August 29, 2011
An article by Dr. N. T. Wright on Women’s Service in the Church
I just read an interesting article by Dr. N.T. Wright addressing a couple of the sticky Bible verses about the role of women within the church. You can check it out at http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Women_Service_Church.htm
May 25, 2011
A different kind of power…
My husband and I have been talking lately about how success, power, and influence in God’s system is so different than the systems we live under here on earth that it seems almost impossible for us to get it right. About 1 minute on any news website will clearly demonstrate several different types of power grabs that result in devastation and destruction. I read something today that so demonstrated the difference that I wondered if I should needlepoint it on a pillow (as if I would ever finish a project like that!) or tattoo it on some obvious part of my body so I don’t forget it.
“Realizing that each of us is vulnerable to the trappings of worldly power, Christ offers Christians an important example. When tempted in the wilderness, Jesus rejected Satan’s offers of worldly power, opting instead for the invisible yet everlasting power of God. And in a scene that many theologians consider to be the clearest display of Jesus’ divinity on earth, Christ forsook his right to worldly power to hang on a cross instead.
Does this mean that Christians should not be people of influence? No. But it does mean that there is a crucial difference between the power of God and the power of man. The power of God does not create hierarchy and injustice. It does not require the trodding over of the weak for the exaltation of self. It is not threatened by the strengths of others and it is not a zero sum game. In the kingdom of God there is no scarcity of blessing and freedom. And the power of God does not require the slavery and subordination of others.” Written by Sharon Hodde Miller; source: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/05/schwarzenegger_strausskahn_and.html
That brought a Scripture to mind and it took a couple of tries before I found it:
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Matthew 10:42 – 45
So that’s what’s on my mind – figuring out how to walk this out in a way that doesn’t get me eaten alive. How should we - collectively and individually – stand up to those who seek to exploit others for personal gain? And how do we resist the temptation to push our way to the top in the big and small ways at home, work, and in our other areas of life and influence? May God grant me the wisdom to see through the lure of “power” and to walk in a different way.
October 18, 2010
Our responsibility, as women, to the poor and needy
It was one of those mornings where – from two unrelated sources – I heard two Bible clearly related Bible verses. Having these two verses land in my lap at the same time seems significant – like this is an important principle the Lord probably wants me to take to heart.
Amos 4:1 & 2 says, Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks! The Sovereign LORD has sworn by His holiness: “The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks.”
Proverbs 31 is a chapter of the Bible that spells out the virtues of a most excellent woman. Proverbs 31:20 says, She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hand to the needy.
It’s quite a contrast, isn’t it? There doesn’t seem to be much confusion about what God expects of us, as women. Oppressing the poor leads to judgment but care for the poor and needy is a sign of noble character.
I’m giving this some thought because I’m not in either camp really. I don’t oppress the poor…well, I don’t really know the conditions of the people who pick the produce I buy in the store. But I don’t actively or directly oppress the poor and needy. On the other hand, I don’t do anything to reach out to them or comfort them either. I live my life trying to take care of my family but – other than the annual canned food drive – my reach doesn’t extend much past my own doors.
It seems that God is calling me to something more. But what? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. How are you serving the poor in your community? And how did you get involved? I’d love to hear your story.
September 23, 2010
The real problem….Sin & Selfishness.
About a week ago, I awoke with the thought that whether you’re Egalitarian or Complementarian doesn’t really matter. If we pick one and do it all the way…the right way.
Take the complementarian thing – if the man is head like Jesus is the head and the man lays down his life daily for his wife & children, then everything that man does will be to empower them, strengthen them, to help them be all that God wants them to be. Isn’t that what Jesus does for us? And if the woman submits her life to this man to empower him, strengthen him and help him be all that God wants him to be…well – it’ll be just fine. Both will be serving and building up the other; no one will be in an unhealthy, self-destructive relationship. Good things will happen.
