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anniewatt

Posts:2

04/04/2006 2:14 PM
Hello and greetings to all. I am initiating communication with your site in an effort to extend my spirituality. As background -- last night I viewed a television commericial about the United Church of Christ. I was impressed, truly impressed. If your church truly proscribes to the views in the commerical ... all are welcome regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation .. then I am interested in more information I was raised Christian but turned away from the Christian church in which I was raised when I saw how those that didn't "fit the norm" of American society were ostacized and cast aside. The funny thing to consider is that I am a middle class, white woman in her late 40s who is a stay-at-home mom that truly believes in the nuclear family. I simply have not been able to find support in my lifestyle while still maintaining that a supreme being loves us all regardless of race, creed, color, sexual orientation. For the past year, I have been studying Buddhism. I have found great solice in the forgiving nature of the philoosphy, but I also believe that life originated from one original unifying source. Buddhism does not account for the origins of life. Whatever we call God, God is God. I am interested in seeking further spiritual guidance. Is there room for me in the UCC church? Annie

abukahlil

Posts:10

04/04/2006 2:30 PM
I've never fully understood the need to have Life, the Univers and Everything originate from One Source. But so be it. That small point aside, Buddhism is basically the same stuff Jesus says and vice versa. The only difference, again, seems to be the Source. As for the UCC.. I'm sure most of the congregations would welcome you just fine. I don't know. I'm not a member. I don't even know what church is for outside of a community of people who vaguely agree on something difficult to discuss or describe. mike

iucc

Posts:265

04/04/2006 4:30 PM
Dear Annie, welcome to i.UCC! I'm quite sure there's plenty of room for you in the United Church of Christ. Like you, I've got great respect for Buddhism, and while it's a cliché to say "some of my best friends are" Buddhists, it's true. But, yes, as Christians we also believe in one God who is the loving parent, creator, forgiver and lover of us all. You know that we're a very diverse church, with congregations that range from evangelical to liberal. That diversity is rooted partly in our history as a "united" church of several historical traditions, and as a church in which each congregation is independent. But I think if you use the Find a Church locator page, which is lnked under "Home" at the top of this page, you might run across a UCC congregation where you live that might be a good fit for you as you continue your spiritual quest. Whether or not you find one, you're also welcome here! We're hoping to evolve into an online community, where you'll always be welcome. Beginning next week, as another threat under "What's the UCC?" we'll be adding a thread which will function as a kind of online inquirer's group. We'll follow the "What Matters To You?" course that's posted in the "What's the UCC" home page under "Stretch Your Mind." You're welcome to join us! Andy Lang

Andy Lang Minister for Web Community and Communication Local Church Ministries United Church of Christ

danschultz
New User

Posts:8

04/05/2006 11:06 PM
[QUOTE] Beginning next week, as another threat under "What's the UCC?"...[/QUOTE] Umm, I think what Andy was trying to say is that we'll start another threaD next week, and we look forward to seeing you there!

jeknight1

Posts:7

04/06/2006 12:51 AM
Hi, Annie. I've been a member of the United Church of Christ for just under two years. And I have found the claims of extravagant welcome to be true, and then some! I came from a Jewish background, and became a Christian several years ago now. But it took me a long time to get up the courage to find a church, much less one where I would feel truly welcome and that shares my belief that God loves EVERYONE regardless of superficial differences between us. I've been very blessed to find a congregation where people actually live Christ's message and I couldn't be happier to have been called to the UCC. Surely there is room for you. Blessings on your spiritual journey, wherever it may lead you.

baronsabato
51-100 posts

Posts:78

04/06/2006 5:18 AM
Hi Annie, just to let you know, my church, a Congregational UCC, has many people who came from the same kind of background as you: wary of traditional Christianity, finding wisdom and spirituality in other faith traditions such as Buddhism. And you know what? They all fit in just fine! You'll find that there are some UCC churches that tend to be more conservative, and others that are more liberal. Even within a single congregation, you'll find a rich diversity of beliefs as well. My theological beliefs are typically more traditional/conservative (although I'm fairly liberal in regards to social and political issues), but I still feel comfortable in my church, which has mostly Progressive Christians. I hope that you find a home in the UCC, but wherever your path may lead you, God bless you and may God always be with you!

