Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy Blog

Women of Faith: Hagar

Wed, 11 May 2022 08:00:06 GMT

God Sees Me, God Hears Me, I Am His

Hagar is a largely forgotten Old Testament character; yet we find that she is actually one of only a few people who have ever spoken directly with the LORD. In Hebrew, Hagar means: a stranger, one that fears, or flight. We will see all of those in Hagar’s story which is found in Genesis 16: 1-16 and 21: 8 – 21

Hagar’s Story

Hagar is introduced as Sarai’s Egyptian slave. In this part of her story, Hagar is viewed by Sarai as the way for God to keep His promise to Abram regarding an heir. Sarai never called Hagar by her name, but referred to her as “my slave” (16:2). Abram agreed with Sarai’s plan. They had lived in Canaan for ten years and there was not yet an heir, maybe this is how God wanted to keep his promise to them.

In the account, Sarai took Hagar to Abram to be his wife and she conceived. We do not know if Hagar was consulted about this arrangement but since she was a slave/servant, it is unlikely. Hagar became pregnant and began to despise her mistress (v.4). Sarai became unhappy and asked Abram to deal with it, but Abram told Sarai to do as she wished. Genesis 16:5 reveals that Sarai mistreated Hagar so she fled from her.

In Genesis 16:7, Hagar was in the desert near a spring beside the road to Shur. It was here that the angel of the Lord found her and began to speak to her. The angel addresses her as “Hagar, slave of Sarai”: he called her by name. She answered honestly that she was running away from Sarai and the angel told her to go back and submit to Sarai, and then he gave her some promises: to increase her descendants so much that they could not be counted; and that her son will be born and named Ishmael.

The angel said that the Lord has heard her misery and revealed that her son will be in hostility towards all his brothers (Genesis 16:12). She replied, “You are the God who sees me” and returned to live with Abram and Sarai. Ishmael was born when Abram was 86. Ishmael means “God hears.”

Fast forward fourteen years, and we meet Hagar again. By this time, Isaac had been born as God kept His promise to Abraham and Sarah and changed their names. Sarah was happy and was hosting a party because Isaac had been weaned (Genesis 21:8). Ishmael (now in his teens) laughed, mocked, and made fun of Isaac which caused Sarah to be very upset and she demanded that Abraham send that slave woman away (Genesis 21:10).

Abraham complied, although rather reluctantly, because Ishmael was his son. After hearing God’s promise that Ishmael would become a great nation because he was also Abraham’s son, made it even more difficult for him to send them away, but Hagar and Ishmael left the next morning and soon found themselves in the desert again. They had been abandoned and rejected, but they were not alone. God showed up again, spoke through an angel, called Hagar by name, and provided for her physical needs and gave her a promise of hope for the future.

The last encounter we have with Hagar is in Genesis 21:21 which indicates that Ishmael had grown up, became an archer, and took a wife from Egypt—as they lived in the Desert of Paran.

Lessons Learned from Hagar’s Story

The story of Hagar reminds me of several things which encourage me and give me hope:

I Am Called by Name

First of all, God called her by name. This is in clear contrast to her mistress who did not. Hagar said to God, “You are the God who sees me.” I know that God calls me by name and sees me even when others do not. Since my area of service is not an in front of people ministry, this is particularly encouraging to me. When others do not recognize me, God does: God sees me. God sees you and calls you by name too.

My Identity is Found in My Relationship with God

When we meet Hagar she is the servant/slave of Sarai. She had not been looked after by Pharaoh, not looked after by Sarai, and not looked after by Abram. Slave/servant is the role she has and she does not know who might abandon her next. She had been given up, discarded by those who were supposed to care for her. When she ran away, she did not know where she was going. She had a past but not a future.

GOD FOUND HER. When God spoke to her, He knew her past, and regardless of that, He gave her a hope for the future. Her life was transformed from a life of suffering to a life of hope. Hagar is one of only a few people who spoke directly with the LORD. The speaking was to her: a woman and a slave, not a man.

When Hagar returned to Abram and Sarai, she had been given an identity and hope. She also had an encounter with God to remember and a son who testified to God’s work in her life: she was not in a situation where her value and worth were recognized, but after her encounter with God she felt both valued and worthy.

Our identity is in Christ: He knows our past, our present, and our future. When we feel worthless or undervalued, we can find our value in our relationship with Christ. We also know that our identity is in Christ as a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We may not know the future, but we can be confident that He knows. What a tremendous lesson to learn from the life of Hagar.

God Addresses Basic Needs

In the second encounter with the angel of the Lord, Hagar’s basic needs of water and food are met. She was sent with some food and water but it ran out and when God found her she was crying under a bush because she could not bear to watch her son die. God heard Ishmael crying and called to Hagar, and found her at a low point in her life. He immediately gave her water and a promise.

God meets me at my points of great need and takes care of physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. I know that sometimes I need food or water or rest before I can address the other issues that need addressing in my life.

God’s Plan is Best

The story of Hagar reminds us that God is in control and when we try to take control of the situation, bad things happen. Sarah decided to use Hagar as a surrogate and then regretted her choice, which led to Hagar’s flight, return, and second flight. The story of Hagar teaches us that God does care for us: He heals our broken hearts, gives us an identity and a hope but also, God’s promises are true and He will keep them.

God Cares for the Broken Hearted and Suffering

The story of Hagar reminds me that God cares for those who are broken, hurting, and suffering. He cares for those who have been abandoned or left to fend for themselves. He cares for those who are poor, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). This story reminds me that I should care for them as well.

Conclusion

Our calling is to live out the love of God to those in the world. God calls us to be in Him for those around us. In her story, Hagar goes from fear to hope, from flight to a home, and from not being seen to being seen and heard.

Our calling is to be agents of God as we help those around us make this journey. The story of Hagar reminds me that my value and worth are in my relationship with Jesus Christ: I am His and I belong to Him. The good news is that you are also His and you belong to Him.

Resources

https://activated.org/en/foundations/the-word-of-god/bible-stories/what-hagar-taught-me/

https://unlockingthebible.org/2019/07/three-glimpses-gods-love-seen-hagar-life/

https://rosevinecottagegirls.com/when-you-find-yourself-in-the-desert/

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/important-lessons-we-can-learn-from-hagar-in-the-bible.html

Elizabeth Tracy, "Hagar: She Who Speaks with God", n.p. [cited 8 Nov 2021]. Online: https://www.bibleodyssey.org:443/en/people/related-articles/hagar-she-who-speaks-with-god

Empowered Foremothers

Wed, 04 May 2022 08:00:06 GMT

Wesleyan/Holiness Women Speak to Today's Christian Feminists

Women in the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries possessed the power of the Holy Spirit which enabled them to minister. Amanda Smith and Hulda Rees are just two examples. Methodist Bishop James M. Thoburn attributed Amanda Smith's evangelistic success to "that invisible something which we are accustomed to call power, and which is never possessed by any Christian believer except as one of the fruits of the indwelling Spirit of God."1 Likewise, Hulda Rees preached "in the power of the Spirit" after experiencing entire sanctification.2

Christian feminist literature abounds with references to empowerment. For example, Lynn Rhodes in Co-Creating speaks of "feminist visions of the promise of a new creation" where "God is envisioned as advocate, as the spirit of empowerment."3

Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel, who is among the feminist theologians exploring the potential of the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen women, says:

The power which is renewing women today in opposition to patriarchal structures and their own insecurity and discouragement, the power which liberates them and enables them to stand upright like the healed crippled woman, the power which enables them to discover their sisters, is the power of the Holy Spirit.4

While Christian feminists today are examining empowerment by the Holy Spirit, for the most part they are unaware of the important role of empowerment in the lives of Wesleyan/Holiness women. Christian feminists, other than the few who research the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement,5 never mention the doctrine of entire sanctification and the power that accompanied it in their discussions of empowerment. There is a usable past within the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement that has not yet been explored by feminists.

The possibility of appropriating women's experience in the Wesleyan tradition as a usable past for feminists has been suggested by Rosemary Keller. Keller notes the spiritual empowerment possessed by Wesleyan women. She mentions the work of the Holy spirit as "a fruitful focus for constructive theology," yet Keller (mistakenly) locates the possibility of Christian transformation within the conversion experience.6

An examination of the lives of women in the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement discloses, however, that empowerment actually resulted from the second work of grace or entire sanctification rather than conversion.

My purpose is to highlight the emphasis Wesleyan/Holiness women placed on empowerment and to suggest that their experience can serve as a usable past for the contemporary Christian feminist quest for empowerment. In a recent issue of Wesleyan Theological Journal, Randy Maddox compared Christian feminism and Wesleyan theology. I agree with his assessment that "Wesleyanism presents to Christian feminists a theological tradition with which they will find strong affinities and on which they can build."7

The doctrine of empowerment as articulated by women in the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries affords a basis on which Christian feminists can build their own understanding of empowerment.

Sometimes, it is incorrectly assumed that he Wesleyan/Holiness Movement has not stressed power. Winthrop Hudson represents those who describe Wesleyan/Holiness doctrine as emphasizing purity with no focus on empowerment.

Wesleyan holiness leaders had long been committed to the idea that conversion should be followed by a baptism of the Spirit, the primary effect of which was purity of life. The higher Christian life leaders, in contrast, thought of this second transforming religious experience as energizing and empowering believers to witness for Christ and thus serve the church and society.8

An examination of the Wesleyan/Holiness doctrine does not support Hudson's contention that it is a doctrine concerned solely with purity.9

Phoebe Palmer, the mother of the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement who popularized John Wesley's doctrine in the United States, made power a central element of her doctrine of holiness.10 Her theology refutes Hudson's generalization. While Palmer affirmed that the outcome of the baptism of the Holy Spirit was heart purity, she emphasized power. Palmer articulated a doctrine of holiness in which purity and power for service were intimately intertwined.

Hermeneutic of Empowerment

Just as Palmer equated purity and power, likewise she proclaimed: "Holiness is power."11 For Palmer, power was synonymous with holiness: "heart holiness and the gift of power should ever be regarded as identical."12

Adopting the theology of John Fletcher, Palmer equated holiness with the baptism of the Holy ghost experienced by Jesus' followers at Pentecost.13 Acts 2 records the events of Pentecost when the believers were clothed with power from on high, fulfilling Jesus' promise of Luke 24:49. At Pentecost, "newly energized men and women, whose talents had before been dormant, became valiant in holy warfare."14

Palmer and other holiness women recognized that the Holy Spirit empowered both men and women at Pentecost.15 The Holy Spirit did not discriminate on the basis of one's sex. An editorial on entire sanctification and woman's work in Guide to Holiness affirmed: "He [God] fulfills His prophecy by Joel, and sheds upon her the Holy Spirit for all the varieties of her work."16

According to Palmer, the "endowment of power" which accompanied this baptism was not restricted to the New Testament era but was still available to Christians through the experience of holiness or entire sanctification.17

Frances Willard referred to the Woman's Crusade against alcohol during 1873-1874 as a modern Pentecost. She explicitly connected the power received by the followers of Jesus at Pentecost with the power which enabled women to inaugurate the Woman's Crusade which culminated in the organization of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union,

Born of such a visitation of God's Spirit as the world has not known since tongues of fire sat upon the wondering group at Pentecost, cradled in a faith high as the hope of a saint, and deep as the depths of a drunkard's despair, and baptized in the beauty of holiness, the Crusade determined the ultimate goal of its teachable child, the W.C.T.U., which has one steadfast aim, and that none other than the regency of Christ, not in form but in fact.18

Annie Wittenmyer described the Crusade as "the Pentecostal baptism that sent the women of all denominations out to plead the cause of God and humanity, with tongues o fire."19

Christian feminists also focus on Pentecost as the event when Christians first experienced empowerment. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza describes the theological self-understanding of the early Christians or, as she prefers to call them, the Christian missionary movement. She lists Acts 2 along with other texts to support her contention that "the experience of the power of the Spirit is basic for [the ministry] of the Christian missionary movement."20

Authority of the Holy Spirit

The Wesleyan/Holiness Movement sought to model the early church by affirming prophetic leadership which based its authority on the Holy Spirit. Holiness leaders were explicit about their intention to imitate the prophetic leadership style of the New Testament era. They documented the role of women in primitive Christianity21 and sought to restore to women the prominent place they had filled in the life of the early church.

While the prophetic authority of the Holy Spirit held sway initially in the early church, by the second century priestly leadership in the form of a hierarchy composed of presbyters, deacons and bishops emerged and began to squelch prophetic authority. The developing institutional hierarchy situated all authority in its offices. Authority came to be associated with the priestly position rather than flowing directly from the Holy Spirit to individuals.

Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel has summarized the continuing conflict between prophetic and priestly authority:

In the long history of the patriarchal church women were able again and again to breach the dominant structures in the power of the Holy Spirit. But the church constantly distrusted both the women and the Spirit, condemning their works as extremism, heresy, paganism. The Holy Spirit was chained to official ministries and robbed of the renewing power.22

The Holy Spirit authorized Phoebe Palmer's preaching, thus transcending the male ecclesiastical structure of the Methodist Episcopal Church which, for the most part, opposed women preachers. Rev. A. Lowrey, a eulogist, commented on Palmer's credentials:

Her license came from no subordinate source. She was accredited from on high. Her authority and credentials were conferred by the Holy Ghost. She was set apart and gifted as a gentle leader. . .. She was vested with a remarkable power to produce immediate results. Nor were these fruits evanescent. They were lifelong and permanent.23

Palmer would have agreed with the understanding of authority as empowerment for service which Letty Russell advocated in Household of Freedom. Likewise, she would concur with Russell's description of the source of authority: "The self-revelation of God in Jesus Christ and through the Spirit is the source of authority in our lives as Christians."24

Lynn Rhodes speaks of the need for Christian feminist women to understand the source of their authority as they begin working with church structures. She asks:

What gives them courage for acting on their convictions? When they are confronted by the principalities and powers that are pervasive in Christian institutions and traditions as well as in the culture in general, what is the basis for their sense of authority?25

These are questions that Wesleyan/Holiness women such as Phoebe Palmer could have helped answer because of their understanding of the Holy Spirit as the source of their authority to preach and minister. Wesleyan/Holiness women claimed the authority of the Spirit in an environment that valued prophetic authority. This often is not the case today as evidenced in the account of one woman clergy recorded by Rhodes:

One woman said that she does not talk about the deep mystical experiences she has had. When she tries to communicate them, she is seen as either weird or more holy, depending on the context. The tendency of others to see her mystical experience as "special revelation" makes her wary of exposing it. She is careful, therefore, never to claim that the Holy Spirit is the source of her authority, even when the image of the Holy Spirit seems appropriate for expressing her experience.26

An awareness of the experience of Wesleyan/Holiness women would offer a precedent for this woman. Rather than being made to feel "weird," she would realize that her experience of the authority of the Holy Spirit parallels that of many Wesleyan/Holiness women.

The authority or command of the Holy Spirit superseded any command by mere man. The Biblical injunction of Acts 5:29 to obey God rather than man became the basis for Wesleyan/Holiness women to challenge the authority of those who attempted to prevent them from preaching. Employing this verse, Palmer explicitly challenged male ecclesiastical authority: "Where church order is at variance with divine order, it were better to obey God than man."27

Other women shared Palmer's conviction. Asked to leave her religious society or refrain from praying and exhorting, Mary Taft reflected: "I counted the cost, but concluded to obey God rather than man."28

Evangelist Julia Foote rallied her sisters in Christ: "Sisters, shall not you and I unite with the heavenly host in the grand chorus? If so, you will not let what man may say or do, keep you from doing the will of the lord by using the gifts you have for the good of others."29

Mary Cole, another evangelist, encouraged women: "But if you are certain of the leadings of the Lord, even if God does not make it plain to others, you may do as God bids you with certainty of success."30

Wesleyan/Holiness women relied on Acts 5:29 to support their preaching despite opposition. Armed with Biblical support and the authority of the Holy Spirit, women still faced a formidable barrier, a "man-fearing spirit." Many women spoke of the "man-fearing spirit" that inhibited them prior to their sanctification experience. Empowerment which accompanied sanctification enabled women to overcome the "man-fearing spirit" which had caused them to restrict their religious activities. Strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, women broke through the barrier created by their fear and initiated their public ministries.

Empowerment by the Holy Spirit often resulted in a dramatic personality change. Evangelist Sarah Smith affirmed: "When God sanctified me He took all the shrink and fear of men and devils out of me."31

Smith further testified:

Everybody that knew me before I received this great blessing knew how fearful I was, and then when I came out with such boldness, everybody, preachers and all, that knew me before were astonished and wondered how I came into such a blessed experience.32

Alma White spoke of the "man-fearing spirit" which prevented her from speaking in a church service in 1890.33 Even though she felt led by God to speak, she was paralyzed by fear and sat in silence. It wasn't until her sanctification, three years later, that White overcame this fear and initiated her preaching career.

The empowerment of the Holy Spirit not only enabled women to overcome the fear of men but rearranged women's priorities. Rachel Peterson advised: "The Lord tells us not to be man-pleasers, but to fear God."34

The Christian woman's first duty was to God not to men. Women asserted their autonomy as they claimed their allegiance to God rather than to men. The belief that women ultimately had to answer to God for their actions opened the way for women to challenge attempts to restrict their religious activities. A comment by the compiler of Phoebe Palmer's letters illustrates the implications of this conviction: "It is always right to obey the Holy Spirit's command, and if that is laid upon a woman to preach the Gospel, then it is right for her to do so; it is a duty she cannot neglect without falling into condemnation."35

Ethic of Empowerment: Empowered for Service

Neither Wesleyan/Holiness women nor Christian feminists perceive power as an end in itself. Phoebe Palmer insisted that sanctification insured usefulness.36

Her work in the Five Points district of New York City witnessed to her belief that empowerment enabled one to serve others. Door to door visitation in this poverty-stricken area convinced Palmer of the need for a mission. She was instrumental in the establishment of Five Points Mission which contained a chapel, twenty apartments for families and a school.37 She and other Wesleyan/Holiness women embodied the ethic of empowerment; their lives exemplified the ethic in action.

Palmer was not the first to voice the conviction that the empowerment which accompanied the experience of holiness resulted in reaching out to serve others. John Wesley had articulated an ethic of empowerment which Leon Hynson describes as "a social ethic conceived largely in pneumatological terms."38

Hynson emphasizes the function of the Holy Spirit as the source of power in Wesley's ethics:

The ethics of the Spirit also amplifies the empowering presence of the Spirit. The whole field of social ethics is merely abstract theory unless an adequate resource is found for reaching its value goals. So much effort in social ethics is promising, carefully planned, correct theoretically, but without the dynamic drive that carries it off. This is the spiritual force that is given in the Holy Spirit's presence. "You shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you” (Acts 1:8).39

Hynson elaborates on the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit:

An ethics of the Spirit emphasizes the Spirit's empowering work. There is a moral force that the wind of the Spirit brings to the ethical spheres of life. Without this force creativity and sanctity remain lifeless concepts, structure without substance, body without breath. . .. In this empowerment we may see believers undergirded to carry out the world-transforming mandate that has been given to the Christian church. "you are the salt of the earth," Jesus said. "You are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:13-14).40

Wesley never intended that the doctrine of holiness should lead individuals to focus solely on themselves and to neglect the needs of those around them. Hynson emphasizes this point: "Wesley's ethical message was as thoroughly social as it was individual. His doctrine of love is at the heart of his lifelong effort to reform the nation and the church."41

Alma White shared Wesley's and Palmer's conviction that empowerment leads to action. "He [the Holy Spirit] illuminates and empowers, bringing all the faculties of one's being into action, using them in the service of the Lord."42

Jennie Fowler Willing elaborated on the consequences of holiness power: "The 'enduement of power' is the Holy Spirit filling the soul with His own love, and giving zeal, skill, success. This love fills with the divine 'go.'"43

The women who initiated the Temperance Crusade of 1873-1874 in Hillsboro, Ohio, illustrate the impetus of the divine "go." Women, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, besieged tavern owners and their customers, demanding that they forsake alcohol. Willing recounted the witness of one activist in the Crusade:

The lady spoke of the call that came to her to go out with the Crusade Band. She had to wait two weeks in prayer before she so surrendered and trusted that the Holy Spirit filled her soul. After that she could kneel on the sidewalk in front of a saloon, while brutal men leveled loaded guns at her, and wretched women threatened to throw boiling water from the windows above-and all without the slightest fear.44

Annie Wittenmyer compiled a history of the Temperance Crusade which consisted of accounts of Crusade activities from throughout the United States. Several reports explicitly credited the Holy Spirit with empowering the crusaders to battle tavern owners. For example, in Circleville, Ohio, "the Spirit descended in power" while in Providence, Rhode Island, "the presence and power of the Holy Spirit was manifest, and all felt that God was calling to action."45 Sarah Strothers of Findlay, Ohio, reported: "The baptism of power came upon us."46

Whether all of the participants in the Crusade understood the "baptism of power" as the experience of entire sanctification is difficult to determine. However, it is probable that a number of the women were products of the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement. The crusade in New York City was inaugurated at a Holiness prayer meeting. Two women volunteered when another member of the group begged for assistance.47

Wesleyan/Holiness women such as Phoebe Palmer and Annie Wittenmyer reflected John Wesley's ethics. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they addressed societal issues and worked to alleviate social problems.

Ethic of Empowerment: Expansion of Woman's Sphere

During the last half of the nineteenth century, guardians of popular culture glorified woman's role in the home as her only appropriate arena of service: "The canon of domesticity . . . constitut[ed] the home as a redemptive counterpart to the world."48 Nancy Cott claims that the cult of domesticity "might almost be called a social ethic." Cott continues, "this ethic made women's presence the essence of successful homes and families."49

The doctrine of domesticity allowed no room for women to act in the world outside the home. Wesleyan/Holiness women preachers directly challenged the doctrine of domesticity by extending their calling outside the home. Likewise, temperance women, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, spoke in public and attacked the evils of alcohol. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they moved outside the home to fulfill their calling. The ethic of empowerment was in direct opposition to the ethic of domesticity. It authorized women to expand their influence beyond the four walls of their homes.

Palmer did not directly challenge the doctrine of woman's sphere but extended it by redefinition. While claiming to approve of woman's sphere by explicitly affirming women's important function in the home, Palmer's preaching engagements often took her outside the home. Along with her example, Palmer's theology also defied the widely-held belief that woman's highest calling was in the domestic realm. To experience sanctification, Palmer advised that a woman lay everything on the symbolic altar of Christ, including one's husband and children. for Palmer, this meant that God, and God's will must come first. A sanctified woman must keep her priorities straight.50

Palmer advised: "Home, on the whole, or speaking in general terms, is the sphere of woman's action; and yet she must not be unmindful of the example of [Christ] who lived not to please himself."51 The implication was that while a woman might prefer to be home, she must be willing to sacrifice her domestic obligations to do God's bidding. Religious duties come first.

Jarena Lee kept her priorities in order by following Palmer's advice. She left her sickly son with a friend while she spent a week preaching thirty miles away from home. During that time, she reported, "Not a thought of my little son came into my mind, it was hid from me, lest I should have been diverted from the work I had to do, to look after my son."52 Lee's calling to perform God's work came first.

The ethic of domesticity provided the rationale for limiting women's activities to their homes. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Wesleyan/Holiness women challenged attitudes and customs that impeded their ministry. While many clergy sanctioned a narrow understanding of women's sphere, Kathleen White of the Pillar of Fire Church found no evidence of divine approval for woman's sphere: "Jesus had nothing to say about woman's place: 'Never, so far as we know, did He utter a single sentence in abridgement of the domestic, social, or religious privileges of women; and never by His actions or words did He show any discrimination against them.'"53

Jennie Fowler Willing pointed out Jesus' parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) to fortify her contention that God did not limit women to a prescribed sphere.54

God expected women to use their talents wherever appropriate, rather than hide them in the home. Alma White attacked the limitations of the popular understanding of woman's sphere: "Should not old traditions and customs be forgotten and every effort be put forth in this new era to place woman in her intended sphere that she may help start society on the upward grade?"55

In her sermon, "Woman's Place," Alma White contended that woman's place was beside man as his social and mental equal.56 Contrary to Palmer and most of her own contemporaries, White explicitly renounced any boundaries imposed on women by advocates of the doctrine of woman's sphere.

Alma White's life illustrates the thesis that the empowerment of the Holy Spirit "compelled women to burst the cocoon of 'woman's sphere.'"57 The doctrine of holiness provided an alternative social ethic to the ethic of domesticity. Empowerment by the Holy Spirit enabled women effectively to challenge the confining strictures of domesticity. Women in the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement appealed to a higher authority to break down barriers intended to inhibit their activities. Sanctified women left their assigned sphere to perform the ministry they believed God called them to accomplish.

Sarah Smith related how attaining entire sanctification involved a willingness to challenge cultural norms: "I could say yes to everything until God said, 'Are you willing to work for Me?' Then the Devil saw his last chance and said, 'If you promise to work for God you will have to leave home, and your husband will not let you go.'" Smith recalled that "the death struggle commenced" but the victory ultimately was hers: "All that man-fearing spirit was taken away, and my heart was overflowing with perfect love that was so unspeakable and full of glory."58 Smith later traveled throughout ten states and Canada as a member of the first evangelistic team of the Church of God (Anderson).

Sarah Lankford, Phoebe Palmer's sister, advised a correspondent: "Get the blessing of holiness, and it will be a gift of power."59

Wesleyan/Holiness women testified to the fact that empowerment accompanied the experience of holiness. Their ministries demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they effectively challenged the ethic of domesticity which sought to confine them within the walls of their homes. Armed with the gift of power, women overcame the "man-fearing spirit," and moved outside their homes, refusing to limit their ministries to their immediate families. Christian feminists' discussions of empowerment can be enhanced by the awareness of their foremothers in the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement who relied on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to minister as evangelists and social reformers. Their lives provide a usable past to inspire their daughters as they articulate a theology of empowerment that will enable them to fulfill their calling in the world today. (60)

Stanley, S.C. (1989). “Empowered foremothers: Wesleyan/holiness women speak to today's Christian feminists.” Wesleyan Theological Journa l, 24, 103-116.

Notes

1. Amanda Berry Smith, An Autobiography, The Story of the Lord's Dealings with Mrs. Amanda Smith the Colored Evangelist , with an Introduction by J. M. Thoburn (Chicago: Meyer & Brother, Publishers, 1893), p. vi. Amanda Smith's (1837-1915) ministry extended to England, India and Africa.

2. Byron J. Rees, Hulda, The Pentecostal Prophetess or a Sketch of the Life and Triumph of Mrs. Hulda A. Rees, Together with Seventeen of Her Sermons (Philadelphia: Christian Standard Col, Ltd., 1898), p. 20. Hulda Rees (1855-1898) was a Quaker preacher who conducted evangelistic campaigns along with her husband, Seth Rees.

3. Lynn N. Rhodes, Co-creating: A Feminist Vision of Ministry (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1987), p. 54.

4. Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel and Jürgen Moltmann, "Becoming Human in the New Community," in The Community of Women and Men in the Church: The Sheffield Report , ed. Constance F. Parvey (Philadelphia: Fortress Press. [1983]), pp. 29ff.

5. Nancy A. Hardesty stated the connection between sanctification and power in her discussion of Holiness women in her dissertation. "'Your Daughters Shall Prophesy': Revivalism and Feminism in the Age of Finney" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago, 1976), pp. 55, 78. Another author to recognize the relationship is William L. Andrews who edited the autobiographies of Holiness evangelists Jarena Lee, Zilpha Elaw and Julia Foote: "We cannot understand the special sense of empowerment that Lee, Elaw, and Foote discovered in Christianity unless we examine the idea of 'sanctification.'" Sisters of the Spirit (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986), p. 14.

6. Rosemary Keller, "The Transformed Life in Jesus Christ: Toward a Feminist Perspective in the Wesleyan Tradition," in Wesleyan Theology Today: A Bicentennial Theological Consultation , ed. Theodore Runyon (Nashville: Kingswood Books, 1985), pp. 197, 200.

Keller's article appeared along with eight other papers in the section entitled "Constructing a Feminist Theology in the Wesleyan Tradition." Several contributors mentioned the Holy Spirit and empowerment yet none pursued the doctrine of sanctification and its relationship to power.

My work parallels Keller's approach in that theological reflection results from a study of women's lives rather than a survey of holiness theological treatises. James McClendon advocates this approach to exploring theology in Biography as Theology (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1974).

7. Randy Maddox, "Wesleyan Theology and the Christian Feminist Critique," Wesleyan Theological Journal 22 (Spring 1987): 107. See his article for a systematic comparison of the two theologies.

8. Winthrop S. Hudson, Religion in America (4th ed.; New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987), p. 256.

9. The role of empowerment in the theology of the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement raises several issues. First, did women emphasize power more than men? While my research has focused on the role of empowerment in the lives of Wesleyan/Holiness women, there is evidence that men addressed the doctrine of empowerment as well. John Fletcher observed, "Upon the whole, it is, I think, undeniable, from the first four chapters of the Acts, that a peculiar power of the Spirit is bestowed upon believers under the gospel of Christ." ( John Fletcher, Christian Perfection [Nashville, Tenn.: Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1917], p. 29.) In light of this observation, he advised; "Constantly wait for full 'power from on high'" (Christian Perfection, p. 83). After his sanctification, B. T. Roberts reported: "I received a power to labor such as I had never possessed before." (Quoted by Benson Howard Roberts in Benjamin Titus Roberts: A Biography , [North Chili, New York: "The Earnest Christian" Office, 1900], p. 51.) A. M. Hills, a Congregational pastor who later became known as a prominent theologian in the Church of the Nazarene, authored Holiness and Power (Cincinnati: Revivalist Office, 1897). In the preface, Hills speaks of the "doctrine of the instantaneous 'baptism with the Holy Ghost,' with its consequent 'holiness and power'" ( Holiness and Power , p. 5). Power obviously accompanies holiness in the theology of this author. Later in the book, Hills lists the enduement of power as one of the results of entire sanctification or holiness and briefly relates the stories of over thirty people ( Holiness and Power , pp. 326-343).

