Good morning from a Chicagoland that is doing its best to turn toward summer. Again, I say this often and could say it each week, thanks to those who send me links for these Meanderings. Photo by Chris Thompson on Unsplash Maybe they can go deeper and find the solution, as well, to baldness
I'm taking a whack at the final bit about issues governing women's choices of churches in which to worship. As one who was often bashed for pushing for equality for women in evangelical circles, I do want to lay out two caveats we sometimes ignore. [1] Not all evangelical women in churches barring women from leadership feel closed out of leadership. Many women are quietly in churches that limit them in using gifts that they actually do not have or wish to have. [2] Not everything in a church is necessarily antithetical to women's leadership. A pastor of an evangelical church closing doors to women with leadership skills and calling may also have an otherwise fine teaching pastor feeding the flock on good gospel for daily life. Such a church may be good for all the quiet women who simply want to be spiritually fed on good teaching and preaching. So we who push for acknowledgement and openings for women called to leadership positions must recognize that a lot of quiet women sitting in a pew on a Sunday morning may be receiving what they need from the pulpit. The notion that if any woman is limited, then all women suffer sounds urgent but ignores scores of women who are receiving all they need even in churches limiiting women from leadership.
Thank you for pointing out, and reminding me of the link in the title. I really liked the full CBE article! The quote below gave me cause to pause.
“ I still believe in God—but not in a God who wanted me to stay one second longer in a place that wasn’t good for me.”
Are we dealing with belief in false gods when we consider what she is talking about?
When God supposedly supports hate, has someone demoted God to a lesser god who really doesn’t want what Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 12? And, then, what 1 Corinthians 13? Has the apple been tasted again with the challenging statement: “The Bible, as you know it, is ALL WRONG! You need to dismantle it!!!
I appreciate the CBE article. Recently on a facebook page two ordinary women got into a very animated conversation about women leaving church. Not because they don't believe God, but because they experience being treated so badly by people. One mentioned a Pew report that said 16,000,000 women have left the church over the past few years. It seems very strange to me that there is all this talk about sharing the Gospel, missions and then treating people in a way that they leave. 16,000,000 women, that are documented, feel BAD when they go to church. So they decide NOT to. I don't have a catagory for that.
I'm going to remember Galatians 3:28:
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (NIV 2011).
I'm taking a whack at the final bit about issues governing women's choices of churches in which to worship. As one who was often bashed for pushing for equality for women in evangelical circles, I do want to lay out two caveats we sometimes ignore. [1] Not all evangelical women in churches barring women from leadership feel closed out of leadership. Many women are quietly in churches that limit them in using gifts that they actually do not have or wish to have. [2] Not everything in a church is necessarily antithetical to women's leadership. A pastor of an evangelical church closing doors to women with leadership skills and calling may also have an otherwise fine teaching pastor feeding the flock on good gospel for daily life. Such a church may be good for all the quiet women who simply want to be spiritually fed on good teaching and preaching. So we who push for acknowledgement and openings for women called to leadership positions must recognize that a lot of quiet women sitting in a pew on a Sunday morning may be receiving what they need from the pulpit. The notion that if any woman is limited, then all women suffer sounds urgent but ignores scores of women who are receiving all they need even in churches limiiting women from leadership.
My mind and heart have been well-fed this morning! Thank you!
The last part’s remarks about 1 Corinthians were wonderful! I would like to use them. Who should get the proper notation?
Thank you for pointing out, and reminding me of the link in the title. I really liked the full CBE article! The quote below gave me cause to pause.
“ I still believe in God—but not in a God who wanted me to stay one second longer in a place that wasn’t good for me.”
Are we dealing with belief in false gods when we consider what she is talking about?
When God supposedly supports hate, has someone demoted God to a lesser god who really doesn’t want what Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 12? And, then, what 1 Corinthians 13? Has the apple been tasted again with the challenging statement: “The Bible, as you know it, is ALL WRONG! You need to dismantle it!!!
Goosebump time?
I appreciate the CBE article. Recently on a facebook page two ordinary women got into a very animated conversation about women leaving church. Not because they don't believe God, but because they experience being treated so badly by people. One mentioned a Pew report that said 16,000,000 women have left the church over the past few years. It seems very strange to me that there is all this talk about sharing the Gospel, missions and then treating people in a way that they leave. 16,000,000 women, that are documented, feel BAD when they go to church. So they decide NOT to. I don't have a catagory for that.
I'm going to remember Galatians 3:28:
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (NIV 2011).