This weekend I was on Catalina Island with the So Cal regional InterVarsity staff, and God had a word for us: REVIVAL.
People often toss around the word "revival." What does it mean? What does it look like?
"National Evangelist" (CRAZY title, right?!) York Moore came out to speak to us about revival—what it is, what it means, what it looks like. Grounded in numerous passages* about this amazing concept "revival," he ultimately summed it up as the moment that the veil separating us from God is torn; when the Kingdom of God enters into the world of mere men; when Christ’s second coming and the New Creation can be seen on the horizon as non-Christians come to faith and Christians are awakened to God's call; when God's DREAM becomes the desire of His people; when the injustice in this world is eradicated and old broken systems are forever transformed and made new; when we reach the end of ourselves and a tidal wave of faith, miracles, hope, healing, redemption, confession, and conversion occur.
Our regional staff, coming off a difficult year (or season), to say the least, were tired. As York spoke of revival, many felt resistant—not because one doesn't think it sounds good, but because hope means work, hope requires radical faith, hope and dreaming God's dreams requires sacrifice, suffering, losing control, and always a chance of disappointment. For people who selflessly, faithfully, and repeatedly extend beyond themselves to LOVE the campuses in Southern California, the desire for more is daunting, exhausting, and relentlessly deteriorating; one cannot even think to look to the horizon to see the sun when the clouds have been covering the sky all night long. Some staff have families—what does revival look like as a parent? Some staff are in the middle of spiritual “dark nights”—what does revival look like as one feels distant and alone, separate from God? And most (or all) staff are at the end of themselves—what does it mean to pray for revival when one has nothing more to offer?
During the last night of the conference, in a moment of challenge and call from our leaders, we were asked if we were open to revival: personal revival and corporate, regional, national, world-wide revival. Despite the cost—the sacrifice, suffering, loss of control, and chance for disappointment—our staff chose to be open to revival, open to God’s call, open to the work God would set before them! Despite the hard work they put in all year, despite their weariness and desire for rest, they counted the cost and gave themselves over to God’s will.
In the midst of a night of prayer and worship, I felt so overwhelmingly connected to my fellow staff. Their hearts ached for their campuses and for themselves—for the work God has in store for us, for our contexts and our world. As the Israelites cried out to God in the midst of their suffering in Egypt, and as God answered their cry through Moses, Aaron and Miriam, through miracles and bringing Himself to His people, so also God has heard the cry of our staff—from San Diego, Greater Los Angeles, and the “Surf and Turf” Region—and I believe, WE believe, revival is on its way.
But what does that mean? Nothing. I mean, nothing clear. There is no strategic plan to bring revival. There is no way to spark revival. There is only God’s timing and a room full of obedient ministers ready to go where God calls them. That is the beginning of revival. Are you ready for it?
Do you believe God wants revival in So Cal? On the west coast? In the United States? Around the world? Again, revival is a scary word—it brings up images of “those Christians” or thoughts of mass conversions with no place to go to be truly discipled in the faith, or mass ridicule because revival is now a no-no, counter cultural word. But I say revival does not belong to any sect, denomination, people group or nation. Revival should be counter-cultural, because REVIVAL is a GOD thing! Revival is God’s Kingdom (spoken of by Jesus, by Isaiah and the prophets, in Revelation 21) coming to our world for a time. God’s Kingdom on earth—in bits and pieces, clearly imperfect for it is not yet the end of days, but a piece none the less.
Do you want it? If so, be open to dreaming dreams, God-sized dreams (also known as God’s will!). If you can picture it, it isn’t big enough. If you have a strategy for how to get there, you aren’t open enough to what God desires.** I mean this as an encouragement!!! We serve the LORD ALMIGHTY, Maker of the heavens and earth, King of kings and Lord of lords, Savior of the world! What does He dream of? Wish for? Desire? From experience, it is ALWAYS bigger and better than even the wildest of my hopes. He is so good and so big, and I am so imperfect and small, yet He uses me, us, as vessels to do His work! Crazy!!!