The second issue bearing upon the discussion of empowerment has already been introduced with the statement by Hudson contrasting the higher life or Keswick formulation of holiness doctrine with Wesleyan/Holiness theology. Once Hudson's thesis has been refuted, the next question is how the two groups understood the role of power, not only in terms of power for service but in terms of combating sin in the Christian's life. The women whose writings were consulted for this article focused on power for service rather than the role of power in rooting out sin or keeping the sinful nature under control.

Last, did many in the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement abandon the doctrine of empowerment along with other Pentecostal language when the Pentecostal Movement emerged in the twentieth century?

Each of these questions, while outside the scope of this article, deserves further investigation.

10. Charles Edward White, The Beauty of Holiness: Phoebe Palmer as Theologian, Revivalist, Feminist, and Humanitarian (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Francis Asbury Press of Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), p. 128. Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874) was a Methodist Episcopal laywoman whose evangelistic efforts resulted in approximately 25,000 conversions. White documents the pivotal role of Palmer in the Wesleyan/Holiness Movement in his biography.

To test White's statement a survey of Four Years in the Old World (New York: Foster & Palmer, Jr., 1865) reveals Palmer used power 38 times and mentions purity or cleansing six times. In The Promise of the Father (Boston: Henry V. Degen, 1859; reprint ed., Salem, Ohio, Schmul Publishers, n.d.), Palmer uses power 90 times and purity or cleansing 21 times.

11. Palmer, Promise , p. 206; Four Years , p. 33.

12. Guide to Holiness , 64 (1873):24 quoted in Beauty of Holiness , p. 286.

13. White, Beauty of Holiness , p. 122.

14. Palmer, Four Years , p. 151. See also Phoebe Palmer, ed., Pioneer Experiences or, the Gift of Power Received by Faith (New York: W. C. Palmer, Jr., 1868), p. xi.

15. [Phoebe or Walter Palmer], "The Doctrine of Sanctification and Woman's Work," Guide to Holiness , March 1879, p. 85. Alma White, "Woman's Chains," Woman's Chains , Jan.-Feb. 1924, p.4.

16. "The Doctrine of Sanctification and Woman's Work," p. 85.

17. Palmer, Four Years , pp. 96, 122, 127; Palmer, Promise of the Father , pp. 257-8.

18. Frances Willard, "Work of the W.C.T.U.," in Women's Work in America , ed. Annie Nathan Meyer (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1981; reprint ed., New York: Arno Press, 1972), p. 408.

19. Annie Wittenmyer, History of the Woman's Temperance Crusade (Philadelphia: Office of the Christian Woman, 1878), p. 771. Annie Wittenmyer (1827-1900) served as the first president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She also wrote a holiness tract, "The Valley of Blessing." Charles E. Jones, Perfectionist Persuasion: The Holiness Movement and American Methodism , 1867-1936. ATLA Monograph Series, no. 5 (Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press Inc., 1974), p. 38.

20. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins (New York: Crossroad, 1983), pp. 184-5.

21. See Susie Cunningham Stanley, "Alma White: Holiness Preacher with a Feminist Message" (Ph.D. dissertation, Iliff School of Theology/University of Denver, 1987), pp. 305-321 for a brief overview of the work of Wesleyan/Holiness exegetes in documenting the prominent role of women in the New Testament. B. T. Roberts voiced the consensus:

"In the New Testament church, woman, as well as man, filled the office of Apostle, Prophet, Deacon or Preacher, and Pastor. There is not the slightest evidence that he functions of any of these offices, when filled by a woman, were different from what they were when filled by a man. Woman took a part in governing the Apostolic church." (B. T. Roberts, Ordaining Women [Rochester, N.Y.: Earnest Christian Publishing House, 1891], p. 159.)

Rosemary Radford Ruether also discusses prophetic versus priestly traditions in Sexism and Godtalk: Toward a Feminist Theology (Boston: Beacon Press, 1983), pp. 194-9.

22. Moltmann-Wendel and Moltmann, in Sheffield, p. 41. Moltmann summarized briefly the transition from prophetic to priestly authority in the early church: "The church quite early in its history tied the Holy Spirit to the successive holders of the episcopal office, especially in the old doctrine of the monarchical episcopate" (p. 41).

The decline of women ministers in the Wesleyan/Holiness movement can be attributed to this same sociological process. As churches became institutionalized, leaders de-emphasized prophetic authority.

23. Wheatley, The Life and Letters of Mrs. Phoebe Palmer (New York: W. C. Palmer, Publisher, 1881; reprint ed., New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1984), pp. 631-632.

24. Letty Russell, Household of Freedom: Authority in Feminist Theology (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987), p. 23.

25. Rhodes, Co-Creating , pp. 26-27.

26. Ibid., p. 46.

27. Palmer, Promise , p. vi.

28. Ibid., p. 75.

29. Julia A. J. Foote, A Brand Plucked from the Fire (Cleveland, Ohio: By the Author, 1879), p. 112. Undaunted by the refusal of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to ordain her, Julia Foote (1823-1900) conducted evangelistic campaigns from Massachusetts to Ohio and up into Canada.

30. Mary Cole, Trials and Triumphs of Faith (Anderson, Ind.: Gospel Trumpet Company, 1914), p. 191. Mary Cole (1853-1940) was an evangelist in the Church of God (Anderson). She also worked for ten years in the slum district of Chicago.

31. Sarah Smith, Life Sketches of Mother Sarah Smith (Anderson, Ind.: Gospel Trumpet Company, 1901), p. 55. Sarah Smith (1822-1908) led a holiness band in Ohio before affiliating in 1882 with what is now the Church of God (Anderson).

32. Ibid., p. 17.

33. Alma White, The Story of My Life and Pillar of Fire (5 vols.; Zarephath, N.J.: Pillar of Fire, 1935-1943), 1:364. Alma White (1862-1946) began her ministerial career as an evangelist in Colorado. She founded the Pentecostal Union (now the Pillar of Fire Church) in 1901 and served as its first bishop. See Stanley, "Alma White" for further information.

34. Rachel Wild Peterson, The Long Lost Rachel Wild or, Seeking of Diamonds in the Rough: Her Experience in the Slums of Denver (Denver: Reed Publishing Co., 1905), p. 264. Rachel Peterson (1860-?) was a gospel worker in Denver. Working independently and with holiness missions, she conducted street meetings and visited jails and hospitals. She ministered to alcoholics and prostitutes, often taking them into her home.

35. Wheatley, Life and Letters , p. 614.

36. Palmer, Promise , p. 248.

37. White, Beauty of Holiness , pp. 64-5, 224.

38. Hynson, To Reform the Nation (Grand Rapids: Francis Asbury Press of Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), p.12.

39. Ibid., p. 59.

40. Ibid., p. 119.

41. Ibid., p. 28.

42. Alma White, The New Testament Church (Zarephath, N.J.: Pillar of Fire, 1929), p. 74.

43. Jennie Fowler Willing, "Amounting to Something," Guide to Holiness , May 1893, p. 140. Jennie Fowler Willing (1834-1916) was a licensed local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Illinois until the Church recalled all women's licenses in 1880. She advocated temperance and other reforms. In 1895, she established the New York Evangelistic Training School which incorporated settlement work in its ministry. See Joanne Elizabeth C. Brown, "Jennie Fowler Willing (1834-1916): Methodist Churchwoman and Reformer," (Ph.D. dissertation, Boston University Graduate School, 1983) for more information.

44. Jennie Fowler Willing, "The Women's Christian Temperance Union," Guide to Holiness , March 1896, p. 102.

45. Wittenmyer, History of the Crusade, pp. 331, 582.

46. Ibid., p. 106.

47. Ibid., p. 534.

48. Nancy F. Cott, The Bonds of Womanhood: "Woman's Sphere" in New England, 1780-1835 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977), p. 98.

49. Ibid., pp. 1-2.

50. Nancy Hardesty, Lucille Sider Dayton, and Donald W. Dayton, "Women in the Holiness Movement: Feminism in the Evangelical Tradition," in Women of Spirit: Female Leadership in the Jewish and Christian Traditions , ed. Rosemary Ruether and Eleanor McLaughlin (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1979), p. 242. See also Anne C. Loveland, "Domesticity and Religion in the Antebellum Period: The Career of Phoebe Palmer," Historian , May 1977, pp. 460, 465.

51. Wheatley, Life and Letters , p. 597.

52. Andrews, Sisters of the Spirit , p. 45.

53. Kathleen M. White, "Should Women Have Full Ministerial Responsibilities?" Woman's Chains , July-August 1944, p. 2; no source given for quotation. Kathleen White was Alma White's daughter-in-law.

54. Jennie Fowler Willing, "Woman and the Pentecost: Salome," Guide to Holiness , September 1989, p. 87.

55. Alma White, "Woman and the New Era," Woman's Chains , November-December 1940, p. 4.

56. Alma White, "Woman's Place," Woman's Ministry (London: Pillar of Fire [1921]), p. 5.

57. Hardesty, Dayton and Dayton, "Women in the Holiness Movement," p. 244.

58. Sarah Smith, Life Sketches , p. 16.

59. Wheatley, Life and Letters , p. 67.

Beatitudes Part II

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 08:00:06 GMT

You Are Blessed to Be a Blessing

As we continue to take a deep dive into the Beatitudes, I want to encourage you to go back and read An Introduction to the Beatitudes and take some time to process that—if you haven’t already—then return to this installment.

When Jesus spoke these words and preached this sermon, He was teaching His followers how to live in the sinful world they found themselves in: the same kind of sinful world we still find ourselves in today. Now, it is important to be aware that there is a dispute whether this teaching was for the twelve disciples only, or the wider crowd who had followed Jesus to hear Him preach at this time. Regardless of which it was, there is so much we can learn about being followers of Jesus as preacher women.

Before we dive in, let’s review the Scripture verses that we will examine in this particular post. We are going to look specifically at Matthew 5:3-5 and discuss what this means and how we can live it out.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”1 NRSV

Why The Beatitudes?

The Beatitudes are a series of blessings that Jesus shares for Kingdom citizens. We live in a broken world, unlike the world of perfection that was created for us and that we were created to live in. When sin entered the world, everything was affected in a negative way. Our bodies began to break down (illness and diseases began to take a toll), our relationships began to break down, our minds, hearts, and feelings all began to suffer distortion from the effects of sin and the fall ; but God had a plan.

Even in all this, Jesus does not leave us as abandoned children. In this passage, we see the blessings—shall I say—of the brokenness we encounter. Not because of anything that we’ve done, but because of who He is, we are able to have hope and be blessed because of the character and person of Jesus. It doesn’t depend on our goodness, praise the Lord, or our happiness or state of mind, but it is fully dependent on who He is. Isn’t that exciting?!

A Study of Words

Words take on many meanings in the English language. For instance, if we think of the word love: we can love our families, our friends, our food, or our pets. The love we feel for our spouse or our friend is very different, yet we use the same word. Our love for our favorite food is different from the love we have for our pets. Yet we use the same word.

Looking again at the above passage, we see the repetition of the word blessed . Any time there is repetition, we should take note and investigate further. The word blessed (in this passage) is translated from the Greek word makarios which means “supremely blest, fortunate, well off, happy.”2 So when we consider this as the fuller meaning of blessed, let’s jump back and reread that passage of Scripture again.

When I read those verses, it is a bit shocking at first. Jesus’ words tear down all the lies the world is trying to teach me. Think about it, this is what the world tells you: you’ll be well off if you make more money, you’ll be well off if you live in a bigger house, drive a bigger car, you’ll be happy if you just take that exotic vacation, go to the spa, get your hair or nails done, eat at that restaurant, you’ll be supremely blessed if you lose that weight or get a fatter bank account…I will stop here. You fill in whatever lies you are encountering that say you will be supremely blest, fortunate, well off or happy.

Jesus turns the world upside right in His words and promises to us. The wonderfully freeing truth we have in the Beatitudes is that they are not a checklist of to dos and rules to hem us in, keep us in line, or that we must check off. The Beatitudes are words given to us as grace, dripping like honey from a honeycomb with blessing and hope in a desperate and broken world.

This is the way Christians are called to live in community with one another; as Kingdom citizens, extending grace upon grace, even when we’re experiencing difficult and the most trying of times. Speaking these words of grace over someone, demonstrating them by living them out in your family, church gathering, and community bring hope and peace to a tired and broken person or community of people.

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Poverty is not something any of us desire. Yet, Jesus, in all His wisdom, starts these blessings saying that we are blessed if we are poor in spirit. The world, now and historically, has had a pride issue. If we look back through time and even within our own circles today, we can see the toll pride and even independence takes on us personally and on those around us. Wars, dominance, racism, misogyny, entitlement, and many more things, are all rooted in pride.

Being poor in spirit is having the pride stripped away, allowing pride to be removed and instead of clawing for and striving to be out front, on top, or hurting others to get what we want; it’s about building others up, allowing others to be in the spotlight, giving a hand up to someone else and cheering them on as they run faster and farther than us.

It’s letting go of our claim to what we think we deserve or what’s fair. Being poor in spirit is letting go of the independence that we pride ourselves in and listening to learn and grow rather than to respond. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is for those who are poor in spirit.

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Our culture does not do this well. Let’s be honest about it: grief and lack of mourning are taking a toll on people. The pandemic that has been with us for the past two+ years has caused a lot of people a lot of loss in a lot of ways. Family members and friends are no longer here with us. Family and friends do not gather unrestricted and uninhibited anymore. Families and friends are being affected by the polarization our world is experiencing on so many topics and levels.

There has been rampant sin in our world, our communities, our churches, our families, and maybe even in ourselves that we must address. To do so, we must first admit to it, truly understanding that pride is an abomination and we need cleansing from it. Then we must confess it, telling God that we have a problem and cannot fix it on our own. Finally, we must receive forgiveness and release from it, accepting the forgiveness that Jesus offers freely to all who will accept it. Oh Lord, help us mourn, first over our personal sin then our corporate sin. If you are reading this and say you are without sin, maybe you are, but maybe go to Jesus first and see what He says.

Mourning deeply over our brokenness and sin, grieving the pain and distance it has caused will bring us into the place where Jesus can bring an entire wholeness and fullness to us, but we must mourn first. When we mourn we are not left alone. Jesus is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit and we will be comforted.

There is nothing that we cannot bring to Him, no sin has us too far gone that He can’t forgive, heal, restore, and make us new. What peace we have, what comfort the Healer brings. We simply need to come and lay it before Him: mourn, grieve, pour out all the junk. Give it to Him and be filled when you receive His comfort.

Blessed Are the Meek

We often think of weak when we think of the word meek, but that is far from what is meant. If we look at Scripture, we see that Moses is described as meek. Meekness, in the truest sense of the word, describes someone who trusts God. To be a Kingdom citizen and especially a Kingdom leader: preacher sister, we must learn to be meek.

Trusting God with every aspect of your ministry and life just as Moses did is what Jesus is asking us to do. Learning to surrender, even in the face of accusation and negativity like Jesus did, trusting God to be your defender is the way of Kingdom leadership. No, it’s not easy, but Jesus tells us that those who are meek will inherit the earth.

Personal Reflection

As you have read through these three Beatitudes, which one speaks most to you in your life and context right now?
Is there something Jesus is speaking to you personally that He wants to accomplish in and through you that you may be avoiding or putting on a shelf in your mind to deal with at another time?
What if you take that one thing and let God have His way within you and truly hear what He has to say?
Are you ready to take the dive into the deep and allow Him to transform you for His glory and to see His Kingdom come and His will be done, first in you?

Please remember, preacher woman, you are not alone. You are blessed to, in turn, be a blessing. You are part of a community at Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy who will support you and encourage you to grow in your calling and your holiness. We are not meant to live static and neutral lives but to step out in faith, grow deep roots and good branches, blossom and produce good fruit for the Kingdom, all within a community of support. We exist to serve one another. If you’re not already a part of this community, won’t you reach out and be part of it? You, my dear sister may just be an answer to another woman's prayer.

Resources

1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A3-5&version=NRSV

2 Strong, James. The New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words . Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996. p.654

The Early Holiness Movement

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 08:00:03 GMT

Redefining the Role of Women in Ministry

From its very earliest days in America the Methodist/Holiness Movement redefined the role of women in ministry, giving them a level of respect and dignity beyond that which had been afforded them at any previous period or by any other religion, society, or movement in church history.

These gains did not come without good reason for the founder of Methodism himself, John Wesley, considered his godly mother, Susanna Annesley Wesley, the greatest contributing factor in his own spiritual formation. This is striking when you consider that both his father and grandfather were gifted ministers. But Susanna was a remarkable person. though she lived in a day, and was part of a church, that did not recognize the worth of women, she still developed quite a remarkable ministry that reached well beyond the 19 children she brought into this world. During one of her husband's extended trips, Susanna preached so effectively to family and friends in her kitchen that the group, numbering 200, outgrew the house. The minister who supplied for Samuel Wesley during his absence complained to his church superiors that her influence in the parish was excessive.

I have had the privilege of touring Wesley Chapel on John Street in New York City, the oldest Methodist Church in America. The Methodist movement in America actually did not begin as an outreach of the parent church in England. It was laity who formed the first Society in the States. Barbara Heck and her cousin Philip Embury had been a part of a German colony living in Ireland that was powerfully transformed by the preaching of John Wesley. They moved with a small group to America in 1760. Over the next few years Barbara became more and more concerned that the group was losing the grip on their faith. She began to push her cousin, Philip, to resume the role as class leader and local preacher which he had held in England. He agreed and she began to call family and friends together, and together they formed the first Methodist Class in her home in 1766. The group grew quickly and soon built the John Street Chapel.

Over the next century a growing tension began to develop within the Methodist Episcopal Church over John Wesley's teachings on Christian Perfection. In the 1830's two sisters, Sarah Lankford and Phoebe Palmer, both members of New York City Methodist Churches, organized a weekly prayer meeting which lasted well into the twentieth century and became widely known as the "Tuesday Meeting." This meeting became a center of revival within Methodism (and beyond) of the original Wesleyan teaching of sanctification as an experience subsequent to salvation in which the believer gains victory over sin.

A contemporary of Phoebe Palmer and Sarah Lankford was Catherine Booth. Married to William Booth, she and her husband began a work to serve the poorest of the poor in London's slums which would revolutionize the way the church viewed social ministry. In 1865 they officially organized as the Salvation Army and it was she who designed the uniforms to set the soldiers apart from those they were serving so that they could be easily recognized. Catherine firmly believed that the active participation by female Salvationists was vital to the movement, quoting the Apostle Paul who taught, "In Christ there is . . .neither male nor female." Her influence was lasting on the Army so that wives and husbands have been ordained together with identical ranks since the Army's beginning.

The first denomination to come out of the Methodist Episcopal Church was the Wesleyan Methodist Church, founded in 1842. It is common knowledge that the issue that brought about the separation was abolition of slavery. The Wesleyan Methodists, along with another member denomination of the CHP, the Friends (Quakers), both made a place for themselves in history with the vital role they played in the underground railroad.

But what many people do not know is that the Wesleyan Methodist Church was also at the forefront of fighting for the rights of women. In July of 1998, thousands of women gathered at the remains of a small chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Women's Rights Movement. It was in that church that an unprecedented meeting was convened on July 19 and 20, 1848, to draft a "Declaration of Sentiments" calling for fairer treatment of women and their right to vote. This Chapel was a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel.

Many within the young denomination became involved in the new movement and the Seventh General Conference, meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, October 2, 1867, "voted a hearty approval of the agitation in the state of Kansas to give women the right to vote, and hoped to see 'the refinement of their presence, and the power of their wills' in evidence as voters in other states."1

The denominations took another giant step at the General Conference of 1879 when they voted to license women to preach. By 1891 several conferences took this a step farther and began to ordain women as elders. By 1912, Mrs. Iva E. Crofford became the first woman to be elected Conference President. (The Wesleyan Methodist Church is now simply The Wesleyan Church.)

During the last thirty years of the nineteenth century, as the great holiness revival came into full blossom and many other new holiness denominations sprang to life, the holiness movement became known for its wide acceptance of women preachers. There are, and always have been, some within our movement who have not agreed with this position. And it is little wonder as this issue continues to stir controversy in the broader evangelical community to this day. But the movement as a whole has continued to stand firm and today, the International Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy Conference draws hundreds of talented women in ministry who are proud of their heritage and are gifted proponents of our message.

Dr. Marlin Hotle, Editor, Holiness Digest

Hotle, M. (1999). “The early holiness movement: Redefining the role of women in ministry.” Holiness Digest 12, no.1, 4-5.

End Note

1. McLeister, Ira F. and Nicholson, Roy S. Conscience and Commitment (The Wesleyan Press, Marion, IN, 1976) p.81.

Women of Faith Series: Miriam

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 08:00:03 GMT

Sister, Prophetess, and Deliverer

As an older sister, I have been thinking about what it must have been like for Miriam to be the older sister of Moses. Then I began to ponder what we can learn about being an older sister from Miriam.

Miriam Watches Moses Exodus 2:1-10

We meet Miriam in Exodus 2 when she is watching her 3 month old brother, Moses, being rescued from the Nile River. She was given the task of watching to see what would happen to her brother. She sees the daughter of Pharaoh find him and take him from the water. She then asks the daughter of Pharaoh if she would like her to find a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby. When Pharaoh’s daughter says yes, Miriam goes and finds their mother to take care of the baby until he is three years old. At this point in time Miriam was probably young and was very brave. She would also watch her brother grow until the age of three and then be returned to Pharaoh’s daughter.

We do not read about Miriam again until Exodus 15:20-21. I can only imagine what she must have been thinking and feeling as she watched Moses grow up in Pharaoh’s home, go into exile after killing an Egyptian, then return, only to encounter Pharaoh, and go through the ten plagues and the Exodus from Egypt which was led by her brothers, Moses and Aaron. What was that like for Miriam? She had endured the suffering of her people in Egypt and watched from the sidelines as God delivered His people. She was now seeing the brother she had helped at birth, deliver her people.

Did she remember when the midwives did not kill the babies born to the Israelites like Pharaoh had commanded? Did she remember when that was happening how her mother and father had disobeyed Pharaoh’s edict and kept Moses alive? Was she nervous about going into the unknown land but confident that God’s leader Moses would lead them to freedom? Was she proud of her two brothers for being bold enough to stand before Pharaoh and be the voice of God? Did she stand in amazement as the Red Sea parted and they crossed over it and then watched the army of Pharaoh be destroyed as the waters merged again?

Miriam Leads in Worship Exodus 15:20-21

When we next read about her, we read -

“Aaron’s sister Miriam was a prophet. She took a tambourine in her hand.

All the women followed her. They played tambourines and danced.

Miriam sang to them,

‘Sing to the Lord.
He is greatly honored.
He has thrown Pharaoh’s horses and chariot drivers
into the Red Sea.’ “ (Exodus 15:20-21 NIRV).

It is interesting that she is identified in this passage as Aaron’s sister and as a prophetess. The NASB reads “Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister.” We also see that she is followed by all the women. Did they follow her because she was Moses’ and Aaron’s sister or because she was a leader before the Exodus?

It is also interesting that Micah 6:4 says that Moses, Aaron, and Miriam delivered the people from Egypt. What can be said is that in Exodus 15 she led the women in praise of God’s deliverance. We also know that the song she sang was one of the first songs of praise for the Israelites.

Miriam is identified as a prophetess, a role held by only a few women in the Old Testament and she was the first one. “Others called a “prophetess” are Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3), Anna (Luke 2:36), and Philip’s four daughters (Acts 21:9).” ( https://www.gotquestions.org/Miriam-in-the-Bible.html ) What was she thinking and feeling as she led the women in singing? What did it feel like to be the older sister of Moses as he led the people?

Miriam Complains about Moses Numbers 12:1-2

Our next meeting with Miriam comes in Numbers. The people have been wandering for many years.

“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, ‘Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?’ And the Lord heard it.“(Numbers 12:1-2 NASB).

Miriam and Aaron fell into a spirit of complaining or questioning God. The complaints centered on the marriage of Moses to a non Hebrew woman and the fact that Moses was the youngest of the three siblings. God’s punishment was swift as Miriam was struck with leprosy. Aaron intercedes and she is healed after seven days. She is kept in isolation for seven days and then the days of traveling begin again. One author says this about this incident

“As Miriam’s leprosy convicted Aaron of the foolish words they had spoken against God’s chosen servant, it should also remind us not to judge those around us or live in jealousy when God has given a specific call to someone else (see Titus 3:1–15; James 1:26; 4:11–12; Ephesians 4:31; Philippians 4:8). Miriam had an opportunity to show the people of Israel what it meant to live in love as a servant of God without complaining, and, for most of her life, she did; but she failed in the matter of Moses’ wife.“ ( https://www.gotquestions.org/Miriam-in-the-Bible.html ).

Miriam’s Death Numbers 20:1-2

After wandering for forty years, we meet Miriam last in Numbers 20:1-2. In this passage, she dies and is buried. She would not see the Promised Land but had spent a great part of her life, leading the people in their years of wandering alongside her brothers Moses and Aaron. She died in a waterless place and the people were complaining.

I found it interesting that when Miriam is introduced there was lots of water and when she died there was none. It was soon after her death that the episode at Meribah is recorded and Moses is told he will not enter the Promised Land, then shortly after this Aaron dies and is buried.

What Can We Learn

There are many things that we can learn from Miriam. The biggest lesson for me is that God’s way is best and I shall not murmur. The only negative picture from Miriam’s life is when she complained in Numbers 12. All the other times she was a supportive, brave, courageous and daring big sister and perhaps was also a bit proud of her younger brothers. The song poet C.W. Naylor penned these words

God’s way is best, I will not murmur,
Although the end I may not see;
Where’er He leads I’ll meekly follow,
God’s way is best, is best for me.

Miriam’s life shows me what happens when I am tempted to complain about anyone and particularly about those God has anointed for leadership.

Miraim’s life shows me that family is important and that we can draw strength from our families. Miriam’s courage saved Moses’ life when he was an infant. Aaron’s prayer to God for her deliverance did not take away the punishment but it did mean that she lived. Loyalty is important in our families and leadership teams or families. Together Moses, Miriam, and Aaron led God’s people in the Exodus. What does that tell us about the importance of teams and having teams of women and men?

As you ponder Miriam’s life, what lessons do you learn? How does her life speak to you as a sister if you have siblings? How does her life demonstrate that God uses teams of people to accomplish His mission?

References

https://www.christiansong-lyrics.com/charles-wesley-naylor-profile-and-list-of-gospel-hymns/

https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/miriam-in-the-bible/

https://www.ospreyobserver.com/2017/12/heroic-women-of-the-bible-miriam-the-original-big-sister/

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/miriam-bible

https://www.gotquestions.org/Miriam-in-the-Bible.html

http://womeninthebible.net/women-bible-old-new-testaments/miriam/

Catherine Booth

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 09:00:03 GMT

Influencer of a Holiness Movement that Continues

To her contemporaries, Catherine Mumford Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, was the epitome of eloquence, compassion, clarity of thought, Scriptural knowledge, forthrightness, and decisiveness.

She was preaching in London's City Temple in 1888. In her audience was a young American seminarian named S. Parkes Cadman. Several decades later, himself a preacher of world renown, he reflected on that experience. "I have not heard since," he declared, "anything which moved me more deeply than that remarkable address . . . delivered in the purest English, with faultless diction, in a voice like the pealing of a silver bell across a still lake."

Frederick Booth-Tucker, her son-in-law/biographer, quotes a contemporary religious periodical, "Mrs. Booth was a woman of no ordinary mind, and her powers of argument are of a superior character. Her delivery is calm, precise, and clear . . . her language is simple but well-chosen, and her ability fo r speaking is beyond the general order. Our ministers would do well to hear Mrs. Booth."

Who was this remarkable woman? Her voice will have been stilled for one hundred years in October 1990. However, she is still recognized throughout the world as the Mother of an Army, a preacher of superb power, and a partner in the creation of an international movement dedicated to the proclamation of Scriptural holiness as well as to the alleviation of the world's human miseries. Catherine Mumord's early childhood was unpretentious. Her home was comfortably middle-class, her father a prosperous carriage-builder and fervent lay preacher, her mother a devout Christian and loving wife and mother.

Quite early in life, however, Catherine was plagued with debilitating health problems, often necessitating long periods in bed. With a frail body, and little formal schooling, she developed a voracious appetite for reading. Besides her Bible, this included scholarly theological writings far beyond her years.

During her teens, her father resigned his ministry, and became a leader in a temperance group—then began to drink the liquor he had renounced. His frequent drunkenness became a matter of acute embarrassment and pain to his sensitive daughter. Her mother died after a struggle with cancer. Her only brother went off to San Francisco, a confirmed skeptic, and until Catherine's death she prayed for his salvation. Her own health remained fragile, and she was seldom without pain.

Then, in her early twenties, she met a dynamic young preacher named William Booth. United in heart and soul, their subsequent courtship and marriage reads like a storybook romance. Their letters throughout their lives reveal a rare combination of human intimacy and heavenly union. From this point on, the life of neither can be assessed separately.

As we approach her 161st birthday on January 17, 1990, her lasting influence is apparent not only on The Salvation Army, but upon the whole Christian church, especially those who proclaim the doctrine of holiness.

As a mother of eight children, parents find in her an example of tenderness, discipline, common sense, and Christian instruction. All of her natural children followed her into various Christian ministries, largely under the Army flag. However, at home, she was always the practical mother, tending to the everyday needs of her family.

