As recorded in a previous post, on the fourth of July the United Church of Christ (UCC) boldly went where no mainstream Christian church had gone before. The General Synod corageously, boldly, heroically encouraged all its congregations to embrace and perform same sex marriages.
But its work was not done.
Other, less pressing considerations littered the agenda of the Synod for the remaining days after the momentous fourth of July announcement. Among these other issues was the motion to include a profession of faith in the rite of ordination of UCC ministers. It was proposed that candidates to the ministry affirm their personal "faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour" as is stated in the church's doctrinal platform.
The motion was handily defeated by the Synod on the grounds that it would stipulate an unfair litmus test for candidates to the ministry.
One UCC pastor remarked that he was a little surprised by the Synod's rejection of the resolution. "Surely, this is one thing we can all agree on? ", he mused.
Well, I'm just your friendly neighborhood exorcist, but if you ask me, Mr. UCC Preacherman, sir, I reckon you darn near hit the nail on the head...
When the content of our faith is reduced to 'that which we can all agree upon' it is no longer faith. It's what we call consensus.
