I got my first (and unsolicited) reference as a UCC blogger from Respect the Comma.
What makes this particularly nice is that the author is himself joining the UCC church he found in nearby Frederickburg, Va. on Sunday.
What makes this poignant is that the book that led him in his faith journey was the universalist-theology If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person.
Again, it makes me wish the Universalists had merged with the Congregationalists, meaning they would be a constituent part of the UCC today. But I wouldn’t mind being “attracted in” like the Schwenkfelders, US based Samoan Congregationalists and some MCC churches.
Hmmm, an interesting what if – what would the landscape look like had the Universalists merged with the Congregationalists. I don’t have any history or polity (and won’t get any unless I do the reading on my own) so I don’t know if this was even remotely likely. How many Congregationalists were universalists. And what would the UUA look like as the UA today?
Interesting questions.
Michelle, the easiest (maybe) way of finding the history of the Universalist – congregationalist proposed merger is to get a copy of THE LARGER HOPE, volume 2 by Russell E. Miller (1985), Chapter 29. Apparently quite seriously during the late 1920s.
I’ve written on the proposed Congregational-Universalist merger. See http://boyinthebands.com/index.php?s=comity
Thanks for the link and the nice words. The day I found the UCC meant so much to me, and the day I joined meant so much more, because not only was I joining a church I feel at home in, but also because I was joining with my fiancee; we announced our engagement during the service as well. We met at our New Year’s Day service and were engaged 2-and-a-half weeks ago.