What's in a Name, Take Two.

Once upon a time we wrote this entry (well, Stephanie wrote it, but with a common understanding) about why we chose the name "The Thinking Church."

At the time, we all thought that the name really spoke about who we were, a group of church members who want to ask questions and seek deeper answers.  As time moved on, I received critiques from several people-- church members and non-church members-- saying that we sound like we think we're better than everyone else by having that name.  At first I thought well that's not true at all; we don't think that and I shrugged the critiques off.  After a while, especially when I saw the wide variety of people who were bringing the same feedback to me, I began to realize that with this title we were projecting an image of ourselves that wasn't representative of who we are, or at least who we're striving to be. 

We are A Thinking Church, but we're not THE Thinking Church.  I know a lot of thinking churches.  I know Thinking Churches that are fundamental and Thinking Churches that are progressive and everything in between.  We're a lot of other things too.  We're a questioning church.  We're a searching church. We're a worshiping church.  We're a visioning church.  We're a welcoming church.  We're a laughing church.  We're a crying church.  We're a creating church.  We're a challenging church.  And oh dear...when I really stop and think about it...isn't just about every church all of those things?  So how can we possibly say that we have the monopoly on any of them?  

So, here's what else we are: we're a church of Grace, and in that we should be a church willing to admit that sometimes we make mistakes.  So I'm going to admit it-- calling ourselves "The Thinking Church" is a mistake.  And I hope you'll all be full of Grace and let us change the name to something we are and nobody else is:  First Congo of Ripon-- short, of course, for The First Congregational Church of Ripon.  We, among other churches, are a church who is "using heads, lifting hearts."  We're still thinking people, but we're not THE ONLY thinking people, and I hope you'll see that in the words written in this little corner of the internet world.  

Peace and Grace to all of you, from A Thinker, but not The Thinker, 

-- Pastor Joanna 

P.S.  We are not changing the URL (Riponthinkingchurch.blogspot.com) at this point because that address has been published in several places and we don't want to lose people who might still type it in as they originally knew it.  That change may happen in the future, and when/if it does we will make sure to make an announcement.