While there is no strategy, there are key elements in revival, and they all come from faith 101: prayer, preaching a not-watered-down gospel, waiting on the LORD (actively anticipating), seeking the LORD (fasting? Solitude? Meditation on His word?), desire for justice, confession, repentance, and cultivating a LONGING for more of God.
God is central to revival. The truth is that we don’t seek revival. We seek God. As we seek Him, we begin to be more like Him. As we become more like Him, we start to desire what He desires—we start to dream God-sized dreams. And He, our Father in heaven, loves to give His children the desires of their hearts!***
*Some Biblical passages about revival (moments when God broke through.. which is sorta the whole Bible…): Exodus 4:29-31, 1 Samuel 7, 2 Chron 15, 1 Kings 18:36-39, Jonah 3:6-10, 2 Chron 29-31, 2 Chron 34-35, Ezra 3:10-13, Nehemiah 8:6, John the Baptist, the Gospels, Acts 8, Acts 11, a lot of other places in Acts).
**My own experience with this idea: I am ready, expectant and hopeful. However, I feel small and insignificant. As I find the LORD speaking to me of His dreams and great things, I fear that it is really just my own naïve desires. Please, please, pray against my insecurities. Let me, in humility, recognize the call God has put on my life to bring His Word, His Love, and thus His Kingdom, to this earth. God bless!
*** And what are some of the desires of the So Cal region’s hearts? Click on "THE BIG ONES" at the top of this page for a summary list!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
A New Chapter!!
Brendan and I are engaged!!! <3 Thank you for your prayers and support! Continue to prayer for the development of our relationship over this year or so of engagement!
Now, to explain the change in this blog. Hopefully it will keep all of my family and friends in the loop on what I am doing as I intern with InterVarstiy Christian Fellowship at CSU Long Beach!
I'm excited for this next stage of my life, although it is sad to leave behind such amazing friends and Christian community. Before I get into the details, I must say to all of 3CIV: it has been a pleasure leading for you. I am not exaggerating when I say God taught me more through you than He possibly used me to do! Thank you for the opportunity. I continue to pray for a harvest at the Claremont Colleges. Simply because I am leaving does NOT mean that I stop partnering with my brothers and sisters in Claremont through prayer! <3 you!!!
Now for the new details: summer will be full of family, friends, and REST. Hopefully Brendan and I will be together wherever we end up going (pray for that!).
I start looking for a job near Long Beach. Prayer for finding one, and knowing what sort to look for (youth programs? Or a more "mindless" job? etc.)
We will start looking for apartments: one for me and Sam, one for Brendan and Daniel. (pray for God's provision!)
Otherwise, I'm off. Good bye Scripps college. Thank you for all the experiences I've had. I knew it was the right place from the start, that God has big plans, and even now I'm sure I don't know all of them!
Now, to explain the change in this blog. Hopefully it will keep all of my family and friends in the loop on what I am doing as I intern with InterVarstiy Christian Fellowship at CSU Long Beach!
I'm excited for this next stage of my life, although it is sad to leave behind such amazing friends and Christian community. Before I get into the details, I must say to all of 3CIV: it has been a pleasure leading for you. I am not exaggerating when I say God taught me more through you than He possibly used me to do! Thank you for the opportunity. I continue to pray for a harvest at the Claremont Colleges. Simply because I am leaving does NOT mean that I stop partnering with my brothers and sisters in Claremont through prayer! <3 you!!!
Now for the new details: summer will be full of family, friends, and REST. Hopefully Brendan and I will be together wherever we end up going (pray for that!).
I start looking for a job near Long Beach. Prayer for finding one, and knowing what sort to look for (youth programs? Or a more "mindless" job? etc.)
We will start looking for apartments: one for me and Sam, one for Brendan and Daniel. (pray for God's provision!)
Otherwise, I'm off. Good bye Scripps college. Thank you for all the experiences I've had. I knew it was the right place from the start, that God has big plans, and even now I'm sure I don't know all of them!
