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We of the First Church of Shania, Scientist are quite offended! |
Posted on 03/25/2008 10:27:12 AM PDT by NYer
That triumphal barnburner of an Easter hymn, Jesus Christ Has Risen Today - Hallelujah, this morning will rock the walls of Toronto's West Hill United Church as it will in most Christian churches across the country.
But at West Hill on the faith's holiest day, it will be done with a huge difference. The words "Jesus Christ" will be excised from what the congregation sings and replaced with "Glorious hope."
Thus, it will be hope that is declared to be resurrected - an expression of renewal of optimism and the human spirit - but not Jesus, contrary to Christianity's central tenet about the return to life on Easter morning of the crucified divine son of God.
Generally speaking, no divine anybody makes an appearance in West Hill's Sunday service liturgy.
There is no authoritative Big-Godism, as Rev. Gretta Vosper, West Hill's minister for the past 10 years, puts it. No petitionary prayers ("Dear God, step into the world and do good things about global warming and the poor"). No miracles-performing magic Jesus given birth by a virgin and coming back to life. No references to salvation, Christianity's teaching of the final victory over death through belief in Jesus's death as an atonement for sin and the omnipotent love of God. For that matter, no omnipotent God, or god.
Ms. Vosper has written a book, published this week - With or Without God: Why the Way We Live is More Important than What We Believe - in which she argues that the Christian church, in the form in which it exists today, has outlived its viability and either it sheds its no-longer credible myths, doctrines and dogmas, or it's toast.
She is considered one of the bright, if unconventional, minds within the United Church, Canada's largest Protestant Christian denomination. She holds a master of divinity degree from Queen's University and was ordained in 1992. She founded and chairs the Toronto-based Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity.
Leave it to those Canadians. The United Church was never known for theological soundness.....even in the Protestant tradition.
I thought this was about Rev Wright.
Why would an atheist want to be a pastor?
I once knew a girl named Hope. (Yes, she had a sister named Faith ... no Charity, though ...)
She was glorious.
Hoo Boy ...
Flannery O’Connor’s “Wiseblood” is not just an excellent novel, it was also quite prophetic.
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We of the First Church of Shania, Scientist are quite offended! |
schu
Back in the 1950s (I think ) a couple of denominations got together and formed this United Church of Canada. A very liberal mainline Protestant church.
Hey, I have an idea. Why doesn’t Ms. Vosper do a little career path evaluation with the aim of finding honest work for herself? And why doesn’t this congregation disband and sell the property so that it can be turned into something useful, like condos or a bar?
So they can proselytize.
We should not be surprised that a group that disregards clear Biblical teaching in one area (allowing women minsters in this case) would espouse more false doctrine.
It’s a terrific novel. And the John Huston film of it is one of his best.
Brad Dourif does an amazing job in it. Kind of a shame that he would have to wait almost 25 years for another acclaimed and highly visible movie role.
Without Christ, you are still dead in your sins.
To corrupt the faith from the inside.
Deadwood?
The Lord Of The Rings.
Here in the States we have our own UCC, which some affectionately claim stands for "Unitarians Considering Christianity". Looks like the same may be true for y'all up North.
Yeah, he played Doc in Deadwood. Very fine role.
ping
Is Obama their messiah now too?
Actually, the name of the hymn is “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” but it’s wrong for that church, or any other church, to substitute “Glorious Hope” for “Christ the Lord.”
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