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Engaging the Recovering Christians
By Fred Plumer
Yes, mega churches tend to have big back doors and suffer even
greater losses, on a percentage basis, than most of our mainline churches in
our transient society. However, studies have found that only a small percentage
of these ex-mega-church-Christians show up in our mainline churches. The vast
majority simply stop going to church. They often become part of that growing
segment of our society that self-identifies as "spiritual but not religious,"
now one of the fastest growing groups in our country. Some researchers are
wondering if progressive Christianity is going to be skipped by others who now
identify as "spiritual but not religious."
So how do we progressive Christians share our perspective so
recovering Christians can hear us and actually get excited about the
progressive path of Jesus and what our churches have to offer?
READ ARTICLE HERE
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Featured Book
A Heretic's Guide to Eternity
By: Spencer Burke
and Barry Taylor
"It's easy for inquisition-launchers to go on
fault-finding missions; they have lots of practice and they're really good at
it. What's more challenging, and regarding this book, much more worthwhile, is
to instead go on a truth-finding mission. And yes, even in a book with
'heretic' in the title, I believe any honest reader can find much truth worth
seeking."
From the Foreword by Brian D. McLaren
ORDER HERE
Read Review Here
By: Rev Lorenzen
Review 2-Watt
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Celebrate Pluralism Sunday with TCPC
On May 3, 2009
On May 3, 2009, churches around the world will
dedicate their worship to a celebration of our interfaith world.
As Progressive Christians, we recognize that
other religions can be as good for others as ours is for us. We can
grow closer to God and deeper in compassion-and we can understand our
own traditions better-through a more intimate awareness of the world's
religions. Churches will be using elements of other world faiths in
their sermons, litanies, and music; many will feature speakers and
singers from other faith traditions. MORE INFO
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SPECIAL OFFER FROM TCPC!
Buy any one item from our store and receive a FREE copy of So You Think You're Not Religious, By: Jim Adams, TCPC Founder
Visit Our Store
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Greetings!
There is a whole segment of our society that have been damaged by religion or disgusted by it. Most of these people are not heading to their local progressive Christian churches, but are rejecting religion altogether. So the questions are- what are recovering Christians looking for, why did they leave in the first place, and what can we offer them? How do we let them know that there is a Christianity that is non-dogmatic, that is open and inclusive? That there is a Christianity that is more about the search, the questions, and the spirit rather than fear of eternal damnation, fear of change, fear of what is different. These are people that have actively begun thinking for themselves...but many have stopped searching, or in their search have simply not found church communities that are different enough. This eBulletin addresses these questions and presents ideas for how we can be a light for recovering Christians and how our churches or groups can offer a Christianity that is different. |
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From the Third Floor of the Garage
By: Spencer Burke
Excerpts: Being blackballed by the local church is one thing, being blackballed by the
evangelical community as a whole is quite another. In recent years, I've become
increasingly concerned about the power certain evangelical personalities have
over popular opinion. Call me crazy, but it seems like many of my church
friends live more on every word that comes from the mouth of the James Dobsons
of the world than from the mouth of God. It isn't that what Dobson and others
say is necessarily wrong, it's just that so many people have stopped thinking
for themselves-and those who haven't, no longer feel safe to express a
dissenting opinion...
Jesus challenged the religious establishment in his day. He answered his
critics with powerful, thought-provoking questions. He wasn't afraid to take on
tough topics or discuss contentious issues. Spiritual McCarthyism, meanwhile,
promotes exactly the opposite. It encourages people to orchestrate their lives
to avoid censure and minimize risk. In short, it teaches people to live in
fear-to put up and shut up. I don't know. I guess I'm just not sure that fear,
intimidation and control should be the defining hallmarks of Christianity.