Her daughter Emma, writing after her mother's death, asked the question, "Did her public duties conflict with her care for us, her love, her solicitude for our welfare? Was she less a mother because she was so much a warrior?" To which she gives an emphatic response, "Oh, no! Never was mother more of a mother than mine, in the truest sense of the word. To see her in the nursery one would never imagine the powerful preacher."

To Salvationists, she is the Mother of our movement. When her husband was confined by a prolonged illness in the early days, she was in charge of the Mission for many months. A warrior herself, she nevertheless brought a sensitive, gentle touch to the Army's battles against all kinds of evil, encouraging many aspects of our warfare, which are part of the Army's heritage today. She helped to design the Army's flag, and presented the first one to the Coventry Corps. She encouraged the wearing of uniforms as a distinctive Christian witness. She designed the first Army bonnet—not for style so much as to protect the heads of the first Lassies from the refuse thrown at them during bitter days of persecution.

Her renown as a preacher came after a struggle with her own timidity in public. Feeling divinely led at the conclusion of one of her husband's early services, she strode to the pulpit, declaring, "I want to say a word." From that time on, her powers increased, and she was in constant demand, especially among the West Enders of London, congregated in music halls and drawing rooms.

Emma remembers that her mother "had often to stand, single-handed and unaided, to face the large and refined audiences which were drawn together by the mere announcement of her name. Her vehement denunciations of wrongdoing, her bold advocacy of the right, her championship of the oppressed, her zeal for the cause, her beautiful self-forgetfulness, her transparent simplicity, her invincible courage . . ." were all elements of her preaching.

She soon became the champion of the principle that women, as well as men, were called to preach. A clergyman had written a strong objection to the preaching of Phoebe Palmer, an American evangelist. Catherine responded with a carefully reasoned, fervent rebuttal entitled "Female Ministry." More than a century later, the pamphlet is still in print, and the principle is still being debated by the Church. A multitude of women Salvationists, as well as many in other Churches, now follow her example in the preaching of the Word.

She was a partner with her husband in their compassion for the poor, translating creed into deed, and giving new meaning to John Wesley's dictum that "there is no holiness except social holiness." Booth's great epic, "In Darkest England and the Way Out," was written during her last illness, and each page was brought to her for her review at the close of each day's writing.

Her teaching of holiness was clear, doctrinally sound, tested by experience, and scripturally based. Her strong emphasis on Entire Sanctification not only influenced the continuing emphasis of the Salvation Army, but also antagonized some of the Movement's early supporters who were less committed to the doctrine. To a distinguished churchman who criticized her teaching, she wrote a carefully reasoned and documented response. She challenged him to "consider that our views are substantially one with those of Upham, Wesley, Fletcher, Finney, the teaching of many Friends, and of the Holiness people of America."

How interesting that two of the four named were Americans! How ironic that she included the Presbyterian/Congregationalist along with the founder of Methodism! It is clear that her teaching arose not only from Scripture and experience, but also from a careful study of holiness writings from both sides of the Atlantic.

Catherine Mumford Booth had never known robust health. Before she had reached her 60th birthday, the doctors had diagnosed cancer. In the late 1880s, very little could be done to relieve her two years of agony. To her family, she cried out, "The waters are rising, but so am I."

In death, the warrior-saint was a victor, as in life. The City of London stood still as her cortege passed by. Her husband gave an eloquent, moving tribute. Ten thousand mourners repeated a grave-side covenant, "We solemnly promise . . . true to our cause . . . devote ourselves to saving souls . . . faithful to Thee." Nearly a century later, her example and teaching encourage us to make the same commitment for the 1990s.

An Introduction to the Beatitudes

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:00:03 GMT

What Is Successful Ministry?

Over the next few months, we are going to do a deep dive into the Beatitudes. This famous passage of Scripture from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount has much to teach us as women pastors and leaders both inside and outside the church. We must focus on God’s way rather than the way of the world in our leadership and lives.

These things we are going to discuss may make you feel uncomfortable, stretch you in ways you didn’t know you could, and may go against everything in you that is natural—that’s okay. Jesus came to challenge us, flip our worlds upside right, and help us be more like Him, not more like the world. In order to do that, we must let go of our preconceived ideas, and the things we have learned from the world and dive deeply with fresh eyes into what He is saying. Are you ready to be transformed?

Success?

Matthew writes in Chapters 5-7 a famous sermon that we know as “The Sermon on the Mount”. This sermon is powerful, life changing, and flips what we are taught in our culture on its head. This passage of Scripture is sometimes widely known and something that if you’ve been around the church for a fair bit of time, you’ve heard preached or taught about numerous times—or maybe you’ve even preached and taught it numerous times. It may even be so familiar that we skim over it quickly rather than drink deeply from this passage when we encounter it.

In our culture, we are taught to strive for success; not just in the secular world, but in the church world too. The church leaders with the biggest numbers get applauded. Those who perform the most baptisms are lauded. Women pastors—and men pastors too—we must stop striving for the applause of people and strive to constantly and consistently walk in obedience to the One and Only who has called us.

A Clean Brain

This is going to take some “brain-washing” maybe: and some of us may need our brains washed of all the negative thoughts and words that have been spoken to us and/or about us that speak louder than the Truth. Some rewiring of the mind and a change of focus may need to be done to truly grasp that obedience is better than striving. Walking in your calling and fulfilling it is better than posting big numbers and gaining a name and platform for yourself. As I’ve listened to and been processing the podcast “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill”, I saw glimmers of myself and the dark side of leadership that we all like to ignore and pretend is not there.

So what things are truly important? Jesus tells us what the best things are in the Beatitudes and these professions can turn everything that we hold sacred and dear on their head. Let’s read through this passage slowly and take some time to assess our own motives, intentions, and expectations. Be honest with yourself and ask yourself, “Am I tracking with Jesus or has something else become my first love?”

The Beatitudes

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’ 2 Matthew 5:1-12 NRSV

So What Is Ministry Really About?

See, it’s not numbers in seats, but names of real people who are being transformed by the Gospel that matter. I am often reminded of what our current DS says about people - “every number has a name, and every name matters to Jesus.” 1 This is true and something we must remind ourselves of as we encounter and minister to others. Jesus saw people: stopped and looked them in the face, met them in their needs, loved them unconditionally, and felt their pain.

When I look through and study the Scriptures, I am awestruck by the prophets of old (for many reasons and unfortunately, we do not have time to get into right now). Let’s consider three in particular: Jonah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist.

Jonah was disobedient and tried to run away from his calling, but eventually, though argumentatively, submitted to God’s call and an entire city was transformed by the message he shared. Jeremiah on the other hand, prophesied and spoke God’s word faithfully, yet he did not have a single convert in his ministry. Then comes along John the Baptist, who spoke of himself as one that “must decrease.”

When we consider our own ministries, do we ever consider anything less than converting a city to be successful? Are we okay with preaching the Gospel and never having a convert - or do we think (and are told) that there’s something wrong with us if we don’t? Consider even John the Baptist’s ministry of decreasing…who in their right mind would celebrate a decreasing ministry?

Jonah, Jeremiah, and John had very different callings and very different ministries to very different peoples. None is more important than another and none should be more celebrated. Yes, Jonah’s disobedience was bad, his attitude leaves a lot to be desired, but if we’re simply counting conversions, he is a profound success. Jeremiah’s obedience and faithfulness to God and sharing God’s message is inspiring, but if we use the same measure of simply counting conversions, he was a miserable failure. John the Baptist started strong, then realized that his ministry must decrease and Jesus’ ministry must increase. Again, if we’re counting conversions only, he would not be top shelf.

Each of these prophets walked in obedience to their calling—well, except Jonah; he operated at less than full obedience, but even in that, God still worked miraculously through him. God calls us, each one who has been called to be on mission with Him. God equips us, and will give each of us everything we need to fulfill the calling He has given us, and God will be with us throughout the mission that He has us on. God called, equipped, and was with Jonah, Jeremiah, and John and He will be with you too.

Don’t worry about metrics and things you can see as much as being obedient to the calling God has for your life. Also, don’t take this as a license to be lazy and not fulfill your calling. This is between you and Jesus. Are you walking in obedience to His calling or trying to fulfill a ministry that someone has put on you?

Make it Personal

As we have begun to look at the Beatitudes, is there one in particular that jumps out at you?
Is there one that especially speaks to your soul, something that Jesus is desperately trying to minister to your heart through?
Take that particular Beatitude and write it down, memorize it, meditate on it, ask God how to make it part of who you are, surrendering all old thoughts, ways, and expectations; and instead pick up the mantle of truth that He has for you.

The Beatitudes will change the trajectory of your life if you allow them to. If you take the Beatitudes seriously, grasping and reaching for power and significance will come to an end and you will learn to be okay living in obscurity (if that’s what He’s calling you to) rather than seeking out celebrity status.

Can you be okay with being who God is calling you to—be it highly visible and celebrity, someone who is obedient and doesn’t celebrate all the fruit, or even someone who must decrease? May everything you do be for the glory and lifting up of Jesus rather than your own platform building.
Spend some time in solitude and silence and see where He is guiding you.

References

Rev. Peter Moore, DS Atlantic District of the Wesleyan Church
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A1-12&version=NRS V

Photo: Jan Brueghel the Elder (Flemish, 1568 - 1625)The Sermon on the Mount, 1598, Oil on copper. https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/738/jan-brueghel-the-elder-the-sermon-on-the-mount-flemish-1598/?dz=0.3670,0.3790,1.71

A Case Study in Biblical Interpretation: Women in Ministry

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 09:00:03 GMT

A Hermenutical Approach

Introduction

In coming to this workshop/case study, there are certain affirmations or understandings which I state as basic to our approach.1

First of all, I am committed to the full inspiration of the Scriptures. I personally subscribe to the inerrancy position in my definition of biblical inspiration. Whether all of us subscribe to that terminological position or not, I take it that all of us will agree that we are committed to the Scriptures as our norm for guidance on all issues, and particularly to the basic issue in this workshop today, viz. women in ministry.2

Second, we need to state the hermeneutical principle to be followed in this workshop setting. The question arises as to whether we understand certain Scriptures in what I shall term a "literalistic/separatistic" way or in what we may term a "principled" way, that is, seeking to understand what the Apostle Paul was addressing within his original context. To follow the first method, which it seems to me is what many have done or do, is to bring certain Scriptures into conflict with other Scriptures. I cannot accept such a divisive hermeneutical principle in light of my adherence to the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. Thus where I seem to see a potential conflict, I am driven back to take a second look at the setting of the Scriptures(s) involved to see what principle may be there and what the basis for such a hermeneutical approach may be.

With these basic understandings we come to our case study and the question of women in ministry.3

The Basic Question of Study

Certain selected Scriptures have been and are being quoted as giving conclusive evidence that the Bible forbids the authorization of women in ministry. Let us note them as follows: I Corinthians 14:33-37; I Timothy 2:11-15; I Timothy 3:2, 12. There are those who believe these scripture passages settle the issue of women in ministry—or at least the ordination of women. However, as we read the passages carefully, not one speaks to the issue of women in the ministry or even ordination. Such passages can only be used in that way if one uses the attempted sequence, viz. if women are not allowed to speak in the Corinthian church and Paul for some reason doesn't allow women to teach, then certainly women can't be in ministry and certainly not ordained. That comes dangerously close to what we call a "logical non-sequitur," i.e., jumping to a conclusion without the necessary sequence of logical steps to arrive at the same.

Therefore, as we now address ourselves to the question of women in ministry, there are three things we must do: first, note the total context in the Scriptures in relation to women in ministry; second, see what happens if we follow what we termed the "literalistic" hermeneutic; third, investigate what happens when we follow a "contextual" or "principled" hermeneutic.

First of all, then, honest hermeneutics demand consistency in the use of all Scriptures. Thus we note Paul speaking of women prophesying and praying in I Corinthians 11:5.4 Again he speaks in Romans 16:1 of Phoebe, a "deacon" of the church at Cenchrea.5 Further on in Romans 16 he speaks in his greetings of Priscilla and Aquila, putting Priscilla first (v. 3)6; of Andronicus and Junia (v. 7)7 who were of note among the apostles; of Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who worked hard in the Lord. In Philippians 4:2,3, he speaks of Euodias and Syntyche as fellow laborers in the Lord. To the Colossians, Paul writes of Nympha and the church in her house (4:16). In other New Testament areas, one remembers the risen Lord commissioning women to go and tell the disciples of His resurrection, or the four daughters of Philip who had the gift of prophesying (Acts 21:9). We also see the Old Testament background in the records of Deborah, the judge/prophetess (Judges 4 and 5) and Huldah, the prophetess (II Kings 22:14-20). Such a context must speak to us in relation to women in ministry.

A Literalistic Approach and Its Problems

Let us see what happens then if we follow a literalistic interpretation of the three passages above under review. How would such a view affect what we do today in church life?

For one thing, we would have to forbid women from speaking publicly in church, for a literalistic understanding of I Corinthians 14 seems to say that women are to be silent in the church. Under such circumstances, women could not be Sunday school teachers or even speak in any other way. But the Brethren in Christ have never taken such position.

Again, if I Timothy 2:11-15 were taken in the literalistic sense, we would have to forbid women from accepting any position in which they would teach even in church institutions. This would not only exclude them from Sunday school teaching but from other positions, such as teaching at Niagara Christian College (a denominationally-owned institution) or Messiah College (a covenant-related institution denominationally) if male students were there. And one wonders if such prohibition would not extend also to acting as administrators or supervisors in such institutions.

Further, if we take I Timothy 3:2 and 12 literally, we would have to require all chosen for such positions to be the husband of one wife. Unmarried individuals could never serve as bishops/overseers/elders or as deacons under such prohibitions. And yet as Brethren in Christ we have had such serving in our own historical setting.

A Call for Honesty in Our Hermeneutics

What is this saying to us? It says that we have chosen not to interpret these passages in a literalistic way. Instead we have tried to understand them in the biblical and cultural context in which they were written. To be honest in our biblical interpretation we must be consistent in our use of the Scriptures. Either we must forbid all positions of teaching and supervising to women or recognize that these passages cannot be made to speak directly against women in ministry.

The same approach must be used to evaluate other arguments adduced from the Scriptures against the ordination of women. For example, some have argued that since Jesus chose only male apostles, he intended ministers to be males for all time, and that He would have chosen women apostles had he intended women to function as ministers. But the absurdity of such an argument can be seen in Jesus' ministry as He broke down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Thus, He flouted conventional customs by interacting with Gentiles (e. g., Samaritan woman at the well; Syro-Phoenician woman; centurion whose servant was sick). Yet all the apostles were Jews. If we follow the line of logic posited above, we would have to say that ministers for all time should be Jews. That is a reductio ad absurdum!

A Hermeneutical Approach on the Basis of The Principle Involved

What happens then when we take the passages noted and seek to understand the New Testament teaching from the viewpoint of the principle(s) involved? And on the question of women in ministry what would such an approach say?

For one thing, it would mean that specific passages so often used to argue against women in ministry and even the ordination of women should be understood as specific instructions to specific circumstances. For example, in light of Paul's obvious intention not to silence women in worship in I Corinthians, 11:1-168, we can conclude that the Apostle's concern in I Corinthians 14 had to do with the exercise of gifts in the order of worship. He focuses on tongues and gives evidence of concern for a misuse of the gift. The connection between that concern and the statement that women are to keep silence can lead to the possibility that Paul's command was relevant to Corinthian women getting out of order both in the exercise of gifts and in disturbing the spirit of worship.

In a similar way, Paul's sharp statement in I Timothy 2, if taken in a contextual/principle way, appears to address a situation in which teaching activities by certain women have been in contradistinction to Paul's authoritative teachings and may even have brought disrepute on the church. But such advice/commands should not be taken to controvert his allowance from women to pray and prophecy within the church. Also, when it comes to I Timothy 3:2, Paul is not speaking to whether or not women should be pastors or whether single males may be ordained or not. He actually is forbidding the position of an overseer to those who have more than one wife.

Other Relevant Considerations

Other considerations are as follows:

1. In Galatians 3:28 we see Paul stating the principle that in Christ there is neither male nor female. Certainly, this does not infer that distinctions between male and female should be disregarded. But it does mean that spiritually there are no longer any distinctions between male and female, as had definitely been the case in Judaism. All are equal in Christ. Any attempt to deny not only salvation but also spiritual gifts to either men or women goes directly against the grain of this great principle.

2. While the priesthood in the Old Testament was completely closed to women, we find the New Testament moving in a definite direction towards the participation of women in ministry. In fact, as we see in I Peter 2:5, the New Testament sets forth the profound truth of the priesthood of all believers. Thus we see the amazing changes in a short period of time which resulted in such moves as Paul taking on co-workers such as Priscilla, Phoebe, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Euodias (Eudia), Syntyche, and others almost too numerous to mention.

3. Let us think in terms of an analogy in reply to the question, Can women be in the Christian ministry? In certain cases, it appears to be quite apparent that God intended the church to continue in a developing movement after New Testament times that would be consonant with and based upon revealed principles. A specific issue, for example, is that of slavery. Paul states in Galatians 3:28 a principle, "There is neither slave nor free in Christ." Yet we do not find him specifically forbidding the practice of slavery at that time. But the principle of the abolishment of slavery worked in the history of the church and the times. We would agree, would we not, that God intended movement in the direction to which the New Testament principle pointed—no slavery at all?9

4. Let us in the same way apply the principle concept to the issue of "women in the Christian ministry." Is it consistent with New Testament principles to have women in the Christian ministry today, even to ordain them? As we look at both the Scriptures in their total context and then at the ensuing evidence, I believe we will affirm that God does want us to open the doors of ministry to all of His own. As we look at the cultural milieu in which we live, we need to make this scriptural principle a reality, bringing our sisters into full participation in Christian ministry, including ordination. Why do we say this? I suggest three reasons as follows:10

First, we see in the Scripture the spiritual oneness of male and female in Christ, the priesthood of all believers, and ask, Does that not lead in the direction of full participation of male and female in ministry?

Second, we see our sisters sensing God's call in their hearts leading them to preparation for ministry. We see them equipped with spiritual gifts, enabling them to do the tasks of pastoral ministry.

Third, we have seen God blessing the ministry of women. In my lifetime I recall, to name but a few, the ministry of an Anna Kraybill Engle in our Thomas, Oklahoma, church; of Maggie Sollenberger in the San Francisco Life Line Mission; of Sarah Bert in the Chicago Mission; of Frances Davidson in Africa and at Messiah College; of Katie Smith Buckwalter in India and home missions. I personally have seen and felt the ministry of most of these women at some point in my life and have also seen the larger fields of their endeavors as they brought men and women to Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

With a reordered understanding of the Scripture so commonly used against women in ministry and teaching, I take a look at the larger scriptural context. I think of the position in which Peter and his fellow Christians found themselves when they went to preach to Cornelius and his household. They were shocked as they witnessed the Spirit being outpoured on Gentiles just as He was on Jews, and that without the rites of circumcision. Even though they had not understood that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, and Peter had had but a glimmer of it with the vision of all kinds of beasts let down from heaven, yet when they saw the evidence of the Spirit falling on the Gentiles, Peter cried out, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Sprit just as we have (Acts 10:47)."

As Brethren in Christ we are not called on to believe that there is any new grace or qualification added even in an act of ordination, but rather that this is public recognition of divine calling to ministry in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . . In the Petrine vein we may be constrained to say, "How can we men keep women from being ordained when they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

NOTES

1 I acknowledge very material help in preparation for this workshop presentation from John C. Brunt, "Ordination of Women: A Hermeneutical Question," Ministry (September 1988), 12-14. Brunt is Dean of the School of Theology at Walla Walla College in Washington. Naturally, there are several variant viewpoints between the author's basic Seventh-Day Adventist approach and my firm commitment to the Brethren in Christ and general evangelical approach. However, the author's general viewpoint and wrestling with the hermeneutical question involved is consonant with my own wrestlings. I have reformed the concepts in my own terms and made them relevant to the Brethren in Christ setting. Thus any direct quotation used has a notation as to its source in Dr. Brunt's article.

2 Full consideration of the nuances involved in development of inerrancy and inspiration of the Scriptures is another matter and not necessarily germane to the workshop consideration. However, I have emphasized my adherence to the inerrancy viewpoint of scriptural inspiration lest some would be tempted to assert that anyone who can come to a viewpoint allowing for women in ministry must be weak in his/her concept of inspiration.

3 I have chosen the terminology, "women in ministry" rather than "ordination of women" at this point deliberately, although I will later on use both expressions in the workshop development. If one can settle the issue of women in Christian ministry, I believe the question of ordination becomes moot.

4 In introducing this reference, we realize that there is a larger context in

I Corinthians 11:1-16 dealing with order in creation and the symbolic form for expression of the same. This area is another hermeneutical problem. I addressed the same in a Master's thesis, "The Doctrine of the Veiling," and at that time in all academic and spiritual honesty came to certain conclusions. I now realize I did this in the cultural context of the western world. Contacts with other cultures make one realize the need for fresh hermeneutical wrestling with the passage. For example, many African peoples whose hair style does not fit the expressions in the Corinthian passage; Japanese culture which says that a woman who keeps her head covered exhibits prostitute tendencies. In that light, one looks for the abiding principle in the passage and seeks its hermeneutical application in a modern world. That is another study in its own right, beyond the compass of this workshop study.

5 Note the Greek word is "deacon," not "servant" (KJV) or "deaconess" (NIV). Why have modern translators avoided the word "deacon"? Is there a certain chauvinism involved?

6 See also II Timothy 4:19.

7 Note here that in the Greek text the name is Junia, a feminine form of the name, not Junias, as the NIV translates it. One wonders if the feminine form ‘Junia' was a man or a woman. Due to the uncertainty, this particular reference is not as clear as others in reference to women serving in Christian ministry.

8 As Dr. Brunt states, "That Paul does not intend to silence women in worship is obvious from I Corinthians 11. He permits them to both pray and prophesy in church as long as they are appropriately attired (which in the cultural context of Corinth means wearing veils). Since Paul uses the term "prophesying" to include what we would call preaching—the speaking for God within the worship service—this passage proves that Paul did not really intend to silence women in church" (see page 13).

9 Ibid., 14.

10 Again I acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr. Brunt's article, p. 14, for these concepts following, which I have restated in my own words.

Women in Scripture Series: Elizabeth

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:00:03 GMT

Righteous Encourager and Prophetic Voice

Elizabeth is the relative of Mary who Mary visited after her heavenly encounter with the angel Gabriel. We know that Elizabeth is the wife of Zechariah and the mother of John the Baptist. What else can we learn about her life and her faith? Her story is found in Luke 1:5-80. ( https://tinyurl.com/52xuwtty ).

Elizabeth’s Story

Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, was married to Zechariah, also a descendant of Aaron. As such, Zechariah was a priest. Luke tells us that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.” They were older and they had no children.

It is likely that she was chosen to be Zechariah’s wife since priests could only marry a pious woman, and a woman who had not been married before (Leviticus 21:7-15). She had learned the lessons and lived a life of piety as a priest’s daughter and as a priest’s wife. She was a righteous woman but a childless woman: being righteous and childless was a source of humiliation for any woman in Elizabeth’s day. Another writer says this much better than I can. She writes:

“Old Testament Law plainly states that those who are obedient to God’s ordinances would not be barren ( Deut. 7:12-14 ). So, infertility was seen as a sign of divine disfavour and a great deal of shame was attached to being childless. This shame was felt more acutely by women, as childbearing was considered to be the primary function of women in Bible times. Moreover, infertility was typically believed to be the woman’s failing and not the husband’s.” ( Mowczko, 2017).

Undoubtedly, it had been Elizabeth’s dream and desire to become a mother to a son. It is likely that she and Zechariah had prayed for a son for most of their married life. Elizabeth’s name means “God is my oath” and that is how she lived her life.

Her husband, Zechariah, had been chosen to go to the temple and burn incense before the Lord on this specific day. While in the temple, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah with a message from the Most High God saying that he and Elizabeth would have a child. We learn this child’s name was to be John and that John would be the forerunner of the Messiah.

Because Zechariah asked the angel how this could happen, Zechariah became speechless and would remain so until after John’s birth. Zechariah’s time of service ended and he went home to his wife. She conceived and stated, “The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people” (Luke 1:25).

Six months later, the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her what was going to happen in her life. After Mary’s encounter with Gabriel and the Holy Spirit, she went to visit her relative Elizabeth. Scripture tells us what happened next:

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!’” (Luke 2:41-45 NIV.)

As such, “Elizabeth was the first woman to confess Jesus in the flesh.” (Lockyer, 1988). Indeed she was not just the first woman, she was the first person to confess Jesus as the Lord. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months then soon after her leaving, Elizabeth gave birth to her son. Luke tells us that all her community rejoiced with her.

When it was time for the son’s dedication on the eighth day, she stated clearly that his name was to be John just as the angel Gabriel had told her husband. When Zechariah was asked the same question, he wrote on a tablet “His name is John.” His mouth was opened and he began a song of praise to the God who had kept His oath in their lives. The story ends with John growing and becoming strong in the Spirit and living in the wilderness.

What Can We Learn from Elizabeth’s Story

Lesson One—Be an Encourager

Elizabeth’s confession of Jesus as Lord must have been an encouragement to Mary who had just had her encounter with Gabriel and the Holy Spirit. Her first words to Mary were words of affirmation and encouragement. She herself had experienced a blessing from God in being pregnant in her older years. She speaks of her baby leaping for joy but in the context of encouraging Mary as she began her journey of faith.

Elizabeth’s words lead to Mary’s song of praise or the Magnificat. Mary’s song did not come following her encounter with the angel, but following Elizabeth’s confession of Jesus as Lord. Elizabeth also said, “Blessed is she who believed the Lord would fulfill her promises to her.” Was she talking only about Mary or was she also talking about herself? Elizabeth was speaking the Word of the Lord into Mary’s heart from her own heart. As we encounter others, do we speak words of encouragement for what God is doing in another’s life or are our words something else? (Keepers, nd).

Lesson Two – While Waiting On God – Be Obedient

Elizabeth and Zechariah were obedient all of their lives and their faith did not waver while they were childless. They remained obedient even as others must have been wondering to themselves what they had done wrong since they did not have children. Elizabeth supported her husband Zechariah in his service of God as he went to burn the incense in the temple.

She obeyed the words that Gabriel had given to Zechariah in the naming of their son. Until the writing on the tablet and the return of Zechariah’s voice, she had not heard him speak since he went to perform his service in the Temple. She did not know if his speech would return.

She must have wanted to praise God with her husband for the miracle that had happened in their lives. Not only were they awaiting the birth of their son, they were waiting for the forerunner of the long awaited Messiah to be born. Surely, the days of exile would be ending soon as the long promised Messiah was coming.

In our waiting, are we obedient? Do we trust God in the waiting? Do we live our lives waiting and expecting God’s actions or do we just live them hoping He will act?

Lesson Three – God is a Miracle Worker

In Elizabeth’s story, there are two miracles. The miracle of the birth of John the Baptist and the miracle of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same angel Gabriel announced both. An angel is a messenger from and for God. The participants in the story had an open heart to hear from God through his messenger Gabriel and they believed Gabriel.

In our lives are we open when others might speak the Word of God to us? Do we believe that miracles will happen or that they might happen? When God speaks, do we listen? Do we listen with an open heart like Elizabeth and Mary or do we question God like Zechariah did? If we question, are we ready for the consequences?

Lesson Four – Choose Joy and Not Comparison

Elizabeth is so happy for Mary when they meet. She is also ecstatic for the approaching birth of her own son. She was not jealous that she had not been chosen to give birth to the long awaited Messiah. She was joyful that she was going to give birth to his forerunner. She chose joy and not comparison.

As we interact with others, are we joyful for what God is doing in their lives or are we jealous that God is not doing the same thing in our lives? Are we joyful for the doors God opens for others or are we disappointed that God is not opening the same doors for us? As we choose joy, we can be agents of encouragement to others as Elizabeth was to Mary.

Conclusion

As I reflected upon Elizabeth’s story, the recording of the first confession of Jesus as the Messiah came from an obedient and righteous woman, Elizabeth. I have always appreciated the miracle of the birth of John the Baptist but had not reflected on the confession of Jesus as the Christ.

The second thing that stood out to me is that Elizabeth’s words to Mary led to Mary’s great song of praise found in Luke 1:46-55. Her words regarding the naming of John the Baptist in Luke 1:60 led to Zechariah’s voice being restored and his own words of blessing God found in Luke 1:67-79.

I found myself asking if my words and actions do the same thing. Do my words encourage others to bless God in their words and actions? Elizabeth whose name means God is my oath - her life and ministry to others reflected that. Do my life and ministry reflect that God is my oath?

References

2021 Women of Noble Character (2021) Elizabeth in the Bible Eight Lessons We Can Learn from Her Story retrieved from https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/elizabeth-in-the-bible/

Elisabeth in LOCKYER'S ALL THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE – ELISABETH (1988) retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Elisabeth

Keepers, D. E. (nd ) Elizabeth and Mary: Called to Encourage . She is God Women of the Bible Study Reformed Church Press retrieved from https://www.faithward.org/elizabeth-and-mary-called-to-encourage/

Mowczko, M. (2017) All About Elizabeth (Luke 1) retrieved from https://margmowczko.com/elizabeth-bible-woman-luke-1/

Roeleveld, L.S. (2021) Why Elizabeth is Such an Important Woman of the Bible Crosswalk.com retrieved from https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/why-elisabeth-is-such-an-important-woman-of-the-bible.html

Painting:

Visitación By Raphael, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19514464

Change: Our Constant Companion

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 09:00:03 GMT

Change Can Be Your Friend

Heraclitus spoke true wisdom when he said,

“The only thing that is constant is change.”1

In the church, in our families, in our communities, and in our world; change is a constant companion . Over the past couple of years, our world has experienced unprecedented change on levels and in arenas that no one could have imagined or predicted.