Then take the egalitarian side – if the man believes that the woman is his equal, he should recognize that she’s worthy of respect and honor. In the same way, the woman should respect and honor the man too. Because they’re equals – made in the image of God and equal at the foot of the cross. They should love one another as they love themselves.
But what if you’re not really a complementarian or really an egalitarian? What if you’re a selfish-atarian or a jerk-atarian. The jerk-atarian disguised as a complementarian will want to rule and dominate. It’ll be all about the jerk-atarian. It’ll look the way life looks so often. The jerk-atarian disquised as an egalitarian will say, “You’re just as capable as me so I don’t have to go out of my way to treat you with respect. If I was able to take something from you, it was because you let me; you could’ve stopped me.”
I had the thougth that we were given the opportunity to reign together as man and wife and we blew that. Sin changed the whole ball game so Jesus says, “While the world strives for power & control, I’m giving you the freedom to leave that battle and you can serve one another in love and peace through me.”
So that’s what I’ve been mulling over – then today I read part of an article which included a Scripture reference: And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:15
And I read this quote from the article and thought it was so good:
“The DNA of sin is selfishness. That means that sin in its fundamental form is antisocial because I care more about me than I do anyone else. I shrink my world down to my wants, my needs, and my feelings. That means that I will reduce the people in my life to vehicles or obstacles. If you help me get what I want, I love you (with) cards and flowers. If you stand in the way of what I want, I am spontaneously irritated and angry.
Now, think about it. Who has that conversation with couples going into marriage? We talk a little bit about sex, a little bit about finances, a little bit about roles, a little bit about communication, but those aren’t the cause of our problems. Those are the locations of the problems. The cause is this selfishness.
Imagine a husband and wife getting married, and they have this thought in their mind, “Because of the DNA of sin inside of me, I am my biggest marriage problem. It is me. I don’t need to be rescued from you. I need to be rescued from me.” If both people go into marriage that way, then they have a whole different way of approaching the things that every couple faces ”
This article seems to reinforce this whole ”jerk-atarian” concept again. And I thought, “That’s it!!! That’s what Jesus is trying to teach me: don’t be a jerk-atarian – reign together or serve together but, for the love of all things sacred, do it together.
You know how Anne Rice recently announced that she’s renouncing Christianity but not Christ? That’s a little how I feel today – I don’t want to fight about my rights and your rights; I just want to work on not being a big, selfish jerk.
BTW: You can read the whole article I mentioned at http://www.crosswalk.com/marriage/11638114/
August 25, 2010
Adam, Eve, Jonathan Leeman, and Me – it’s the Genesis of a new posting.
Somehow, I ended up clicking on a link: http://www.9marks.org/ejournal/why-complementarianism-crucial-discipleship and reading an article called, “Why Complementarianism Is Crucial to Discipleship”. It is written by Jonathan Leeman and, truthfully, I don’t know a thing about him or his ministry. Please read the whole article – I’m only going to be commenting on one small portion of it.
Under the section titled “Theological Vision and Distinctives of Different Domains”, Mr. Leeman writes, “In the domain of marriage, here’s what the elders of my church tell couples in pre-marital counseling: According to Genesis 1, the man and woman should both focus on bringing God’s Lordship and dominion to the earth. But according to Genesis 2, they have different ways of doing that. The man is oriented to the Garden, while the woman is oriented to the man and being a suitable helper to him. She’s to employ her entire resume of gifts and talents to promote the work of his administration. He, in turn, is to steward her gifts to maximal effect and not bury them in the ground, like the unfaithful steward.”
This paragraph was pretty disturbing to me. However, the question is not “Do I like this” or “Do I agreee with this” but, instead, “Is it Biblical” or “Is it true”.
