Prayer

[RileyG]

I had a very close friend, who is no longer with us, mentioned she prayed all the time for me, for her friends her family, those in need, etc. How does the UCC pray? I attended one UCC service for a project for a college class...during their intercessions people just shouted out and the pastor would life her hands and say "God of Love" and the people would respond "Hear our prayers".

How do you pray..in your private prayer life? I am very curious.

Thank You

God Bless

 

[Saendy]

Lifeline


For me prayer has an undeniable power. I am member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and believe in a divine being I chose to call God, or more often Father. This is not just a title I give him, I believe him to be my Father in the most literal sense as him being the creator of my Spirit. As such I know I have a divine purpose and goal in life. Life is hard and abstacles are thrown our way more often than we think they are, but luckily my Father knew how hard it would be and gave me a chance to connect with him through prayer. Prayer for me has many purposes. First of all, it is a means by which I can show my gratitude for everything I have been given by God. A huge problem in our society right now is the feeling of being entitled to obtain the things we want or might even already have. We do not realize that we were born naked on this earth and everything we obtained was a gift given to us. As such we stand in need of giving thanks and praises to God.

Prayer also is a means by which I can connect to my Heavenly Father and obtain divine guidance and comfort. Just like with any parent, my Heavenly Father is anxious to aid me in my everyday matters, but makes His conditional on me asking for it. He would never force Himself upon me.

In Alma 33: 11, a verse of the Book of Mormon, we can read about prayer: “And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto the in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son”

This scripture means so much to me because it perfectly explains why I pray and what it does mean to me. To have someone there in all my afflictions and temptations and someone who will always uphold me. Without judgment, without fail.

I am so grateful for prayer and for having an opportunity to engage in a two-way communication with the most supreme being in the universe, who is so anxious to hear about my everyday matters and so willing to be there for me and help me in my life.

Those are my thoughts about prayer and the meaning it has in my life.

 

[bbbbbbb]

When I was growing up in the United Presbyterian Church, which is very similar to the UCC, we read prayers on Sunday morning in church, but nothing was taught concerning personal prayer. I think it was probably because the church we belonged to believed in an impersonal God. For me, God was a vague being who was not personal in the least.

 

[RileyG]

When I was growing up in the United Presbyterian Church, which is very similar to the UCC, we read prayers on Sunday morning in church, but nothing was taught concerning personal prayer. I think it was probably because the church we belonged to believed in an impersonal God. For me, God was a vague being who was not personal in the least.

Thank you for your response.

It is my understanding UCC is of the reformed tradition so their theology would not differ much from Reformed Church in America, Presbyterians etc.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Thank you for your response.

It is my understanding UCC is of the reformed tradition so their theology would not differ much from Reformed Church in America, Presbyterians etc.

Yes, this is true. There are two primary strands in the UCC - the Congregational Churches, which have their origin with the Puritans in England who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Swiss Zwinglians who came to America primarily in the nineteenth century. At this point in time their theology, such as it is, is quite liberal with very little of historical Reformed theology left in it.

 

[FireDragon76]

I went to a local UCC church once, just to visit... because they shared the church building with an Independent Catholic parish I attended for about a year. It seemed like a friendly bunch but the service was what I think of as average mainline Protestant stuff, not really like Episcopalians or Lutherans. The sermon was not very memorable but it seemed like the sort of thing I've heard from mainline Presbyterian pastors before.

The UCC are about the only real liberal mainline church in the Orlando area proper, the rest of the mainline churches around here are somewhat more conservative (which means they are still relatively liberal by CF standards). Orlando is unusual because for a very cosmopolitan city, the religion here is like the rest of the South.

One thing that surprised me was the church was almost packed with people.

 

[bbbbbbb]

I went to a local UCC church once, just to visit... because they shared the church building with an Independent Catholic parish I attended for about a year. It seemed like a friendly bunch but the service was what I think of as average mainline Protestant stuff, not really like Episcopalians or Lutherans. The sermon was not very memorable but it seemed like the sort of thing I've heard from mainline Presbyterian pastors before.

The UCC are about the only real liberal mainline church in the Orlando area proper, the rest of the mainline churches around here are somewhat more conservative (which means they are still relatively liberal by CF standards). Orlando is unusual because for a very cosmopolitan city, the religion here is like the rest of the South.

One thing that surprised me was the church was almost packed with people.

Were they older people or younger? Most UCC churches have elderly members and it would not surprise me if that church was filled with retirees.

 

[FireDragon76]

Were they older people or younger? Most UCC churches have elderly members and it would not surprise me if that church was filled with retirees.

Yes, but not as grey as the Lutheran or Episcopalian churches I have gone to. There were some younger people there, mostly moms and women.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Yes, but not as grey as the Lutheran or Episcopalian churches I have gone to. There were some younger people there, mostly moms and women.

Yes, I have observed that situation in a lot of churches. Christianity, especially liberal Christianity, has become mostly women's religion.

 

[hedrick]

Yes, I have observed that situation in a lot of churches. Christianity, especially liberal Christianity, has become mostly women's religion.

In 2015, PCUSA active membership is 58% women. In my congregation it feels balanced, but I haven't counted accurately enough to know the difference between 50 and 58%.

I checked UCC statistics. They don't give membership by gender, as far as I could see. Pew has data, but their intelligent graphs don't work. The only data I could get is 60% of their UCC sample over 65 was women. However there are lots of limitations to that number.

 

[bbbbbbb]

In 2015, PCUSA active membership is 58% women. In my congregation it feels balanced, but I haven't counted accurately enough to know the difference between 50 and 58%.

I checked UCC statistics. They don't give membership by gender, as far as I could see. Pew has data, but their intelligent graphs don't work. The only data I could get is 60% of their UCC sample over 65 was women. However there are lots of limitations to that number.

Thank you. I wonder what the percentage would be in fundamental, conservative denominations. I suspect it might not be much different. The issue seems to be finding means of engaging men in Christianity.

 

[hedrick]

It looks like it's not just mainline churches. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...gious-service-attendance-has-narrowed-in-u-s/

 

[FireDragon76]

My hunch is that conservative Protestant churches probably have a more even balance of men and women. The Orthodox church I used to attend had a lot of converts from Presbyterianism or Baptist churches and it was unique in all the churches I have gone to, in that there were equal numbers of men and women, and also a lot of the men were deeply passionate about their faith. In a lot of western churches I have attended, it's more like the reverse. The men I see sometimes look like they are there to fulfill family or social obligations- they don't seem passionate about it, though there are plenty of exceptions.

 

[bbbbbbb]

It looks like it's not just mainline churches. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...gious-service-attendance-has-narrowed-in-u-s/

Very interesting. Thank you.

 

[FireDragon76]

The churches probably have alot of women because Mainline Protestant churches tend to skew towards older demographics, and in our society women tend to outlive men by the better part of a decade or more. There are several widows at our local congregation. Even the pastor is a widow.

 

[RileyG]

The churches probably have alot of women because Mainline Protestant churches tend to skew towards older demographics, and in our society women tend to outlive men by the better part of a decade or more. There are several widows at our local congregation. Even the pastor is a widow.

Thank you for your observation.