Who Are We?

Churches of Christ are in an interesting position. The theological spectrum - traditional to progressive - has seemingly never been wider as cultural forces continue to wreak havoc on both the theology as well as the attendance of denominations nationwide. And yet a disturbing trend is beginning to appear. As many churches of Christ move farther away from the traditional stances (a good thing) and hermeneutic (way of interpreting and applying Scripture), many have taken pride in what we have left behind and yet seem to have no legitimate alternative to replace it. We know what we are against but what are we for? If we are not churches that fight over issues of worship forms or eternal designations, what are we willing to be passionate about and intensely pursue? Are we willing to pursue issues of justice and peace, causes of community involvement and development, or cultural engagement with postmodern youth? There is certainly a place to critique our heritage and its faults, but I assumed that "progressive" churches had moved past berating our ancestors to a "better" place. But after listening to many churches whose goal seems to be "not being a traditional conservative COC" the question has to be asked: "If we are becoming progressive, what are we progressing toward?" And "Is it really progress?" I would love your thoughts...