A wonderful church with an amazing history. It was my privilege to be part of the parish as spouse of one of the aforementioned clergy. It is unfortunate that the admirable and courageous fight for social justice this church champions would carryover to defending basic (and up until recently, non-controversial) doctrine.
Glad I am not the only one who cries reading your posts. As an educator, the weight of the world is sometimes overwhelming. So very glad that I decided to teach my high school students about Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua when addressing the Cold War. Even happier that I remembered that my dear Latin American history professor showed us “Romero.” My three world history classes will be watching it after break. Thank you for always making me believe in Good over Evil, that Humanity will prevail, and that I am not alone. Blessings to you and yours.
This past week, as we've seen the writ of habeas corpus being fed into the shredder, I've been thinking about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his book "The Cost of Discipleship", and the Confessing Churches. It's scary to contemplate where all this is leading. But then I recall the words of one of my favorite people, a retired Lutheran pastor: "No matter who you are or what you are about, you are never outside the active care and concern of a loving God." And so we carry on, trusting in a final outcome where education, science, justice and compassion are restored as cornerstones of our society.
Thank you for writing this. I love knowing this piece of history. I’ve driven through Falls Church so many times, not knowing the origin of the name. Your writing is charming and funny and devastating and so very real. I believe with all my heart that goodness and love ultimately prevail, and I am happy to know you’re a force for good in the world.
This brought me to tears. I was raised without religion (Catholic and Lutheran parents whose churches behaved badly about them marrying), and my occasional experiences with church were not inspiring. But we live near the National Cathedral, and I happened in on Ash Wednesday evening and just sat in the back and cried. It felt so safe. My husband was raised Episcopalian, and I’ve been taking to my family about going to services and seeing how it feels.
This column is a Christian witness, and it’s long past time to treat Trump’s “evangelical” followers as merely a different flavor of Christianity. They’re not. They’re anti-Christian because they oppose the gospel of Jesus. They are the dogs, the false teachers, Paul said to beware of.
I am an atheist to my core, but you and your congregation are my people. And Sir! Can you please stop making me cry with your writing? I appreciate how you reach out and soothe my heart and make me want to brush of the dust and get back in the fight, but I could do without the peering so piercingly into the depths. And making me believe in people...
Damn. Standing up to power, voting to stay with the Episcopal church and then helping to rebuild was one of the best decisions I ever made. Thanks Cassidy, the reminder of standing up for good is much needed these days.
I don't believe in God (or god, or gods), but I do believe in what you and the Falls Church are saying and doing. You've made me cry at work more times than I care to admit, and it's always been because I didn't know I believed this hard in people anymore. I may not have the same faith in a higher being that you do, but you helped me rediscover my faith in humanity when I thought it was dead and buried. Thank you for that.
Almost thou persuadest me, a southern baptist seminary grad and minister turned atheist, to begin again, but I fear I am still too wounded by the church. But still....
I hear you. My dad was a Southern Baptist seminary professor before he was a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship seminary professor and I was a United Methodist seminary professor (just an adjunct) and I almost started this post with a story about being seated at a crowded restaurant with a married couple I barely knew and he lit into me about wounds inflicted by the religious -- of which I have a great many. The conversation did not go the way he expected. I'll tell that story someday. Maybe after I tell the story about the time I almost got into a fistfight with a goat that I would have lost.
I too attend a resurrection church in South Dakota - First Congregational United Church of Christ. And I agree with every single thing your pastor said.
A wonderful church with an amazing history. It was my privilege to be part of the parish as spouse of one of the aforementioned clergy. It is unfortunate that the admirable and courageous fight for social justice this church champions would carryover to defending basic (and up until recently, non-controversial) doctrine.
Glad I am not the only one who cries reading your posts. As an educator, the weight of the world is sometimes overwhelming. So very glad that I decided to teach my high school students about Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua when addressing the Cold War. Even happier that I remembered that my dear Latin American history professor showed us “Romero.” My three world history classes will be watching it after break. Thank you for always making me believe in Good over Evil, that Humanity will prevail, and that I am not alone. Blessings to you and yours.
This past week, as we've seen the writ of habeas corpus being fed into the shredder, I've been thinking about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his book "The Cost of Discipleship", and the Confessing Churches. It's scary to contemplate where all this is leading. But then I recall the words of one of my favorite people, a retired Lutheran pastor: "No matter who you are or what you are about, you are never outside the active care and concern of a loving God." And so we carry on, trusting in a final outcome where education, science, justice and compassion are restored as cornerstones of our society.
keep on keeping on
Thank you for writing this. I love knowing this piece of history. I’ve driven through Falls Church so many times, not knowing the origin of the name. Your writing is charming and funny and devastating and so very real. I believe with all my heart that goodness and love ultimately prevail, and I am happy to know you’re a force for good in the world.
So are you.
This brought me to tears. I was raised without religion (Catholic and Lutheran parents whose churches behaved badly about them marrying), and my occasional experiences with church were not inspiring. But we live near the National Cathedral, and I happened in on Ash Wednesday evening and just sat in the back and cried. It felt so safe. My husband was raised Episcopalian, and I’ve been taking to my family about going to services and seeing how it feels.
This column is a Christian witness, and it’s long past time to treat Trump’s “evangelical” followers as merely a different flavor of Christianity. They’re not. They’re anti-Christian because they oppose the gospel of Jesus. They are the dogs, the false teachers, Paul said to beware of.
Bless you.
This UU is proud to stand with my Episcopal siblings on this. <3
I am an atheist to my core, but you and your congregation are my people. And Sir! Can you please stop making me cry with your writing? I appreciate how you reach out and soothe my heart and make me want to brush of the dust and get back in the fight, but I could do without the peering so piercingly into the depths. And making me believe in people...
No, I won't stop.
Happy Easter to you. 🐣
but that's the whole of it, isn't it?
Irony: An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
Damn. Standing up to power, voting to stay with the Episcopal church and then helping to rebuild was one of the best decisions I ever made. Thanks Cassidy, the reminder of standing up for good is much needed these days.
I don't believe in God (or god, or gods), but I do believe in what you and the Falls Church are saying and doing. You've made me cry at work more times than I care to admit, and it's always been because I didn't know I believed this hard in people anymore. I may not have the same faith in a higher being that you do, but you helped me rediscover my faith in humanity when I thought it was dead and buried. Thank you for that.
You are very welcome!
May be your best piece yet. Thank you!
Thanks, Bud!
As a Jew, I will not see you on Sunday, but know that I am with you, in heart, as we do what we must to make this world better than it is today.
Amen!
This congregation has taken tikkun olam to heart.
There is an Israeli artist who makes street art and then photographs it and she has one that reads "We need to tikkun the fuck out of this olam."
You can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10231800944899134&set=a.2719533860106
I love it.
That's the plan.
Almost thou persuadest me, a southern baptist seminary grad and minister turned atheist, to begin again, but I fear I am still too wounded by the church. But still....
I hear you. My dad was a Southern Baptist seminary professor before he was a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship seminary professor and I was a United Methodist seminary professor (just an adjunct) and I almost started this post with a story about being seated at a crowded restaurant with a married couple I barely knew and he lit into me about wounds inflicted by the religious -- of which I have a great many. The conversation did not go the way he expected. I'll tell that story someday. Maybe after I tell the story about the time I almost got into a fistfight with a goat that I would have lost.
Should have had vewwy prewwy boy Dervish do the fu on the goat.
Tears of inspiration. Thank you.
You are welcome!
I too attend a resurrection church in South Dakota - First Congregational United Church of Christ. And I agree with every single thing your pastor said.