READ ARTICLE HERE |
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Why I Left Christianity
By: Steven Locks
 Excerpts: If Jesus & St. Paul etc. really didn't believe in literal hell, then the
fact that they didn't make it abundantly transparent that they meant something
else was just utterly culpable irresponsibility to me, so abhorrent is the
merest sniff of that doctrine and so dreadful the consequences of Christians
believing it down the ages. This was the last straw. I had already found so much in philosophy, psychology,
history,
biblical criticism and comparative religion that raised such serious questions
for religious beliefs that eventually the bubble had to burst. Like suddenly
seeing the solution to a mathematical problem that has so far been intractable
and is now totally clear, I realized that Christianity and my feelings were all
the results of messy human history, sociology and our psychological tangle with
all its desire, hopes and fears. I didn't choose to suddenly believe this. It
was just inescapable. I had allowed myself to ask if Christianity made more
sense, and was at least equally rich if it was not of God, and overwhelmingly
this was what I found...
Due to my total change of world view I also had
some very weird experiences that were not like anything I had expected. I was
struck enormously by what I called "existential shock." I was
completely amazed at the mere fact of existence...I felt
transformed, awed, excited - the whole world seemed more special than can ever
be said. Life was far more poignant without Christianity than it had ever been
with it. I was not expecting this to happen to me. I thought these experiences
were what converted people to religion, not what you got when you left! |
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Feature Review
The Pagan Christ, Recovering the Lost Light
By: Thomas Harpur
Review by: Dean Watt
The great tragedy is that
in the 3rd and 4th centuries of our Christian era, the
understanding of eternal truths told in story form, without concern for
"historical accuracy" and "orthodoxy", lost out to the need for uniformity and
control, turning "religion " into another form of power used by one group over
others...
I am predicting the
following: As the works of those like
Earl Doherty and Tom Harpur, produce the
growing evidence of the non-historical origin of the Jesus story, it will be
seen by fundamentalists as a further slide of Christian liberals toward the
"Heretic's Hell". On the other hand, I believe there will be a growing group of
Christians for whom this perspective will be a welcome and positive gift of a
more deeply held and profound Christian faith.
READ REVIEW HERE |
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New DVD for Sale: The Future of Christianity
Father Thomas Keating and Ken Wilber
Integral Life offers a new 2-disc DVD entitled The Future of
Christianity: A Startling New Vision of Hope for the 21st Century.
Join Ken Wilber and renowned Christian contemplative Father Thomas
Keating as they present their newest-and some say most interesting
work! Discover a vision of the Christian journey that has radical
implications for our spiritual lives and for the world as a whole. Click here for more info or to purchase |
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New Resources and Music
Easter Season Resources
Mary and James Under the CrossA Play by
RB Sperling with E. Lindsay and C. Toaspern
Devastated by the
death of her son, Mary seeks solace in the last place she saw him. James,
fearful of encountering the centurions who crucified his brother, seeks
temporary protection in his mother's arms. Together they try to understand what
the future may hold for them. Read Here
What Else Could I have Done? Maunday ThursdayA Play by Fred PlumerThis
is the Passion story. The story of
Jesus' betrayal and his death. Come and
walk with the people that were with him during that time. Read Here New Music
Mandala- No Hands But YoursChristian music with a worldbeat Sufi groove. Drawing on a comprehensive musical education and a diverse background
in multiple musical styles, the members of Mandala join to bring forth
a joyous noise that at once is deeply personal and transcendently universal. Visit the TCPC Store to Order
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Thank you for taking this journey with us as
we continue to encourage the growth and understanding of a Christianity that is
open, inclusive, just, loving and compassionate. As you delve deeper into
the heart of this beautiful and authentic spiritual path, we hope you share it
with those around you, educate those who desire to learn, and most importantly
let it fill you with light and loving kindness.
Sincerely,
Fred Plumer
and the Team at The Center For Progressive Christianity
center@tcpc.org, (253) 303-0022
Did you enjoy this eBulletin? Share with a friend by forwarding this
email below. Thanks!
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