Change triggers very different reactions within each of us—depending on our personalities and our own experiences with change. When you hear the words, “things need to change” what happens inside you? Do you get butterflies and feelings of doom and dread? Do you get excited about the potential for change? Do you rejoice and release a breath wondering what has taken so long? Do you get angry and do whatever you can to block change?

Each of these reactions are common yet each comes with its own warning. Change is difficult for many people, yet some breeze through and welcome change; sometimes simply for the sake of change itself. Both sides tend to be so far apart that it can create polarization within organizations and institutions, but wherever each of us find ourselves, learning to lean in to change is a healthy thing each of us as leaders can learn to do.

A most important thing to remember and understand in the realm of change is that whatever changes come along, there will be loss of some kind. Loss and change go hand in hand. For some, that is refreshing and for others, it comes with much dread; however, we can change the way we view change and develop an attitude and posture to embrace it as leaders.

Friend or Foe?

When we’re in a season of change, the way we face it matters and will either help or hinder us in our transition. Every woman pastor will go through seasons of change on many levels: all matter of personal as well as professional. Making friends with change can help smoothen and straighten the road ahead that can be winding and uncertain.

Resisting change simply causes a lot of undue stress and pain for everyone—not just the one enduring change. Our attitudes and levels of fear and anxiety impact those around us, at times with short tempers and misguided anger. Learning to befriend change and embrace it can be a good place to start.

Let’s be honest: few people do this well, but we can learn. In order to befriend and embrace change we first must grieve what is lost. If you are struggling with being angry about change, take some time and think through, maybe even write down what you’re angry about. What have you lost? Why does it bother you? Get mad if you must and then grieve the loss. When you finish, pick up the change, embrace it, be thankful for it, and move forward.

The writer of Ecclesiastes penned it well when he wrote in chapter 3 verses 1-8,

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. (NIV)

Everything has its season, nothing stays the same, change is inevitable. So how can we learn to roll with it rather than shrivel up or get bitter?

Learning to Roll with Change

First, accept that change is coming. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, enjoy it fully. Don’t spend your days looking over your shoulder watching and waiting for change to come, Live life in the moment with the knowledge that life does change but don’t fear or despise it. We all have limited energy and if we spend it on the what if’s and if onlys, we will not embrace the here and now and before we know it, days, weeks, months, and even years pass without your ever having been fully present in your ministry, your children’s lives, or your marriage. What a sad wake up call.

Second, embrace change when it does happen. Uncertainty and change does not necessarily mean disaster. “A change is as good as a rest” is something that rings very true. Getting stuck in the muck and more repetition or doing things a certain way “because we’ve always done it that way” is not the right way to do things. Spending time in the presence of the Lord and seeking His will and way is the best way to confidently embrace and execute change. If you are the leader, recruit your board or a few key people to join you in praying and seeking the Lord’s will and way.

Third, be a catalyst of change. If you are hesitant to embrace change, work on small things until you become comfortable with change. Now, I’m not talking about change for the sake of change, but change for the sake of Kingdom work and wins. When Jesus came to earth in human form, He did things radically different than anyone expected Him to. He was following the Father’s will and bringing about change that would result in freedom for all people.

Moving Forward with Change

When you think of change, consider the positive implications for Kingdom growth and eternal wins, you may stumble along the way, but learn to see change as a friend rather than a foe. It may be of great benefit to take the advice of Harry Emerson Fosdick when he states, “Christians are supposed not merely to endure change nor even to profit by it, but to cause it.”2

Are you a change advocate? Do you see change as a threat or gift? What can you do today to begin to change your heart if you need to so you can embrace change and cause change in your context? If you’re uncomfortable, begin praying for guidance with a team and then courageously step out in faith and be a change-maker.

References:
1 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/336994-the-only-thing-that-is-constant-is-change--

2 https://www.allgreatquotes.com/quote-168561/

Photo by Håkon Grimstad on Unsplash

The Biblical Mandate for Women in Ministry

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 09:00:04 GMT

Founded on Solid Biblical & Historical Foundations

Women pastors? Senior pastors? In our church? Over a hundred years ago we Wesleyans led the way in opening ordained ministry to women. So why is this an increasingly difficult topic in The Wesleyan Church?

First, some mistakenly assume that Wesleyan women who claim a call to ordained ministry and want to pastor Wesleyan churches are duped by the secular feminism, no matter how well-intentioned they may be. But this "slander by association" with secular feminism is simply wrong. Persons troubled by this sort of linkage have either forgotten the history of The Wesleyan Church and the holiness movement or have not known it. We pioneered the ordaining of women and have been doing it since before there was such a thing as "feminism." (Check out the website www.wesleyan.org and the Department of Education and the Ministry for details.)

Second, the slice of the church growth world Wesleyans have recently listened to is largely a man's world. Non-Wesleyan luminaries to which we have looked have not pointed us to the numerous women who have established and successfully led significant ministries (including churches) in North America. It's another case either of amnesia or ignorance, but the result is the same. Gifted women get the message and go elsewhere.

But the Bible itself probably presents the most difficult obstacle to ordaining and appointing women to Christian ministry. Specifically, Paul seems clearly to exclude it in 1 Tim. 2:11–15 and 1 Cor. 14:33b–36. Here, also, we must learn again how to read the Bible as a whole from our own heritage, and resist following Calvinist approaches in this matter.

Discerning the Bible's guidance on women and ministry closely parallels discerning its guidance on the issue of slavery. Our own Wesleyan-holiness forebearers helped hammer out the approach to Scripture that gave Bible authority to anti-slavery advocates of the last century. It is no accident that old-time Wesleyans, who thought the Bible supported the abolition of slavery, also led the way in biblical support of the ordination of women. Nor is it any accident that old-time Calvinists, prominent in the pro-slavery camp, also resisted in parallel arguments the "liberation" of women. The two arguments—over slavery and over women's suffrage— were similar and closely tied together biblically.

The biblical challenge is twofold: As for interpreting the Bible texts accurately in their historical contexts, both the pro-slavery and anti-slavery people tended to read their own positions into the text. On the one hand "the curse of Ham," Gen. 9:18–25, did not really support the enslavement of black Africans. On the other, Paul did not abolish slavery nor imply its abolition in Eph. 6:5–9.

The same problem of competent reading of Bible texts in their historical and literary contexts, faces persons seeking God's will from Scripture regarding the ordination of women. The most vocal present voices against the ordination of women (who happen also to be Calvinist) would have one believe these texts in 1 Tim. and 1 Cor. are straight forward, easily understood verses. The problem, they claim, is not the texts, but a compromised church, unfaithful to the truth of Scripture and afraid to confront error—the same slander thrown against our abolitionist predecessors by the pro-slavery folks.

The truth is, 1 Tim. 2:11–15 and 1 Cor. 14:33b–36 are full of difficulties. It is not easy at all to determine the Apostle's basic meaning in these texts or the actual problems he wanted to meet, let alone know how we should apply them. Recent evidence indicates that even these "plainest" of texts do not bear directly against ordination.

It was necessary to determine which texts should be read in light of which (i.e., make sense of the Bible as a whole.) Both were critical in the slavery debate, and both remain central in the "ordination of women" debate. But even if 1 Tim. 2 and 1 Cor. 14 did expressly forbid the ordination of women (which they do not), the second problem we noted earlier remains. Which texts are to be read in light of which? What sense do we make of the Bible as a whole on this question? Do we read the entire Bible in light of these two problematic texts, or do we read these two texts in light of the rest of the Bible? Here again, the way has already been forged by the anti-slavery people who founded one branch of our present denomination in 1843 (the Wesleyan Methodist Connection).

The abolitionists' most powerful anti-slavery arguments from the Bible proved not to be the Bible's statements about slavery itself, but rather other basic, irrefutable biblical claims. This larger Bible context led them to conclude that slavery was a grievous evil, an abomination to God, in spite of the fact that Moses had provided for it and Saint Paul had assumed it.

Thus, in his tract against the slave trade, John Wesley argued not from "slavery texts," but from the Bible's teaching about the mercy and justice of God. Jonathan Blanchard, Wesleyan Methodist founding president of Wheaton College, argued against slavery on the basis of "one bloodism"—God had created of "one blood" all humans (Acts 17). Charles Finney argued against slavery on the basis of common human need (all are sinful). Others relied on Gal. 3:28 (In Christ . . . no slave or free ) and Lk. 4:18 (Jesus; mission of "release to the captive") and so on.

None of these persons were liberals; none of them rejected the wisdom of God nor the authority of Scripture, as their pro-slavery opponents claimed. Rather, they understood that some Bible truths, by their very nature, must logically provide the context in which other specific instructions and claims in Scripture are read.

This very same task awaits persons who want to address the "women in ministry" question adequately! We must speak not only of one or two specific texts but must make sense of biblical revelation as a whole on this question. 1 Tim. 2:11–15 and 1 Cor. 14:33b–36 stand confronted by a tidal wave of other biblical texts, Pauline and otherwise, which fly in the face of prohibiting women full entry into Christian ministry (as B. T. Roberts, the founder of the Free Methodist Church, argued persuasively a century ago.)

Our aim here is not actually to argue the point biblically, but to show what the points to argue are—and have been for over a century! Here, we underscore the fact that The Wesleyan Church's ordination of women stands not only on solid biblical grounds but on a solid, historic approach to Scripture, as well. We read Scripture on this question in ways hammered out over a century ago by the people who founded the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, the Pilgrim Holiness Church, the Salvation Army, and other similar holiness streams.

No, the problem is not lack of biblical warrant, but lack of leadership and conviction. We have to take responsibility in local churches for calling, and at district levels for appointing to leadership ministries, the women whom God is gifting and calling for those ministries in The Wesleyan Church. And we must do it.

Thompson, D. L. (1999, May). “The biblical mandate for women in ministry.” The Wesleyan Advocate , 22–23.

Reprinted with permission of The Wesleyan Advocate , www.wesleyan.org

Dr. David L. Thompson was a teacher of biblical languages and inductive Bible study, three years at Marion College and 38 years at Asbury Theological Seminary. According to his tribute by Dr. David Durst at Wesleyan.org , "He helped The Wesleyan Church navigate scriptural controversies and come out with a high view and devotion to the Bible. His text Bible Study That Works (1982) grew out of a series of articles written for The Wesleyan Advocate and continues to be used in university courses to train emerging interpreters, teachers and preachers."

An Analysis of Paul's Position on Women in Ministry

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 09:00:05 GMT

Looking into Scriptural Evidence Affirming Women Pastors, Leaders, and Teachers

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. . . It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 3:28; 5:1).

The greatest social revolution in the history of mankind has occurred in this century: namely, the radical change in the status of women relative to men. Possibilities have exploded for women today which their great grandmothers could scarcely have imagined. For the first time in human history women have achieved full equality and relative parity with men in virtually every area of Western society, except the church!

The Church remains—with only a few exceptions—the last bastion of institutional discrimination against women. Women continue to be locked out of Roman Catholic priesthood. The Southern Baptists and Missouri Synod Lutherans are but two of many Protestant Evangelical denominations that deny ordination and leadership positions to women. The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, whose members comprise a "Who's Who" list of Evangelical leaders (Bill Bright, Jerry Falwell, Carl F. H. Henry, Beverly La Haye, et. al.), recently published the Danvers Statement in Christianity Today in which they assert that ". . . Scripture affirms male leadership in the home, and that in the church certain governing and teaching roles are restricted to men. . . . Both Old and New Testaments . . . affirm the principle of male headship in the family and in the covenant community."1

Holiness denominations believe otherwise. From the beginning they have granted to women all the rights and privileges of membership, ministry and leadership in the Church that are accorded to men. In the last few decades however, there has been a decided erosion of this distinctive heritage. Many question this heritage in the light of Paul's direct commands in which he says: "Let the women keep silent in the churches . . . I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man" (I Cor. 14:34–35; I Tim. 2:11–15). The meaning of these passages seems crystal clear. Women are not permitted to speak (hence, teach or preach) in the Church, nor are they allowed to exercise leadership roles over men. The issue appears to be quite simple: either we obey the clear teaching of scripture or not.

Is it, however, really that simple? Paul writes, just as unambiguously, "Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters. . . Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness" (Col. 3:22; 4:1). Generations of Christians used such scriptures to justify what John Wesley called "that most vile of sinful institutions," slavery. Other practices are defended as "biblical," such as the separation of the races, anti-Semitism, polygamy, Saturday worship, wine drinking, dancing, snake handling, tongues speaking, works salvation, and divorce. Biblical support can be cited for infanticide and genocide.

There is a hermeneutical principle which holds that "interpreting a text apart from context is a pretext." Never is that "truism" more true than in analyzing Paul's teaching concerning women in ministry. In this case, the context must include the whole range of scripture as it finds its center-point in Jesus, the role of women in society in biblical times, and the specific church situations in which these two particular texts were written. We can do no more than sketch the contours of these varied but inter-related contexts, and then see how they help us in our effort to understand what was Paul's position regarding women preachers and leaders. What is striking about the Danvers Statement is that it is not unique at all. It represents a reaffirmation of the principle of male dominance and female subordination which has characterized all societies—pagan and biblical—since the dawn of recorded history.

I. WOMEN'S ROLE IN HISTORY.

Women have constituted the most discriminated against majority in the history of mankind. In every civilization, every culture, every race, every nation, and every religion—at least until the twentieth century—women have been denied citizenship, an education, civil or legal rights, and a voice or a vote in any public assembly. Women did not gain the right to vote in our country until 1920. They have been regarded by whole cultures as a subhuman species whose sole purpose was to bear children and serve at the whim and command of men. They have been treated as property to be bought, sold, or cast aside when they no longer served men's purposes.

When Jewish women in Jesus' day, for instance, went out in public their heads were to be covered and their faces veiled so that their features could not be recognized—a custom still enforced in some Arabic countries. It is difficult to imagine any social custom more dehumanizing and depersonalizing than this. Men did not treat even their animals in so demeaning a manner. A Jewish woman had the legal status of a slave and was acquired like a slave as a possession of the husband. The Jewish Mishna provided that a wife could be acquired "by money, or by writ, or by intercourse." Only the husband had the right to divorce, and he could turn his wife—and her children—out of house and home for any reason of displeasure, even if he found more pleasure in another woman!

Women were forbidden to enter into the inner courts of the Temple. Because their mother Eve was deceived, bringing the curse of sin into the world, women were not worthy to hear the law read or expounded. Hence, they were barred from Synagogue worship—a practice that still holds true among Orthodox Jews. Even today Jewish women are forbidden to participate in their own son's Bar Mitzvah. Jewish literature is full of expressions of joy over the birth of a son and sorrow over the birth of a daughter. The Genesis commentary called the Rabbah, written by the Rabbis, describes women as "greedy, eavesdroppers, lazy, jealous, querulous, and garrulous." Rabbi Hillel, grandfather to Gamaliel, taught that wherever women gathered together there was much witchcraft. A good Pharisee prayed, "O God, I thank thee that thou didst not create me a Gentile, a dog, or a woman."

II. WOMEN IN THE BIBLE.

There is no question about the fact that most of biblical history reflects a patriarchal social hierarchy in which women were under the dominion and rule of men. That, however, is neither the only model of male-female relationships to be found in the scriptures, nor—we believe—the God-ordained one. There are, for instance, two separate creation accounts in the first two chapters of Genesis. In the first (Gen. 1:1–2:4a), there is no suggestion of a hierarchical ordering between the sexes. To the contrary, "God created man (lit.: "human beings") in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them " (1:27). The woman, like the man, is created in the image of God. The woman receives the same blessing of God as the man. Likewise, she too is given dominion over the earth (1:28). There is, between the man and the woman, a full equality of personhood, calling and role.

In the second (2:4ff.), man is created first and then woman. God created man out of the dust of the earth. In order to show special kindness to the woman, God created her out of the living flesh of the man. They are both "one flesh" (2:24): not a superior flesh for the man and an inferior flesh for the woman. To the contrary, "the man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh'" (2:23). The woman was not created as a subordinate creature—a "help meet" as the KJV inaccurately translates it, but as a "helper like unto himself," or a "helper corresponding to himself" (2:18). The word "helper" ( ezer ), used to designate woman in Genesis 2:18, refers to God in most instances of Old Testament usage. Consequently, it conveys no implication whatsoever of female inferiority or subordination. Old Testament scholar Donald E. Gowan points out that "this is the only creation story known from the ancient Near East that gives to woman such an important role. It has stood for centuries . . . as a radical challenge to the assumption of male supremacy."2

It is not until Genesis 3 that we read these words, invariably cited as support for women's subordination , "To the woman He said, ‘. . . your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you'" (3:16). What is of vital importance to note is that the subordination of woman to man is part of the curse of sin after the fall and does not represent God's original intention for male-female relationships. It stands, like the curse of death, as a prediction of the consequence of the Fall rather than a prescription of God's ideal order.

In spite of the universal subjugation of women relative to men, the Bible praises many women who broke the mold and were recognized for their faith in their own right. The roll call would include such women as Sarah who not only is mentioned thirty-five times in the book of Genesis but is eulogized by both Paul and the author to the Hebrews as a great woman of faith. No fewer than four women are included in the lineage of Jesus. Deborah became a judge and the first female ruler in Israel's history. Jaal, the Jewish maiden who drove a tent spike through Sisera's head, may well be described as the first to strike a mighty blow for women's liberation. Many women played a key role in salvation history, such as Rebekah, Rachel, Miriam, Rahab the harlot, and Hannah. In a patriarchal culture so heavily weighted on the side of men, it is ironic that two biblical books not only praise the exploits of their female actors but carry their names as well: Ruth and Esther. The ultimate expression of God's special favor upon women is demonstrated by the fact that he brought His only begotten son into the world through a woman—and that without the participation of a man whatsoever. That is, if we take the virgin birth of Christ seriously. And I do.

III. JESUS' ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN

We do not find, in Jesus, any expression of the shabby way in which women were treated in his day. To the contrary, He viewed them as choice and chosen daughters of the Most High God. He always treated women with the utmost dignity and respect. Women may have been locked out of the synagogue, but they were welcome wherever he was and whenever he taught. He was as sensitive to the needs of a poor woman who touched the hem of his garment as those of the synagogue ruler whose daughter had just died. Women were among his closest friends and followers. He and the disciples depended upon them largely for their support. Women were the last at the cross and the first to the tomb.

Jesus never regarded women as inferior to men. To the contrary, He scandalized his own disciples by spending a lunch hour talking to one lone Samaritan woman—a disreputable woman at that! Yet through her witness Samaria was opened up to the ministry of Jesus, and later a revival under the preaching of Philip, Peter and John. He broke with Rabbinic tradition when he not only permitted Mary to hear the Word but defended her when Martha complained that she was not fulfilling her proper domestic role in the kitchen. Jesus replied, "Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38–42). In so doing, Jesus affirmed the right of women to hear God's Word!

Nowhere is Jesus' concern for women more powerfully portrayed than in his strong and uncompromising teaching on divorce. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states: ". . . but I say unto you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery" (Matt. 5:32). How so? In that culture, what was an uneducated unskilled woman to do to support herself when turned out of house and home? There were only two viable options open to her: one was to sell herself into prostitution, and the other was to bind herself into someone else's household as a bond-slave. This inevitably led to adultery since the master had absolute rights over the bodies of his female servants. So, in challenging the injustice of divorce, Jesus was striking a mighty blow on behalf of women's rights. Women were not to be used, abused, and cast aside. Women were not to be treated as slaves.

In the case of the woman taken in adultery (John 8:1–11), Jesus set himself against not only the male chauvinists of his day but the law of Moses itself. The law called for the stoning of both the man and the woman who were caught in an adulterous act (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22f.). That only the woman was apprehended indicates the double standard operative in Jesus' day. By saving the woman's life, Jesus laid down the radically new principle that women were more important than even the Mosaic law!

It is surely a fact of inexhaustible significance that the first Christian preachers of the resurrection were not men but women! It was to the women who came to the tomb early on that historic first day of the week that the angel first shared the good news of the gospel: "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." And it was to these same women that the first expression of the great commission was given: "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead . . ." (Matt. 28:5–7). Three of the four gospels specifically mention that Jesus appeared, first of all, to women! We can conclude, therefore, that the historic practice of relegating women to a subservient role and denying them the opportunity to preach finds no support whatsoever in the life or teachings of Jesus!

IV. PAUL'S ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN IN MINISTRY

The two texts prohibiting women from preaching and leadership in the Church are by no means representative of the Apostle's attitude toward women in ministry. A careful study of all the passages in Romans, for instance, in which women are mentioned, fails to yield even a hint of such discrimination. To the contrary, Paul seems to treat women with special deference. Both Abraham and Sarah are equally impotent. Yet both equally believe the promise of God and equally share in the subsequent glory of God over the birth of their son Isaac (4:19–21). In 7:1–3, Paul lifts up the wife—not the husband—as the paradigm of our new life in Christ and the freedom we are to enjoy in Him. If he had been true to his rabbinical training, he would certainly have used a man rather than a woman as a model.

In dealing with the complex issue of God's election of His people (9:6–25), and how the Church fits into this overall scheme, not only does God choose a most unlikely people unto Himself, but most unlikely individuals within that people. More than that, he lifts out two women, Sarah and Rebekah, as special examples of the grace of God's surprising election. In other words, God was not at all adverse to calling out and using women as vehicles for His revelation and as instruments in accomplishing his gracious purposes.

Most instructive is Paul's long list of personal greetings in chapter 16. He begins by commending—not a man but a woman—Phoebe, whom he addresses as "our sister . . . a servant of the Church which is at Cenchrea" (16:1–2). The word for servant is diakonos , which appears in both masculine and feminine forms in the NT. Surprisingly, in this instance, though it is used of a woman, its form in the Greek is masculine even as it is whenever Paul speaks of himself as a diakonos , servant, of Christ. Diakonos was the accepted title indicating pastoral leadership in the Church. In short, Paul recognizes Phoebe as a respected minister of the Word. There is no distinction drawn between Phoebe and say, Timothy because of gender. The very fact that Paul encourages the believers in Rome to "receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints" indicates that there may have been some latent reluctance to submit to her ministry because she was a woman.

In 16:3–5, Paul does not greet Aquila, "my fellow worker," and his good wife, Prisca. Rather, he greets them as a husband and wife team, describing both as "my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus." Both equally share in the ministry in "the church in their house." Likewise, Paul greets "Mary, who has worked hard for you" (16:6). The verb "work" or "labor" which Paul uses of Mary is the same used elsewhere to speak of ministerial labor in the gospel. The prepositional phrase, "worked hard for you," can also be rendered "worked hard among you or over you," as Paul speaks of himself in reference to the Galatians (4:11). Mary had oversight of some important ministry in the Church at Rome.

Then Paul greets "Andronicus and Junias," his kinsmen and fellow prisoners (16:7). Junias is also rendered in the feminine case, Junia, in many of the most ancient manuscripts. This may well have been another husband and wife team. What is of special interest is that they were "In Christ" before Paul. Furthermore, Paul classes them as among the original core of apostles. It is entirely possible, then, Junia was one of the original resurrection witnesses, and that she too was designated as an apostle by virtue of having seen the Lord. There is support for this in the writings of the influential fourth century Church father, Chrysostom, who commented on this verse by saying, "And indeed to be Apostles at all is a great thing . . . Oh! how great is the devotion of this woman (Junia), that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!"

To summarize Paul's attitude toward women in Romans, we can draw these conclusions. First, men and women are equally recipients of the grace of salvation. Second, women as well as men have been elected of God to play key roles in the unfolding of salvation history. Third, women share equally with men in the work of Christian ministry. They exercised leadership roles in the earliest Church and may have even been numbered among the original apostolic circle.

The same pattern follows in I Corinthians. Paul acknowledges that a report from the Church at Corinth had been brought to him by a delegation headed up by a woman (1:11ff.). This indicates some sort of leadership position accorded to Chloe, a woman, by the believers in Corinth. In 7:1–40, Paul affirms that the wife has equal conjugal rights as her husband, and he ought not be insensitive to her needs and desires—not even for supposedly spiritual purposes. Rather, they are to both prayerfully consider the needs and desires of the other and enter into mutual agreements relative to their intimate relationships. There is no counterpart to this example of Paul defending a wife's conjugal rights in either the Old Testament or in the voluminous tomes of rabbinic literature. In Jewish society the woman was entirely at the mercy of the man's whims and desires, or lack thereof. Thus, Paul assumes and affirms the full equality of rights and responsibilities for men and women.

In I Cor. 11:3, however, we read, "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." At first glance Paul seems to clearly teach a relational hierarchy, a "chain of command," in which the woman is placed in a subordinate relationship to the man. Before we leap to this conclusion, however, we need to see how kepholay , headship, is expressed in a Christian context. In a parallel passage in Ephesians 5:23ff., Paul says, "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church." Precisely, how does Christ exercise his headship over the Church? Paul's answer is, "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (5:25). The authority that Christ exercises over His Church as its head is not like that of the Gentiles. To the contrary, it is the authority of servanthood leadership exercised in the power of self-giving love (Mark 10:42–45). The only hierarchy that fits within kingdom relationships is that reflected in Jesus' Gethsemane prayer, "Not my will but Thine be done." The proper paradigm for relating to one another "in Christ" is not that of a king lording it over his subjects but that of a servant with a wash basin in his hands. Not subordination but mutual submission.

Then Paul goes on to deal with the problem of women praying and prophesying with their heads uncovered (11:4–6). What is often overlooked, however, is the fact that women were praying and prophesying (preaching, exhorting, teaching) in the Corinthian Church! And there is no word prohibiting such public ministry. The only concern Paul has is that women would respect social convention by having their heads covered while praying and prophesying in Church. There were women preachers in the Church at Corinth.

In 11:8–9, Paul borrows from Rabbinic tradition which bases its doctrine of female subordination upon the "order of creation:" namely, since man did not originate from the woman but woman from the man, and since man was not created for the woman's sake but woman for the man's, then it follows that to man is given leadership and authority over the woman. The "order of creation" establishes the hierarchical order of male-female relationships. This is the rationale adopted by the framers of the Danvers Statement who declare that "Adam's headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall."

That argument might work except that Paul destroys it in the very next verses when he states, "However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God" (11:11–12). Lest prideful man should assume that the "order of creation" established a permanent hierarchy—and thus his dominance over the woman, God planned it so that every man, since Adam, would have "his birth through the woman." In other words, after the original creation, God reversed the "order of creation!"

In the next chapter Paul deals with the exercise of spiritual gifts in the Church (12:3ff.). While he does not specifically mention women, he does use such qualifiers as "every" and "each one" without distinction between men and women. Further, he describes all the Corinthians, "whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, (whether male or female—Gal. 3:28)" as "all baptized into one body" (v. 13). We can assume, therefore, that he encourages women, along with men, to exercise their God-given spiritual gifts "for the common good" (v. 7).

Perhaps Paul had women especially in mind, given the cultural bias against them, when he observes, "It is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body, which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor. . . . But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another" (vv. 22–25).

We conclude, therefore, that Paul would be appalled at the discrimination which has dominated the Church since then. To withhold certain offices and functions from women institutionalizes divisiveness in the body based on no higher principle than that of physical gender. This is only a beginning and partial survey of all that Paul had to say about women. Yet if we were to examine the rest of his writings, excluding I Cor. 14:34–35 and I Tim. 2:5–11, they would be consistent with what we have discovered to this point.

We can summarize the Apostle's position regarding women as follows: First, men and women are created equally in the image and glory of God and participate equally in the grace of redemption. Second, marriage relationships are not to be ordered according to an externally imposed hierarchy "according to the law," but by an internally embraced expression of self-giving love through mutual submission. Third, women have just as much right as men to exercise their spiritual gifts in the Church and fulfill their ministry, especially if they are called to preach. The wholeness and the health of the Church depends upon the freedom of each individual to exercise his or her spiritual gift and calling to the fullest.

All that we have seen thus far leads us to affirm that Paul's attitude toward women is best set forward in his strong Declaration of Spiritual Emancipation: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. . . . It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 3:28; 5:1).

V. ANALYSIS OF TEXTS PROHIBITING THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF WOMEN.

1) The Corinthian Texts: "Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church" (I Cor. 14:34–35).

These two verses, when taken literally, contradict everything that Paul has taught and affirmed to this point. How can he acknowledge women praying and prophesying in the Church in I Cor. Chapter 11 without one word of prohibition or condemnation, and then in Chapter 14 tell them to keep silent? How were the women, whom Paul so warmly commends in Romans 16, to exercise their public ministry in the Church if such a "gag-rule" were in place?

The rationale given for silencing women is, "just as the law also says." What law? None in the Old Testament. To the contrary, the laws of Moses are noteworthy for their egalitarian application: that is, they apply to rich and poor, bond and free, and men and women alike. The "law" here mentioned is not found in the scriptures, but in Judaism's Mishna ("traditions of the elders"). How then do we reconcile I Cor. 14:34–35 with the even-handed way Paul treats men and women in all the passages we have surveyed to this point? We answer: With great difficulty! Scholars and biblical interpreters have struggled with this issue for generations.

The most likely explanation focuses upon the astonishing fact that women in the early Church were not only permitted—for the first time ever—to worship side by side with men but were given freedom to pray, prophesy, and participate in the services. It was the first and only public forum in their culture that welcomed such freedom of expression. Unfortunately, their newfound freedom bred excesses. Since women were illiterate and had been denied access to the scriptures, they may have been creating confusion and disorder through aggressive and noisy displays of ignorance. Consequently, they not only offended the sensitivities of male believers but were bringing reproach upon the Church in the eyes of non-believers. Thus, Paul's cautionary command.