"the whole irreducible point of the faith, God thrown in human waste, submerged and shining. We have grown used to beauty without horror. We have grown used to useless beauty."

abukahlil

Posts:10

04/06/2006 2:30 PM
bump

Gadfly

Posts:6

04/07/2006 6:46 AM
no I can't say I have a deism in my life anymore either - as they say "goddard got off the bus, ages ago" this life I think is about letting go of the "stories" of our parents and re-creating 'em for today's world - by that I mean - there ain't no sugar daddy goin to come along and solve all our problems for us and that we need to realise that death is death - this life - this precious life of ours is not a "test drive" and there's no consolation prize of eternity in heaven... heaven is a social construct afterall to appease the masses as my mate marx would say! in the end it's about bringing the "vision" a new heaven and earth, a new jerusaleum to our world, our neighbourhood, our street, our home, our relationship/s, ourselves .... it means seeking out a just world for all - in our lives with others, our workplace, our places of learning - now, today, this very second!!!

lisa

Posts:27

04/07/2006 7:37 PM
Welcome, Annie. I'm so glad you're seeking answers, seeking God. It is said that each of us has a God-shaped hole in our hearts and needs to fill it. I hope you will continue to search within the UCC, because, yes, there is room for you. There is room for everyone, wherever they are on the journey, wherever they are in the process of their search. If you visit a UCC church, I'm sure you will find some imperfect people--I'm afraid that's all we have on earth! But I believe you will find friendly, welcoming people, glad to continue the search with you. Lisa

anniewatt

Posts:2

04/11/2006 8:11 PM
Hello all. Thank you for all the thoughtful replies to my initial post. I wish to specifically respond to some of the posts. To "abukalil" - I pondered a great deal about your statement " I don't even know what church is for outside of a community of people who vaguely agree on something difficult to discuss or describe." Althought I have not been a practicing Christian for most of my life, I find myself attracting friends, acquaintances, etc., those who find great comfort in God and Jesus Christ. While I am still searching for my own true spiritual identify, I cannot dismiss the fact that many that I admire around me are truly spiritual Christians. Maybe it is simply a function of where I live -- Midwest. As a Buddhist, I am pledged to do create the least amount of harm/suffering (dukkah) in the world. I have yet to meet a fellow Buddhist in my corner of the world. I have, however, met many Christians who share that view in their own way. To "danschultz" and "iucc," I look forward to the new thread. Thank you. To "jeknight1," I find your journey from Judaism to Christianity noteworthy. For me as I stand today spiritually, Jesus Christ is one of the most interesting and complex figures of human history. If I could go back in time, I would most certainly return to the time of Christ, not Buddha, as I have many more questions for Christ than I do for Siddhartha Guatama. I hope you will post again. To "Gadfly," I am so appreciative of your post. Buddhists are traditionally rooted in the "now," and for me that translates into the question, "How can I make this world a better place TODAY." I do not know what comes beyond this life, but I believe that if I live my life each day as being the best possible person I can be (creating the least amount of dukkha), then I have had a good day -- the rest will follow. Perhaps that is a short-sighted view, and that is one aspect of life and living I wish to explore. To "lisa," thank you for the reminder of imperfect people. Dogen wrote, "A Zen master's life is one continuous mistake." I have found great comfort in that statement, and I continue to search for a counterpart in a spiritual system that shares that same view. Best to all. If I missed your post, I apologize. I am appreciative to EVERYONE who responded. Walk well, Annie

fotojunkie
New User

Posts:5

04/14/2006 4:08 PM
Annie, I, too, am a mom, 39, and I practiced Buddhism for years because it was the only place I felt "at home." I brought my belief in God with me and that was fine with them, but the virtues, to me, are more what Jesus taught. My kids participated as well and there were very much at peace regardless of the turmoil they were experiencing. My oldest still talkes about the group of Tibetan monks we spent time with. They were such special people and really touched our lived dramatically. I have studied Taoism for more than 20 years and the acceptance and love I get from those virtues have comforted me and guided me more than once. I have actually been told that I was an athiest and going to hell because I study these practices. I majored in philosophy in college and my concentrations were ethics and Asian philosophy. I do not believe in organized religion because I do not believe the we can be pigeon-holed. And with organized religion comes politics and personal agendas. I just want to love everyone regardless of what they believe or who they live. I want to accept them all and leave the judgment up to God. Oh, and the ads are awesome! That is what drew me here. Maybe God is speaking to all of us who feel like misfits in a world of religion full of rules and secret handshakes. Maybe we have found a home.