Monday, February 7, 2011
What can be learned from a secular Jesus
I wonder if sometimes non-Christians can capture the complexity of Jesus better than I can. Reading a book that discusses the history of Christianity ("Lost Christianities") also shows the arguments amongst scholars about who Jesus really was. Was he a teacher, holy, revolutionary, social radical, magician*, feminist, a prophet?
Yes, they leave out "Son of God," which I believe to be foundational... yet look at this list. It is CRAZY. One 'man' is argued to be all of the above at various times depending who is making the argument. People go all over the place trying to explain who He really was. Yet, I find this list captures some of the things Jesus tried to show us. He came to upturn everything (revolutionary, social radical, feminist). He came to guide those who followed him to God (teacher, prophet). He was set apart (holy). And He performed amazing miracles (magician). The complexity of Jesus is one we ought to seek to understand. All He was, all He did; these things matter more than anything else in this world or the next. God came, God lived, God died for us. That is complex enough to understand... yet we must also ask WHY would God come? HOW did God live? WHY did He die for me?
And I think non-Christians offer interesting insights into HOW God lived. Scholarship has a lot on Jesus-- yes, some is irreverent and all of it saddens me to see that so few know how loving, how amazing He is. YET, there remains something worth understanding from this perspective: Jesus was meant for those who did not believe. He is meant to be seen and understood by all, whether they know Him as the Son of God or not. He came to all, that all might see. While some things may be misunderstood, that does not mean that non-Christian scholarship about Jesus should be avoided.
On the contrary, I find myself so amazed that He is still being debated about. He is still revealing the ways He came to turn the world upside down as scholars continue to see feminism and revolutionary in our LORD. He is still revealing how much He was set apart when they get confused by His actions, and must attempt the best rationalization at why He did what He did... to which it is revealed the simplest answer is the right one: LOVE ISNT RATIONAL. And He is Love. And He LOVED radically! And what He did, it must have been "magic" or some science, some secret no one knew. Either way, he is FASCINATING to scholars.
Am I this fascinated by Jesus on a daily basis?
And, am I fearful of non-Christian arguments? If so, why? Do I not trust that God will stand on His own two feet? Do I not think it is important for people to go through their own reasons? Do I not value what they have to say? Because I should, because I believe God does... He sees their arguments. He wants to know them through and through. I think, perhaps, He wants to know their arguments better than anything so that slowly and surely He can enter their lives and reveal just how much more complicated He is.
*magician was because of his miracles. While often knee-jerk react to this as saying He had God, can't they see that! I think the fact that they assign him as magician is more interesting: it means people believe that at least some of the miracles are true, and must now explain them. That is a GOOD thing. It means that Jesus, what He did, can't all be denied.
Yes, they leave out "Son of God," which I believe to be foundational... yet look at this list. It is CRAZY. One 'man' is argued to be all of the above at various times depending who is making the argument. People go all over the place trying to explain who He really was. Yet, I find this list captures some of the things Jesus tried to show us. He came to upturn everything (revolutionary, social radical, feminist). He came to guide those who followed him to God (teacher, prophet). He was set apart (holy). And He performed amazing miracles (magician). The complexity of Jesus is one we ought to seek to understand. All He was, all He did; these things matter more than anything else in this world or the next. God came, God lived, God died for us. That is complex enough to understand... yet we must also ask WHY would God come? HOW did God live? WHY did He die for me?
And I think non-Christians offer interesting insights into HOW God lived. Scholarship has a lot on Jesus-- yes, some is irreverent and all of it saddens me to see that so few know how loving, how amazing He is. YET, there remains something worth understanding from this perspective: Jesus was meant for those who did not believe. He is meant to be seen and understood by all, whether they know Him as the Son of God or not. He came to all, that all might see. While some things may be misunderstood, that does not mean that non-Christian scholarship about Jesus should be avoided.
