the UCC has a very interesting (and painful, i think) new commercial. you can view it here. there’s a companion website, where people can post stories. food for thought.
(ht to bob carlton and steve case)
the UCC has a very interesting (and painful, i think) new commercial. you can view it here. there’s a companion website, where people can post stories. food for thought.
(ht to bob carlton and steve case)
Also look at ucc.org, stillspeaking.com, and the ucc.org lists some others.
Also – accessibleairwaves.org – to make known to the networks that mainline churches aren’t being heard anymore. That there are other Christian views out there besides Falwell, Robertson, et al.
Another companion website, i.ucc.org, is inviting anyone to join in a new i.community to hope, to ask questions and to study about God.
I read the stories. The one about not marrying a biracial couple is so upsetting. They all are in their own way, but that one and the one about the abused wife having to leave the church. Ouch!
The only problem I have with this is that there is a difference between accepting the person and accepting the sin.
randy — i don’t pretend to say that this is simple. but “accepting the sin” has nothing to do with loving and welcoming everyone. jesus loved and welcomed everyone, in spite of their sin. you have to agree that most of our churches talk about welcoming everyone, but really don’t.
Marko,
John and I are wondering why our group is not represented? Where are the two people who live together before marriage? Wow, maybe we are suddenly acceptable. Ha-Ha!
Marko, I do not get around as much as you so I guess you are a better judge of “most” churches. However the churches I have experience with in the Silicon Valley are more excepting of the people regardless of what sin is committed.
Randy – I hope and pray that that is true. These stories and stories like I read once in Group magazine about Sunday School stories… that’s more often the norm. We’ll accept all, but not if you’re a certain way… we judge and criticize and don’t take any time to love.
thank you Marko for putting this up!
Recently one of my students was told by another student in her high school that she and her family and her entire congregation were going to hell. Why? Becaue our associate pastor/ DCE is gay. Apparently the young man in question openly wept at the “shame” of being called a Christian when there were churches out there who welcomed homosexuals. Our associate asked the girl to invite her classmate to our church. She did. He accpted. It’s going to be an interesting Good Friday service.
Just a question: If we figured out a way to throw an entire congregation out of the building at once…would that be an Emergent Church?
Steve – only if it’s done in silince by candle light.
I dunno Randy. I am in the SV as well and within my own denomination what you say isn’t true at all.
As someone going to Bible College to be a Youth Minister in the Christian Church/Church of Christ denomination I get asked all the time about UCC (United Church of Christ) and a lot of people believe that this is how modern day evangelical churches are (which saddens me more than anything).
Thanks Mark-O for the link. See you Saturday in Cincy!
Deneice, what church do you go to?
Westminster Pres. I know your H.S. Director and her hubby. She was at Sunnyvale Pres. until she moved to Westgate. I just know what some churches in our Prsbytery say about certain other churches in our Presbytery and it is not always nice. I guess that’s what I was getting at. I’ll stop hijacking Marko’s blog now! :)