In the light of Paul's overall attitude toward women in the Church however, this passage is best interpreted as representing specific instructions to a particular problem-Church and is not meant to be generalized as a universal rule binding upon all churches for time immemorial. It is ironic that most of the denominations which appeal to these verses for support in excluding women from preaching conveniently ignore Paul's further command in this same chapter, "and do not forbid to speak in tongues" (14:39).

2) The I Timothy Texts: "Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. But women shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint" (I Tim. 2:11–15).

There is, not only a restatement of the injunction against women speaking in Church voiced in I Cor. 14:34–35, but a further rule: "I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man." This is the proof-text most frequently cited by those who deny ordination and leadership positions to women in the Church. There is no question but that verse 12 asserts an externally imposed, gender-differentiated law excluding women from teaching and, thus, from all preaching and pastoral offices. This directive then is a clear call for the Church to order its life "according to the law" of Rabbis (I Cor. 14:34), rather than according to the grace which is "in Jesus Christ" (Gal 3:28). The rationale given for this prohibition is the "order of creation" by which the Jews defended female subordination: namely, man has preeminence over women because he was created first. We have already seen, in our study of I Cor. 11:8–12, that Paul rejects this argument out of hand. First, it does not reflect the believing woman's standing "in the Lord." Second, it ignores the fact that, after Adam, God Himself reversed the "order of creation."

A second reason is offered which, again, owes its genesis not to any clear teaching found in either Testament but to Rabbinical tradition: that is, since "the woman, being quite deceived, fell into transgression," she cannot be trusted with either teaching offices or leadership roles. This is a theologized version of "the weaker sex" argument. Paul, however, draws quite the opposite conclusion from the Genesis story of the fall in his other letters. In Romans he affirms that "Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. . . . Death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's offense" (Rom. 5:12–14; cf. I Cor. 15:21ff.). Adam, and not Eve, is responsible for the entrance of sin and death into the world. Eve may well have been deceived, but Adam was not. He disobeyed with his eyes wide open. His was a knowing, deliberate, and dispassionate act of sin. Therefore, his guilt was the greater. Eve is not blamed by Paul: he does not so much as even mention her. So much for Rabbinical "blame the woman" theology.

This restrictive passage concludes with a patronizing statement in v. 15: "But women shall be saved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint." The implication is that both a woman's salvation and worth as a human being is dependent upon her biological function as a mother. Where then does this leave single or barren women, such as Mary and Martha? While this demeaning view was prevalent in Judaism, it is impossible to imagine Jesus reflecting such a low estimate of a woman's status before God.

How then do we deal with these multiple problems? Again, we say: with great difficulty. Some scholars argue persuasively, on the basis of careful stylistic, linguistic and historical grounds, that the Pastoral Epistles did not come directly from the hand of Paul but from a more fully developed Church such as we find in the early second century. Others suggest that this passage may well have been an interpolation by a later copyist.

Many conservative New Testament suggest that this may well have been a particular directive applied, once more, to a specific Church problem situation in Ephesus. That is, unlettered and unschooled women were voicing "strange doctrines, . . . myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation" (I Tim. 1:3–4), thus creating disorder and fomenting false doctrine. It was never intended by Paul to be a rule locking woman out of ministerial leadership roles for all time. For example, in this same letter Paul counsels Timothy to "drink a little wine for your stomach's sake" (5:23). Most Evangelicals do not take this as a universal command for all ministers to partake of alcoholic beverages. Rather, they understand it to be sound medicinal advice appropriate to that time and situation in which water was not fit to drink.

I feel constrained to point out a flagrant flaw in the logic of those who use these two passages to justify gender discrimination in ministry: and that is, nobody really takes the command for "women to keep silent in the Church" seriously. To the contrary, both Protestant and Catholic Churches would be irreparably crippled if women ceased to "speak"—that is, witness, testify, sing, teach, counsel, comfort, encourage, and serve in all sorts of ministries. Here is the question: if we are not willing to interpret this injunction against women speaking in Church literally, then on what basis do we draw the line at the point of women preaching? If women cannot be trusted to preach and teach the Word to adults, should they be allowed to shoulder the bulk of responsibility for leading and teaching children who are at the most impressionable and vulnerable stage of their lives?

We began our study by noting that positions supporting male dominance and female subordination in the home and Church are indeed "biblical:" that is, they are supported in the Bible. Our question, however, has been: do these texts represent the overall revelation of scripture which finds its fullest and final expression in Jesus? More specifically, do these specific texts, which circumscribe women's role in the Church, reflect Paul's underlying position?

Our answer has been: no! These texts which discriminate against women do not represent God's original intention for the race. Neither are they representative of the overall teaching and practice of the Apostle Paul. Further, they find no support in the teaching or example of Jesus whatsoever. And, for the Christian interpreter, the life, teachings, and example of Jesus is the ultimate criterion by which everything else in the Bible is evaluated and judged. Finally, they cannot represent a timeless and universal rule in the Churches that understand themselves as a Community of the Spirit. On the day of Pentecost Peter exults in Joel's prophecy which celebrates the new freedom women will enjoy in the new age of the Holy Spirit: "your sons and your daughters shall prophesy," and "upon both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy (proclaim, preach) (Acts 2:17–19).

As this was being written, there came to my attention an advertisement, published in a recent issue of Christianity Today by a new coalition of Christians For Biblical Equality who advocate that "Both men and women are divinely gifted and empowered to minister to the whole Body of Christ . . . as administrators . . . and board members, and in pastoral care, teaching, preaching, and worship." It appears to be a reaction to the Danvers Statement published earlier. This too is supported by a "Who's Who" list of Evangelical leaders including Myron Augsburger, David Allen Hubbard, and Kenneth Kantzer, senior editor of Christianity Today . In speaking to the problematic texts we have examined, they affirm that "the few isolated texts that appear to restrict the full redemptive freedom of women must not be interpreted simplistically and in contradiction to the rest of Scripture, but their interpretation must take into account their relation to the broader teaching of Scripture and their total context."

VI. THE EVANGELICAL ROOTS OF THE EQUAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

It would come as a surprise—if not as a shock—to most Evangelicals today to discover that the feminism movement that has so shaped the twentieth century has its origins, not in Marxist socialism, nor in secular humanism, and not even with theological liberalism. Rather, it was a direct outgrowth of the great evangelical and holiness revival which swept our country in the 1800's. I am indebted to the scholarly work of Donald Dayton in his definitive work, Discovering An Evangelical Heritage ,3 for making me aware of the origins of the women's rights movement within our own particular evangelical and Wesleyan heritage.

1) John Wesley. John Wesley, a rigidly conventional Anglican Priest and Oxford Don, was the first—since the earliest days of the Church—to break convention and give his official approval to women preachers. What brought him to this radical break with tradition was the fact that God had called, gifted, and mightily used women preachers all over England. When he saw that the Holy Spirit made no distinction but called women to preach, and blessed their labors with abundant spiritual fruit, he could no longer withhold his formal and official blessing. Adam Clarke, scholar of the early Wesleyan movement, affirmed of women that "under the blessed spirit of Christianity, they have equal rights, equal privileges, and equal blessing, and let me add, they are equally useful."

2) Charles Finney. Charles Finney has been called the father of the American revivalism movement. Finney was an innovator. He was the first to popularize the "protracted meeting," and the first to employ the use of the "anxious bench" (later known as the altar) for those under conviction of sin. Most controversial of his "new measures" was his practice of encouraging women to pray, testify, and speak in mixed assemblies. This opened the door wide for women preachers. Soon he, along with Theodore Weld, were encouraging women to take the platform in speaking out against slavery. From this time forward, the abolition movement and the feminist movement would proceed together. After all, if Gal.3:28 declared that "There is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, but you are all one in Christ Jesus," then why should they not work together for the emancipation of slaves and the enfranchisement of women?

3) Oberlin College. In the early 1930's, Oberlin college was founded to perpetuate both revivalism and the social positions of Charles G. Finney. It was at the forefront of three historic social movements: the abolition of slavery, the peace movement, and the women's rights crusade. Oberlin will go down in history as the first coeducational college in the world. Oberlin was the first institution in America to ordain a woman preacher in 1835. Luther Lee preached Antoinette Brown's ordination sermon from Gal. 3:28. He confessed: "I cannot see how the text can be explained so as to exclude females from any right, office, work, privilege, or immunity which males enjoy, hold or perform. If the text means anything, it means that males and females are equal in rights, privileges and responsibilities."

Oberlin graduated many women who became leaders in both the abolitionist and feminist movement in the 1800's. Asa Mahan, Oberlin's first president, was so proud of this record that he suggested this epitaph for his tombstone: "the first man, in the history of the race who conducted women, in connection with members of the opposite sex, through a full course of liberal education, and conferred upon them the high degrees which had hitherto been the exclusive prerogatives of men."

4) The Salvation Army. It was the Salvation Army that made the most progress in giving women full rights of ministry. Catherine Mumford Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army with her husband, was a powerful and popular preacher in her own right. In Portsmouth, England, crowds averaging over 1,000 came nightly for seventeen weeks to hear her preach . And she often spoke to much larger gatherings. When her daughters were grown and married, they kept their family name and became among the first to use a hyphenated married name: Booth-Tucker, Booth-Clibborn, and so on. In 1934 Evangeline Booth was elected General, the highest office of the Salvation Army. She thus became the first woman leader of any major denomination in Protestant history.

5) The Holiness Denominations. It was, however, the denominations produced by the mid-nineteenth-century holiness revivals that most consistently raised feminism to a central principle of church life. This movement received a mighty thrust from the work of Phoebe Palmer, a physician's wife and a Methodist lay evangelist. She played a major role in the great revival of 1857–58. She published a 421-page book defending the right of women to preach titled, The Promise of the Father . She based her argument primarily upon the prophecy of Joel, quoted by Peter in his Pentecost sermon, which declared that in the age of the Spirit both men and women would prophesy. This became the principle scriptural justification for women preachers throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

The Wesleyan Methodists began to ordain women in the 1860's, nearly a century in advance of the mainline Methodist Church which, today, is the denominational leader in ordaining women. By the year 2000, the Methodists fully expect to be ordaining as many women as men. When the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) emerged in the 1880's, 25 percent of their ministers and delegates were women. The Pilgrim Holiness Church, founded by Seth Rees (father of Paul S. Rees, prominent in the founding of the National Association of Evangelicals in the 1940's), opened wide the door to women preachers, who comprised 30% of their ordained elders in the early decades of their denomination.

From the time Phineas Bresee founded the First church of the Nazarene in Los Angeles to its union with other Holiness groups in 1908, women preachers and leaders were very much a part of the life of the Church. A book published in 1905, Women Preachers , featured the testimonies of a dozen prominent female holiness preachers. In a Herald of Holiness article in 1930, General Superintendent J. B. Chapman articulated the denominational stance on women preachers:

The fact is that God calls men and women to preach the gospel, and when He does so call them, they should gladly obey Him and members of the church and of the ministry should encourage and help them in the fulfillment of their task. This is the teaching of the New Testament, the logic of the new dispensation, the position of the church of the Nazarene . . .4

Unfortunately, most of these denominations have capitulated under the insidious attack leveled by the larger Evangelical and Fundamentalist movements. They have quietly squeezed women from pulpits, off Church boards, and out of leadership roles. Today, less than 12% of ordained Nazarene elders are women, and less than one percent are serving as pastors as of April 1989. While a few others are serving as missionaries or in associate roles, the majority of ordained women ministers are "unassigned" or retired. No women serve as either District or General Superintendents, nor as Directors of the Denominational agencies.5 General Superintendent William Greathouse raised his voice about this demise of women in ministry in a 1982 editorial:

The question is: will there be District Superintendents willing to recommend or appoint them as pastors and congregations open to calling a woman as pastor? There is a remarkable contemporary example of what could happen if our Churches self-consciously resisted this loss of a vital dimension of our heritage. Dr. Paul Cho, pastor of the world's largest Church, writes about a major breakthrough in the early years of his ministry. The Church he founded in Seoul, South Korea, leveled out at about 3,000 members after experiencing rapid growth. He had worked himself into such a state of nervous exhaustion that he was sidelined for several months.

Out of his crisis experience came two insights which were to trigger the most explosive growth of any Church in the history of Christianity. The first had to do with building the Church on a foundation of intimate and personalized cell groups. The second had to do with women. Cho writes,

God then showed me that we should use women as cell leaders. This was totally revolutionary to us, not only as conservative, Bible-believing Christians, but as Koreans. In Korea, as in most of the Orient, leadership is a man's business. The traditional role for women was to marry, have children, and keep a good and happy home. The husband is the provider and he is in complete control of his business and home life. Although we see things changing in Korea now, our culture still is basically male-oriented. So, for women to be given positions of responsibility and authority in the church was more revolutionary than establishing the cell system itself.

The first problem that I had with using women was theological. Paul did say, “Let your women keep silence in the churches” (I Cor. 14:34). The same theme is followed in Paul's admonition to Timothy (I Tim. 2:11, 12). However, Peter preaching at Pentecost said, ‘But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy' (Acts 2:16–18). The promise of the Holy Spirit giving the ability to prophesy was not a promise to just men but also to women. These women had to prophesy somewhere and to someone, they could not prophesy to themselves. Paul tells the Romans concerning Phoebe, using the word translated in most places, deacon. He also tells Titus that older women should teach younger women concerning the practical responsibilities of being a Christian.

I also noticed that women were more loyal and faithful than men in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene whose job it was to give the Good News of the resurrection to the rest of the disciples who were in hiding. As I continued to pray and study, I concluded that a woman could have a ministry as long as she was under the authority of the church. She just could not teach her own doctrine, but she could witness and minister my teaching. Therefore, I decided to use women as cell leaders in my church. Once the women began to be used and we had overcome all of the ensuing obstacles . . . the men in the church became much more cooperative. In all of the years I have been teaching the cell system, I found that my female associates have been loyal and reliable. They have not rebelled and done their own thing but have worked hard.

My advice to you then is, “Don't be afraid of using women.” 7

Paul Cho is leading the way in showing the entire Church world that there is nothing to be afraid of in setting women free to minister on an equal footing with men. His Church has passed the 500,000 mark in membership and shows no signs yet of leveling off.

Conclusion:

The choice before us is straight-forward and urgent: are we going to order our lives as the people of God under the dispensation of the curse where male domination and female subordination is the rule, or are we going to risk living in the freedom of the grace in which there is "neither male nor female, but you are all one in Christ Jesus?" (Gal. 2:18). Are we going to live under the oppressive bondage of the law in which gifted, God-called and Spirit-filled women are forbidden to exercise their vocation simply because of the accident of their gender—to the great loss of God's kingdom and our Church, or are we going to dare to live in the liberty of the Spirit where both men and women may hear and respond to the call of God to preach, and where both men and women may exercise their spiritual gifts within the body of Christ for the edification of all and the evangelization of the world?

End Notes

Christianity Today, Jan. 13, 1989, pp. 40–41.
Donald E. Gowan, From Eden to Babel (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1988), p. 48.
Donald W. Dayton, Discovering An Evangelical Heritage (New York: Harper & Row, Pub., 1976), "The Evangelical Roots of Feminism," pp. 85–98.
James Blaine Chapman, "October Gleanings," Herald of Holiness, October 15, 1930, p.5.
My source for these statistics is an unpublished Master's Thesis by Rebecca Laird, The First Generation of Ordained Women in the Church of the Nazarene, presented to the Faculty of the Pacific School of Religion, May 7, 1990.
William M. Greathouse, "Women in Ministry: An Editorial," Herald of Holiness, June 15, 1982, p. 1.
Paul Y. Cho, More Than Numbers (Waco, Texas: Word Books Pub., 1984), pp. 43–44.

C.S. Cowles served as professor of Bible and Theology at both Northwest Nazarene University and Point Loma Nazarene University.

Dorcas: Women of Faith Series

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 09:00:02 GMT

A Story of a Faith Community in Action as She Loved God, Loved Others, and Was Loved by Others

In his sermon on Sunday September 5, 2021, Pastor Jim Snyder (Blue Mountain Community Church in Walla Walla, Washington) stirred me to think deeply about the importance of community. He said, “Community is the laboratory where our faith is tested. It is in a community that our faith’s effectiveness is measured. “ (Doing Community Well Week One Sermon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkYciEuFEwkMWa72Y-AhJPQ)

My ponderments took me to the life of Dorcas in the Book of Acts and to consider if Dorcas’ life illustrates this concept and how to apply the discovered concepts to our lives — here is her story:

36 Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas.[ a ] She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, “Please come to us without delay.” 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, rise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner. Acts 9:36 – 43 (RSV)

At the end of Acts 9, we find the story of Dorcas (Greek) or Tabitha (Aramaic) for clarity’s sake, in this post, I will refer to her as Dorcas. This is the only place she is mentioned in the New Testament. Luke records this story after Saul’s conversion and Peter’s healing of a man in Lydda. Dorcas resided in Joppa, a city about 22 kilometers or 14 miles from Lydda. As this map shows, Lydda was inland and Joppa was a seaport on the coast. ( https://bibleatlas.org/full/lydda.htm ) Today, Joppa is known as Jaffa. From Dorcas’ story, we can learn much about discipleship but also much about community.

Dorcas Identified as a Disciple in Her Community

First, one must note that Dorcas is identified as a disciple of Jesus Christ (v.36). This is the feminine form of the word used for disciple used in the Gospels and elsewhere in Acts. She is the only woman in the New Testament identified as a disciple. ( https://margmowczko.com/tabitha-dorcas-disciple-acts-9/ ).

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament indicates that a disciple is more than just a learner, a disciple imitates her teacher. Dorcas was known by her community as living out the love of Christ to those in the community. Mowczko suggests this is because she was an important member of the Christian community and that possibly the church met in her home.

Dorcas Demonstrates Love for Her Community

Being a disciple who imitated Christ in her community brings us to the second description of Dorcas. She “was full of good works and charity” (v. 37). This means she cared for those in her community. She cared for others and loved them. She put the words “love your neighbor as you love yourself” into action inside her community. She made them garments and tunics. This means that she was meeting their basic need for clothing.

After her death, the community acted.

Dorcas was washed and laid in an upper room (v. 37). The body was not anointed for burial, it was washed. Those who washed her body had no intention of burying her but they had faith she could be resurrected (healed).
Others, upon hearing that Peter was in Lydda, sent two men to retrieve him (v. 38). This is a short distance with the conveniences of modern transit but would have taken at least a day for him to make the journey to Lydda and back.
Peter came to Joppa without delay (v. 38). supporting the importance of Dorcas to the Christian community in Joppa and to the surrounding Christian communities.
A group of weeping widows met Peter and showed him all the garments that Dorcas had made for the poor (v. 39).

Peter put everyone outside and prayed and Dorcas was miraculously healed. Peter presented her alive to her community. After the healing many believed in the Lord. (v. 41). These actions show that Dorcas not only loved her community, but she was also loved by its members.

Dorcas’ Community as A Laboratory of Faith

In their move to action, the community around Dorcas showed their faith in God to heal Dorcas. Note that they washed but did not anoint her, they sent for Peter, and they did as Peter asked when he arrived. The community’s love for Dorcas and her place in the community stirred the entire community to exercise their faith. They did not just talk about it, they lived it out.

In their actions, the community also demonstrated that everyone has a part in carrying out a mission. The mission in this case was getting Peter so he could pray for her healing. Look again at the actions of the community—not everyone did the same thing, yet each one did something. As each person acted, each person believed that Dorcas would be healed and she was. Note the final result—many believed in the Lord.

Questions for Reflection

As I listened to my friend’s sermon and re-read the story of Dorcas, I discovered that Dorcas' story does demonstrate that community is a laboratory of faith. It is the community that reflects the effectiveness of my faith and where my faith can be lived out in service and love for others. How it will be lived out will depend on the members of the community and what is needed by those we are serving.

I am left pondering these questions.

Who are the members of my community?
To what communities do I belong?
Who are the members of the communities I am a part of?
What is the mission of each of these communities?
How do I contribute and how should I contribute to each community?
Do the communities to which I belong bring glory to God and lead others to Christ?

Dorcas was not alone in her service to the widows and needy in her community. She lived a life of faith not just in words, but in actions. As a disciple she sought to imitate Christ. Is this my goal? Some things to ponder from the life and short account of Dorcas’ life.

References

https://margmowczko.com/tabitha-dorcas-disciple-acts-9/

https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/dictionary/viewtopic.cfm?topic=VT0000751

Snyder, Jim (2021) Doing Community Well Week One Sermon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkYciEuFEwkMWa72Y-AhJPQ

Portrait: Masolino (1425), Peter Heals the Crippled and Raises Tabitha, fresco (255 × 598 cm) Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence .

Turn the Page

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 13:00:03 GMT

A New Year is Ahead - Let's Write a New Chapter

The dawn of a New Year is upon us with more questions and wonderment than perhaps any year since 1999 heading into 2000. Back then it was Y2K and some wondered if computers would continue to work, if the stock market and banks would be able to function, or if the world we knew would change forever.

There may not be many things that are certain as we head into 2022, but we know that Jesus will be the same as He has always been: that is one thing we can definitely count on. Before we get to what’s ahead, let’s take some time to look back. Looking back can give us perspective as we move forward—some things only become clear in the rear-view mirror after some time has passed.

Looking Back to Move Ahead

You may want to grab a coffee or tea: whatever is your favorite and a journal as we work through these next few items. Something happens when you put pen to paper—for those who are more digitally minded, feel free to open a note or doc on your phone or computer to make your notes and jot your thoughts down. Whatever it is, I encourage you to participate fully in this exercise of looking back without fear, frustration, or formulating the right answers: take time to be completely transparent and honest with yourself.

Let’s begin with the wins.

What are the things in your ministry that you consider wins: are there some things that you are celebrating, some areas that He showed up that you know if He hadn’t things wouldn’t have happened?
What are some personal wins: some mountains you have climbed as a person in which you thought you’d never reach the summit? Or maybe, you’re still looking at the trail ahead, but you’re celebrating the trail behind. What are those things?
What about family wins: are there things your family has accomplished this past year that when you began, felt hard or maybe even impossible? Looking back over the year, I personally think that since we made it through so many unknowns and uncharted waters - we should celebrate!

What about the unfinished?

Are there things left undone that you’d prefer to have finished? It’s okay. Take a deep breath and put it on your list to get to later. Take a moment and decide if it’s important, urgent, something you want to get done but not necessarily needs to be done now, or something that really doesn’t matter but something you had hoped to get completed and decide whether it needs to go on your list for the new year or not. (Want, need, desire, dream, or void).

What about the things you tanked?

Are there some things that were an entire flop—things you’d rather forget and pretend never happened? You may even hope everyone else will forget them too if they know about them.
I bring this up not to shame or guilt you but to let you know—it’s okay. It’s even valuable information so take a few moments to sit with it. Own it, realize that it may be something you tanked, but it doesn’t have to define you so don’t let it.
Have you grieved the losses that you’ve encountered? Have you owned the responsibility that is yours in the area(s) that didn’t go well? What can you learn from this experience and do differently moving forward?

Now, take a few moments and write down three lessons you’ve learned this year. These can be anything you consider of value to your leadership journey, your personal or professional growth, it may be something you want to hold on to as a value in your ministry journey.

Stopping to take the time to reflect on all that has been the year behind brings value to the year ahead. It can help set us up for a stronger and more courageous future. Don’t be afraid of any of it: embrace the good, the bad, and the ugly, of the past year and step into it.

Feel it, experience it, learn from it, then leave it in the past. Nothing can be changed except you. Learning from all of it is what this experience is about and with much confidence, leave those things that aren’t life-giving and encouraging in the past rather than dragging them into the future with you.

Stepping into the Fullness of the Future

Think of this experience as you do when upgrading your cell phone: there are things you want to bring with you and things you’d rather leave out. Let them go, because believe it or not, you get to choose what to and what not to bring with you. Stepping into the new year is exciting and awe-inspiring if you let it be. There’s a whole new year ahead, without any mistakes and with all the possibilities in the world to encounter and experience.

Now, let’s take some time in prayer and listening to hear what God has to say about you and ‘22.

Start with prayer: thank Him for what has been: the good, bad, and ugly and ask God to reveal to you His mission and how He wants you to partner with Him in the upcoming year. Continue to pray until you sense an answer. This may take some time and patience to discover, it may not happen right in the moment as we’d all like it to but allow Him to speak.
What is God calling you to in the upcoming year?
Are there any changes or shifts you need to make to move ahead in a healthy and courageous way?
If you’re unsure, will you continue seeking Him? If you’re sure will you continue seeking Him for direction and guidance?

Soak in the Word for the Journey

Throughout Scripture I am amazed at how God’s word continues to speak to us today, if we will listen. As you prepare for the New Year and what God has for you, take time to review these words that God has to share with you from His Word -

You have searched me, Lord,

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you, Lord, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

Psalm 139:1-14 NIV

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on

to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6 NIV

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation

through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that,

whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 NIV

Look to the Future

There are many more Scriptures that will encourage you on your journey, these that I have shared are just a few. What are some Scriptures that you claim over your ministry as a woman pastor or leader? We'd love to hear from you. Whatever they are, we need to stop and soak in them, to listen for His still small voice, and to sense His power and presence surrounding and comforting us. God has good plans for your life and has called you to fulfill your calling. He will equip and empower you to do far more than you can begin to imagine.

Whatever the past year has left you feeling: whether joyful, frustrated, excited, apprehensive, or any other emotion, leave it there and focus on turning the page, with confidence in whose you are and the plans He has for you. 2022 is a brand new year, full of possibilities and wonder because "all things are possible with God." God’s mission is still on track whatever 2021 looked like. Won’t you jump in the deep end with both feet and follow Him on His glorious journey? Turn the page and start writing a new chapter with Him today.

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Abigail: Women of Faith Series

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 09:00:03 GMT

Beautiful, Wise, and Brave Responder to Life’s Circumstances

Abigail’s Story

1 Samuel 25 begins with the recording of the death of Samuel and the time of mourning. David and his men were moving from their stronghold to the wilderness of Paran and were passing by Maon, a city in the hill country of Judah. We are introduced to Nabal and his wife Abigail in verse three. Abigail means my father’s joy or happiness in Hebrew. We meet her in verse 3. She is the wife of Nabal (whose name means fool) who was a very wealthy man and described as harsh and surly (NASB). He owned 3000 sheep and 1000 goats. He and his men were shearing his sheep in Carmel. Their home was in Moan and the business in Carmel. Both are shown on this map. https://bibleatlas.org/full/maon.htm .

David and his men had protected Nabal and his men when they were shearing sheep in Carmel. David sent his men to Nabal for a payment for their service of protecting Nabal and his men. It was a very polite request (vs. 7-8) but was met with a very surly rebuff (vs. 8-11). David responded by putting on his sword and having four hundred of his men put on theirs. Nabal’s men knew what was going to happen and one of them went to tell Abigail about the situation they found themselves in as a result of a request for hospitality, a rebuff, and now a possible attack.

Abigail, who is described as beautiful in appearance and intelligent, did not delay but intervened with quick action. She took two hundred loaves of bread, five sheep, five measures of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs and had them loaded on donkeys. She asked her young men to go ahead of her and did not tell Nabal what she was doing. She met David and his army, got off the donkey, and fell at David’s feet and began to intercede on behalf of her household. She spoke wise words to David and “her speech is one of the longest speeches of a woman recorded in the Old Testament” (Mowczko, 2013).

She said:

“Pardon your servant, sir. Please let me speak to you. Listen to what I’m saying. Let me take the blame myself. Please don’t pay any attention to that evil man Nabal. His name means Foolish Person. And that’s exactly what he is. He’s always doing foolish things. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see the men you sent. Sir, the Lord has kept you from killing Nabal and his men. He has kept you from using your own hands to get even. So may what’s about to happen to Nabal happen to all your enemies. May it happen to everyone who wants to harm you. And may it happen just as surely as the Lord your God and you are alive. I’ve brought a gift for you. Give it to the men who follow you.” (I Samuel 25:24-27 NIRV).

She ended her speech with these words.

“The Lord will do for you every good thing he promised to do. He’ll appoint you ruler over Israel. When that happens, you won’t have this heavy load on your mind. You won’t have to worry about how you killed people without any reason. You won’t have to worry about how you got even. The Lord your God will give you success. When that happens, please remember me.” (I Samuel 25: 20-31 NIRV).

In this speech we see that she asked David for forgiveness, she said her husband is a fool, she offered him the gift, told him he will be king and that when he is king he will not want to think about those he killed to get even. David accepted the gift and indicated that he will not kill Nabal and his household. Abigail returned to Nabal and found him to be drunk. She waited until the morning to tell him what she had done. His heart grew hard and ten days later he died.

David told Abigail.

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands” I Samuel 25:32-33 (NIRV).

This passage informs us that David recognized Abigail as speaking God’s truth to him. David heard the news of Nabal’s death and asked Abigail to marry him. She did. That is the last time we read about Abigail in the Bible. So what can we learn from Abigail to apply to our lives as women and clergywomen in the 21st century?

Abigail Responded to the Situation without Delay

In her story we see that Abigail responded to danger by acting without delay. She understood the request David made and believed the best course of action would be to provide David and his men with the hospitality they had requested. She responded and did not react. She remained externally calm in front of her household as they helped her quickly prepare the meal for David and his army.

When we are in the midst of a conflict or tense situation, we can learn to respond as Abigail. When we respond instead of react, our actions are measured and our emotions are under control. One of my mentors gave me this advice years ago when he told me that I needed to learn how to respond and not react when I was dealing with conflict, an opposing opinion, or with a person who was not being kind to me. I have learned to do things like counting to five or ten before speaking and it has helped me immensely. I see that Abigail responded and then took action quickly.