On the contrary, I find myself so amazed that He is still being debated about. He is still revealing the ways He came to turn the world upside down as scholars continue to see feminism and revolutionary in our LORD. He is still revealing how much He was set apart when they get confused by His actions, and must attempt the best rationalization at why He did what He did... to which it is revealed the simplest answer is the right one: LOVE ISNT RATIONAL. And He is Love. And He LOVED radically! And what He did, it must have been "magic" or some science, some secret no one knew. Either way, he is FASCINATING to scholars.
Am I this fascinated by Jesus on a daily basis?
And, am I fearful of non-Christian arguments? If so, why? Do I not trust that God will stand on His own two feet? Do I not think it is important for people to go through their own reasons? Do I not value what they have to say? Because I should, because I believe God does... He sees their arguments. He wants to know them through and through. I think, perhaps, He wants to know their arguments better than anything so that slowly and surely He can enter their lives and reveal just how much more complicated He is.
*magician was because of his miracles. While often knee-jerk react to this as saying He had God, can't they see that! I think the fact that they assign him as magician is more interesting: it means people believe that at least some of the miracles are true, and must now explain them. That is a GOOD thing. It means that Jesus, what He did, can't all be denied.
Friday, February 4, 2011
One Blessed Sheep
First, I was accepted as an IV intern!!! I will be waiting to hear about my potential schools for placement once Brendan hears from more (USC already accepted him! YAY!) and we discern where we will live next year.
Second, 101 party was amazing! Being around so many seniors reminded me of the connections I do have, reassured me that I am loved and love them, and made me even more excited about this last semester being all about PEOPLE! Woot!
And finally for today... I was reading through the leadership reflection questions... and I think every one brought me to tears. I know what you are thinking, "how sensitive, Bri. Awww." Or wondering, "why the HECK would that make you CRY?!" ... well, let me fill you in:
Christian community is new to me. I didn't have one outside of my AMAZING family until college. Then I jumped all in. Then God taught me to let go of the control I had on my life, and after freaking out, I faithfully followed Him. Then, I started leading. That was scary, and I felt so aware of my faults every moment, yet in awe of God's power. Now, as a second year leader looking onto ministry for the rest of my life... I can say this: I am so unworthy to be part of God's work, and SO BLESSED!
How have I touched so many lives? God's love. How have I influenced others? God's power. How have I changed people's lives? God's desire to step into our worlds and transform us (and knock our socks off!). 3CIV, my community, I love you more than you will ever know. I have given you my heart and my soul, and you have watched me mess up time and time again. Yet here I remain, a faithful servant on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. All I can say is a big Kenyan WOW! I mean, seriously, Jesus, you USED me?! WHY?! Man, YOU ARE CRAZY!
Let God use you. Throw caution to the wind. Lose control. Dive into deep waters. Bet your heart, mind, body and soul. It is well worth it.
Second, 101 party was amazing! Being around so many seniors reminded me of the connections I do have, reassured me that I am loved and love them, and made me even more excited about this last semester being all about PEOPLE! Woot!
And finally for today... I was reading through the leadership reflection questions... and I think every one brought me to tears. I know what you are thinking, "how sensitive, Bri. Awww." Or wondering, "why the HECK would that make you CRY?!" ... well, let me fill you in:
Christian community is new to me. I didn't have one outside of my AMAZING family until college. Then I jumped all in. Then God taught me to let go of the control I had on my life, and after freaking out, I faithfully followed Him. Then, I started leading. That was scary, and I felt so aware of my faults every moment, yet in awe of God's power. Now, as a second year leader looking onto ministry for the rest of my life... I can say this: I am so unworthy to be part of God's work, and SO BLESSED!
How have I touched so many lives? God's love. How have I influenced others? God's power. How have I changed people's lives? God's desire to step into our worlds and transform us (and knock our socks off!). 3CIV, my community, I love you more than you will ever know. I have given you my heart and my soul, and you have watched me mess up time and time again. Yet here I remain, a faithful servant on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. All I can say is a big Kenyan WOW! I mean, seriously, Jesus, you USED me?! WHY?! Man, YOU ARE CRAZY!
