Thomas acknowledges "bitter calls for resignation"
Thursday, March 20, 2008
From United Church of Christ President John Thomas' "mid-week reflections for Holy Week":
This year, politics and controversy have forced their way into Holy Week. For many members of the United Church of Christ these have been unwelcome guests, disturbing and alienating. My own Palm Sunday celebration in a wonderful renewing congregation in West Virginia felt wedged into a media storm that was relentlessly portraying our church in distorted and damaging ways. Response to my own reflections on these events ranged from deep gratitude to bitter calls for resignation. Interviews have disrupted schedules, and countless UCC folk have kept the phone ringing to offer help and to urge their own recipe for responding to all of this. The IRS inquiry lurks in the back corners of my mind and, like most of our pastors, various administrative challenges that can't be deferred demand attention, crowding out time set aside to ponder the mysteries of the Cross and the Empty Tomb.This is classic Thomas portraying himself as a martyr. I guess this insulates him from criticism. Still, it's better than his 2003 Easter message when he stated that "photographs of soldiers receiving Holy Communion before going into battle make me more than a little uneasy."
4 Comments:
commented by 
Anonymous, 11:27 AM
Anonymous, 11:27 AM
The question for leaders of the UCC is this:
Which is more important to you?
The success or failure of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, or the well-being of the United Church of Christ, the denomination that you are called to serve?
Which is more important to you?
The success or failure of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, or the well-being of the United Church of Christ, the denomination that you are called to serve?
Anonymous: I've long thought that UCC leaders were far more interested in politics than leading a Christian church. So the choice should be obvious.
By the way, James, have you noticed the deafening silence out of Americans United regarding Jeremiah Wright's repeated campaigning for Obama from his pulpit?
By the way, James, have you noticed the deafening silence out of Americans United regarding Jeremiah Wright's repeated campaigning for Obama from his pulpit?
Where you pull this out of this homily is beyond me. Sure, I believe the UCC has made grievous errors of judgement. And, I am willing to make it known. Most basic that introspection should be on the table. But, deriding this piece in this way does no good. It only hardens postions. This message by JT is alot more personal and has a depth you don't seem to see. And, that is unfortunate. William
UCCTruth's assessment is right on the mark: poor John is a self-authenticating martyr. He needs the healing prayer of churches he has embarrassed.