Abigail Spoke the Truth to David

This chapter began with the acknowledgement of Samuel’s death. Samuel was the prophet that David had recognized as speaking God’s truth. In this passage, David recognized Abigail as being a voice of wisdom for his life and ministry. As we live and listen to God we need to speak the truth kindly to others when God directs us.

Abigail spoke the truth by telling David the consequences of his planned killing of Nabal’s household. She appealed to his future regrets of this planned action. She said these words in a way which David could hear them. When we speak the truth to others, do we speak it in a way which can be received and heard by them? This is a lesson we can learn from Abigail.

Abigail Acknowledged Nabal’s Foolishness

Abigail admitted that Nabal was a foolish man and that he was always doing foolish things. She did not excuse his behavior, she did not rationalize why he was the way he was. She said “His name means foolish.” One might say that she threw him under the bus and then told him about it. There could be a debate about the apparent lack of submission of Abigail to her husband, but she did what was right to protect their household, their business, and to save their lives. This was a courageous act on Abigail’s part as she saved the lives of many and saved David from having regret in the future.

To say that this act was unappreciated by Nabal is an understatement. His heart grew hard and he died. So what about us? Are there toxic relationships in our lives that we need to acknowledge and set up boundaries to protect ourselves and others? Do we refuse to see the faults of our family members or make excuses for their behavior? While I may not want everyone to know that a family member has a problem, I need to acknowledge it to God and a trusted friend. God and my trusted friend can help me deal with whatever the problem is and to be like Abigail in knowing when I need to take action and when I should not.

Abigail Thought about the Needs of Others Before She Thought of Her Own

In her courageous action, Abigail was thinking about the future of her household, her husband’s business and not of the possible consequences for her own life. David could have killed her when she approached him. Nabal could have thrown her out of the house when she told him what she had done and she would have been disgraced. Scripture does not record any of these thoughts or any what if’s when she acted. She acted.

When we are faced with a conflict or difficult decision, what questions do we ask? Do we ask questions looking at us or looking at the bigger picture and the needs of all involved in the decision? Do we consider when evaluating a change in program or policy, what the effects will be on all those involved? In recent months, I have seen many churches make decisions based on the needs of all and not just the needs of some. Churches have decided to keep online services going so those who still felt more comfortable self-isolating can participate in worship services. Conventions have been both in person and virtual so more can participate.

Abigail Moved Forward with Courage and Trusted God

When God calls us to action, calls us to make a decision, or to do something; how do we respond? Do we move forward with courage or wait for more signs of the actions to take? Had Abigail waited, the results would have been bad. She discerned the time to act was now and did.

It was not easy (look at the size of the meal she prepared), but she acted. When I discern that now is the time to act, what do I do? I pray that I will respond like Abigail in these situations. I pray that you will too.

Final Thoughts

Abigail was in a toxic relationship when we met her. She is described as wise and beautiful. We see that she acted without delay once she saw the problem. We see that she spoke the truth. She acknowledged the faults of her family members and did not make excuses for Nabal. She thought about the needs of others before her own. She moved forward with courage and trusted God.

God saw Abigail and met her needs and she was blessed to become David’s wife after Nabal’s death. May we respond to life’s difficult situations with such courage based on Biblical truth and think of others as we decide upon our response. May we know that we are beautiful to those who love us, and are created beautiful in the eyes of God. When we lack wisdom, may we not shrink back but ask God for wisdom as James tells us in his epistle.

References

Bolinger, Hope. (2020) Who Was Abigail in the Bible? Christianity.com. Retreived from https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/who-was-abigail-in-the-bible.html August 6, 2021

McDaniel, Debbie (2019) Five Things All Women Can Learn From Abigail in the Bible. IBelieve.com Retrieved from https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/things-women-learn-from-abigail-bible.html August 6, 2021.

Mowczko, Marg (2013) Abigail: A Bible Woman with Beauty and Brains. Retrieved from https://margmowczko.com/abigail-1-samuel-25/ August 6, 2021.

Poiner, Gina M. (No Date) What Abigail in the Bible Can Teach Us About Strength. Equipping Godly Women Website. Retrieved from https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/things-women-learn-from-abigail-bible.html August 6, 2021.

How Did I Get Here?

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 08:00:04 GMT

Sometimes where you think you're going is not where you end up.

A Grand Adventure

Back in 2006, my husband, Rollie, and I packed up our van and our three young daughters and headed out on a vacation. We had spent the previous few years saving for this trip of a lifetime that we wanted to share with our girls. We left Nova Scotia and headed for Maryland where I attended a conference then we continued our journey down the Eastern seaboard of the United States to Walt Disney World for a week of fun in Florida. It was a grand adventure full of twists and turns, lots of fun, and even some scary moments but when we left NS; we were armed with a map and a GPS to help us find our way.

Because I am a very organized and particular sort of person who does not like to fly by the seat of her pants, I spent weeks preparing: finding hotels, places we could get food (in our family we have many severe food allergies, so we had to be vigilant), plotting out our route along with alternates in case of hurricanes, traffic, or any other things that might come up. I made reservations for the places we would stay in Maryland and Florida and had some places on the way as options, depending on how far we could travel each day with three kids.

When we take a long vacation or make a journey, many times, we sit down and count the cost finding out how much this will cost us financially and what we need to do to prepare. We plot out our route and prepare for everything we can and even try to account for some of the what if’s. Maybe you’re very different from me and are more of a go “go where the wind takes you” traveller and load it up and figure it out as you go.

Whether you’re a planner or a traveller who goes where the wind takes you, you can sometimes get on the wrong road - or sometimes even a different road than you expected and end up somewhere else. When this happens, most times we ask the question, “How did I get here?”

Trusting in the Midst of Uncertainty

This can happen in our lives and ministries too. We sense a calling on our lives. It can be vague or detailed, regardless of which it is, if you take the call seriously, you begin to work your way through the details of getting to where you’re called to be. I’m not sure whether your call was clear or vague, but mine was a gentle nudge in my heart that He was calling me into ordained ministry.

It was the only clear thing about it. It took me time to accept the fact that He had called me. I felt so utterly insignificant and ill-equipped to do what He was asking, to the point that I couldn't see how He could ever even prepare me. This call came into my life at what seemed like an impossible time. I was homeschooling our three girls and Rollie worked erratic and long hours of shiftwork. How was I supposed to go off to school and learn what I needed to to be an ordained pastor? So, I ignored it and pushed the thought away. Two years later, the call came again and I sensed an urgency to be obedient, yet I was still hesitant because I already had so many responsibilities.

After much time in prayer and counsel from a couple people who I trusted to steer me towards God’s will, I said yes and enrolled in a course of study - which varied and morphed as I worked through a track with the goal of ordination. I studied hard and worked hard, walking through doors of opportunity that opened - not knowing which end was up at first - to fulfill the call that God had laid on my heart. After I finished my courses and book learning, I began to do a year of Supervised Ministry at a church an hour away from my home.

The entire time I was investing in the ministry that God had called me to partner with Him to do, I had a bit of a picture of what it might look like when all the scholastic work was done and I would be released to do what I had been working so hard to do. Well, a few years have passed and I’m still trusting God and working where He has called me to be, but I’ll be honest and say - it’s not doing what or where I expected to be.

God certainly has a sense of humour and I’m learning to lean in more each time things aren’t as I expect them to be. He has a good plan for our lives and He knows the big picture. It’s trusting Him with all the pieces that we don’t see that can be challenging.

A Heavenly Puzzle

A friend shared a heavenly piece of wisdom with me recently that I’d like to share with you. Maybe you can relate this to your own calling; especially if you aren’t where you expected to be. She said, “God’s plan is like when you do a puzzle. You take all the pieces out and sort them in the way you do, then you look at the cover. The cover shows you exactly what the puzzle should look like. But in this case, God has the cover, we don’t. So we wait for Him to show us where the next piece goes because we can’t see the whole picture.”

It can be difficult to surrender our dreams. They’ve been a part of us and our world for so long. Yet, only God knows the end from the beginning, only He understands the journey and the process. He holds the cover to the puzzle of our lives, but not only that: He also holds all the pieces.

As I’ve thought about and prayed about where I am versus where I thought I would be, I’ve decided to leave it in His hands: to hold everything loosely, palms up, hands open and let Him have His way in it. This is not always easy but knowing who holds it helps to trust. There are a few verses that I cling to when I am asking myself the question—“How did I get here?” —that help me once again stop striving and trust Jesus, who holds me and my history, my today, and my tomorrows.

Scripture to Ground You

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37:23-24
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

How beautiful the word of the Lord! This is the living word, the word that speaks through the junk and confusion of this world we are in. The living word brings hope and healing, calls us to a new level of faith and trust, and assures us that God is our Defender and Protector.

Are there any other Scriptures that you especially gravitate towards when you are wondering how you got here? When my family was travelling to Florida all those years ago, a hurricane was headed up the Eastern Seaboard and threatened to hit us head on, had we continued the same path we had originally mapped out. But thanks to being prepared, we were able to check the map (I’m still kinda old school in that area), reroute ourselves and travel more inland to avoid the storm. Sometimes we have to do this in our ministries as well - and that’s okay, even healthy. But it’s important to have the right tools to do so.

You Are Not Alone

If you are in a place either physically, emotionally, or spiritually and are wondering—”How did I get here?”—please remember that you are not alone. Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy exist to engage, empower and equip women leaders, teachers, and clergy to discern and fulfill their calling. You can follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and on our website to connect with women leaders from all walks of life. Each of us has a story, each of us long to see others grow into their kingdom potential. We are in this together and desire to see the Kingdom win because of our obedience to God’s calling on our lives. Connect with us today! We’d love to hear from you.

All Scripture taken from the NIV.

Esther: Women in Scripture Series

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 08:15:03 GMT

Orphan to Queen. Savior of Her Nation

Introducing Esther

Last month, I wrote about Deborah and Jael, two women who demonstrated holy boldness and led Israel in the defeat of the Midianites. This holy boldness is also seen in Esther’s story. Esther’s story took place in Persia about 100 years after the Israelites had been taken into captivity. The story told in the book of Esther takes place during the rule of Ahasuerus, who amongst others has been identified as the 5th-century Persian king Xerxes I (reigned 486–465 BC).

For reference, Deborah’s judgeship was in the 12 century BC. In Esther’s time, many Jews were living in Persia after being taken captive. Esther was an orphaned Jewish girl who was cared for by her uncle Mordecai. She lived in Susa, the capital of Persia. The Persians had captured Babylon, and though some Jews had returned to Jerusalem, Esther and Mordecai had not. Esther won a beauty contest and became queen to a very temperamental king. Sue Nelson describes Esther in this way.

Esther lived in a time when Israel was in captivity as a consequence to their disobedience to God. She was just an adopted daughter of a cousin living in a foreign land. Other than her beauty, she was not unique in any way. In fact, she was a Jew, which was a minority race that was frowned upon and at times scorned or worse (Nelson, S. retrieved July 2021).

We do not know what kind of religious education Esther received. We do notice that God’s name is not mentioned in the Book of Esther. I found an interesting article as I explored why God’s name is not mentioned in the book. Mackie and Woollard describe the chiastic structure of the Book of Esther and then make two concluding statements.

In fact, by never mentioning God and simultaneously conveying the events with perfect literary symmetry the author is making a profound theological point showing us that God’s providence is at work in everything to save and deliver his people. It’s a technique meant to push you, the reader, to explore God’s providence even in the darkest moments of history. It invites you to see how God can and does work in the real mess and moral ambiguity of human history to accomplish his divine purposes. (Mackie and Woollard).

Far from being secular, Esther pushes us to look at our own lives and consider how God might be actively working behind the scenes, even in the face of great threat or tragedy, to accomplish his good and perfect purposes. We’re called to trust in God’s providence even when we can’t see it working or don’t understand what’s happening. The message calls us to deeper levels of faith where we choose to believe that no matter how horrible things get, God is committed to redeeming his good world and overcoming evil. ( Mackie and Woollard).

Here is a link to a short video that tells us the story of Esther and illustrates the book. It is about nine minutes long. https://youtu.be/JydNSlufRIs

The video tells the story much better than I can summarize it here. We find Esther, an orphan, becoming queen and being so brave that she saves the Jews from the eradication that Haman wanted. Like other women that I have written about, Esther was an ordinary woman that God used to do extraordinary things. The story of Esther teaches us four important lessons women leaders can lean from and lean from in our own lives.

Lesson One

We may not see God working in our lives, but He is even when we do not see it. God has a plan and He works to accomplish it. This is important to remember when we are discouraged, defeated, or dealing with a great tragedy. It is important to remember when we are waiting. It is also important to remember when things are going well. God is God and we are not.

Esther’s story illustrates trust when she goes before the king. She finds courage in the words from Mordecai -

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NIV.

Maybe Mordecai was remembering what happened to Barak when he did not want to go into battle without Deborah and another person killed Sisera. In our own lives, we might not understand why, but we do know who is in control. We learn the importance of trusting God as we read the Book of Exodus and see how often the Israelites did not do this well. (For example, Exodus 32). We can trust God in the hard times, the waiting times, and the good times. God used Esther to save her and the Jews from genocide.

Lesson Two

Esther knew the importance of fasting and prayer and called upon others to fast and pray for and with her. Angela Guzman puts it this way. The same idea of fasting and prayer can be applied towards everyday life. More often than not, God’s children tend to get caught up with the fast pace that life presents to us on a daily basis. The duties that we must complete at home and at work can get frustrating and cause unexpected stress. It’s very important that we find a balance within life’s requirements by fasting and prayer.

Remember that fasting can mean actual fasting from food, but also be relevant to avoiding other temptations that bog you down – shopping for materialistic items, gossiping, or any other actions that can present negative outcomes. Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom. Instead instill a regular course of fasting into your life that will keep you on a definitive checks and balance system. (Guzman, Angela Five Biblical Lessons from the Book of Esther retrieved from https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/galleries/5-biblical-lessons-from-the-book-of-esther.aspx retrieved July 2021.

Fasting causes us to look to God and focus on Him as our source for life and ministry. It gives us a time away from our routine to focus on Him and His calling in our lives. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that we may practice when we are faced with a major decision or circumstance like Esther, but it can also be part of our regular spiritual practices. This is a lesson that God is teaching me during this season of my own life.

Lesson Three

God wants us to listen to our mentors and spiritual advisors. Throughout the Book of Esther, we read of Esther listening to Mordecai and trusting his advice. As God puts mentors in our lives, we can thank Him for them, and then listen to them. We can also ask them to pray with and for us as we make difficult decisions or as we need to have courage. Esther needed this courage as she approached the king. She knew his past and knew what had happened to Vashti when she dared to speak and not do as he asked her. (See Esther Chapter 1).

Esther knew that in going to see the king she was going against the law. She not only asked all the Jews to pray for her after listening to Mordecai, she had the courage to speak the words we know so well from her story. “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16 NIV). Esther was encouraged to do this by Mordecai and we know the results of her obedience.

Lesson Four

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He also uses those who have experienced hardships or are in some way handicapped. Esther was an orphan in a strange land. She was living as an exile. She was not wealthy and did not have status in the land. She was a “nobody” until she entered the beauty contest.

Angela Guzman says it like this -

“Even though she was removed from Persian nobility, God still had a plan and position for her. God could see the strengths that Esther possessed and understood how to use her traits for the greater good of the nation. It’s important to not get bogged down with the idea of handicaps and hardships because the negative connotations are crippling.”

This is a lesson I have had to learn in recent days as I have confronted my mobility challenges. I have had to learn how to serve in different ways then when I was able to move better. If you are also finding life challenging due to circumstances beyond your control (getting old is not something I control), then we can learn from Esther and allow God to use our strengths to serve Him by loving Him, loving others, and loving now.

I found the story of Esther particularly helpful as I face some of my current challenges in ministry, and was encouraged by her story. Sometimes life throws us some curveballs and we just have to trust God with the outcome. As I have had to deal with them, the lessons of Esther’s trust in God, her example of fasting and prayer, the input from her mentors, and not being defeated by life’s challenges are important ones for me. God is teaching me again to wait and to trust and to seek Him by practicing daily spiritual disciplines. I pray that these lessons are helpful for you as well.

I will close with words from one of my favorite minor prophets Habakkuk -

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights. (3:17-19).

References

Guzman, Angela Five Biblical Lessons from the Book of Esther retrieved from https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/galleries/5-biblical-lessons-from-the-book-of-esther.aspx Retrieved July 2021

Mackie, T. and Woollard, W. (2018). Esther: Secular or Sacred? A Brilliant Literary Design. Bible Project Blog. Retrieved from https://bibleproject.com/blog/esther-secular-sacred/ July 2021.

Nelson, Sue Women of Noble Character Series retrieved from https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/esther-in-the-bible/ retrieved July 2021.

Painting:

‘Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther’, Rembrandt, 1660.

Good or Better? It's Your Choice!

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 08:00:03 GMT

Is your work for Jesus or devotion to Him more important?

The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him .

~Oswald Chambers

Our world has been in the midst of a pandemic. This has not only affected certain people in certain places at certain times, but everyone around the world has had their lives affected by the Coronavirus in one way or another, everyone is tired and running on empty. I saw a post on social media recently that went something like this - “I used to think that if I had more time at home, my house would be clean, but nah; that wasn’t the problem!” How many of you can relate? I see hands up all over the place!

Being in the midst of a pandemic and all the pivoting that we’ve had to do as women clergy has been a source of exhaustion for so many. Normally we go through the church calendar and have busy seasons such as Christmas and Easter that can be tiring, but then comes a reprieve and we get ourselves ready for the next push: not to say that these seasons aren’t chock full of blessings and wonderful things, but they are tiring. Add a year (almost two) of Covid behind us, stretching into the who knows how far into the future, and it feels heavy. Have you taken any time in the midst of all that is going on and checked in on yourself?

A Personal Check In

Take time right now and listen to your body for a moment. How are your emotions? Are they in check where they should be—do you laugh at things that are funny and mourn deeply over things that are heartbreaking? Do you find small irritants something you can dismiss and deal head on with the larger things that irritate you so they don’t build up?

How about physically? Are you generally well—sleeping and eating well and in good rhythm, getting enough exercise and fresh air or are you feeling offish, eating things you know you shouldn’t, not resting well and spending too much time indoors and/or binge watching tv for days and weeks on end?

How about spiritually? Are you spending time at the feet of Jesus for your own personal wellbeing or are you spending time with Him so you know what to preach on Sunday or teach in your small group? Are your prayers deep and meaningful or are they shallow and quick? Are you spending time with Him, just to sit in His presence or are there other things taking your time?

We are multifaceted beings: beings . As women, (not to mention as women leaders, teachers, and preachers) we spend so much time taking care of everyone else, that sometimes we do not stop and check in on ourselves. If you simply skimmed through the above questions, I encourage you to go back and examine yourself through an honest lens: not through the rose coloured glasses of what you want it to look like or what it would look like in a perfect world, but truly take the time to look at the reality of your life right here and right now.

See, we are beings, yet we spend most of our time doing: doing this and that, doing for this person and that person, doing what we think we should, when we think we should and for who we think we should. Sometimes—and this is even more exhausting—we do what we think others think we should be doing, trying to fit in the box we think they think we fit in.

Let’s get really honest. When was the last time you sat at the feet of Jesus to simply delight in Him; not on behalf of yourself or someone else, but simply to delight in Him? When was the last time you sat at the feet of Jesus to allow time for Him to delight in you? Yes, I said it but do you believe it? He wants to delight in you. Preacher sister, I hope that brings a smile to your face and warmth in your heart, and truth resonating in your spirit. Jesus delights in you.

I know you’re busy: everyone’s busy all the time. Church, work, school, zoom meetings, kids, husbands, housework, laundry, dishes—unending stuff—we’re all busy choosing what we will do. There are things that must be done and—brace yourself for this one—there are things that can be left undone or at least left for a bit.

We all have things on our schedules we can flex if we choose to. Learning which ones that can be discarded or shifted is of great importance. We have a responsibility for our own wellbeing (note that: being not doing) to make time in our schedules to do those things that fill us and these are non-negotiable and non-movable items if we are to stay healthy. We can settle for good or we can choose what is better. It’s our choice.

Two Women - Two Ways

I love the accounts in the Bible that show us contrasting personalities and help us to see things from differing points of view. In the book of Luke, we see two sisters with very different personalities having very different priorities. Both of them are demonstrating their love for Jesus, but they do it in very different ways.

One of the sisters, Martha, is busy doing everything she possibly can to serve Jesus when He arrives at her home to make His time with them comfortable. She is a servant-hearted woman, full of hospitality. It probably fills her heart to overflowing to provide for the physical needs of others.

Then there is the other sister, Mary. She simply sits: sits at the feet of Jesus, hanging on every word His voice forms. Her love for Him is so great that she can’t get enough being in His presence and listening to Him. Her heart and passion lead her to stay right where she is rather than help her sister serve His physical needs.

Let’s peek into the Scripture account to see what exactly is happening:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 NIV

Martha opened their home to Jesus: this is actually the home of Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Martha is an amazing hostess who is definitely gifted in the art of hospitality. She works tirelessly to be sure that Jesus is well taken care of; making preparations for guests and serving them is a tradition in her culture. She bustles about getting things ready, but in her heart she’s resentful that she’s left to do all the preparation alone. She works away, bustling around in the kitchen until she can’t stand it anymore. She waits until she is on the verge of an explosion then runs to Jesus complaining that she must do all the work on her own.

Let’s be honest, we put abundantly more pressure on ourselves to perform: whether it is at work getting programs perfected and Sunday morning services to flow without a slight hiccup, videos and online services to be flawless, or when we’re at home: making people comfortable whenever they arrive and during their stay. We want the food to be just right, the atmosphere to speak to whatever we are trying to accomplish in making others comfortable, and for everything to be perfect. In doing so, we can exhaust ourselves to the point of not being able to enjoy the experience of the moments we are in or the company of those we are with.

Good or Better?

What Martha was doing was good: making a comfortable place for Jesus to visit and preparing food for Him to eat while He was with them, but Jesus points out to her that Mary chose what was better: spending time at His feet. Spending time in His presence was the better choice: not doing, but being. This mattered, this was the better thing to do. This IS the better thing to do.

We can get so busy doing good that we get blinded to what is better. In our culture and time, people wear busyness as a badge of honour. It seems that people think that if you’re not busy, then you must be lazy. This is FALSE: a lie straight out of the pit of hell. Martha’s busyness worked her into a frenzy and she began complaining about her sister’s lack of care and concern. Martha was fixated on her own comfort in the moment, rather than Jesus’.

Think about your own work for a moment: whether a job in the secular world or a job in the church, how are you doing with it? Are you finding that you are comparing your work to other people’s work? Are you being reasonable in your expectations of yourself and others? Are you taking time to spend in the presence of Jesus—just to spend time with Him or is there always an agenda and an alarm so you can get on to the next thing?

“Women are programmed from a very young age to be doers. If we aren’t being productive, we sometimes feel useless which can be programmed in us from our childhood. Remember, this is the world’s view, not God’s view. In God’s economy, we are told to rest - Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” (ESV). Being busy is not necessarily the best use of our time.” (Gidney, p. 42).

You Are Enough!

Maybe you need someone to tell you that it’s okay to rest, maybe you need to deprogram the voices that say that you are not enough unless _______________. Let me tell you dear one, you are enough: you are precious, you are a daughter of the King. If you never do another thing in this world, you are loved and treasured by God simply for being you. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more, nothing you can accomplish that will give you access to more of Jesus. Come, come to Jesus. Lay down in His presence and delight in Him. Stay in His presence that He may delight in you.

Now, You have a choice to make. You can keep running, keep chasing, keep burning the candle at both ends, keep trying to prove you are worthy or you can come aside and rest awhile. You can sit at the feet of Jesus and just be still. You can lay your head down and leave everything in His hands and fill up at the fountain.

Oh, to sit at the feet of Jesus and delight in Him, with no agenda, no schedule, no expectations. Just be. This, dear one, is what we are called to do. Come to Jesus and be filled. You can choose right now. Will you choose the good or the better? Why not take time right now even if it’s five minutes and sit at the feet of Jesus, delighting in Him?

Resources

Chambers, O. My Utmost for His Highest. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Discovery House Publishers, 1935) p. 18

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10&version=NIV

Gidney, N. Transformed by the Grace of Jesus. (Monee, IL: Amazon Publishing, 2020) p. 42

A Brief Theology of Women in Ministry

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 08:00:03 GMT

Five Reasons Women Should Teach, Preach, and Minister

Laird, R. (1992, Spring). “A brief theology of women in ministry: Five reasons women should teach, preach, and minister.” GROW, 46–50.

No wise person begins building a strong house by trying to hang windows before the foundation and framing are completed. Yet that is often the approach taken when forming a so-called biblical view of women in ministry. Many people quickly parrot the phrase, "Women should keep silent in the churches" (I Cor. 14:33), or others like the idea and declare that God never intended for women to preach, teach, or lead the church.

But these New Testament verses should be seen as windows that give us glimpses into what was happening inside the walls of the early church; they reveal the struggles these churches faced in living and worshiping together. These verses serve most of all to remind us that our struggles to live harmoniously as sisters and brothers in Christ is nothing new.

Yet the verses that seem upon first glance to disallow women the right to ministry fail to deal with four foundational truths upon which the Christian faith is built.

Equality in Creation

Let us begin at the beginning. The first two chapters of Genesis recount two descriptions of how God created the world and humankind. The first account indisputably says that after God created the heavens and the earth, light and dark, plants and animals, He created both man and woman in the divine image.

Both women and men are made to be like God. There is no hierarchy in this creation story. In the first story in Genesis, man and woman are created much like twins are born. Together male and female share the honor of being God's children. And to these offspring God gives the responsibility for caring for every other living thing in creation. This story ends with the reminder that God declares that both man and woman are very good. God does not declare that one is better or more suited to lead. That idea is our own and not God's.

The second chapter of Genesis tells the story of creation in a different sequence. God made the earth, then made man from the earth and breathed life into him. Then God made the plants and animals. Then God decided that man needed a "helper" and created the first woman.

Over the centuries many have tried to use this story as evidence that women are subordinate to men because woman was created from and chronologically after man. To logically follow this argument, men must be subordinate to dirt because that is what they were formed from and after.

This story was never intended to set up a universal model that substantiates the absolute leadership of men. To focus on the fact that man preceded the woman in creation by a short time is to enter into a squabble between twins that because one was born four minutes before the other, he always gets to go first, make every decision and take the lead in everything for all time. No family can exist under that kind of tyranny; we were never meant to.

Being first born was important as a Jewish means of determining the right of inheritance, but that is not the gospel way of determining inheritance. All who are born through Christ are joint heirs, equal inheritors of God's love and God's mission. The other tidbit of this second creation story that is used as "proof" that women cannot provide leadership in the church is taken from the designation that women were made to be man's "helper." Some think this means that woman's role is to enable man to fulfill his work in the world and his ministry in the church. Somehow this idea has been wrongly interpreted to mean that women are to be fulfilled by enabling men to succeed by doing all of the private, domestic, and clerical work for men. But the word "helper" that is used here could be better understood if translated as "counterpart" or "partner." Indeed, this very word is used when referring to God as the "helper" of Israel. Israel needed God's strength, guidance, and leadership skills. Together, side by side, in life and in ministry, men and women are one flesh, the whole of humanity.

Finally, what the creation accounts teach is that women and men were created equally good with shared responsibilities and the task of helping one another care for every living thing. If this is the teaching of creation, then women share with men the divine nature and responsibility for the church. Women are men's counterparts and peers in ministry. The one who does the decision-making and preaching is more a matter of aptitude and calling than of gender.

Equality in Redemption

Back at creation both Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned. And neither male nor female has a plausible case for innocence. But even though we all know deep inside that we have sinned, we often fool ourselves into feeling better by thinking someone else is more to blame.

Now those same people that like to say that Adam was created first are quick to point out that Eve sinned first and somehow that makes women more prone to sin. It should be noted, however, that using this logic has its traps. In Genesis 2, God tells the man not to eat of the tree of knowledge. This all happens before the woman was even created. If anyone should have known better, it was Adam. God gave him a direct, unequivocal command; Eve only heard it secondhand.

The real truth of sin is that both man and woman disobeyed. Genesis tells us that Adam was with Eve when she took and ate of the forbidden fruit. He was standing right there and did likewise. Imagine, if you will, that two people walk into a grocery store and both steal a piece of fruit; is the one whose hand grabbed it first more guilty of theft than the other?

Men and women both stand guilty of sin. That is the truth—the bad news.

The equally true good news is that Christ came to redeem us all and to set the world aright. Christ came to restore a right relationship between God and humanity. Christ also came to restore a right relationship between human beings, Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female.

One of the marks of sin is our disunity, our categorizing, our domination over one another. (Some want to justify women's subordination by citing Genesis 3:16 after the Fall when God says to the woman, "and he shall rule over you." But remember, this is after the Fall, after sin. God is outlining the consequences of sin, not the divine intention.)

For centuries groups of people have been jockeying for position at the expense of others. Whites have subordinated people of color. Men have used physical strength to put women "in their places." That is and always will be sin.

When Paul wrote the profound credo of freedom and equality found in Galatians 3:28, he declared that redemption in Christ made change possible for the human heart and human society. Full redemption is both personal and social.

Paul, for most of his adult life, had been a zealous Jew. Good Jewish men faithfully recited the traditional morning prayer which gave thanks to God that "thou hast not made me a Gentile, a slave or a woman."

Paul, the man who became the great missionary and apostle, spent most of his life as a privileged, educated, haughty, religious man who accepted as fact the social realities of his day. He assumed that Jews were superior to Greeks, free citizens were more worthy than slaves, and men were unquestionably better than women. But Christ seared his world view with the truth on the road to Damascus. His whole world view changed. He then knew a deeper truth—he was no better, no less than his sisters and his brothers in faith.

