Tuesday, August 22, 2006
The Meaning of "Progressive"
We have been running an ad in the City Pages for a new music director at Open Circle Church. In the ad we identified the church as "progressive" but much to my surprise have had a series of theologically conservative people respond who are shocked to find out we are a theologically liberal, glbt welcoming church. So, as you can see if you look at the ad online we have changed the language of the ad. So, what is the meaning of progressive, I wonder?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I guess that the word 'progressive' is like the word 'liberal'--no one can really agree on a definition. Those of us who identify with the Progressive Christian movement and have become familiarized with The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC.org) have a set of working principles we use to identify ourselves. But I think that we are a very small number of people with that understanding.
Also, I think that with the economy downturning, people who are looking for work are seeking ANY job right now, whether it is a good match or not. They respond to any add hoping against hope that they will find a job and not really considering whether it is a good match for them.
Unfortunately the process of finding a music director for a church is more than finding an employee. It is welcoming someone into the family of the church. I think it's gonna take a long, long, time. We all have to be patient and pray.
A friend of mine from college e-mailed today out of the blue. She was asking me if I'd made contact with her two friends who moved to the Twin Cities and are "unchurched". It's never worked out yet. One of the couple is a piano/organ teacher at St. Olaf and used to play the organ for the church in Cleveland that my friend still attends. I'm going to send them another e-mail (I'd invited them to church and then lunch afterwards a couple times but it never works out). Now I can actually send a copy of the add too. Is it more than circumstance that these two pieces of information collided within 15 minutes this morning? Who knows? I'm not holding my breath, but at least I can try and make a connection.
Post a Comment