Let God use you. Throw caution to the wind. Lose control. Dive into deep waters. Bet your heart, mind, body and soul. It is well worth it.
Friday, January 21, 2011
God's Delight
Brendan and I gave a talk together tonight about God's love for us, specifically how He delights in us. It was amazing to prepare and do together.
What was most amazing though, at least for me, was how I felt God's delight in the midst of the talk. Part of me does not even care if people got anything out of it because just giving the talk was good for me! (Ok, all of me cares... hah. I guess I'm just trying to say is that even if no one got anything out of it, I know it was still a good thing! This is, of course, silly, cuz I know people got stuff out of it... so now I'm just rambling!)
God rocks! He loves me. He delights in me. He brags about me to angels (YES, angels!) He jumps up and down! I am His masterpiece and I should be hung up on the wall for all to see! I was specially created. He knows me inside and out. He is pleased in me. I am His. He rejoices over me with singing. He loves me with a no-matter-whatness that is hard to comprehend. Nothing separates me from His love. He chases after me when I try to get away from His love. He loves uncontrollably!
God is good.
Practical ways to remember God's delight:
1) Reflect on a few passages that have been helpful in the past (some for me are Psalm 23, 27, 28, or the story of the "Prodigal son" which is really the story of our AWESOME Father!)
2) Pick a worship song to sing in the morning while you get ready for your day, thinking about God's goodness.
3) Do something that you REALLY love (I generally recommend tactile activies, aka not tv): baking, hiking, drawing, play guitar, going on a walk, swimming, eating good food, etc. and as you ENJOY the activity, reflect on how God enjoys you so much!!! :)
4) Pray for God to SHOW you His love and delight.
5) Spend time with a close friend or family member and work on delighting in them. As you do so, pray that God would help you to see the way He delights in you!
6) Remember the amazing things God has done for you, how He provides for your needs, etc.
7) Go on a date with God. Seriously. Rent a movie, get a bottle of fancy Trader Joe's beverage, your favorite candies, and curl up in a blanket! Go on a picnic! Do something fun with God
8) Praise Him. Even if you don't feel like it... I promise, with time it helps to see the things you are saying as a reality.
9) Write out a helpful verse and put it on your mirror/ some place you will see it every day (Jeremiah 1:5 for example).
10) Since obviously there must be 10 things... pray with someone else to see/experience God's love. Check in every couple of days. Remind each other of God's goodness, ask to hear exciting stories. As you share, encourage the other person. As you listen, rejoice with them in the ways God is good :)
Just some thoughts, they work for me; at different times I need different things. God bless!
What was most amazing though, at least for me, was how I felt God's delight in the midst of the talk. Part of me does not even care if people got anything out of it because just giving the talk was good for me! (Ok, all of me cares... hah. I guess I'm just trying to say is that even if no one got anything out of it, I know it was still a good thing! This is, of course, silly, cuz I know people got stuff out of it... so now I'm just rambling!)
God rocks! He loves me. He delights in me. He brags about me to angels (YES, angels!) He jumps up and down! I am His masterpiece and I should be hung up on the wall for all to see! I was specially created. He knows me inside and out. He is pleased in me. I am His. He rejoices over me with singing. He loves me with a no-matter-whatness that is hard to comprehend. Nothing separates me from His love. He chases after me when I try to get away from His love. He loves uncontrollably!
God is good.
Practical ways to remember God's delight:
1) Reflect on a few passages that have been helpful in the past (some for me are Psalm 23, 27, 28, or the story of the "Prodigal son" which is really the story of our AWESOME Father!)
2) Pick a worship song to sing in the morning while you get ready for your day, thinking about God's goodness.
3) Do something that you REALLY love (I generally recommend tactile activies, aka not tv): baking, hiking, drawing, play guitar, going on a walk, swimming, eating good food, etc. and as you ENJOY the activity, reflect on how God enjoys you so much!!! :)
4) Pray for God to SHOW you His love and delight.