Once Paul knew the truth, he proclaimed it. He preached Christ to be the great equalizer, which He is. Paul also tried to live it, but he, like us, found it difficult. Paul lived in a world where the kingdom of God had been revealed but was not yet a reality. We live in the same kind of world. Paul lived in the tension between what he knew to be true and what he found to be the present reality of the church. When the church at Corinth was fraught with divisions and factions, he adjudicated the fracas. Lots of outlandish things happen in the church, then and now.

In the church at Corinth, someone was sexually immoral, and people were squabbling about what should be done. Paul was forced to make several judgment calls (I Cor. 7). Women who became believers had unbelieving husbands; what were their marital responsibilities now that their lives had changed? Slaves who now knew themselves to be free in Christ agitated for social freedom.

Women were speaking in church and outsiders considered that scandalous. Paul was called in to restore peace. He basically told people to accept their previous stations in life so that the fabric of the church would not be ripped apart. He told women to cover their heads according to custom when they prophesied. But he never told women to stop prophesying in public. Disorder reigned in the Corinthian church and in its worship. People spoke in tongues. People with a prophecy stood up and talked over each other. Women who had questions about what was going on asked their husbands, who in a traditional setting would have been seated across the room. Paul told women to be silent in church and save their questions for home. It seems there was no order in their worship.

When Paul silenced the women, his words were meant to keep the church from disorderly conduct. Paul's words were never meant to be taken out of this context and made into a universal principle to keep women out of public ministry. These words were and are pastoral wisdom given from an elder when called upon to try to settle disputes in a local church.

In this chaotic situation, Paul pleaded for unity and order. He made this proclamation for the common good of a local church during a very troubled time.

When reading Paul's epistles, it is helpful to recall his great themes, and his great concerns reach well beyond what he found in the Corinthian church. Paul cared most about freedom and equality in Christ, justification by faith, and unity in the body of believers. Paul proclaimed us to be joint heirs with Jesus. And joint heirs bear the equally heavy burden of sin and can equally claim full redemption and freedom in Christ.

Equality in Call

Jesus changed everything for His followers when He walked into their lives and called, "Come and follow me." Jesus called the twelve apostles and they left everything to follow Him.

Jesus changed everything for His women followers, too. And there were many. Women in Jesus' day were not allowed to study the Scriptures or be instructed in the faith. Women were hidden behind veils and mostly secluded in their homes. Rabbis or church leaders did not publicly speak to women, not even to their wives or daughters. Women did not speak in public.

But Jesus changed everything. Jesus bade Mary of Bethany to come out of the kitchen and sit at His feet with the other disciples as He taught them.

Jesus had many women followers who left their homes and traveled with Him and the twelve disciples. Luke 8 tells us that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna went from city to village with Him.

Jesus talked to women in public. He talked to the woman with the hemorrhage and healed her. In doing so Jesus broke the law. For a religious leader to touch a bleeding woman was scandalous. But Jesus was not afraid of proclaiming the good news of full liberation and freedom to women.

Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well. A Jew would not speak to a Samaritan and a man would not speak to a woman, but Jesus did, and He spoke to her in front of everyone.

It was no accident that Jesus affirmed women. Jesus placed a high priority on touching, talking to, and calling those who were excluded from positions of leadership and power in the society of His day. Jesus came to proclaim a new way for Jew and Greek, men and women, slave and free, to live together.

Equality in Example

In the gospel of Luke, the story is recorded that on the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Joanna went to the tomb to anoint His body. But when the three women arrived at the tomb, Jesus' body was gone. Disappeared.

An angel appeared to the women and they ran to tell the disciples. But the disciples did not believe the women. Their stories sounded like "nonsense" to them.

The gospel of John also recounts the resurrection, and in this record only Mary Magdalene stays at the tomb. The other disciples went away in despair and disbelief.

Mary wept when she saw Jesus' body was gone. Angels appeared to ask her why she was crying. When she turned from them, there stood Jesus.

Jesus said to her, "Go to my brothers and tell them I am returning to my Father, your Father, to my God and your God."

Jesus, himself, gave the command and the privilege of testifying to the resurrection to a woman because she remained faithful.

Jesus still calls women to tell the story of resurrection, the story of freedom, the story of His God and their God. Jesus calls women to preach, teach, and minister.

Equality in Empowerment

On the day of Pentecost, Acts 2 tells of the faith-changing events when the believers in Jerusalem and many international visitors were "all together in one place." The Holy Spirit was poured out that day on all flesh, not just male flesh, not just Jewish flesh. People from many nations, races, and languages were given the power to proclaim the truth of their experience.

When Peter stood to address this diverse and noisy crowd, he reminded them and he reminds us of the Old Testament promise, "In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. . . Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days'" (Acts 2:16–18).

Peter clearly announces the truth—the Spirit is available to empower all people to prophesy, to preach. Everyone on whom the Spirit is poured is free to prophesy, to speak up about what God has done.

Some contemporary Christians like to qualify the freedom given women to prophesy by making a distinction between prophesying and preaching. They concede that women might be free to speak up when so moved, but women still should not preach or lead. Why not? Women did in the early church.

Women can be found everywhere between the lines of the New Testament. In Romans 16 Phoebe the deacon is mentioned. (Many Bible translations designate Phoebe as a helper or deaconess and call the men deacons. However, the same word is used in original texts for all "deacons." Phoebe and the male deacons held the same position in the early church.)

In the same chapter Mary, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis, Julia, Nereus' sister, and Olympas are listed as workers in the Lord. Euodia and Syntyche worked side by side with Paul, and be assured they were not just pouring tea (Phil. 4:2). Priscilla earned the title as Paul's "co-worker in Christ." Romans also records that she and her husband "risked their lives" for Paul and had a church in their home. In Acts 21 the four unmarried daughters of Philip are described as prophets. There are many others. These were Spirit-filled women who preached, taught, prophesied, and risked their lives for the cause of Christ.

The Christian church was born on Pentecost, the day when the Spirit was poured out. Those that believed and began to spread the word were from many nations, many races, and both genders. The equality of empowerment is one of the characteristics of the truly Spirit-filled church.

Conclusions

The house of God's truth about women in ministry stands on four bedrock truths: equality in creation, equality in redemption, equality in call, and equality in empowerment.

A theology of women in ministry must be built on this foundation. Women are free and qualified to preach, teach, and minister because God has created woman in the divine image and declared that she is good. God has provided a way to fully redeem women and all of fallen humanity. Jesus has called all who witness to the resurrection in their lives to proclaim the amazing news of new life to others. And the Holy Spirit has been poured out to empower all flesh, including women's flesh.

The house that God has built has its doors thrown wide open to all who would enter in. Women have always come to the house of God willingly to serve. But women are free to preach and teach. Women can also minister and lead.

God's house is a house where women and men are called to work together and learn to honor each other as God's good creation.

Rebe cca Laird is Professor of Christian Ministry and Practice at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is also a freelance editor and writer who specializes in spirituality and social justice.

Deborah And Jael: Women in Scripture Series

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:00:03 GMT

Women Who Boldly Follow God

The Scripture passages that will be discussed are found in Judges 4 and 5.

You can read the chapters here: https://www.bible.com/bible/110/JDG.4.NIRV or in any other version of the Bible you choose.

Introducing Deborah

In Judges 4 and 5, we meet two women Deborah and Jael. Deborah is a judge.

“As a judge she sought guidance from the Lord by praying and meditating before proclaiming their ruling on a matter. Many of the judges were also thought of as prophets who articulated ‘a word from the Lord.’ Deborah would sit under the palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites would line up for her to rule on a matter.” ( https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/who-was-deborah-in-the-bible.html )

Who Are These Women?

Deborah's story begins in Judges 4 which indicates that Israel had once again done evil in the sight of the Lord and was now under the control of Jabin, the king of Canaan. The army of the Canaanites was led by Sisera, (Judges 4:1-2). As is the pattern in the book of Judges, when the people of Israel are under the control of another nation, they cried to the Lord for help.

This time the Lord answered by giving a word to Deborah. Deborah calls Barak, who God has asked to lead the nation into battle with the promise of a victory. Barak says he will go but only if Deborah will go with him. So Deborah goes, but tells Barak that the glory for the victory will not be given to him because Sisera will be overcome by the hand of a woman.

The story unfolds exactly the way God told Deborah it would. The Canaanites were defeated by Barak, Deborah, and the Israelite army. Sisera fled the battle and went to the house of Jael; the wife of Heber the Kenite since there was peace between Jabin and the house of Heber.

Sisera, thinking he was safe, ate and drank and then fell asleep. Jael kills him by driving a tent peg through his head and into the ground. Jael then goes to Barak and tells him where he will find the head of Sisera. The army of Israel prevailed and Jabin was destroyed.

After this Deborah continued to rule Israel for forty years and there was peace in the land. Judges 5 is a song sung by Deborah and Barak that recounts the events of the battle giving praise to God for His guidance in the process. In this song, Jael's act is mentioned and she is called blessed.

A Tale of Two Heroines

The two heroines in this story are Deborah and Jael. In their stories, there are similarities and differences. For instance, they are both doing what God called them to do. Deborah was judging, Jael was caring for her household. God spoke to both of them as they were doing the ordinary activities of life and both obeyed God when He spoke.

Deborah’s leadership lasted for a long period of time. She was a judge and regularly proclaimed a ruling among the people. This was a role that was established by Moses when he appointed helpers to help him settle disputes among the Israelites (Exodus 18). After the battle, she went back and continued her ministry as a judge and Israel lived in peace for forty years.

Jael was called upon to perform a single act at one specific point in time. At this time in history, everything connected with a tent was a woman’s job. Jael had become an expert in all the phases of making, pitching and striking tents. This was why Jael was able to turn her skill to a good account, as with a tent pin in one hand and with a maul in the other ( https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Jael ). After this act is done she is not mentioned again in the Bible.

Living a Life of Holy Boldness

In her book, Holy Boldness Dr. Susie Stanley “provides a comprehensive analysis of spiritual autobiographies by thirty-four American Wesleyan/Holiness women preachers, published between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries…..The defining doctrine of the Wesleyan/Holiness tradition is the belief in sanctification, or experiencing a state of holiness. Stanley's analysis illuminates how the concept of the sanctified self inspired women to break out of the narrow confines of the traditional ‘women's sphere’ and engage in public ministries, from preaching at camp meetings and revivals to ministering in prisons and tenements.” You can find her book here - https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Boldness-Women-Preachers-Autobiographies/dp/1572333103

The lives of Deborah and Jael illustrate this same holy boldness as they emerged from their ordinary roles into women who did extraordinary things for God and His people. They did this because they listened to God, heard God and obeyed God.

As Wesleyan Holiness Clergy women, we are called by God to live lives that demonstrate this same holy boldness as we serve in our faith communities by proclaiming the Gospel message. This boldness will take many shapes and forms since we are all different.

It may be a singular act like Jael or it may be a lifetime ministry like Deborah’s. It may mean speaking up in a meeting and asking a question regarding having women in leadership positions; or it may be being the woman who dares to start a ministry reaching out to women in strip clubs; it may be the woman who, being called to lead, leads well; or it may mean being bold enough to dream of a conference for clergy women from the Wesleyan Holiness tradition that will empower, encourage, and connect women in ministry. Dr. Stanley not only wrote about holy boldness, she lived it.

Consider Joining Us for E2022

As we think about convening in March 2022, we convene because Dr. Stanley said yes to carrying out God’s vision and leading us as we gathered in Glorietta, New Mexico in 1994 for the first conference. Susie’s boldness and our boldness does not come from ourselves, it comes from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and ministries as we listen to God and obey Him in our everyday lives and ministries.

Be encouraged knowing that God is in control. As God guided Deborah, Jael, and so many others He will guide us and give us holy boldness when we listen, hear, and obey.

If you haven’t registered for E2022, you can go to the conference page here - http://www.womenclergyconference.com to register and book a room. Pricing, event details (including speakers), and some testimonials are listed there. If you are a woman in ministry, a woman ministerial student, or a woman exploring a call to ministry, you will not want to miss this.

References:

Who was Deborah in the Bible retrieved from ( https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/who-was-deborah-in-the-bible.html )
Jael (All the Women in the Bible series) retrieved from ( https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Jael ).
Holy Boldness Description from Amazon website retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Boldness-Women-Preachers-Autobiographies/dp/1572333103

Stop: Say no to burnout and yes to rest

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 08:00:03 GMT

Making space in your calendar and life for personal time and care is essential to being a good leader.

How Are You Doing?

Preacher sisters, how are your schedules looking these days? Are they full to the brim or are they fluid, with ease and chunks of white space? Some of us have paper calendars and some are digital—some of us are plan-to-the-minute schedulers and some of us go with the flow. Some days are chock full and some days have ease. Whatever kind of schedule you have, do you schedule time for yourself in there or is your personal time, time that gets penciled in, which may or may not get swallowed up by something else?

Burnout is a real thing that can disable you from doing the things you love as well as the things you don't love so much but are necessary things that you do. In the time and culture we live in, we are cheered on if we work harder, longer, and are more productive than others. It seems to be a badge of honour if we are night owls and early risers, achieving and accomplishing more than others think is humanly possible.

Stop for a moment and consider yourself asking and honestly answering the following list of questions.

Why do you do the things you do?
Are you judging your worth on how much you accomplish?
Do you consider your worth to be linked to how many people you meet with, how many meetings you schedule or attend—either on zoom or in person, how many services you preach, how many Bible studies you lead, how many volunteer positions you hold…I could go on and on.

You Are Enough!

If this is where your value comes from, STOP!!! Stop right now and go look at yourself in a mirror, if possible and say, “I am enough!” If the mirror isn’t possible, say it anyway— I AM ENOUGH! Say it again—say it louder and say it until you mean it.

In the book, Burnout, The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle , sisters Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski share about the importance of rest.

So, how much rest is adequate? Science says: 42%...That’s the percentage of time your body and brain need you to spend resting. It’s about ten hours out of every twenty-four. It doesn’t have to be every day; it can average out over a week or month or more. But yeah. That much. ‘That’s ridiculous! I don’t have that kind of time!’ you might protest—and we remind you that we predicted you might feel that way, back at the start of the chapter. We’re not saying you should take 42 percent of your time to rest; we’re saying if you don’t take the 42 percent, the 42 percent will take you. It will grab you by the face, shove you to the ground, put its foot on your chest, and declare itself the victor.*

Well, if you feel a bit overwhelmed, that’s okay because the rate of burnout and close to burnout for clergy is high in this day and age. Woman pastor, will you stop and take a deep breath—breathe in the life giving power of the Holy Spirit and breathe out the toxicity you are faced with: your own expectations, others expectations, the pivoting and shifting of the ministry you have been called to that have been because of the pandemic and so many other things that are outside of your control.

What You Can Do

Take a few moments and just allow your breathing to become normal—breathing out the old: the pain, the hurts, the frustrations, and breathing in the healing of the One who has called you and knows you and your limitations. You, dear one, are not God and He has not asked you to be. Let go. Think of this as a small percentage of that 42 percent of rest you need.

If I could venture a guess, you may have been striving for far too long: maybe to make a name for yourself, or to prove you are worthy to walk in the calling you have been called to, or to prove that you’ve earned and deserve the credentials you have, or to show that you have worked tirelessly and maybe you’ve felt (either justly or unjustly) that you’ve had to work harder than any of your male counterparts.

Take a moment and let this Scripture breathe fresh life into your soul. Psalm 46:10 says - “Cease striving and know that I am God.” (NASB)

We are not to be in an uphill battle in this life of called ministry. Women clergy, women leaders, women teachers, stop it. You have been called, period! So hold your head high and walk in your calling, but do not throw everything else out: your rest, your mental health, your physical health, your husband, your children, your family, or anything else to chase hard after something that you haven’t been called to chase after.

Let’s journey to the Gospel of Mark together and see what God has to say (or not say) about what we do -

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased,” (1:9-11 NIV).

There are a lot of things we can learn from this passage, but as I’ve been reading and studying Mark this time, a whole new message revealed itself. I began to consider where this is in the chronology of Jesus’ ministry and what the significance of it is.

What had Jesus done up to this point? Gone to forty zoom meetings in the past month, taken a plane across the ocean to speak at a mega-conference to 25,000 people, had He preached and converted 1,000 people, did He feed 5000 on a hillside and heal anyone? NO!! Not one of the above: Jesus had not done any of this.

Jesus was His Father’s—plain and simple. What we see is that He surrendered to the will and way of the Father and submitted to baptism. Jesus made the decision to follow the Father and be obedient to Him. That’s it. In Jesus’s obedience and submission, God said He was well pleased with Him even before He did any of the work that had been assigned to Him.

Rest In Who You Are

How many of us with overflowing schedules are wearing ourselves out thinking that our far too long to-do list is what we need to do to gain approval, or we may be thinking—”This is just what pastors do,” or even that we will be in better standing with the Father if we work harder and keep moving ever forward without rest or time to restore?

Trust me, I’m not wagging my finger, I’ve found myself guilty of these things. As a recovering perfectionist and having been brought up in a home where performance mattered, I have found myself caught in the trap of thinking I had to earn God’s love. As a woman pastor, I have felt (and still do at times) the need to prove myself time and again to be even considered to be “good enough”.

When we search Scripture, we see something completely different though—the above Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of the Father’s love and acceptance of Jesus BEFORE He did anything. He hadn’t yet chosen one of His disciples, He hadn’t yet performed any miracles or even preached His first message. Jesus was. That’s it.

Imagine it: being accepted, loved, and good enough without doing anything. Maybe this sounds foreign to you, but do you realize that this is how the Father sees and accepts us—because of what Jesus has done we are His: beloved, accepted, and joint heirs with Jesus. We cannot earn more love or acceptance by anything we do or don’t do.

Take a few moments and honestly answer these questions -

Are you operating on the assumption that you must perform well to be accepted?
Do you think that because you are a woman pastor or woman leader that you must perform at a higher level than any of the men around you just to be on par with them?

Schedule Time for You

Stop for a moment and consider your schedule—if you have a planner, grab it and look over the past month. Did you allow time for yourself or was it consistently back to back meetings and trading in your personal time to meet someone else’s “urgent” need? We must learn to set firm boundaries around our time to be the most effective for Kingdom work.

When you consider the 42% rule of rest, how are you really doing? Are you taking time daily to sleep, have fun, connect with life-giving people, and build those relationships by having conversations that reduce rather than increase your stress levels? Are you taking time for physical exercise that you enjoy and gives you energy? All of these things are considered rest. You don’t have to lay down and sleep to be effectively resting.

Now, take some time to look at your schedule for the next two months: do you have fun things, life-giving times and days scheduled in? If not, do it. Clear some things away and make space so you can. Mark them in pen rather than pencil and do not give them up. If you have a true emergency come up, be sure to reschedule your time so you are not jipping yourself and creating a deficit of rest.

If you know that you are in deficit already, begin now to dig yourself out of it. Jesus did not come so we could work ourselves into a frenzy and fall into bed exhausted and worn out, never to recover, He came “that [we] may have life, and have it to the full,” (John 10:10 NIV).

*Emily Nagoski, PhD & Amelia Nagoski Peterson, DMA, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle (New York: Ballantine Books, 2020) p. 168

Waiting: Women in Scripture Series

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 08:00:55 GMT

What can we learn about waiting from women in Scripture?

Every year we celebrate National Infertility Week, which caused me to think about some of the mothers in the Bible who struggled with this problem. As I studied this, I found five women in the Old Testament who struggled with and confronted this issue. I will look at how each of them and their husbands approached their struggle and what we can learn from their struggles to help ourselves or the couples we minister to as they deal with this very real struggle.

Sarah’s Story

First, we meet Sarah (Sarai) in Genesis 11:29. We learn she is Abram’s wife and Genesis 11:30 tells us Sarah is barren; she had no child. In the following chapters, we read of God’s promise of a son to Abraham and of the advancing age of both Abram and Sarah. In Genesis 16, Sarai takes matters into her own hands and involves her maid Hagar:

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said,” (NASB Genesis 16:1-2).

Note that Abram agreed with Sarai rather than trust God at the moment. How different the outcome would have been had he heard Sarai’s heart but trusted God during the waiting period. How hard it was for them to wait since they were already in their 80’s and 90’s when God’s promise came to them.

We know the story of Hagar and Esau and the estrangement between Sarai and Hagar. We also know the rest of the story and that in Genesis 17 God repeats his promise to Abram and changes his name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. God then tells Abraham that he and Sarah will have a child and his name will be Isaac. In Genesis 21, this comes to pass when Isaac is born: the time of waiting was over, Sarah and Abraham had a son.

Rebekah’s Story

We next meet Isaac and his wife Rebekah in Genesis 25:21. The author writes “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and the Lord answered him, and his wife Rebekah conceived.” Isaac’s response in this journey was to pray to the Lord on behalf of his wife. These prayers were answered and the twins: Jacob and Esau were born.

Rachel’s Story

The third woman in our study is Rachel. This is the third generation of infertility in Abraham’s family. Rachel was loved by Jacob, her husband, but was barren. (Genesis 30:1). Leah was not loved by Jacob but bore him six sons (Genesis 30:19-20). This story is one with a very difficult family dynamic which merits discussion but not here.

Genesis 29:31, says that the Lord blessed Leah with children because she was unloved but Rachel was barren. Each woman had deep needs that only God could fill and their story is full of bargaining, jealousy, and bitterness. In her distress, Rachel does not cry out to God for children but blames Jacob.

This leads to a conflict with Jacob and more bargaining. In the end Rachel does have two children and dies when the second one is born. In this story, there are three people who did not have God at the first place in their hearts. Their struggle with infertility led to anger, jealousy, bitterness, and emptiness in a spot that only God can fill.

Hannah’s Story

In contrast to these first three women we find Hannah (I Samuel 1:1 – 2:2) and Samson’s mother (Judges 13:1-7). Hannah was married to Elkanah. As was common in the Old Testament times, Elkanah has another wife Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

Scripture records that when the day of sacrifice came, Elkanah would give one portion to Peninnah and each of her children and to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her (I Samuel 1:4-5). Peninnah provoked Hannah and Hannah was sad.

In her sadness, Hannah does not blame her husband or retaliate against Peninnah, but she goes off and prays. She prays so hard that the priest thinks she might be drunk. She is not and continues to pour her heart out to God. God grants her request for a child and Hannah keeps her promise to give the child to God.

As she gave Samuel to God, God blessed her with more children. What is Hannah’s response? She sings a song of praise to God that is recorded in I Samuel 2:1-10. As she honors God, she is blessed with five more children (I Samuel 2:20-21).

Samson’s Mother’s Story

Samson’s mother is only known as Manoah’s wife. She is barren (Judges 13:2) but an angel of the Lord appears to her and promises her a son who is to be consecrated to Him and raised as a Nazirite. Her husband asks for confirmation of what she had heard about how they were to raise the son.

They then have a time of worship. Manoah’s wife later gave birth to Samson and they raised him according to the angel’s directions. The Bible does not record the birth of any brothers for Samson but records in Judges 16:31, “But his brothers and all his father’s household came down, took him, brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah.”

Life Lessons From These Women

For all these women, barrenness was an issue. Each of these women made choices on how to deal with the hard circumstances in her life. What are the ways we can apply these stories to our lives and to those we serve?

Lesson One: From Sarah’s story we can see that it can be hard to wait on God and to trust in His provision. When we are weak and want to make a way ourselves, we need others to hold us accountable and to bolster our faith.

While we need the support of others, we also need the space to grow as we wait for God’s provision (be it waiting for a child or waiting for something else). What we do not want to do is to take the matter into our own hands as Sarah and Abraham did. We can help those with whom we are sharing this journey with by listening to God’s voice and following His directions.

Lesson Two: From Rebekah’s story, we learn that we can pray hard as a couple, and for the couple. Isaac’s prayers for Rebekah lasted 20 years: He was 40 in Genesis 25:21 when he began to pray and 60 years old when the twins were born (Genesis 25:26). The journey may take time (just like any faith journey may take time) but we can trust God will answer as we listen and as we wait.

Lesson Three: From Rachel’s story, we can learn to pray and ask God to fill the God spot. The answer may not be a child, but God will heal brokenness and give the assurance that you or the person you are praying for is a loved child of God.

Lesson Four: God hears the inmost cries of our heart and He wants to hear them. Hannah prayed with great honesty and great emotion and God heard and answered her prayer. In the middle of it all, Hannah hoped that God would provide. As we pray, we can be honest with God, share our deepest emotions with Him, and have the hope that He will answer. (He does, we just have to listen for the answer).

Lesson Five: When God surprises us, we can listen to Him and follow His directions. Samson’s mother and father did this and were blessed with Samson and other children.

These lessons do not just apply to the journey of infertility, but to the journey of any time of waiting.

Lincoln Brewster wrote these lyrics in the song “While I Wait”. You can listen here https://youtu.be/NswPPVgMaPE

“I live by faith, and not by sight

Sometimes miracles take time

While I wait, I will worship

Lord, I'll worship Your name

While I wait, I will trust You

Lord, I'll trust You all the same

When I fall apart, You are my strength

Help me not forget

Seeing every scar, You make me whole

You're my healer”

“Though I don't understand it

I will worship with my pain

You are God, You are worthy

You are with me all the way

So while I wait, I will worship

Lord, I'll worship Your name

Though I don't have all the answers

Still I trust You all the same”

Finding Your Rhythm

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 08:00:04 GMT

Our spiritual lives are about relationship, not routine.

“We might be functioning out of an inordinate sense of ‘ought’ and ‘should,’

burdened by unrealistic expectations about what it means to be a good Christian.”

— Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms

Okay Preacher sister: let’s drop the veils and the pretensions and get real! Hands up if you’ve ever allowed your personal spiritual growth become a check off, to do list rather than the joy-filled, enriching experience it is meant to be? Or have you ever found yourself scrambling at the end of a long, hectic day trying to get a few minutes in with the Lord before you succumb to falling into bed out of sheer emotional and physical exhaustion? I sure have: not that I’m proud to admit it, but hey, life happens and ministry happens and sometimes all of it comes together and moments seem to turn into hours and sometimes even into days when it all is just a bit more than a little overwhelming.

When this happens we have a choice to make: we can lean on Jesus or we can lean on processes we know and work those processes like a checklist rather than embracing and enjoying our time in the presence of the Master. Simply leaning into Jesus sure does seem simpler, yet in my experience, we sometimes default to the checklist. Oh, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m certainly not wagging my finger at you, I’m right there with you, learning this priceless lesson and growing. There are even times that I am found picking myself up off the floor, dusting myself off, and starting once again.

A Deep Reflection of the Heart

Reality hit me right between the eyes one time in particular. I was attending a spiritual retreat for pastors and their spouses and was thrilled to be there. The season of ministry I was in was particularly hard, disappointments abounded, and there were things happening within my family that were causing even more stress. It had been a long day of travel and after bringing everything in from the car to the room and dropping on the bed, I began to do my daily Bible reading in the way I had recently found myself doing it—though I never dreamed I would—I was simply reading it to check it off the list. There was no joy in it, I was barely hearing from the Lord. It was a particularly dry season.

As I finished my time of reading, I heard a distinct nudge in my soul, “I don’t want you reading your Bible for a week.” It was a still, small voice that shook me to the core. “Are you kidding me?” was my response. I sat on the bed flabbergasted and prayed for clarification. I was dumbfounded and confused at this word reverberating deep in my soul. As I sat in the quiet and listened, there was a deep knowing that God was speaking and I needed to listen and be obedient.

He rebuked my behaviour and chastised me for my attitude in coming to Him. There were things He revealed to me that no one else knew: attitudes of my heart that I was hiding (at least I thought I was) and it pained me to think I had allowed myself to get to the place I was.

I had been a student of Jesus for about ten years and had been reading my Bible daily for most of those years. Now God was revealing to me not to read my Bible for a week! It seemed anti-God. It seemed utterly ridiculous! It felt counterintuitive! It seemed foolish and wrong! I spoke with a couple other pastors and their opinions differed. But I knew what He was speaking to me and why.

A New Way

Sometimes, in our wanting to do things “right” we forget the main thing. In desiring to be perfect like Jesus is perfect, we set up rules and guardrails and figure we must always stay within them if we want to be “good”. In our minds, we think that if we stray away or change things, we are “bad”. Looking at the preceding words in this paragraph, these words in black and white, I am tempted to delete them because they seem so ridiculous, but I doubt that I’m alone when I say, I think they’re true in some of our lives, in some seasons.

It was at this time that I was introduced to a book called Unforced Rhythms by Gwen Jackson. As I read, I began to see a whole new picture of what spending time with God and in His presence could look like. In my years as a Christian, I was told and I have even taught others, that it was vital for people to read their Bible daily and that early morning was best. But this book blew that theory out of the water. It stretched me in uncomfortable ways that have brought great freedom and joy to my devotional life.

Learning to Walk in Unforced Rhythms

In her book, Gwen Jackson explains that daily devotions aren’t for everyone and why that is. Now, some of you may be ready to stop reading and I want to encourage you not to. Others of you may be cheering and leaping for joy! Some people—like me most of the time—have daily rhythms, some are weekly/monthly people, and some are seasonal/yearly people. Let me give you a quick overview of each to help you figure out where you may fit if you don’t already know.

These are a few of the characteristics she shares of daily people: (p. 117)

Their preferred calendar is a page a day planner.
They ask “What day is it?”
They are task oriented.
They accomplish a lot each day.

For weekly/monthly people: (p.125)

Their preferred calendar is a week or month at a glance.
They are goal oriented.
They are driven to achieve big goals or complete major projects.
They love to organize their schedule and set priorities.

For seasonal/ yearly people: (p. 136)

Their preferred calendars are year at a glance.
They are process oriented.
They prefer a big picture perspective.
They are more interested in living life than in checking off achievements.

