I once went to a UCC service.
* My wife and I were the only ones with Bibles;
* The female preacher read a selection of scripture, omitting portions of verses, and thereby formulating a message that was clearly contrary to what the passage actually taught;
* Another female "minister" representing the national UCC headquarters, spoke about how it was important for members to give more money so the national organization would be better equipped to LOBBY for their POLITICAL agenda;
* After all this, the male preacher commenced the service, opening with a prayer to their "father/mother god";
In the words of that famous maritime philosopher, Popeye, "Thats' alls I can stand; I can't stands no more!" We walked out.
The UCC is not a Christian organization.
Far from it! It is a social/political/religious group that allows wacko leftists to feel like they are spiritual without being challenged to conform to God's will.
It allows them to present their leftist views, seemingly from within the confines of "religious America". Sort of like operating behind enemy lines.
It allows them to collect vast sums of money, skirting the tax system, and using it to promote their far left political agenda cloaked as religion.
I concede they are religious - everyone is - but they do not worship the God of the Bible.
My sense from the few UCC members who I have known is that it is very similar to a "new age" group and bears little resemblance to the services that Catholics or traditional Protestants are accustomed to.
Now, I personally have no problem with a bunch of people who want to get together and discuss spiritual issues, JUST DON'T CALL IT A CHURCH. As far as these wingnut prayers go, the only prayer our Lord gave us start, "Our FATHER" if He had wanted to make God a "gender neutral" term, He would have done so.
Unfortunately, I think this "just feel good about yourself, God loves you and you don't need to change" nonsense is beginning to destroy Christianity. The secularists have already succeeded in making much of society non-religious, now they have set their sights on organized religion. The Episcopalians have seen their denomination destroyed, Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians are getting close, Catholics are doing okay in some geographic areas and not as well in others, the Southern Baptists are doing fine but many of the other Baptist denominations are in real trouble.