Escaping Fundi Family's Holy Week

[BeachOfEden]

I believe that there likely a number of follow Progressive Christians here, like me, that whatever their previous fundamental family faith background that they escaped from...they may indeed, like me....start dreading and trying to plan an escape from their fundamental families over the month of April..when all the biggest observances for for all the Judeo-Christian religions occure. If your fundametal faith family happens to be Assembly of God, Southern Baptist or some fundamental far right branch of Evangelical Protestantism....then you'd likely be trying to think of a way to escape your overly religious zealous aunt from trying to bring you to her bring easter service...Or if you family is fundamental catholic then you want to scape your family trying to drag you off to Easter Mass.

 

Likewise, in my case..where I and my best friend since childhood and whom is also a progressive Christian and gay man who's father happens to be a JW elder. Thus, like the above examples I have given, my friend and I hope to ESCAPE our JW fundamental perents's big answer to Easter/Passover services..which in this case happens to be the JW's Memorial of the Lord's Meal. This event occures on April 12, which happens to be on Wensday.

 

Anyways, we are planning our escape for this NOW...and I think it would be really GREAT if..there was..or if...I could FIND a Progressive church somewhere near Van Nuys or Hollywood..where they'd be having some sort of program that evening. If not..then we will likely just do some non-religious activities like visit the botanic gardens in LA and maybe walk the boardwalk at Santa Monica beach..but..it would be great...if..they DID happen to be a Progressive church event on that evening that we could also attend as an alternative to our fundamental JW familes' Memorial event.

 

While it will be very easy to find a Progressive Easter service alternative..in contrast...I don;t think many non-JW churches even reconize April 12th as anything religious themed day or evening...so this may be more challenging..though, if I guess is right..I think the JW's Memorial on April 12th falls on the same day as the Jewish Passover...so I don;t know..maybe they is a liberal Jewish Passover service we could check out on that evening? any helpful sugestions on this?

[October's Autumn]

http://www.uscj.org/index1.html

 

http://rj.org/

 

http://www.jrf.org/

 

These are three websites where you should be able to find congregations. I went to a liberal Conservative congregation. Don't let the "conservative" fool you, they can be very progressive! However, you might find the reform and reconstructionist congregations more comfortable as a non-Jew.

 

For the UCC the web address is www.ucc.org and you should be able to find a congregation or two for things like Ash Wednesday, etc.

 

You already have some awesome ideas for what to do during the holiday.

 

Thankfully, I live far away from my family so it isn't an issue for me, plus I'm involved in a UCC church. I've already volunteered to work in the nursery for the Easter Sunday service since Easter really isn't my holiday!

 

You can also get together with friends and have your own Passover celebration!

Edited February 27, 2006 by October's Autumn

[BeachOfEden]

Yes, that IS a good point about Ash Wendsday..I remembering reading last year how it is becoming more and more popular for Protestant churches to adopt Ash Wensday services which, if you think about it, could serve as great alternatives for those who used to be a in fundamental Catholic churches and feel they have no where to go on that evening.