Mr. Leeman takes his premise from Genesis 1 – so let’s go there: Genesis 1:26- 28 says: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the earth, and over the creatures that move over the ground. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him: male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number: fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (I’ve underlined the word “them” to bring attention to the fact that God was address the male & female. You won’t find that word underlined in your Bible). From my reading, it seems like God created Adam and Eve to rule together over the garden. It sounds to me like God was orienting both Adam and Eve to the Garden – not just Adam. But Mr. Leeman says that Genesis 2 is important in understanding the “how” so let’s go there.
Genesis 2, beginning with verse 4 gives us a more detailed account of the creation of Adam and Eve. Adam was created and placed in the Garden that God created. In verse 15 it says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it”. Then, verse 18 says, “The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him”. God and Adam go out into the creation and God has Adam name the animals.
Then Genesis 2 goes on to give the account of Eve’s creation – where Adam was formed from the dust of the earth, Eve was formed using one of Adam’s rib bones. Interestingly, pre-sin Adam responds to the creation of Eve by saying, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman for she was taken out of man.” (vs. 23) Read it again if you need to because Adam is saying that Eve is not just like (similar to) him or an inferior copy of him; Adam is saying that they are the same – same bone, same flesh. There is no division here. No one is primary and no one is secondary. They are the same. Then Genesis 2:24 says: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and shall be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (verse 24) Do you see what the Scripture says? It says that the man will be united to his wife. It does not say the man will be put over his wife. It doesn’t say it – it simply is not there.
Those in the complementarian camp read a lot into the word “helper” – they say it proves that Eve was created to assist and support Adam in the task that God assigned him. But you can plainly see that this not an accurate understanding of the Scripture. In Genesis 2, Adam is not commanded to subdue or rule over anything – he merely works in and cares for God’s garden. The command to rule and subdue was give to both Adam and Eve. The Adam and Eve who are the same flesh, the same bone, and are united to one another.
The egalitarian camp addresses the nature of Eve’s role as helper by pointing out that the Hebrew word for helper used here is “ezer”. The word “ezer” is used in Deuteronomy 33:7, 26, 29; Psalm 33:20, 70:5, 115:9-11 and 146:5 – only, in these examples, the word “ezer” is used to describe God. Clearly, God is not inferior or secondary to man; therefore, this word “helper” cannot be used as the basis for assuming that Eve is inferior or secondary to Adam. While that is certainly a point worth examining, I don’t really think it is necessary. A straightforward reading of the passage clearly reveals that (1) both Adam and Eve were created by God, (2) they are the same flesh and bone, (3)they are united, and (4) they were commanded by God to subdue and rule over the earth.
Incidentally, there is a place in Genesis where it does say that the man will rule over his wife but it isn’t until sin comes in and completely devastates the intended order of things. Sin brought troubles and consequences that God did not originally intend for Adam & Eve – things like painful toil for one’s survival, thorns, thistles, death, and (Gen 3:16) the husband will rule over the wife.
Based on this, does Mr. Leeman’s pre-marital counsel sound like good advice? Would you ever advise a young couple, “I want you to embrace the results of sin and the fall of man in your marriage”? Would any legitimate pastor tell a groom-to-be, “We know that in God’s creation, Adam had one wife. After sin, men took multiple wives. Since sin now reigns, we believe you too should take multiple wives.” Can you imagine a church built on the premise that, “Because sin caused a separation between God and man; we believe that we too should be separate from God.” Can you imagine the hymns in that church? No – this is clearly nonsense. So, why then would Mr. Leeman’s church advise young couples to embrace the brokeness between husband and wife that occurred because of sin? Didn’t Jesus come to redeem us from sin and death?
Anyway – that’s how I see it. What do you think?
August 24, 2010
Scott Pilgrim vs the World – I loved this movie.
Have you seen “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” ? I saw the movie last night and loved it. Today I read a rather scathing review of the movie and was a bit taken by how differently people can perceive the same film.