innervisions
26-50 posts

Posts:29

04/14/2006 11:56 PM
Hi Annie, I'm a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL. The thing I love about the UCC denomination is that it is a congregationalist denomination, meaning that individual congregations w/in the denomination get to make a lot of decisions for themselves. So that's where the tricky part comes in. Just because UCC ascribes to a certain principle doesn't mean that all of the congregations under it ascribe to that same principle. For example, the UCC has a "open and affirming" policy towards the GLBTQ community which basically says that you can live your life out of the closet and you won't be judged for it in our church. However, some UCC churches decided that they weren't comfortable with that, so all UCC churches are not open and affirming. As for your current spiritual journey, I must let you know that, although many UCC churches are very liberal and accepting, they're all pretty much very Christian. They recognize Jesus as the Savior and head of the church, God as the Creator, and the Holy Spirit as the comforter. You can read our statement of faith here: http://i.ucc.org/StretchYourMind/WhatstheUCC/StatementofFaith/tabid/86/Default.aspx The church I belong to is a predominantly black UCC church with about 7,000 members. Our motto is "Unashamedly Black, Unapologetically Christian." As you can tell, we're a very Afrocentric church and our pastor preaches a lot of liberation theology. So you see, every UCC church is different and that's what I love about the denomination. I hope that helps some.

Lvmycats

Posts:147

12/29/2006 11:34 PM
Venturing slightly off topic, isn't that also Sen. Obama's church? Saw him on Oprah a couple days ago and was really impressed.

rebcamuse

Posts:154

12/30/2006 12:20 PM
Is there room for me in the UCC church? Annie, You've gotten such great responses, I will just add that there is definitely room for you HERE. Welcome!

Rebecca M Somerville, MA

subear

Posts:774

01/02/2007 6:05 PM
Dear Annie: I was also a "stay at home" mom (Ha! it's more like "drive the car" mom). I know what you are talking about and I was part of the feminist generation in the late '60s and '70s. But I was also part of an ancient tradition of Indian meditation and philosophy, so I had a little support for "choosing" parenting as my career or vocation. Although it is temporary (kids grow up), Mothering, Parenting is a very important life activity, perhaps the most important of all activities. I didn't start having children 'till I was 32, so I was old enough to know that I was choosing to be a mom. Some of the things that I did to cultivate friends with other women who were caring for their own children while they were growing up are these: When I had babies and toddlers, I attended La Leche League meetings (and trained to become a meeting leader and telephone counselor). LLL was a supportive, family friendly, organization for that life-style choice. There were some very fundamentalist types there, but the LLL organization is inclusive and neutral about religion. I felt like the people I met were respectful of others, (or at least polite). When my kids were in school I volunteered in the schools, girl scouts, baseball, swimming lessons, whatever the kids were involved in. This brought us into the circle of families with kids the ages of ours. Our circle of friends were family centered. On finding a church. There came a time when I thought it would be a good idea to belong to a church, but the churches with the big youth and children's programs were not the ones that satisfied my religious/spiritual beliefs or needs. At that time, the local UCC churches had dwindling and aging memberships. Many parents seem to be attracted to the churches that tell them and their kids what to think and do. They also like the churches that scare their kids into behaving. I think that may be because they are scared themselves. That isn't what I wanted for my kids or for myself. But I do think that a good church with a good Sunday school and Teen program is a really good thing. That's what I had growing up in the '50s and '60s. So keep looking. Your Buddhism sounds good. I especially like the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh and Pema Chodron. Buddhism can easily be practiced along with another more "religious" tradition. About the "origins of life," religions have creation stories and mythologies that are metaphorical stories of someone's idea of how life began, but we don't really know how it all started. It could be that life is eternal (no beginning, no end). It seems Jesus said something about "eternal life." The concept of "eternal" is difficult for humans grounded in the material world of space and time, but it is a concept that shows up in all the major religions and spiritual traditions. Do you have a Buddhist meditation practice? That is one way of experiencing the eternal, transcendental reality. Good luck with your family and finding a church that fits your needs. Blessings, Susannah

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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