5) Spend time with a close friend or family member and work on delighting in them. As you do so, pray that God would help you to see the way He delights in you!
6) Remember the amazing things God has done for you, how He provides for your needs, etc.
7) Go on a date with God. Seriously. Rent a movie, get a bottle of fancy Trader Joe's beverage, your favorite candies, and curl up in a blanket! Go on a picnic! Do something fun with God
8) Praise Him. Even if you don't feel like it... I promise, with time it helps to see the things you are saying as a reality.
9) Write out a helpful verse and put it on your mirror/ some place you will see it every day (Jeremiah 1:5 for example).
10) Since obviously there must be 10 things... pray with someone else to see/experience God's love. Check in every couple of days. Remind each other of God's goodness, ask to hear exciting stories. As you share, encourage the other person. As you listen, rejoice with them in the ways God is good :)
Just some thoughts, they work for me; at different times I need different things. God bless!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Faith's Testimony on Gender
Written by Faith, and all I can say is praise God, He is sooo good! Also, may He bless the IV men on staff who have brought a lot of healing to a lot of women I know :)
I grew up in a conservative Protestant environment where I embraced, without question, the truth that men were pastors and women were Sunday school teachers. The men taught and led the adults, and the women taught and led the children. My father was a leader in that church for as long as I can remember (not the one who preached on Sunday mornings, but the one who was trusted to handle all the money, and thus important in all matters of church business). My mom was a Sunday school teacher, usually mine. It wasn’t until we left that church and entered a different religious community that I had any context for questioning my upbringing. Naturally, the first thing I did at this new church was evaluate which things were the same as my old church,which were different, and whether I was okay with the differences. This was
the first time I had a real understanding of the reality that not all communities do church the same. Moreover, not all Christians do Christianity the same. Two big things really captured my attention at this new church. First, the head of the children’s ministry was, as expected, a woman, but she was given the title of Pastor in front of her name. Second, during certain sermon series, the pastor preaching would periodically invite his wife up to speak with him. Both of these things were very different from my first church. Women were never called pastors. And they never stood on the stage on a Sunday morning unless they were a part of the worship team.
Around these experiences I was also learning that few churches have women in preaching, teaching, leadership positions over the entire church. And I was being told church should function in this way because the Bible says this is the right way to do it. (I won’t cite the epic amounts of 1Timothy, other letters of Paul, and Genesis which were used as evidence.) I never wanted to be a pastor, so I let the question rest. It never bothered me that my father’s role in the church was different than my mother’s, or even that it was not acceptable for them to switch places, because in their marriage and our home life I watched them treat each other as equals. There was never anything about these differences which felt unequal to me. But as I got older, and more critically examined WHY women didn’t/couldn’t/weren’t allowed to preach to a congregation, I kept hearing this implicit
explanation that it was because they were unable to. And as a hard-working, intelligent woman, beginning life at a women’s college, that finally became impossible to stomach. I knew my mother was able to interpret scripture and regurgitate what God revealed to her in an eloquent, captivating way. She did to me almost every day; she could do it on a Sunday morning. And I knew also that, even though I still had no desire to pastor a church, I do had the ability to interpret scripture and teach what I had learned to others. So, I began to disregard the parts of the Bible which (as interpreted to me by male pastor figures) made women and their role in the Kingdom of God inferior. (My mom once cited Galatians 3 something to me about now there is no male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, and, while I liked the ideas in that verse, it was never strong enough to combat the plethora of evidence in the Bible seemingly preaching the inferiority of women). In
my eyes, women didn’t have to cover their heads or remain silent in church or refrain from braiding their hair or any of that nonsense because Paul was just a stupid outdated man, writing in a way that esteems him and his gender by demeaning women. The problem was that my throwing away of scripture I didn’t like kind of became a habit. But the more I did this, the harder it became to relate to God and to trust in the goodness and power of the rest of the Bible. WinCon 2011 was a transformational experience for me, but not in the area of sex, dating, or relationships. WinCon was transformational because, for the first time, I received teaching, from a wise MAN I already respected, on the Genesis story in a way which finally esteemed woman as man’s equal, and biblically explained gender clashes and oppression and struggles as part of the inevitable consequences of sin, rather than part of God’s original, perfect plan. It was literally life changing for me to hear
him point to Genesis (3:16?) on the board, recognize that it’s a place of confusion and misuse in the church, and differentiate between God’s punishment that child bearing and growing food will be painful from his declaration that the inevitable result of sinful people in a sinful world, is that women’s desire WILL (meaning in the future, only after sin, not in the beginning) be for her husband, but he WILL rule over her. And if anything, this verse reflects on some level the wisdom of the writer of Genesis to understand how sin perverts God’s original plan for relations
between men and women. Now, what Paul writes doesn’t bother me so much. I don’t understand it all, and I am cautious of it’s misuse, but I don’t throw it away because I have confidence that nothing Paul says can conflict with my image of a loving God who created man and women equal in his sight.
