UCC - Should we still be in communion?

[JADVirginia]

Go to http://news.ucc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=243&Itemid=1 to read the text of the policy statement that the United Church of Christ adopted this week. It fully supports homosexual marriage.

Since 1997, the ELCA has been in full communion with the UCC under the believe that they rightly preach the Gospel. We've not adopted the same position. So ... should we remain in full communion?

I'll admit that it makes me uneasy.

[Melethiel]

We should never have been in communion in the first place.

[Willy]

Questions related to marriage and sexuality are not gospel questions. Of course, we should remain in full fellowship with the UCC>

[Melethiel]

If they are far enough gone to be questioning that Jesus is Lord, (http://paulmccain.worldmagblog.com/paulmccain/archives/015495.html)
I say it's high time we protect what sanity we've got left and get away from them. The quip "Unitarians Considering Christ" is not that far off.

[IowaLutheran]

Don't read too much into "full communion". "Full communion" only means two things (1) We are welcome at each other's alters for communion. Since the UCC and ELCA have open communion for all baptized Christians anyway, that doesn't really add anything. (2) In the event of a clergy shortage, a UCC pastor could serve an ELCA congregation, and vice versa. It is entirely up to the individual ELCA congregation as to whether or not to have a UCC pastor, and when the UCC pastor serves in the ELCA, the pastor must abide by ELCA rules (which at the present time still require celibacy for gay people) and must teach Lutheran doctrine (including the real presence of Christ in communion, which is one of the points of difference between the ELCA and UCC).

"Full communion" means nothing more - the ELCA is in no way required to recognize the validity of a gay marriage from the UCC. We remain separate churches with separate structures and doctrines.

[IowaLutheran]

If they are far enough gone to be questioning that Jesus is Lord, (http://paulmccain.worldmagblog.com/paulmccain/archives/015495.html)
I say it's high time we protect what sanity we've got left and get away from them. The quip "Unitarians Considering Christ" is not that far off.

I agree that the UCC is flirting with the outer boundaries of Christianity, but given what I said above about the limited nature of what "full communion" really means, I'm not ready to break communion yet given the recent report that indicates they will affirm Jesus is Lord:

http://www.wfn.org/2005/07/msg00013.html

[sculpturegirl]

The ELCA is being a huge WHIMP for not standing up to those big bad heretical churches. We should not be in communion with them.

Questioning Jesus Christ? What business do they have to use His name in the UCC?

disgusted.