I’m a 40-something mini-van mom who never plays video games and I loved this movie. I saw a movie about a young man lacking direction and purpose who found a young lady that made him want to grow up a bit. The fights with the evil exes seemed like a metaphor for the inevitable baggage that results from telling humans who are deeply relational from creation that it is possible to have “a casual romantic relationship.” Even the pre-sexual & non-sexual relationships resulted in wounds by because none of us has a truly casual heart. Scott came to realize that flaws in his own character and selfishness in his relationships hurt others and he began to take responsibility for his actions (apologizing to Knives, Kim, and Ramona). He also decided that Romona was worth the risk of pain and pursued her with a wide open, vulnerable heart when she was scared and was pulling away from love. Jesus does that with us, you know – He loves, and died for us, and pursues even though He knows that we’re going to run and hide.
Part of my enjoyment of the message no doubt stems from the fact that our pastor was preaching from Ephesians 6. His Aug. 22, 2010 sermon was called “Enemy at the Gates” and he did a demonstration about the slack, vulnerable position most Christians take. Then he demonstrated a good fighting stance. Scott Pilgrim, the main character in the film, seemed to perfectly mirror both stances. From that context, the film was a great visual of the power of love in the face of evil. Granted, at no point does the movie give any recognition that God is love and that we love because God first loved us. I understand that this is a real issue but I just don’t know think they (the film’s creators – I know Scott Pilgrim in not a real person) know any better - they have a glimpse of Love but just don’t know anything about the source.
This isn’t a Christian movie and some Christians will have issues with various aspects of the film – for example, Scott’s roommate is the gay friend that seems to be a required element of every film these days. But, if you assume that the characters in the movie are people who Jesus would love, you cannot help but like all of Scott’s friends. If they don’t have a purpose in life, it’s because…well, they don’t know that Jesus has a plan and a purpose for them; that God wants us to have life abundant and hope. Without that knowlege, they’re stuck shuffling their way through another Toronto winter on their own; frankly, I’d want a warm body in the bed with me too. In spite of their issues, Scott’s friends tried to be there for him in as much as they were able. They weren’t perfect but they were there. Yes, there were crude elements to the movie but maybe that how the life of an unbeliever looks when they’re in the process of learning some things about the nature of God without having yet arrived at the doorstep of the church. We have choices in movies we ingest and one could legitimately reject this movie because of the crude elements. But should we reject not-yet-believers when their real lives have crude aspects? Or should we be on the look-out for God’s work in their lives and embrace them in the process?
If you just look at the comic book style of the film, it would be easy to dismiss this as just a silly summer movie but I thought it was actually rather profound. The lead character had to grow and develop. He had to face external battles and he had to come to some important realizations about himself. Scott Pilgrim didn’t unravel all the deep truths of love and life by the time the closing credits started to roll but he did make a step in the right direction and isn’t that what the Author and Finisher of our faith does in our lives? Little by little, He reveals a bit more truth about love and life to each of us. And, in as much as we are able to comprehend the deep things of God, we take a step forward.
Have you seen the movie? If so, what do you think? Am I reading to0 much between the lines?
BTW – I saw the Christianity Today review of this movie after I wrote this and they seemed to like the movie too. You can check out that review at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/reviews/2010/scottpilgrimworld.html
I’m buying the book “No More Christian Nice Girl” by Paul Coughlin & Jennifer Degler
I just read an exerpt of a book called “No More Christian Christian Nice Girl’ by Paul Coughlin & Jennifer Degler. You can read the same exerpt at http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/women/11636761/
I’ve decided to buy the book because of this quote from the exerpt (page 2 on the link above): “(she thought) she was supposed to bow to any man who disagreed with her regarding theological matters, even when she believed that his opinion was dead wrong. She ended up trying to please me instead of remaining true to her understanding of God and his Word. This is what many women are socialized to do in church: please people, not God.”
