Sometimes I notice that Christians who identify as fundamentalist/conservative are treated with criticism, sarcasm and derision by other Christians who identify as mainstream/liberal.
It seems to me that some believers may need a more black-and-white, concrete and dogmatic religious tradition...
I just finished reading Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran pastor from Denver, Colorado. I enjoyed her book and found her point of view and voice to be interesting and refreshing. I was wondering if anyone else has read or heard her and what you think of her approach.
Thanks!
In the last few months, I have been reviewing and examining my commitment to my faith tradition. I had taken a break from attending religious services (ok, so it was 8 years) in order to figure out what made sense at this point in my life. During that time I distanced myself from my religious...
I have recently been introduced to the writing and off-beat Christian point of view of Nadia Bolz-Weber. OK, so I'm a little slow keeping up with changing culture. I just started reading Pastrix which was published a couple of years ago.
She has such a different approach to Christianity that I...
I am curious about Congregational churches in the US who opted not to join the United Church of Christ when it was formed in 1957.
Are there many out there?
Why did they choose not to join?
How are they different from UCC churches in structure, theology, worship?
Any information would be...
Earlier today, I held my dear friend as she peacefully and comfortably died. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do as we had been together since she was a puppy. A year ago she was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor so I did my best to keep her happy and pain free and...
I was recently reading Richard Rohr and came across this interesting quotation:
There will always be at least one situation in our lives that we cannot fix, control, explain,
change or even understand.
Has this been true in your life? What was that situation?
Several years ago (oh, like 8 or so), I was attending church services regularly. I was involved in worship, social justice work and social activities. The congregation was a big part of my life adding learning, spiritual enrichment and fun.
Most people in the congregation were open-minded...
I was just wondering if there are any clergy members participating/posting here. I'm using the word clergy in the broadest sense: ordained, licensed, certified, recognized, called, identified, whatever the proper designation is for worship/congregation/assembly leaders of your faith tradition...
I am an occasional visitor/participant in RF.
When I read through the various posts I am always impressed (blown away at times) by how thoughtful, well researched and carefully written many are. It is obvious, especially in the lengthy posts, that members have put a great deal of time and...
Maybe it's just my experience or view of the world, but I find that whenever anyone starts a post or statement by quoting the scriptures attributed to Paul, I feel a lecture coming on. More than any other contributor to the canon, Paul's writings seem to be used to justify self-righteous...
As I am writing this post, my dear, sweet yellow lab is sleeping soundly on the couch next to me. She is an old friend and now, in the last few days of her life, she sleeps a great deal of the time. It's hard for her to stand and she has been falling because her rear legs are weak. But in...
Does anyone have any sources regarding the period around 1800-1840 when the Unitarians and Congregationalists split? I am interested in local events in the Massachusetts/NH area.
From what I've read, the Andover Seminary (now Andover Newton Theological Seminary) was established as an...
I often hear Christians say that they believe that God has a plan for our lives. I find this puzzling. Does it mean that each individual human has a plan developed by God for the events of life or does it mean that God guides the general trend of humanity?
Where in scripture or scriptural...
In many faith traditions within Christianity, God is described as all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving--superlatives in every category. With that in mind, I have been wondering if God requires worship or if religious believers need to worship. Maybe neither? Where does the concept of...
I am new to this site and really enjoy reading peoples' posts. As I have browsed various forums, I have noticed a frequently repeating theme, that is, members who are struggling to discern where they stand in the broader religious world.
Sometimes, the writer is seeking opinions about specific...
If so, I am curious about how your Chautauqua experience influences your participation in discussions on this site. BTW, a mere 5 months and 3 weeks until the 2015 season opens!
I have recently been reading Falling Upward: Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr. A friend recommended reading this author and I picked up this book with eager anticipation. But, now at the halfway point, it's just not grabbing my interest. I find Father Rohr to be very...
As I am preparing to celebrate the winter holidays with family, I have been thinking about plans for the new year.
I have been very involved with organized religion for a long time, specifically the UCC, a liberal protestant denomination. A few years ago, I decided on a sabbatical and pulled...