I tried writing something to explain why I vote despite the conclusion my progressive views lead me to, which is that there is no just system aside from the kingdom/kin-dom of God that is already, but not yet established and it is the task of the Church to bring this about as much as possible, though it be only a platonic shadow.
Neither of the major parties will enact the sort of justice this vision entails, but I still believe that the work of the church may be more successful under one administration than the other. This means that the church must keep working.
So instead of laying out a detailed thesis, I will share songs that generally capture my sentiments.
Yes, I put the kyrie twice. Can you tell that I like it? My other favorite chanting is the way we chant the Psalms at my church, but I can’t find a recording of the tone.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present[a] help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city;[b] it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.[c]Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.[d]Selah
Thank you so much for sharing this. My name for God yesterday was “Present Help” 🙂 I and many others will be praying with you today.
Thank you for sharing this. My name for God this week was “Present Help,” so the inclusion of this psalm is especially profound! I and many others are praying with you today.
Thanks! Another blogger I follow (brother timothie) posted that psalm on his blog and the verse “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God” is the theme of the United Church of Christ General Synod next summer, so I thought it appropriate to share. 🙂
Very nice! Go UCC! They are one of the tribes I have yet to check out (grew up Pentecostal, then journeyed with Methodist, Mennonite, and now Episcopal churches), but I’ve heard fantastic things about them!
I love the UCC for so many different reasons. First, it formed by four denominations coming together to be one church whereas basically all of Christian history is full of schism after schism and that’s why we have over 9,000 sects and denominations. Second, local churches are autonomous, meaning that even though the national UCC may take certain stances on things, it doesn’t require that every local church be on board. Even though this means that not all UCC churches are O&A, I like that there’s space for each individual congregation to grow in its own way. Third, the UCC tends to be full of refugees from other denominations. In my own church family, there are former Catholics, Episcopalians, Baptists, and Evangelical non-denoms (me). I like hearing and learning about all the different nuances in the traditions, especially since I grew up in a contemporary church that wanted almost nothing to do with tradition.
I really love the congregational aspect of the UCC the most. I think that’s the best way to do denominations. Not everyone will agree on everything, but by allowing them to grow in their own ways seems to allow for fuller authenticity and a better chance to grow more! I grew up in a contemporary church which shirked tradition, too, but it’s been fascinating to keep in touch with old friends from that church and see how they are actually picking up traditions now. We never celebrated Advent when I was growing up there, but now they honor each week. They practice Holy Week and some members even participate in Lent. As someone who’s really appreciative of liturgy, it’s amazing to witness!
That’s awesome! Yeah, at the end of the day I think all the traditions have something to offer. I never thought I’d be as involved in church as I am–literally just winding down from being on the pastoral search committee at my church for the past 18 months.
There was so much about Christian tradition that I didn’t even know about until college and then learned even more once I joined my current church. It made me bitter about non-denoms in general (I still question how one can truly be “non-denominational” when you get your theology from somewhere) because my exposure to that type of church was a claim to be relevant by appearances (Powerpoint slides and ampitheaters) but not relevant or even regressive about social justice issues and theology in general. I’ve grown past that now, but I do think there’s value in learning about all the old stuff and giving it life again. 🙂