In the last week I have received:
1) An e-mail from mid-thirty-ish member informing me that he is going to be "transitioning to other involvements". His reason? I have not supported all of his suggestions for moving our congregation fully into 21st century realities. He's an insightful person and I actually have agreed with a great deal of what he says. However, I drew the line at his hope that we would do away with any affirmation of faith in Christ as a requirement for membership, and his contention that we need to do away with all written, corporate prayers as these, by their very nature, stifle spiritual liberty and coerce a heirachically imposed and false uniformity. In his e-mail he used phrases such as "auto-pilot traditionalism" and "sustaining a spiritual retirment home."
2)A thoughtful and sincere letter from another member lamenting that the core leadership of our congregation is so liberal and progressive that our more traditional and conservative members feel out of the loop and disenfranchised.
I tell ya, it doesn't pay to be a moderate.
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13 comments:
Tell me about it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
On the other hand, maybe there's some freedom in that?
Hold my hand while we stay on that tightrope together! You have almost perfectly described my congregation. *sigh*
Oh I know, I know...We'll all wobble along together, then.
Sympathetic hugs
ooh, we have a bunch of those "no printed prayers/no creeds" people. some days I would love to stifle their spiritual liberty.
Most days I walk the tightrope a little behind you, hoping none of us falls off!
Sounds as if you've just received testimony to your walk of an inclusive path.
At least they care!
Rats. How fortunate you are that your congregation (and, they are ALL coming and going at all times...)thinks and reflects.
I'm loving the humor of getting both of these messages.
I guess this means you leave off wearing your Geneva Bands as well as your Matrix coat for worship tomorrow?
Oh,my.
*sigh*
(PCIT)
Wow, they sign their letters? That's awesome.
(Obviously my congregation has different issues.)
It's a Dr. Doolittle, Pushme-Pullyou world, isn't it?Inclusion automatically results in someone else's exclusion. And if you're in the middle, then you're torn right in two.
Ouch.
(())
I am still amazed that people are SENDING these instead of actually TALKING! To me, people are always bigger and badder when they do not have to do that face to face!
(((Rebel)))
would it help or hurt to tell you that I feel like both of those parishioners in my own church? Sometimes on the same day!
This is why my pastor says to me (all too regularly) that he hopes I get an elder in my first congregation that pushes both buttons and envelopes as well as I.
love these comments. especially st. c's!
i hear you. i hear you. i hear you. argh...
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