dancing into the uncomfortable middle (or, post-liberal confessions)

Opening note: This reflection has turned out to be longer than most of my postings – apologies!

There’s been a lot written lately about the demise of the liberal church. In the Canadian press, popular pundits such as Margaret Wente and John Snobelen have written, perhaps a-wee-bit dismissively, about this phenomenon. The United Church of Canada is most often the target of these attacks.

Allow me to tell you a story: About 15 years ago, I found myself at a crisis of faith. The Pentecostal, Baptist and Brethren (yes, all of those!) churches of my childhood and adolescence, often steeped in both political conservatism and theological fundamentalisms had seemingly failed me.