[sms104]

Hello-

Just kind of stumbled on the TCPC website recently, and I have to say that I'm very intrigued by the 8 tenants. A little about myself... Dad's family is Catholic and after attending Catholic schools, he lost interest in the whole thing. Mom's family were not regular church-goers. By the time my brother and I came along, it was not a priority in our lives. We went through phases where my mom thought that we should all be attending church on Sunday as a family, but it was on and off. In Junior High and High School, I became a regular at Youth Group. I admit, it was mostly for the social benefits. I guess I just never really bought into everything. I felt that if I could only accept bits and pieces, then I couldn't really call myself a "Christian." Church pretty much moved to the back burner.

Recently I've been reading about Buddhism, and found that I agree with a lot what I am reading, but again - not quite all of it. Which I guess has led me to a lot of google searches and eventually here. After browsing around the website, I find a lot of this to combine the Christianity and Buddhism that I believe to be true.

Some questions though....
Would most of you consider Progressive Christianity an actual separate denomination of Christianity? If so, are there churches that identify themselves as Progressive Christian churches? I can't seem to find any in the Chicago area....

I see alot on this board about UCC churches... can someone summarize the differences?

I'd appreciate any advice and maybe some other material to get me through Progressive Christianity 101.

Thanks Much!

[mystictrek]

sms104, on Oct 26 2006, 10:19 PM, said:

Hello-

Just kind of stumbled on the TCPC website recently, and I have to say that I'm very intrigued by the 8 tenants. A little about myself... Dad's family is Catholic and after attending Catholic schools, he lost interest in the whole thing. Mom's family were not regular church-goers. By the time my brother and I came along, it was not a priority in our lives. We went through phases where my mom thought that we should all be attending church on Sunday as a family, but it was on and off. In Junior High and High School, I became a regular at Youth Group. I admit, it was mostly for the social benefits. I guess I just never really bought into everything. I felt that if I could only accept bits and pieces, then I couldn't really call myself a "Christian." Church pretty much moved to the back burner.

Recently I've been reading about Buddhism, and found that I agree with a lot what I am reading, but again - not quite all of it. Which I guess has led me to a lot of google searches and eventually here. After browsing around the website, I find a lot of this to combine the Christianity and Buddhism that I believe to be true.

Some questions though....
Would most of you consider Progressive Christianity an actual separate denomination of Christianity? If so, are there churches that identify themselves as Progressive Christian churches? I can't seem to find any in the Chicago area....

I see alot on this board about UCC churches... can someone summarize the differences?

I'd appreciate any advice and maybe some other material to get me through Progressive Christianity 101.

Thanks Much!

Welcome. Stay with this forum and you will learn a lot. Please visit my website and email me and let me know how I am doing at offering Progressive Christianity 101. I hope we can become cyber friends.

My Connections Galore page has all kinds of PC links and spiritual formation links and peace and justice links.

[des]

What suburb are you in?
I used to live in Evanston, and also in Chicago. I went to Wellington Ave. United
Church of Christ (in Chicago). Very active- activist church, lots of lay involvement in the service.



--des

[sms104]

Thanks for the link to your page Trek - there's a ton of info there!

I live in the South Suburbs (Homewood) and have actually heard of Wellington Avenue before. I haven't had a chance to make it there yet, but I have it on my list of churches to try. Thanks for the tip

[des]

I don't know where Homewood is (Chicago is a BIG place :-)). But if you get a chance,
Wellington is definitely worth a visit. Try to go the first of the month for communion, though
that doesn't really work for holy week and maybe a week or so thereafter. I think the way they
did (hopefully still do) communion is particularly neat and meaningful.

I'm not surpised that you have heard of Wellington, as it has a kind of reputation--depends
on where you are whether it is good or not. :-)


--des

[Eclectic Chad]

Welcome!

I'm actually hoping to move to Chicago sometime next year.

I don't really consider myself 'Christian' anymore. I'm more Pagan than anything. I'm also a member of UU - Unitarian Universalism. Perhaps that is something you would be interested in looking into.

Why do I stay at the TCPC boards if I'm Pagan, you ask? Well, because the people are nice, discussions are interesting, and although I'm not on often(work, etc.), it's giving me a place to seek and explore my views on Jesus himself, without the bitterness I've accumulated over the years towards the way Fundie Christianity portrays him.

[flowperson]

Hi Chad:

Nice to hear from you again. Sounds like some real change has transpired in your life. Keep up the good work and keep us posted from time to time.

flow....

[flowperson]

sms104:

I grew up near Chicago Hts. in the 50's and knew a lot of people from Homewood and Flossmoor. Before their high school was opened in 1960 half of the kids went to Thornton and the others went to my school Bloom. These two schools were big rivals in just about every way, kind of like Ohio St. and Michigan today. The kids from there in my senior class were given the choice to graduate from Bloom or go to the new school and be the first to graduate from Homewood-Flossmoor. About two thirds chose to stay at Bloom. Supposed to be a god pizza place there, Aureolio's or something like that .

Keep us posted on what goes on up there.

Flow....

This post has been edited by flowperson: 15 November 2006 - 08:17 PM

[mystictrek]

sms104, on Oct 26 2006, 09:19 PM, said:

Would most of you consider Progressive Christianity an actual separate denomination of Christianity? If so, are there churches that identify themselves as Progressive Christian churches? I can't seem to find any in the Chicago area....

I see alot on this board about UCC churches... can someone summarize the differences?

You have to look carefully for truly progressive congregations but I am sure Chicagoland has many. The UCC seminary, Chicago Theological Seminary, is quite progressive and many of its graduates are quite progressive. I was in Hyde Park in the 80s and both UCC congregations were and I believe still are quite progressive.

The congegations of the Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, Disciples of Christ and other denominations are all over the map theologically and politically and culturally. Since I am a Presbyterian, I wish I knew which Presby congregations to recommend. I do know one: an outstanding one is Fourth Presbyterian in Chicago.