of standing on the side of love, of standing up for justice and saying everyone should be welcome. …That’s a deep religious calling for us, and the Tennessee Valley church and the Westside church and Unitarian Universalism are not going to change living our religion that way.”Sinkford continued, “This gathering is a hopeful gathering …even though it’s in the midst of tragedy. Because this gathering represents our greatest hope. There is no capacity that we need more than the ability to come together as people of faith across the boundaries of theology and liturgy and practice that we are so often told must keep us apart. There is no capacity that is more important than for us to be able to be here tonight, together as one community.” The complete text of Sinkford’s remarks is now available online.
Information on vigils and services of support and remembrance for the victims of the Knoxville shootings continues to be gathered and posted. If you have information to share about such an event, please email websubmissions @ uua.org. Messages of support and condolence for the members of the Knoxville congregations continue to be welcome at the UUA's "Supporting Our Friends in Knoxville" blog site.
Additional information on the Unitarian Universalist response to the Knoxville shootings will be posted on UUA.org.
For continuing Unitarian Universalist Association news and information, subscribe to the UUA-L email list.
Last updated on Wednesday, August 20, 2008.
