Holy week approaches-- I'm feeling UUer (tradition, beliefs, America, doctrine)

des · #1 02-19-2007, 09:54 PM

Hi,

Well I noticed in the church calendar that holy week with it's Ash Thursday (or is that Wednesday), Palm Sunday, etc etc etc is here early this year.
I think I'm feeling more Unitarian than Considering Christ.

OTOH we had an awesome service Sunday in celebration of black women, someone did a poem and her children sang an African story folk song, then we sang We Shall Overcome. THough I thought it wasn't quite right we didn't link hands to do it. Sadly the poem isn't online (well probably is, I don't know who wrote it, but it isn't on our website).

But I think we are going to be less Unitarian starting next week...

--des

Green Gaia · #2 02-20-2007, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by des

But I think we are going to be less Unitarian starting next week...

¿qué?

lilithu · #3 02-20-2007, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green Gaia

¿qué?

I think des is saying that as Holy Week apporaches, the UCC get more and more (trinitarian) Christian.

Poor des, hang in there, lol.

des · #4 02-20-2007, 08:12 PM

Yes, lilithu is right. You could have gone to our service last week, and except for a couple of the hymns and the stained glass (though I understand you might find that in New England), you might have thought it was a UU service. In fact, UCC doesn't particularly get into the trinity and various doctrines like substitutional atonement and so on that I find quite distasteful. (In fact, I would doubt too many people really believe in some of them. UCC is a nondoctrinal church, in that you don't have to ascribe to certain doctrinal points to belong, and there is a range of beliefs that would include beliefs common in UU.)

However, during holy week it starts seeming like a regular Christian church, indistinguishable from Presbyterians, Methodists , etc.
Perhaps I should say that if I am a Unitarian Considering Christ, I am considering Christ a lot less these days.

I have a best buddy who is UU, so I told her I would be tagging along.
So don't feel too bad. I would leave UCC but for the feeling of community I have there, I think. There are other aspects I prefer as well. Anyway, I sat around last week during coffee hour and talked theology with a couple 70s something women for about an hour. One went to theology seminary in Chicago and is thoroughly liberal as I am.

Anyway, I feel pretty comfortable right here. Perhaps going to the UU church I'll start feeling more at home there as well. I went a few weeks ago, and someone said that there were people that went back and forth.
At least I don't feel bound by fund raising drives at both churches yet. :-)

--des

lilithu · #5 02-20-2007, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by des

Anyway, I feel pretty comfortable right here. Perhaps going to the UU church I'll start feeling more at home there as well. I went a few weeks ago, and someone said that there were people that went back and forth.
At least I don't feel bound by fund raising drives at both churches yet. :-)

Well des, it's only the West that thinks you have to choose one or the other. In the Asian tradition you can be as many religions as you have interest in. In fact, I participate in a UU church and a Buddhist temple, and when I'm on campus at my Catholic university I sometimes go to services there as well. I know other UUs who do similarly, for example going to both Shul on the Sabbath and church on Sundays. No prob.

des · #6 02-20-2007, 09:41 PM

You're right of course. So Western of me. I think in various parts of the world this is s.o.p. (standard operating proceedure). Latin America combines various ancestorial worship with Catholicism. In Africa there are various forms of animism and Christianity, and Native Americans have a NA church that is a combo of Native religions and Christianity. So maybe it is culturally atypical but there is nothing intrinsically wrong with it.

Of course, I think it is a little more common nowadays. I have heard of Buddhist Christians, etc. My friend, who is about as totally UU as can be, says she hates UU at Christmas and is really only happy at her old Episcopal church.

I could just embrace my internal apparent "conflicts" here. I'm going to contemplate that one... Of course, I'm not even sure if the conflict is with me at all, I am pretty sure what I think (I think), but I want some combination of both styles of practice. It will be interesting to see if I feel I will be able to fit into both communities or if this is stretching things out too much for my social abilities (that aren't considerable!). One thing I feel very strongly for is for church and the sense of community, that is sort of bigger than you are. (If this all makes sense.)

Thanks,

--des

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilithu

Well des, it's only the West that thinks you have to choose one or the other. In the Asian tradition you can be as many religions as you have interest in. In fact, I participate in a UU church and a Buddhist temple, and when I'm on campus at my Catholic university I sometimes go to services there as well. I know other UUs who do similarly, for example going to both Shul on the Sabbath and church on Sundays. No prob.

lilithu · #7 02-21-2007, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by des

Yes, lilithu is right. You could have gone to our service last week, and except for a couple of the hymns and the stained glass (though I understand you might find that in New England), you might have thought it was a UU service.

Unitarian Universalist stained glass windows. They ain't just in New England.

http://www.uurockford.org/rehnberg.htm
http://www.bertc.com/subfour/arlington.htm
http://www.bertc.com/subfour/first_toronto.htm
http://www.uuworld.org/spirit/articles/1836.shtml
http://www.uuwinnipeg.mb.ca/history_windows.shtml

Quote:

Originally Posted by des

One thing I feel very strongly for is for church and the sense of community, that is sort of bigger than you are. (If this all makes sense.)

Absofrickinlutely.