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Can we still hear the voice of God? Is the experience of God still a revelatory one? Can we become the prophetic voice we should be in a world full of mistrust, fear and hatred? Can the church be a redeeming, socially driven, welcoming, loving home for all of those who are lost and hurting?
We can renew the church into the counter-cultural, unconditionally loving, transformational home which is its birthright. This is a revolutionary vision of the church and what it means. It is a new and very old vision, friends. We can have it, but we will have to transform our definitions and concepts. We must move from respectable religion to prophetic faith.
These are the words of the former President of the UCC, Dr. John Thomas:
- Respectable religion is preoccupied with the people already in the church, caring only for ourselves as if we were one great chaplaincy to each other. Prophetic faith is deeply attentive to those outside the church, to the spiritually homeless yearning for a relationship with Jesus and with the community of Christ's people.
- Respectable religion fears transgressing the rules. It guards the door and is always "well-behaved." Prophetic faith knows that the love of God and the love of neighbor ultimately trumps both the authority of the canons and the clerics, and will not stand for bouncers or ejector seats in our churches.
- Respectable religion is afflicted with terminal politeness. It will never risk offending, even with the truth. Prophetic faith rises up with outrage on behalf of the poor and oppressed and violated in our world who are left out, left alone, left behind.
- Respectable religion blesses the culture and seeks to protect its own privileged place in the world. Prophetic faith challenges the culture and risks the embrace of those at the margins.
- Respectable religion seeks a congenial place where cross and flag can easily cohabit to claim our dual allegiance. Prophetic faith calls into question every parochial idolatry and places us under the sole and sovereign claim of our Lord.
- Respectable religion wants at all cost to avoid standing out; it's cry is "please don't make me feel embarrassed." Prophetic faith is prepared to be odd, a peculiar salt and leaven in the world.
- Respectable religion prays for the victims of war and for those in harms way. Prophetic faith challenges the arrogance and deception of those who lead us to war.
- Respectable religion treats the church's Book as a shrine to be worshiped, a talisman to be carried, an armor for protection. Prophetic faith opens the Book to hear the surprising, confounding voice of the Still speaking God.
- Respectable religion is an older brother ever grumpy that grace abounds for those deemed undeserving. Prophetic faith is a waiting mother or father eager to embrace the one returning from a far country.
- Respectable religion is always serious, sober, and somber. Prophetic faith plays, teases, pokes fun, provokes us toward joy!
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Why the UCC? 
