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Sunday, May 04, 2008

Sunday, April 27, 2008

  • The Ten Reasons Why Men Should Not Be Ordained For Ministry

    I couldn't resist! Enjoy...


    10. A man’s place is in the army.

    9. The pastoral duties of men who have children might distract them from the responsibility of being a parent.

    8. The physique of men indicates that they are more suited to such tasks as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be “unnatural” for them to do ministerial tasks.

    7. Man was created before woman, obviously as a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment rather than the crowning achievement of creation.

    6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. Their conduct at football and basketball games demonstrates this.

    5. Some men are handsome, and this will distract women worshipers.

    4. Pastors need to nurture their congregations. But this is not a traditional male role. Throughout history, women have been recognized as not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more fervently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.

    3. Men are prone to violence. No really masculine man wants to settle disputes except by fighting about them. Thus they would be poor role models as well as dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.

    2. The New Testament tells us that Jesus was betrayed by a man. His lack of faith and ensuing punishment remind us of the subordinated position that all men should take.

    1. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep sidewalks, repair the church roof, and perhaps even lead the song service on Father’s Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the church.

    Got this at Eugene Cho's place.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

  • Making a Way For Women

    Rose has another great post about women in leadership, where she gives a synopsis of her interview with Rob Bell. There were a couple of times he didn't really answer her questions, though probably unintentionally. Many of our communities have gone past the theological struggle of whether women can lead. But change takes time, and Rose wonders - as I have many times - how we make opportunities or create new structures so that our practice can catch up with our theology.

    Once in a small gathering of area pastors, I heard a very famous pastor of a very , very large church say he just didn't have any women who wanted to preach. Shame on his for thinking that (and shame on me for not speaking up). In reality, they just need to be mined. They are indeed there. There is a political theory that discusses the ambition gap which is applicable here. It is believed that fewer women run for office because the lack of role models do not give them the idea that they can hold office. They are not inherently less ambitious than men, it just doesn't enter into most women's vision of themselves. Being purposeful and recruiting women into all levels of leadership in the Cruck is crucial for that image to become the norm in all our minds.

    Two thoughts from the interview I love...
    1. Women' s initiatives tend to ghetto-ize women. Frederica Mathewes-Green makes a similar observation here.. She is discussing women's ministry and "women's spirituality" which she says,

    "...takes us out of the conversation.

    Well, no harm done, you say—except that this beguiling subculture siphons women into a separate-but-squishy parallel world. Imagine that there was a special playland where women went to do their banking or medicine, apart from the more demanding he-man world where real things get done. A segregated spiritual subculture does women no good, even if it does have adorable butterflies in the logo.

    That’s my final problem with activist "women’s spirituality:" it isolates women as a group, broods over past wrongs, and then demands restitution in the shape of power, praise, and honor. But any Christian effort that’s focused on demanding a bigger piece of the pie needs to go back and read the instruction manual. We are called to be servants, to die to self, to expect a cross and not a bouquet. This is an equal-opportunity challenge; men face the same tough terms we do, and have suffered as well. "

    2. Rob states that our inclusion of women must become normal instead of novel. This is another reason I love the place I work and worship. We have 4 women pastors and several women on the governing board. It just isn't an issue. But I do wonder how many brilliant women are still silent; how many don't even realize what they have to offer. And...I would like to see more women teach on Sunday morning. :)

    So...what do you guys think?
    How are we doing?
    What can we do better?

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Sunday, April 06, 2008

  • Things to Come...

    One of the down sides of this little health problem is that I can't sit in front of the computer for too long. So, my usual pounding away on the keyboard has quieted...a bit! I thought I'd throw out some of the things pressing on my brain from this last week that I will try to get to soon...

    • I have a whole boatload of thing to discuss after the Transforming Culture Symposium. It was truly profound for me and will take some time to unpack.
    • I just came from a recital where 5 of my guitar students played. It rocked. Unfortunately, I have to take some serious time off from teaching to let myself heal. More ambivalence :(
    • There is a whole set of feelings, thoughts and emotions coming out of my facial paralysis. I don't recognize myself in the mirror and I fell socially awkward and not fully myself when trying to communicate. AND...people are responding to me in interesting ways. Lots and lots of people will not look at me in the eyes. What the heck?
    • I think it is time for me to write about the F-word. Is a Christian Feminist an oxymoron? Is there any place for this discussion and why does it matter?
    There ya go...

    more by me here