“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.” - Gilbert K. Chesterton
So, I’ve done my fair share of investigating a variety of different expressions within my overarching Christian context. It was an interesting journey, to say the least. I’m not sorry I explored, questioned, and tried on a variety of hats. I have learned a lot. I pray God will now use all I have learned for his glory. I pray the kingdom Jesus preached is benefited by all I have collected, cognitively and experientially. It’s been edifying. God is faithful.
I was baptized in a river by one of the most pious and holy Brethren in Christ ministers I have ever known. I began my Christian journey in the Brethren in Christ way back in 1995. Since then I went swimming - spiritually speaking, of course - with the Assemblies of God and then the Unitarian Universalist Association (thanks to a crisis of faith re: the Trinity and a sudden need for philosophical and theological deconstruction brought on by the Jesus Seminar folks). I still love the Assemblies of God because they taught me all about living life in the Spirit and complete consecration to God; I can’t say the same for the ultra-liberal and thoroughly new age UUA (who, by the way, look nothing like the early New England Unitarianism I was unfortunately looking for at the time). So, I learned a lot from the journey. I learned about life in the spirit, and I learned a lot about cheap syncretism, religious appropriation, and the North American New Age craze in which we are presently living. I also learned that my Brethren in Christ beginnings actually held all that I was looking for the whole time. I just needed to look. So, I crawled home, a prodigal of sorts. I’m so glad to be here too. God is showing me so much. I praise God that my journey ended well. It could have been a huge disaster, as I literally walked away from God. I would never - ever - suggest that walking away from Jesus Christ is a wise move. It’s as foolish as it is prideful. I’m thankful that I safely found my way back to a life centered in Jesus Christ - and only Jesus Christ. I made it back, in one piece, by the grace of God.
This leads to my next and ultimate point: I’m done with all the extracurricular labels and pet expressions. Terms like “Liberal,” “Conservative,” “Progressive,” “Fundamentalist,” “Emerging,” and/or “Emergent” mean less and less to me today, in light of the deep, deep spiritual and theological reservoir that is my Anabaptist, Wesleyan, and Pietist heritage (the three theological streams of the BIC). I honestly believe terms like “Liberal,” “Conservative,” “Progressive,” “Fundamentalist,” “Emerging,” and/or “Emergent” are totally unnecessary, and perhaps even damaging to the larger faith that is Christianity (confusion?). Yes, we have a myriad of denominational tags to wrestle with, but that wrestling is rooted in theological conversation. These other terms are built mostly upon the shifting sands of culture and society. Therein exists a big - if not monumental - difference. My own faith heritage and tradition is sufficient. I’m going to turn the rest of the time God gives me towards conversations dedicated to that deep, deep tradition. I’m done with the other labels and their so-called superior expressions.
My baptism was a monumental event in my life. My baptizer became my mentor/teacher for the next few years. I learned so much from that man. I have since had several other seriously influential mentors: one is my present BIC pastor; the others were/are a Bible College President and a philosophy/theology professor (both Pentecostals). My dad also helped me in priceless ways. I think these men have exposed me to more Christianity then I have actually tried. I can literally spend my life diving the depth of Christianity in its most basic form. So, before I ever again dismiss Christianity as “not being sufficient in its most basic form,” I think I will actually dive deep and actually try all of it. I think many, many others living in this day of ours would do well to try it too. Chesterton is so right.
[...] Labels … I put up a post on my blog re: my desire to discard labels like “Liberal,” “Conservative,” “Emergent,” [...]
That’s a more than adequate response Shawn. I was not asking you to name names or “out” anyone. I was just wondering if you had encountered pseudo-Christian U*Us in your exploration of the U*U World and I think that you have pretty much indicated that you did here.
I like the TEA acronym myself. I consider TEA to be something of an anti-oxidant for U*Us. . .
Of course that U*U “corporate identity” acronym dreamed up by Mary Bennett is just *too* funny!
T.E.A., you wrote “Fair enough Shawn, but atheists or agnostics pretending to be Christian Unitarians aka Christian U*Us are not exactly ’straight up atheists’ are they?”
Well, you have a point there, T.E.A.! I think most straight up atheists are camping with the American Humanist Association and/or R. Dawkins now. I said the following in seminary, to more than a few profs: “Liberal Christians are really just thinly disguised secular humanists who borrow and strip the context from classical Christian language (language rooted in story and theology).” I think we all know what language like this is worth when it is totally devoid of context, right? Christianity has a context. When it is removed from its context, or the context is stripped of meaning via less than immutable methodologies and presupposition laden academic exercises, it is no longer Christian. It is a reflection of oneself in a mirror of one’s own creation. How sad it is to worship oneself. Yet, we humans find very creative ways to do just that year after year and century after century. Christianity is a call and life lived on the other side of this phenomenon.
Now, you seem to be calling me out to cite some examples of some sort of Unitarian Universalist. I’m not prepared to cite personal examples as concretely as you want me to, but I can speak generally. Is the modern UU Christian expression actually “Christian?” Is that the question? If so, I have a quick answer for you. No. It is not “Christian.” It is a mixed bag of socio-political potpourri scented with the most transient and limited of empirical offerings (i.e., North American Liberalism and Conservatism).