I struggle with people pleasing and conflict avoidance. Proverbs 29:25 says “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” That sounds sensible but living it out can be hard when your natural inclination is to want people’s approval. As a child, I memorized Luke 2:52 which says, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Somehow, I got the impression that I was supposed to strive towards favor with people instead of seeing that I should pursue wisdom (character?) and that would result in favor. I must also have forgotten the whole rest of the Gospel which includes people trying to stone Jesus to death and ultimately nailing Him to a cross. Clearly “favor with man” only goes so far and only lasts so long.
I’ve read some other articles by this author and, quite honestly, there are some gender stereotypes assumed that I’m not sure I believe. Do women naturally have empathy and relational skills? I’m not convinced because my husband is really relational and I tend to be a bit of a loner. Also, what is God-given and what is cultural? History is full of male poets (David, Shakespeare, etc) and artists but the American evangelical culture seems to have assigned those attributes predominantely to the woman’s domain. Can you imagine the response if a many came up to a homeschool support group and said, “I want to teach boys to write poetry and play the harp.” Maybe I’m wrong but I’m guessing that people would be suspect that he was a homosexual pedophile. All those wives may have put King David in the clear on that concern. Our current stance on polygamy probably puts the modern heterosexual male harp-playing poet in an awkward position. What do you think?
Anyway, I’m going to buy the book. If you’ve already read it, please let me know your impressions.
August 11, 2010
The Muslim Season of Ramadan Starts Today
Every year Muslims observe a month of fasthing called Ramadan; this year that season begins today (August 11th) and ends September 9th. Practices can vary from family to family but, generally speaking, Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. The abstain from food, drink, sexual activity, and other such things, seeing this as a time of purification through good works and self-control. You can probably see some simularities between Ramadan and the Christian season of Lent – especially as it is observed by Catholics or Orthodox branches of the Christian faith. There are differences, of course, but in both cases – this time of fasting is intended as a time of reflection and attention to spiritual matters.
Do you have Muslim friends, neighbors, or co-workers? If you notice that they are fasting, be sensitive and do not eat in front of them. Muslims often prepare special meals to break the fast – sometimes nightly, but certainly at the end of Ramadan. If you are invited, remember that this is roughly equivilent to your inviting someone to your family’s Christmas or Easter dinner. It is an honor to be included in a celebration of this kind.
Pray for your Muslim friends during Ramadan. If you’re not sure how to pray, think of how you would want a friend to pray for you if you were seeking God. You would want wisdom, discernment, and God’s blessing on your life and family – these are great places to start. You can use The Lord’s Prayer as a model – begin with, “Our Father in Heaven – thank you that you love my friends with the heart of a father” and go on from there. Pray for God to reveal His nature and His will to your Muslim friends as they seek Him.
Finally, pray for peace in the Muslim world during the time of Ramadan – both for Muslims and non-Muslims.
August 6, 2010
Equality Central – A new-to-me site on the web
I mentioned in an earlier post that I tend to vascillate a bit on the whole egalitarian/complementarian thing. I appreciate people that are committed to truth and who work hard to be sure that their positions are build on a foundation of the whole of Scripture. In my experience, sincere people who love Jesus don’t always see things the same way. My dear friend Zoe Ann believes you can lose your salvation, where I hold to an eternal securist perspective. Then there’s the rapture – how about we avoid that subject altogether. I sent my children to a “King James Only” Christian school run even though I’m personally grateful for the newer translations. We trust that God is the Author and Finisher of our faith – we believe that He began a good work in us and will complete what He started. We trust God to adjust our courses and lead us in truth and we trust that He does the same for others. We are fools if we only fellowship with people who think exactly the way we do. I appreciate the perspective of honest and good people who hold to a complementarian position; I also appreciate the thoughtful perspective of egalitarian believers. Iron sharpens iron.
Someone posted a link to one of my blog posts on a forum thread for a site called “Equality Central” – these folks hold to an egalitarian position. I wasn’t familiar with this site and am currently looking through their “Identity, Goals, and Vision” section. It looks like they have active forums. From my quick glance at their “Statement of Faith”, I share their core beliefs. You can check out the site at http://www.equalitycentral.com/
