#congregationalism

[mapletree100]

What flavour of Christianity are you?

Catholic

CofE / CofI / Other Anglican sect

Mormon / JW / Other alt sect

Orthodox (including Eastern and Oriental)

Moderate Protestant

Pauline Christianity / Gnosticism / Other early Christian sect

Other (including parachurches and miscellaneous churches)

jingly key for the non Christians

Voting ended onJun 30, 2025

I myself am not a Christian. I just want to see the spread on Tumblr

(Reblogs increase sample size!)

@neolisx @mayhaps-im-yoicked @not-bluejay @evilrobertsmith @mashedbees @roseem54 @dumb-chrissy-hoffmann

[a-modern-christian]

The truth is, there is not a church in America today that is not impacted or under the influence of colonialism. Every church in the United States was birthed as a result of the imperial colonial outreach of western Europe. So much of our theology, so much of how we translate scripture, is filtered through those lenses, and some of our churches were birthed with assumptions about race that continue through today.

Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister & President of the United Church of Christ

“Sacred Conversations to End Racism: Restorative Justice Journey Curriculum”, April 5th, 2018.

[pagansquare]

Quaker and Pagan

Since I began describing myself as a Quaker Pagan, I run into people who are suspicious of my claim to be both Quaker and Pagan. To these folks, Peter and I look like spiritual cheats, trying to sneak fifteen items through the clearly labeled Twelve Item Express Lane of a spiritual life.

“Cafeteria spirituality,” I’ve heard it described, expressing the notion that my husband and I are picking and choosing only the tastiest morsels of either religion, like spoiled children loading our plates with desserts, but refusing to eat our vegetables.

This isn’t the case. The term “cafeteria religion” implies imposing human whims over the (presumably) sacred norms of religion.  But Peter and I are both/ands not out of personal preference, but because we were called to our religion… twice.  By two different families of Spirit.

I can explain this best through my own story.

Read more...

[letmeillustrate]

Once Lost, Then Found, Then Judged - Christianity Today

History is full of Christians trying to figure out if other Christians really experienced the saving work they say they did.

[letmeillustrate]

Why Do We Need Members Meetings? - 9Marks

Despite any poor past or present experiences, members meetings can and should offer opportunities for the family of God to build itself up i

[letmeillustrate]

How Much Do the Elders of Our Church Share About Difficult Issues in Members Meetings? – A Forum - 9Marks

Discussing difficult issues at members meetings is an opportunity to train the church.

[raleigh-straight]

America the Bestial

So, I might as well put this out there.

Decades of watching as unaccountably vicious, well-armed and horrible violence turn out to have American money and weapons and propaganda fueling it have left me looking at Israel the same way. Tthis is the sort of thing that's right out of our imperialist playbook. America abroad has been monstrous for more than a century, and since we tore up our very first treaty (which, tellingly, has the full force of the Constitution) and decided to reduce the ancient and beautiful Middle East to chaos and rubble, the idea that this is the last gasp at relevance of a "realpolitik" strategy that has left millions dead and America hated worldwide is unsurprising. Certainly, none of this is making anything better for Israelis particularly, or Jews generally. The local Israeli-owned coffee house is now prominently selling Palestinian olive oil.

More broadly, from my own traditions' history of failures and shortcomings and sins, I can still find clarity in its successes. My church is Congregationalist—that is, one of the original Puritan churches—and our church is built on stolen land. But we know our history, good and bad, and every service ends with the same exhortation:

Go from here in peace Strengthen the weak Support the faint-hearted Return no-one evil for evil But in all things, seek the good.

So that is what I will do my humble best to do, regardless of who is weak, who is faint-hearted, or who has done evil. In all things, seek the good. It can be a trying and exhausting ethos, but so is any ethos worth living by.

[pastorlonnie]

The Kind of Church Jesus Would Join