As an aside, I really like the acronym formed from the first letters of your blog pseudonym!
“Glad to see your still kicking at the goads.”
It’s a dirty job but somebody’s gotta do it. . .
BTW I like think of it as kicking U*U butt.
“Personally, I’d much rather deal with straight up atheists than with new age aficionados.”
Fair enough Shawn, but atheists or agnostics pretending to be Christian Unitarians aka Chritian U*Us are not exactly “straight up atheists” are they? So could you please let us know straight up if you ever encountered any such “Christian” U*U clergy in your exploratory foray into the so-called U*U World?
@Robin: Hey, you. Glad to see your still kicking at the goads.
I encountered many interesting things in my exploration of UUism. Some of these things are quite interesting. Perhaps I’ll share them some day …
I’ll give you one, just for today: My seminary buddy (a UM) and I were invited to a giant Halloween orgy in a field by a UU. Yeah, she knew we were both married w/ family too. No, we didn’t attend.
Personally, I’d much rather deal with straight up atheists than with new age aficionados.
@Ben: Thanks, brother. Me too!
I hear ya Lono
. Christian pplz can be really shitty pplz a lot of the time. I have my own shitty moments myself and I’m a minister! 
. I think you’re at the cusp of something important. We must always go right to Scripture for our answers.
@Shawn: I remember when you first stepped away from UU. I had always felt an odd “brotherhood” with you and when I found that our hearts were worshiping the same God I literally jumped up from my chair and praised God.
. Just thought you might want to know that.
“I can’t say the same for the ultra-liberal and thoroughly new age UUA (who, by the way, look nothing like the early New England Unitarianism I was unfortunately looking for at the time). So, I learned a lot from the journey. I learned about life in the spirit, and I learned a lot about cheap syncretism, religious appropriation, and the North American New Age craze in which we are presently living.”
I am surprised that you did not mention how predominantly atheistic contemporary Unitarian*Universalism is Shawn, especially since there seems to be a bit of a “New Atheist” craze at the moment. Indeed it would appear that third millennium U*Uism is nothing like early New England Unitarianism. Even so called “Christian U*Us” seem to be all over the theological map and I would not be the least bit surprised to learn that some self-professed Christian Unitarian*Universalists, including some “Christian” U*U clergy are atheists wrapped in shepherds clothing. What say you to that? Did you encounter any such “Christian” U*Us, clergy or otherwise, during your exploration of the uncommonly hypocritical denomination?
iighty, i believe in God & the bibles *BUT* i **DO NOT** believe in *Christian pplz!!* the reason is cuz wen my family & i moved here the ppl who profess 2 be Christain’s have treated my family like shit!!! yes, there’s a God, there’s Jesus, there’s a Holy Ghost, there’s a Heaven *BUT* there is “NO REAL” Christian in this world!!! my mum believed in Christian ppl until her
ex-husband showed her how ppl can ***TWIST*** wat they *THINK* the bible says 2 wat the bible **REALLY** means!!! my lil brother & i r so pissed with the ppl in this world cuz my mum can’t handle the lies & judgmental ppl have against my mother!!! so, these pplz who **THINK** they’re Christian’s need 2 get a life & *STOP* beingin fake!!! i’m a 15 year (soon 2 be 16) who is pissed at wat Americans **THINK** is Christianity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so, thank u 4 readin my luvly comment & ***PEACE 2 JESUS!***
Another thought: In the spirit of “diving deep,” have you ever considered reading through the church fathers? I’ve been doing that in my spare time. It gives you a very interesting picture of what Early Christians believed.
Would you still accept “Evangelical,” as in “primarily concerned with the Gospel and with the text of scripture”?
What makes something progressive anyway? It’s WHAT they are doing, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be better than saying “Such and such is doing something progressive” and just state what they’re doing?
I find it interesting those inside and outside church circles are now calling different sects of Christianity (Denominations) different religions. So now each sect is thrown in with Judaism, Islam, etc. Funny, Christians are all full of labels of their different style of church and most people just call the whole bowl ‘religion’.
@Ariah: I don’t really think you can avoid them totally. I’ll use the terms in posts and writing for classification purposes. I guess what I mean has more to do with self-identifying with the things they represent. I don’t feel the need to do so anymore, given the full scope of the basic Gospel.
@Ron: LOL! Perhaps! Then again, I think I stated what I expected from Unitarian Universalism: early New England Unitarianism! Instead, I found all sorts of interesting and flat out strange things that scream North American New Age. It’s a real good thing I stopped looking at Trinity like a scientist drunk on limited Western methodologies and historical/critical presuppositions! Also, perpetuating the idea that an organization does not claim to offer “neat and tidy answers” is in itself a “neat and tidy answer.”
Shawn, glad you have it all figured out now! If that works for you, great…but I hope to never get to that point. I think you were expecting something in Unitarian Universalism that it never claimed to offer…neat and tidy answers…same thing happened with Cat Stevens, seems to me. Best of luck!
I agree that labels can be limiting, but why do I find myself using them so much? It’s strange that I’ve always had a negative and cynical attitude about labels, but then I learned what liberal and conservative sort of meant and I find myself pulling them out far too often.
Any tips on avoiding them?