My view of UCC conflicted

Why does it bother me to see that this congregation has its roots in Calvinism...?

Or that the Heidelberg Confession from which the founder congregations took their direction focuses so strongly on utter depravity and God's wrath equalling eternal torment?

Or that other historical influences preached a minimal liturgy allowing only those things mentioned in the Bible?

Etc...

I guess I am confused about how the history of the UCC connects with its present and future.

I have read lots of stuff from the UCC website, and some UCCers borrows Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox things like Lectio Divina and the Jesus Prayer. I have heard about the political tendencies. I've seen the commercials and learned about the Still Speaking campaign. I read blogs by UCC people like Chuck Currie and Faithful Progressive. That seems to be part of my confusion. Does the UCC just not care about these historical influences in terms of informing its current views? Am I misreading something somewhere? How does a hellfire and brimstone descendant of Calvinism that affirms a document saying humans are totally corrupt and evil beings that an angry God is going to smite with endless damnation, etc, square that with the other beliefs presented?

I have met some people from the church of christ denomination and some were of the hell fire and brimstone, but some weren't. It really depends on each congregation and what is taught.

I have met some people from the church of christ denomination and some were of the hell fire and brimstone, but some weren't. It really depends on each congregation and what is taught.

Atc....there's a big difference between the UCC(United Church of Christ) and CoC(Church of Christ). They are often confused.

Well... the UCC as a whole is more varied than not. There are some "liberal" areas (especially along coast lines), there are more "conservative" ones, there actually is a historical/traditional/fundamentalist group within the UCC which advocates for a strict return to the roots, there is the "God is still speaking" initiative which some have adopted, just as the "Open and Affirming" initiative is optional.

I think that asking "What is the UCC like?" is the wrong question... and that it is more helpful to ask "what is the individual congregation like?" In the end, the congregational polity and the openess to diversity seem to be the two connecting strands throughout the denomination as a whole. However, it is also probably true that within the UCC, those who are middle-to-left leaning hold the majority and that those who are right-leaning are in the minority.

The first UCC I ever attended was in a very Evangelical part of the Midwest, in a small city... and it was pretty much a traditional Calvinist church except that in that congregation there were a minority of "progressives" who were into reading stuff like Campolo and ordaining women. At one point in that church's history, one of their pastors came out of the closet and the congregation sucessful voted to have them removed from the church.

The second UCC I went to was practically the polar opposite of the first - and it was located in a very secular part of New England. The minister was female, the congregation voted to become "Open and Affirming" and to take part in the "God is still speaking" initiative. The message for Easter sunday openly questioned (if not denied) the bodily resurrection and, at times, I wondered if I was the only person there who held a High Christology.

The third UCC I went to was a progressive-Evangelical place. Yes, there was a huge emphasis on the Social Gospel, very Campolo style... the main pastor was female, it was a multi-cultural and multi-racial place, people did not like George W Bush, it was Open & Affirming with a significant queer population... and at the same time, people believed in and worshipped the Risen Christ. The liturgy included Confession time, to repent of our sins... it was a place that believed in the Gospel message.
...It was, more or less, my cup of tea (so to speak).

But my own experience here highlights why I am UCC... I used to be trying to find the "right" denomination (i.e. the one that agreed with me on everything I believe). But that doesn't really exist. But what can happen - is that a person can find a congregation of like-minded people, a family to be a part of. Since I'm in seminary, I need the UCC in the sense that I need the freedom to truly be myself without also denying everyone else in the Church who isn't like me.