Communion: The communion or Eucharist is the celebration of our sense of community with each other and the Spirit in our midst. The older word, Eucharist, is the Greek word for “thanksgiving," and reflects our gratitude and joy in sharing our spiritual journeys together. Communion, from the Latin words “with” and “unity,” points to the symbolic meaning of sharing a meal together as a spiritual community. More about Communion
Faith is another word for our personal relationship with the Spirit. Like trust, faith is a relational experience which includes the whole of our human being - emotion, mind, and body. Since faith can be expressed in many different ways, the United Church of Christ has no formula or creed used as a test of faith for membership. However, we do sometimes use historic statements of faith from various traditions as valuable testimonies of the authentic faith of other communities, as a basis for theological study and growth, and as common affirmations of faith.
As individual members of Liberation United Church of Christ, we are free to believe and act in accordance with our own perception of YHW/H’s will for our lives. But we are also called to live in loving, responsible relationship with one another in covenant community.
Just Peace: Liberation UCC has at its foundation the fullness of all humanity. The purpose of this congregation is to worship God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, and to explore what it means to follow the way of Jesus Christ. We seek to realize community within this church and the church universal, to render loving service to humanity, and to strive for right relationship, justice, and peace in this faith community, and in the world. More about Just Peace
Inclusive Language: Inclusive Language is a primary commitment of Liberation UCC. Religious forms, like all other aspects of our culture, have been influenced by sexist biases. Inclusive language is the way of right those old prejudicial expressions. At the same time, it is of greatest spiritual benefit for all of us to be reminded that the mystery of the Spirit, though present with us, is beyond the intellectual grasp of our puny language systems. All spiritual language is poetic, symbolic. Rediscovering old and encountering new verbal descriptions of the Spirit can open each of us toward a truer perception of reality. More about Inclusive Language
Liturgy: Liturgy comes from the Greek word liturgia which means “the work of the people.” Originally, it referred to the community service required of citizens in ancient Greece, much like the Peace Corps or Vista. Early Christians borrowed the term and applied it to their weekly community celebration of the Spirit’s presence among them. This is also how a worship gathering came to be called a church “service.” More about Liturgy
Scriptures: Scripture readings are included in the liturgy of every worship service at Liberation UCC. These help us focus our attention on various aspect of spiritual growth an serve as a theme for the day. More about Scriptures
Sermons: The sermon is the beginning of a conversation, a discussion starter for the whole community. Some of us may have come from conservative religious backgrounds which view the sermon as a dictation of dogmas to which we must submit in order to belong. If so, we may need to shift gears when we encounter the liberal religious tradition, of which Liberation UCC is a part.
Here we believe that the purpose of a sermon is to stimulate personal thought and community discussion Our respect for that process is reflected in our commitments to host well-educated guest preachers from a variety of Christian backgrounds and to staff our church with seminary-trained professionals, each of whom helps us shed new light on old traditions and challenges us to ward personal growth by sharing their own understandings of faith with us. This keeps our community intellectually vital and spiritually exciting.