I grew up in a conservative Protestant environment where I embraced, without question, the truth that men were pastors and women were Sunday school teachers. The men taught and led the adults, and the women taught and led the children. My father was a leader in that church for as long as I can remember (not the one who preached on Sunday mornings, but the one who was trusted to handle all the money, and thus important in all matters of church business). My mom was a Sunday school teacher, usually mine. It wasn’t until we left that church and entered a different religious community that I had any context for questioning my upbringing. Naturally, the first thing I did at this new church was evaluate which things were the same as my old church,which were different, and whether I was okay with the differences. This was
the first time I had a real understanding of the reality that not all communities do church the same. Moreover, not all Christians do Christianity the same. Two big things really captured my attention at this new church. First, the head of the children’s ministry was, as expected, a woman, but she was given the title of Pastor in front of her name. Second, during certain sermon series, the pastor preaching would periodically invite his wife up to speak with him. Both of these things were very different from my first church. Women were never called pastors. And they never stood on the stage on a Sunday morning unless they were a part of the worship team.
Around these experiences I was also learning that few churches have women in preaching, teaching, leadership positions over the entire church. And I was being told church should function in this way because the Bible says this is the right way to do it. (I won’t cite the epic amounts of 1Timothy, other letters of Paul, and Genesis which were used as evidence.) I never wanted to be a pastor, so I let the question rest. It never bothered me that my father’s role in the church was different than my mother’s, or even that it was not acceptable for them to switch places, because in their marriage and our home life I watched them treat each other as equals. There was never anything about these differences which felt unequal to me. But as I got older, and more critically examined WHY women didn’t/couldn’t/weren’t allowed to preach to a congregation, I kept hearing this implicit
explanation that it was because they were unable to. And as a hard-working, intelligent woman, beginning life at a women’s college, that finally became impossible to stomach. I knew my mother was able to interpret scripture and regurgitate what God revealed to her in an eloquent, captivating way. She did to me almost every day; she could do it on a Sunday morning. And I knew also that, even though I still had no desire to pastor a church, I do had the ability to interpret scripture and teach what I had learned to others. So, I began to disregard the parts of the Bible which (as interpreted to me by male pastor figures) made women and their role in the Kingdom of God inferior. (My mom once cited Galatians 3 something to me about now there is no male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, and, while I liked the ideas in that verse, it was never strong enough to combat the plethora of evidence in the Bible seemingly preaching the inferiority of women). In
my eyes, women didn’t have to cover their heads or remain silent in church or refrain from braiding their hair or any of that nonsense because Paul was just a stupid outdated man, writing in a way that esteems him and his gender by demeaning women. The problem was that my throwing away of scripture I didn’t like kind of became a habit. But the more I did this, the harder it became to relate to God and to trust in the goodness and power of the rest of the Bible. WinCon 2011 was a transformational experience for me, but not in the area of sex, dating, or relationships. WinCon was transformational because, for the first time, I received teaching, from a wise MAN I already respected, on the Genesis story in a way which finally esteemed woman as man’s equal, and biblically explained gender clashes and oppression and struggles as part of the inevitable consequences of sin, rather than part of God’s original, perfect plan. It was literally life changing for me to hear
him point to Genesis (3:16?) on the board, recognize that it’s a place of confusion and misuse in the church, and differentiate between God’s punishment that child bearing and growing food will be painful from his declaration that the inevitable result of sinful people in a sinful world, is that women’s desire WILL (meaning in the future, only after sin, not in the beginning) be for her husband, but he WILL rule over her. And if anything, this verse reflects on some level the wisdom of the writer of Genesis to understand how sin perverts God’s original plan for relations
between men and women. Now, what Paul writes doesn’t bother me so much. I don’t understand it all, and I am cautious of it’s misuse, but I don’t throw it away because I have confidence that nothing Paul says can conflict with my image of a loving God who created man and women equal in his sight.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Seeing God in Everything
While I think TV, movies, media, etc. have a lot of negative things about them (sex, drugs and rock n roll? Well, I'm not certain about rock n roll. Then again, music IS a form of media, so I'm sure it has some issues too. Anyway...)
