THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

After reading Rob's post on the UCC (here) and Mark's followup (here), I thought I had better do some investigating.  I suspected that the matter was more complicated than one might have inferred from the posts.  A friend of mine is a UCC minister, a scripture scholar, and the best homilist I have ever heard.  He writes:

I'm going to fax a resolution passed at our recent UCC Southern Conference annual meeting:  "A Substitute Resolution: Jesus is Lord."  This one passed instead of another put forth by our fundamentalist group.  The latter did, in fact, have the tone that this doctrine is "required" of all church members, and, I think, was clearly intended to stir up a fight (as was another, calling for us to affirm that marriage is only between one man and one woman).  I didn't go to the meeting, but our delegates and all of us are thrilled that our resolutions passed, and the others did not (the marriage one was tabled for further discussion, and a study committee is to be appointed).

Here is the text of the resolution that passed:

A SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION:
JESUS IS LORD

The Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ joins its voice with Christians throughout the ages to declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.

We recognize that this confession is both radical and counter-cultural.

In declaring that Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, is Lord, we confess that country, flag and patriotism are not Lord.

In declaring that Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, is Lord, we confess that capitalism, consumerism and the American way of life are not Lord.

In declaring that Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, is Lord, we confess that neither democracy nor any other form of government is our Lord, and that our freedom is bestowed not by the force of arms but by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In declaring that Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, is Lord, we confess that our sole loyalty is to Jesus and to him only; any principality or power but Jesus who seeks to lay claim to lour loyalty is little more than a vain idol.

It is by the grace of this Lord that we are called.  Through his strength and mercy we will seek to follow where he leads.

_______________

Michael P.