- Apr 30, 2013
- 30,957
- 18,732
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- United Ch. of Christ
- Marital Status
- Private
- Politics
- US-Democrat
Today was the day this really hit home to me.
Our pastor was injured in a fall and is in recovery. So we had a substitute pastor, a retired UCC pastor come to preach. His sermon just seemed like the typical liberal mainline Protestant stuff I grew up with in the United Methodist church. "Make the world a better place" and the Social Gospel (his words). I can't really fault him too harshly over just one sermon, but, I don't think this kind of thing is really engaging with young people and contemporary existential threats we are facing that seem to erode life of meaning.
I am reminded of what Bonhoeffer said decades ago, of the Mainline in the US, that it preaches a Christ without a cross, salvation without judgement, etc. It's more true than ever. The religion has been hollowed out in favor of pleasant moralisms that don't speak to the deep pain and fear in the world, or the vulnerability felt by many people in our society. I'm all for having a welcoming church that doesn't shun gay people, but there has to be a better way than this...
At our congregational meeting (I'm non-voting at the moment since my membership in the church has been delayed due to the pastor's injury), the finances for the church are not great. We are having to dip into savings. Only about 35 members bothered to show up for the meeting. I think this is what end-stage looks like. Almost everybody in the church is over 60, and most of them are over 70.
Our pastor was injured in a fall and is in recovery. So we had a substitute pastor, a retired UCC pastor come to preach. His sermon just seemed like the typical liberal mainline Protestant stuff I grew up with in the United Methodist church. "Make the world a better place" and the Social Gospel (his words). I can't really fault him too harshly over just one sermon, but, I don't think this kind of thing is really engaging with young people and contemporary existential threats we are facing that seem to erode life of meaning.
I am reminded of what Bonhoeffer said decades ago, of the Mainline in the US, that it preaches a Christ without a cross, salvation without judgement, etc. It's more true than ever. The religion has been hollowed out in favor of pleasant moralisms that don't speak to the deep pain and fear in the world, or the vulnerability felt by many people in our society. I'm all for having a welcoming church that doesn't shun gay people, but there has to be a better way than this...
At our congregational meeting (I'm non-voting at the moment since my membership in the church has been delayed due to the pastor's injury), the finances for the church are not great. We are having to dip into savings. Only about 35 members bothered to show up for the meeting. I think this is what end-stage looks like. Almost everybody in the church is over 60, and most of them are over 70.