I also think that we can always pull things from media and "secular" art. Not because it is secular, but because it is human. And, as God made us in His image, and He is the great Creator, so also we have some of His creativity sturring in our bones and brains.
I just watched the critally acclaimed film the English Patient (including Best Picture 1996). Nothing like a Ralph Fiennes drama to put me in a contemplative mood. One quote stood out to me, "We are the real countries. Not boundaries drawn on maps with the names of powerful men." While the movie itself is R for various reasons (including three short but explicit scenes of nudity) it none the less contains in it gems of creativity--namely, it is wonderfully written, directed and acted. (It is about a Hungarian explorer who cares more about maps then men caught between the English and the Germans during WWII).
But, my point of all of this is how I see God in this quote. People talk of nationalism, the State, immigration, Patriarchy, etc. I think this simple quote points me back to the truth of all of these things: people, not countries or allegiences or powerful rulers, are what truly matter to God. Thus, though politics certainly has its place and discussions of these topics are definitely worth having... I am convicted to ask myself what am I doing day in and day out to express love to PEOPLE? Those living with me? Next door? Who I run into at stores and movie theaters, restaurants and walking Orion on the side walk?
The great commandment is to Love God... and to Love Others. It seems that these things matter far more than who is right or wrong about almost everything else.
DISCLAIMER: while I consider this a GOOD film, it is probably not the best movie. It was kind of a downer overall... but something about it made me think a lot, so I went with it and posted :)
I also think that we can always pull things from media and "secular" art. Not because it is secular, but because it is human. And, as God made us in His image, and He is the great Creator, so also we have some of His creativity sturring in our bones and brains.
I just watched the critally acclaimed film the English Patient (including Best Picture 1996). Nothing like a Ralph Fiennes drama to put me in a contemplative mood. One quote stood out to me, "We are the real countries. Not boundaries drawn on maps with the names of powerful men." While the movie itself is R for various reasons (including three short but explicit scenes of nudity) it none the less contains in it gems of creativity--namely, it is wonderfully written, directed and acted. (It is about a Hungarian explorer who cares more about maps then men caught between the English and the Germans during WWII).
But, my point of all of this is how I see God in this quote. People talk of nationalism, the State, immigration, Patriarchy, etc. I think this simple quote points me back to the truth of all of these things: people, not countries or allegiences or powerful rulers, are what truly matter to God. Thus, though politics certainly has its place and discussions of these topics are definitely worth having... I am convicted to ask myself what am I doing day in and day out to express love to PEOPLE? Those living with me? Next door? Who I run into at stores and movie theaters, restaurants and walking Orion on the side walk?
The great commandment is to Love God... and to Love Others. It seems that these things matter far more than who is right or wrong about almost everything else.
DISCLAIMER: while I consider this a GOOD film, it is probably not the best movie. It was kind of a downer overall... but something about it made me think a lot, so I went with it and posted :)
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