There is a lot more to it, but this gives you a quick snapshot. When you look at this, you may be thinking that we all need to read and study the Scripture and you would be right, but the way we do it does not have to be the same. Each of us needs to find the rhythm that works for us to enjoy and savour the time we spend at the Lord’s feet learning from Him.

Not everyone will find a daily Bible reading plan helpful and that’s okay. It is not about making everyone the same, but embracing the authentic person each of us is created to be. Some people will grow tremendously from a daily Bible reading plan, but others will shrivel up trying to fit into that box they were never meant to be shoved into. Some may grow tremendously by taking a day a month with God rather than a few minutes a day. Yearly people may grow tremendously studying a book of the Bible over a particular season then enjoy His presence in different ways than simply in the Word. Preacher sister, whichever is you, embrace it and walk in it! Your soul and relationship with Jesus will flourish because of it.

It is important for us to remember that all of these are good. We cannot allow ourselves to get bogged down in the muck and mire of legalism. Paul teaches us a powerful truth in Galatians. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Jesus never says that we need to read the Bible daily to grow in relationship with Him. He desires for us to spend time with Him: which may mean many different things for each of us.

Living in Freedom

We are called to be close to Jesus - to yoke ourselves to Him, but it doesn’t have to look the same for every single one of us. We are not clones of one another, but can walk in freedom, finding what is best for each of us and encouraging others to do the same. Each of us are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) but we all look very different physically. Shouldn’t this be an indication that we can be different in the way we grow spiritually?

If you don’t fit into the daily rhythm, you can stop shaming and guilting yourself. And if you are a daily person, it’s okay to break your routine and try something new. Our spiritual lives are about relationship not routine.

If your relationship with Jesus is stale, try something new: go out into the beautiful world and experience Him, drive to the beach and put your feet in the water and praise Him for the beauty of the shore, go hiking in the mountains or backcountry, take a drive somewhere you’ve never been—and look for the handiwork of the Master, look into the face of a sweet new baby, hear the cooing of the birds outside or the water trickling down the stream. There are so many ways to experience Him and His creation in a new way.

When you read, pray before you dive in and allow the Scriptures to come to life. Listen for His voice and hear Him speak to your heart. Preacher sister, allow Him to minister to your soul without your own woman-made parameters stuck on it. Let Him be creative with you and see what He will do. You are free to make choices that are empowering to your soul. Why not start today and give it a try! Maybe try something new—experiment with different rhythms until you find what fills and blesses your soul.

Gwen Jackson, Unforced Rhythms: why daily devotions aren’t for all of us (Indianapolis, Indiana: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2017)

Mary: Women In Scripture Series

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 08:00:02 GMT

We can learn the power of yes by examining Mary's life.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the only person in Scripture who was present at the birth of Jesus and His death on a cross. What was her life like as she lived the journey from birth to death on a cross? What was her life like and how did she navigate the journey? In thinking about these things, there are lessons that we can learn as we accept God’s call and begin our journey with Him. Let us look at what the writers of the New Testament tell us about Mary’s journey.

What Did Mary Think About?

In his gospel, Luke records that after Jesus’ birth, Mary kept all the things surrounding Jesus’ birth and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19). When He was eight days old, she and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and were amazed at what Simeon said about Him (Luke 2:33).

What did she think when she heard the words from Simeon that a sword would pierce her own soul (Luke 2:35)? Did she begin to wonder what she had said yes to when Gabriel appeared or did she begin to think about what Jesus’ mission would be and how it would end? They then meet Anna who begins praising God when she sees the boy Jesus. What did Mary think of these things?

The next record of Mary and Jesus happens when Jesus is 12 and the annual trip to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover is held. They leave Jerusalem, cannot find Jesus, and three days later find Jesus in the Temple. When they saw Jesus, He responded that He was about His Father’s business. Though Mary did not understand these things, Jesus continued to live in their home and be subject to them (Luke 2:51) and Mary treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:51).

How Did Jesus’ Ministry Affect Mary?

John records the story of the wedding in Cana that was attended by Mary and Jesus. When the wine runs out she tells Jesus. Did she do this to let the world know about His mission? Jesus gently rebuked her with the words, “Woman, you have no right to determine my mission. This is not yet my hour for open manifestation,” (John 2:4). In an article on Mary the Mother of Jesus on biblegateway.com, an unidentified author states, “Jesus in making this statement was asserting His independence and sole authority in fulfilling His God-given task. Mary accepted this, retiring from the scene after she instructed the servants to obey His every command (John 2:1-5),” (Bible Gateway). John indicates that Jesus stayed with his mother and brothers in Capernaum at least for a few days (John 2:12).

Mark records that Mary and Jesus’ brothers arrived and stood at the outskirts of a crowd. When the crowd tells Jesus they are present, Jesus responds with the words “Who are my mother and my brothers?” (Mark 3:33). Jesus answers the question by indicating that those who hear and do the will of God are his mother and brothers (Luke 8:21). Mary’s response to this interaction is not recorded. Yet she certainly had lived a life of obedience to God before Jesus’ birth. What did she think about this statement?

When He was on the cross, did Mary remember the words of Simeon (Luke 2:35) “and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” As she watched him die on the cross, there is no doubt that the experience hurt Mary’s heart to the very core. In this time of great emotion and from the cross, Jesus gives her over into the care of John, the beloved disciple (John 19:26-27). Traditions say that Mary lived the rest of her life with John in Jerusalem and Ephesus.

The last mention of Mary is after the ascension, when Mary and Jesus’ brothers, now in Jerusalem, joined the eleven apostles in prayer while they waited for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). While Jesus’ brothers may have lacked faith during his earthly ministry, they came to faith after his death. The resurrected Christ appeared to James (I Cor. 15:7) and James was among the 120 people who selected Matthias to replace Judas as an apostle and then who were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:15, 2:1-4). In a previously noted article on Mary the Mother of Jesus the author states that the coming to faith by Jesus’ brothers must have “brought full assurance to Mary.” (Bible Gateway)

What a remarkable journey Mary had as she journeyed with Jesus from birth to death. She was obedient before Jesus was born, she pondered the actions and words of Jesus in her heart during His life, and then saw her other sons come to faith after His death.

“Mary was willing to submit her life to God's plan no matter what it would cost her. Obedience to the Lord's will meant Mary would be disgraced as an unwed mother. Surely she expected Joseph to divorce her, or worse yet, he might even have her put to death by stoning (as the law permitted).” The author continues, “Mary may not have considered the full extent of her future suffering. She may not have imagined the pain of watching her beloved child bear the weight of sin and die a terrible death on the cross. But surely she knew that her life would hold many sacrifices as the mother of the Messiah……Being chosen by God for a high calling requires total commitment and a willingness to sacrifice everything out of love and devotion to one's Savior.” (Fairchild).

What can we learn from Mary about our own journey as we accept God’s call on our lives?

First, we see that Mary was obedient. She did not know the end at the beginning and without question lived a life of obedience. She trusted God with the outcome. She did not try to figure out how to not be a disgraced unwed mother, she trusted God to work it out. She followed Jesus to the cross and experienced great sadness as she saw her Son hung on a cross and died. She obeyed Jesus and allowed John to adopt her when Jesus died. After His death, she was with the disciples waiting and praying (Acts 1:14). We must be obedient.

Second, we learn that Mary knew God’s Word. This is evident in her response to God’s call on her life (Luke 2:46-55) which is filled with references to the Old Testament promises of God. Not only did she know the Word she lived the Word as she took Jesus to the Temple eight days after His birth. As women called by God, we need to be in the Word, to know the Word, and to apply it to our lives.

Third, Mary was quiet before God and we often see her meditating on what God had done in her life and what He was doing in the life of Jesus. Mary took time to be with God and to think about His activity in her life. As we have seen, Mary pondered these things in her heart. She does not question God, she spends time with Him to allow the Word to get into her heart and her mind. As women called by God, we need to give ourselves time to ponder the things of God. We know that Jesus spent time alone with God and so should we.

Fourth, Mary was faithful to the very end. This is a wonderful testimony of her life’s journey. As women called by God may this be what people say about us—she was faithful to her call. Her faithfulness was marked by humility and acceptance of God’s workings in her life and in the life of Jesus and her other children. We do not see her saying “I am the Mother of Jesus”, we see her supporting Him as His ministry and journey is revealed to her.

A Righteous Woman’s Reward

At the end of her life Mary saw many of God’s promises fulfilled. She saw Jesus rise again and give the gift of eternal life to all who believed in Him. She sat with the disciples while they waited for the Holy Spirit and experienced His coming at Pentecost.

As she sat with the disciples and they waited she might have been thinking how different this position was compared to her place in the faith of her early years where a woman would have been outside. Now, Mary was inside and a member of the group of believers. Did she ponder at this moment, and wonder at how God had used her to bring this about when she said yes to God’s call as a young woman?

She saw the fruit of her faithful life as her other sons accepted Christ and many others came to believe in Him. What a remarkable end to her faithful life that began when she said to the Lord, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word,” (Luke 2:38). When Mary died, I have no doubt she heard the words, “Well done, my daughter. Well done.”

I do not know where you are on your journey with God. I do know that if we know God’s word, obey God’s word, spend time with God, and serve Him with a humble heart and faithful actions, He will guide and direct. I pray that you will see God’s promises to you fulfilled and the fruit of your ministry.

Mary’s life journey gives us hope for the end of our own journey of obedience to God’s call on our lives. Mary’s life helps us see what God can accomplish through an obedient heart to God’s call.

References

Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Mary-Mother-Jesus retrieved April 28, 2021

Fairchild, Mary (September 10, 2020) Meet Mary: Mother of Jesus https://www.learnreligions.com/mary-the-mother-of-jesus-701092 retrieved April 28, 2021

Preaching From Your Authentic Voice

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 08:00:37 GMT

God has called you to use YOUR voice.

Not all Voices should Be Trusted

Voices are all around us everywhere. They come from within ourselves and from outside sources, even if we don’t seek them out. If you are a woman pastor who preaches and/or teaches (or are considering this field), your voice is part of your calling. How you train and nurture the voice you speak with matters. God has called you to use YOUR voice, not to become a copycat or imitation of someone else. He has called you to learn to speak with your authentic voice in the places and to the people He has called you to be.

In this world of voices and teaching, with almost unlimited preaching available to us at the touch of a button, how do we find our own unique and authentic voice? We must start with the Truth that each of us have been called by God. We are a cookie cutter of someone else. We have our own unique giftings and qualities. We have to embrace who we are and where we have been planted and truly get in touch with who God has created each of us to be.

God has not called me to be Tara Beth Leach or Jo Saxton nor has He called you to be JoAnne Lyon or Kadi Cole. No, God has called me and you to be exactly who we are. Tara Beth, Jo, JoAnne, and Kadi already have their own ministries and voices. He doesn’t need us to imitate them, He has called each of us to be uniquely our own. He doesn’t need multiples of the same person - He needs us, each one walking in His confidence, by the power of the Holy Spirit to fill the role He has for each of us.

He has great purpose in each one He has called and we must let go of our own fears and anxieties that we are not enough or that He may have made a mistake. That voice that rings in our heads and tells us that we must look like, dress like, walk and talk like someone else is a lie that will keep us from experiencing the fullness of each of our callings.

All this said, He wants to continue to shape and nurture us to be the best versions of ourselves. Keep that in the forefront. You have not been called to be a clone, but fully who He has created you to be. So, what do you think? Are you ready to embrace your authentic voice?

Begin with Prayer & Fasting

This may go without saying but beginning with prayer and fasting is a crucial step in this process. We pray and fast to seek and hear God’s still small voice. We pray and fast to keep all distractions at bay. We pray and fast to break through strongholds and overcome opposition: sometimes that opposition is in the six inches between our ears. Fasting breaks the ties of bondage and reveals the lies we’ve been believing so we can empty ourselves of the negative junk we’ve been holding onto.

As we begin the process of prayer, and allow things to fall away, the void that has been left from emptying ourselves is wide open to be filled with the transforming power, presence, and truth of Jesus - the One who calls and empowers us. Prayer will guide us to better know His will and the words He wants delivered to His people in His timing.

When we fast and pray, we grow in closer communion with our Lord and Saviour, doing this first is vital to developing our authentic voice because it shoves all the other voices away, except the One that matters most. Clarity comes from time spent with the Lord in both prayer and fasting. No matter how busy life gets, make this practice non-negotiable.

Authentic Preparation & Delivery

Something practical we can work on is developing our own system of preparation and delivery. You may be using something that works great and if so, that’s wonderful. But if you are slogging through each week or month - depending on how often you preach/teach - maybe you need to make some changes to your process. You may be using a process that was taught to you in university or seminary or something you have picked up along the way. If it’s not something you are finding joy in or productive, it’s okay to experiment and try new things so that your time of preparation will be your own.

It’s possible that somewhere along the way, someone gave you some advice on how to proceed but you’ve never quite felt comfortable with it. Tear it down and start from scratch with your own process or keep the things that work and put them together with pieces of other people’s processes to make your own template. You are working to deliver messages that are natural and flow out of you, not a copy of someone else’s.

Remember, this is a process and you must give yourself time to experiment and sometimes even fail. It can be scary and intimidating, but go for it. What if you develop a process that is more fluid and natural for you? That will be a game changer for your comfort level with prep and delivery.

Your comfort level and natural delivery could mean the difference between someone hearing the message and it being planted in good soil which will result in gains for the kingdom rather than rocky soil which could potentially mean losses. Only God knows the full implications.

To be honest, we need to stop being afraid of experimenting and trying something new. We need to stop trying to be someone else and trust God to guide us. You may mess up when you try something new - but you may mess up using tried and tested methods too. What if you hit it out of the park with something you’re really comfortable with? That could be just the encouragement needed to test out other areas.

Mentoring & Feedback

Another piece to finding our authentic voices is determining to surround ourselves with mentors who will speak truth into what we are doing. To be truly effective, these people need to know you and recognize your natural voice. Ideally, it would be a group that is close and has developed deep trust. Many times we can spot imitation in someone else that we can’t always see in ourselves. This can be a helpful tool in recognizing and developing our own voice.

When we consider this, it can be intimidating to hear someone else’s critique of our work. No one likes criticism, however, constructive criticism can be helpful in evaluation of ourselves and to help us develop our authentic voice. Having others who are familiar with us and what we are doing who are also willing to subject themselves to the same critiquing is a priceless way to develop your authentic voice.

Recording yourself and listening with a critiquing ear is also important - though admittedly difficult. Listening for your own intonations, stories, vocabulary, and whether your transitions are clear and smooth, are all important parts of growing in this area. Remember, you are not trying to sound like someone else, but like your true self.

Sometimes, when we are in front of a group, we can almost become a different person: speaking octaves higher or lower, straining our voices, speaking with vocabulary we would never use in conversation. Why? What are we trying to prove? Unless we invest the time to listen to ourselves, we may never recognize these things. Remember, God has called you to this place and time to be you. Be authentic.

At a church I was attending before I was credentialed, I was shocked when the pastor handed out evaluation forms to the congregation. As I looked through the papers, there were even areas where the congregation was asked to critique the sermon delivery. It can be scary to ask for feedback on your sermons, but this too could be a great learning tool.

If you choose to go this way, it is probably best for everyone involved to stay anonymous. This said, some of your best critiques may come from those you are shepherding. Many people have listened to many sermons, and not just yours. They may have a point of view, wisdom, or encouragement to share that you haven’t even considered that will help shape your authentic voice. Remember to take everything and run it through God’s filter first, not just your own. This is not a process meant to drag you down, but to empower you to find your voice. Embrace all the pieces.

Some Closing Thoughts

Developing your authentic voice may be something you’ve worked on or it may be a new concept for you. As you work toward this, remember the power of stories. When we tell a story or share an illustration that is close to our hearts, we let go of our notes and engage with people. We are excited to share it and even the fear we experience seems to melt away.

When you share stories, make sure they’re your own, and if they aren’t, give proper credit for them. Own the illustration or story you are sharing. A good story draws the listener in and prepares the soil of the heart for the planting of seeds of some difficult truths. It can shift the way the message is received and processed by the listener.

As you work in this area and develop your authentic voice, don’t forget to enjoy the journey. The last thing any of us needs is another job to do. This should be a satisfying journey to finding and developing your own voice. It may not be a cakewalk, but will be worth everything you put into it.

You have been called and commissioned by God to share His message with those He puts in your path, whether that is in front of a group of people on a Tuesday night, Thursday afternoon, or a Sunday morning. It could be a group of three, thirty, three hundred or three thousand. No matter the time, place, or size: your voice matters to the Kingdom. Be bold. Be brave. Be authentically you in sharing His message and see what He will do in and through you.

What is the first thing you can do to develop your authentic voice? Who can you recruit as part of your team to help you in this area? Don’t be afraid to approach a few other women pastors and set aside time to meet and discuss this topic. Let’s rise and grow together.

References

https://influencemagazine.com/en/Practice/Finding-Your-Voice-as-a-Preacher

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/find-voice-preaching/

Lydia: Women in Scripture Series

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 08:00:30 GMT

What can we learn from Lydia's life about being a blessing to others?

Acts 16:13-15

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us. (NRSV)

Acts 16:40

After leaving the prison they went to Lydia’s home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed. (NRSV)

Who Is Lydia?

Lydia is mentioned only in these verses in the Book of Acts. Yet it is likely that the church in Europe started in her home. Paul’s first church plant in Macedonia, a Roman colony, was in Philippi and one of the first converts in that city was Lydia. Her ministry, though only briefly mentioned, was in retrospect very significant in the growth of Christianity.

She was not a queen like Esther, a judge like Deborah, a prophetess like Anna, or a teacher like Priscilla. Yet the significance of her opening her home when Paul and his companions sailed into Philippi should not be minimized. What do we know about Lydia and what can we learn from her life?

Lydia was from the city of Thyatira, modern day Turkey, before she moved to Macedonia, modern day Greece. Thyatira (map of the region found here https://bibleatlas.org/full/thyatira.htm) was a commercial center for its area. It was located on a road between Pergamos and Sardis. Its residents became wealthy from commerce and built temples to pagan gods.

Lydia did not worship the pantheon of gods venerated in her hometown. Instead, she had become a ‘God-fearer.’ She had already taken a major step away from her religious upbringing and had investigated Jewish claims of one God and wanted to know more. (Many God-fearers became Jewish proselytes.) We first meet her at Philippi’s riverside with a group of women who had come together there to pray. It was there that Paul and Silas met her and talked with her about Jesus, and there she became the first convert to Christianity in Greece. (Theology of Work, 2017).

Lydia’s marital status is not mentioned. Fairchild says that some scholars have speculated she was a widow who brought her late husband's business to Philippi (Fairchild, 2020). Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth which was costly. In this writer’s mind, this shows how gifted Lydia was in managing a business and people. Philippi was located on a major Roman road known as the Via Egnatia.

Luke describes Philippi as “a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony (Acts 16:12). Here is a map that shows the location of Philippi. ( https://bibleatlas.org/full/philippi.htm ) By planting a church in Philippi, Paul was starting a church that would move the Gospel message into modern day Europe. But why is Lydia’s story included in the Book of Acts and what can we learn from Lydia’s life?

Life Lessons from Lydia

First, God uses people with hearts open to Him. Lydia was a God-fearer and was praying at the river when Paul and his companions initially met her. She heard their message and immediately responds and is baptized. Not only Lydia, but the other members of her household. In being a God-fearer, Lydia’s life demonstrates that she was yearning for something besides the idol worship found in Thyatira and Philippi. She was searching for God and when she found Him, she immediately demonstrated her faith in Him to those with her and those in her circle of influence.

Secondly, God’s use of Lydia, a woman of considerable financial resources from her business of selling purple, compares to His use of the craftsmen and skilled workers in Exodus to construct the Tabernacle (Exodus 31 and 35). Lydia’s resources could support the work of Paul and his team in Philippi and the leaders who came after him. Lydia was generous in using her resources for God. She served as she was gifted and God accepted her gifts. Mary Fairchild says it this way,

Lydia also credited God with her earthly blessings and was quick to share them with Paul and his friends. Her example of stewardship shows we cannot pay God back for our salvation, but we do have an obligation to support the church and its missionary efforts” (2020).

Another author says it this way: “Lydia’s life proves that one can work a “worldly” job and use it as a ministry. Because of the wealth she accrued (at the very least, a modest enough wealth for a larger household) she helped provide for those working a “holy” job.” (Bolinger 2020),

Thirdly, Lydia’s life demonstrates hospitality and humility. She opens her home but only after saying to Paul and his companions “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.,” Acts 16:15). She did not assume that Paul and his companions would stay with her because of her wealth, she asked them because she was willing but qualified it with an “if” statement.

Lastly, Lydia’s life demonstrates that lots of words about a person’s ministry do not mean that person’s ministry is more significant than other ministries. Lydia’s life is significant to the Gospel in a number of ways.

First, she shows that honest jobs are not lesser jobs. Often churches can place ‘holier’ jobs on a pedestal. For instance, a congregation member may hold another in higher esteem if they choose to pursue missionary work as opposed to a job such as accounting, (Bolinger, 2020).

It does not have to be a public ministry or one for which people receive words of praise. There are four verses about Lydia in the Bible. Compare that to the number of verses about Paul, Peter, or James other leaders of the early church. Each has a significant ministry and as Christians we are thankful for their lives and ministries. Lydia’s life is significant because when she opened her home to Paul and his companions she was opening her home to God’s planting a church that gave Paul great joy when he remembered it (Philippians 1:3).

Living Like Lydia

We can apply these lessons in our lives and ministries. We can be open to God. We can use our skills and resources in our ministries. We may be called to a bi-vocational ministry so we can support our ministry. If God has gifted us this way, then we can be like Lydia and rejoice in His provisions as we serve Him. If we are not called, but are blessed with resources, we can provide for those in ministry.

We can be humble as we relate to others and encourage their giftedness. We can share Christ with them. If we do not receive applause about our ministry, it does not mean that God does not see it, and it does not mean it is not significant. This is a lesson that this writer needs to keep learning again and again because I like to hear the words “well done”, “thank you,” “great job” more than I would admit.

What I do for God does matter and the seeds planted today will bear fruit even if I don’t see it. I thank God for this lesson from the life of Lydia. Whatever gifts God has given to us, He wants to use them to bless others. Let us ponder what our gifts are, thank Him for the gifts, and use the gifts to bless others.

References

Bolinger, Hope. (2020, September 8. Empowering Lessons for the Life of Lydia. Retrieved from https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/empowering-lessons-from-the-life-of-lydia.html

Fairchild, Mary. (2020, August 27). Lydia: Seller of Purple in the Book of Acts. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/lydia-in-the-bible-4150413

Theology of Work Project (2017). The Business Woman Lydia. Retrieved from https://www.theologyofwork.org/key-topics/women-workers-in-the-new-testament#the-businesswoman-lydia-acts-16 © 2017 by the Theology of Work Project, Inc.

Stronger Together

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 08:00:23 GMT

We are called to connect with and support one another as we walk the path of leadership.

The Importance of Connection

We all want it. We all need it. We are all created for it. When God created humanity, He created us to live in fellowship; one with another and it is not any different in leadership today.

We thrive when we are connected with others who are on the same journey, focused on the same goal, and moving toward it. When we challenge and spur one another on, there is camaraderie that runs deep—passions are shared then spill over and draw others in. Being challenged and connected to others who have the same passions as you do, develops deep bonds that help anchor us to our goals when we are experiencing challenging times.

That kind of connection provides a safe haven to vent frustration, discuss difficult and heart wrenching issues, be open and honest, and celebrate wins with people who are of like thought and purpose. It helps us develop deep grounding and roots that all pastors need. But what happens when you’re a woman in a seemingly man’s world?

Developing Connection

Connection for a woman in ministry is vital to her health and growth as a pastor and the ministry she is called to in the same way it is for a man. In a world where male leaders dominate the landscape, it can be difficult to find women clergy leaders who are in a position to mentor and sponsor other women coming up through the ranks.

What we need are women who are willing to invest in other women, but we also need men who will fulfill their God-given calling to identify and spur these women on to lean into and live out their life callings.

As someone who has studied leadership for many years, early on I understood the value of finding a mentor who is willing to listen, guide, and challenge my thinking and actions: not allowing me to stay inside my comfortable bubble but to call me out of it, growing beyond what I sometimes consider possible. I don’t naturally know everything: no one does. So if I want to grow and mature in my area of calling I am going to need people who are willing and able to work with me. I didn’t want someone to mentor me who would stroke my ego or tell me I was always doing things right.

I was looking for and needed someone who would be gentle but firm. Someone who would be willing to say good job, when I did a good job, but also share pointers on how to do things with greater excellence the next time. I wanted someone who would give me space and opportunity to try new—and occasionally scary things and even if I tanked something, they would help me navigate the frustrations and disappointments, but then be willing to guide me to do it better the next time.

Leaders are Learners

This is the way we grow. Scripture tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another,” (Proverbs 27:17). We are not meant for this journey to be done in solitude. We are called to be part of a fellowship, even in, and maybe especially in, leadership roles.

If you’ve made the commitment to follow the calling you’ve been given, the next step is to equip yourself: your classwork may or may not be done, but whether it is or isn’t—be aware that teachers and professors are not going to be grading your work forever, and you are the one responsible to keep challenging yourself to grow and mature in these areas.

Leaders are lifelong learners: growth and learning is not optional in leadership. Mentorship is also a lifelong commitment of leadership: both having a mentor and being a mentor. Determine to invest in yourself and someone else and start immediately.

Jo Saxton puts it best in her leadership book, Ready to Rise -

You are worth investing in. Your voice, your influence, and impact are worth investing in, because every investment you make is preparation for your leadership journey, (2020, p. 183).

If we take it seriously, the leadership journey never ends. If we take this quote from Jo Saxton’s book and ponder about those coming up behind us, we can deduce that their voices, their influence, their impact - these are all things worth investing in too. How exciting is that?

Developing Strong Leadership Roots

If you don’t already have a mentor, it is time to find one. Begin having conversations with colleagues, not necessarily inquiring whether or not they would be your mentor, but asking good questions to learn from everyone you can. You may need to reach out unashamedly and ask someone, but don’t rush the process. Be patiently prayerful. Finding a mentor can happen organically by having some of these conversations with others if you’re intentionally asking questions that will help you grow.

You need to be willing to invest in yourself and boldly approach some of the people who are where you are called to be. Remember that everyone started somewhere: no one starts at the top and rarely is anyone handed leadership: it is earned. Be willing to do things that are uncomfortable and take on the attitude of a servant; if you haven’t already. Humble service is needed. Service to the Master is service to those around you.

Be prayerful about who God would want you to develop a mentoring relationship with and realize from the beginning that this is not a life-long commitment for either of you. Set a time frame - maybe once a month for an hour, for 6 months or something that works for both of you.

When you are in a mentoring relationship, be respectful of your mentor’s time and always be prepared with questions of things you want to know, realizing you may not have time to have all your questions answered. Ask the most important questions first and listen carefully - taking time to clarify what is being said. Make sure you take a notebook and pen so you can take notes. Don’t trust your memory - some nuggets are priceless in these conversations and you don’t want to miss them.

Do not expect your mentor to bring you a buffet of knowledge and information to pick and choose from. You are to invest in and lead yourself well. Do your homework. Prepare for your meetings. Be the mentee that everyone wants to mentor!

Humbly ask questions like, “If you were to tell your younger self a couple things about ministry that you didn’t learn about while studying what would they be? Why?” or find questions about things that you sense are important in preparing for your next season. It is also wise to realize that you don’t know what you don’t know and allow time for your mentor to instruct you in some areas that you may not be aware of.

One thing that has come out of the Covid lockdowns is the realization that we can meet with people from all over the world at the touch of a button. There is no reason or excuse not to have a mentor. You may be like me and live in a rural community where there are few if any other women clergy.

That’s still not an excuse not to have a mentor. In her book Emboldened, Tara Beth Leach gives some great advice to men who mentor women,

We must create a new culture that does not keep women sidelined due to gender, especially in our churches. This means men who embolden women must be willing to mentor women (2017, p. 165).

Your mentor can either be a man or a woman. There is no law that says you cannot have a male mentor. We each need to find someone who is a bit farther on the road than us that we can relate to and who will challenge us to grow and ask the tough questions—and someone who will answer the tough questions. Your mentor will ideally be someone you can relate to.

I’m not a fan of the Billy Graham rule because it leaves women on the sidelines. Early in my experience, I was told that I would not be invited for coffee because I was a woman. That stings. Not only that, words like those, make you feel like you’ve done something wrong or that maybe you’re just not quite as good as a man for the job. I’m certain that was not the intention, however, it is what gets construed when stated in such a way.

I agree that there need to be mutually agreed upon boundaries that work for both parties and their spouses (if they are married). But to say that a woman and a man can never meet together for coffee or a meal to discuss ministry work and business, is utterly ridiculous and says far too many negative things about both men and women.

When each person is working in their calling, embracing their true identity in Jesus, the church is far better than when we leave people out. If we do not include women, we are leaving half of God’s humanity out of the picture. When we can embrace all people to work together for the good and growth of the Kingdom, the Kingdom wins.

Are You Ready?

Ladies, it’s time to put on our armor. It’s time to invest in and equip ourselves for the journey ahead. It’s time to walk in courage, boldness, and grace the race that we have been called to—to proclaim the Good News to the nations.

Women preachers, teachers, and leaders; it’s time to be strengthened and walk in power: the power of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles in the early church weren’t given boldness and courage just so they could withstand opposition, but they were given boldness and courage because they were ambassadors of the gospel. In the same way, women in the church are ambassadors of the gospel and have been given this same Spirit to use their gifts with boldness so the mission of God will continue to advance in this world (Leach, 2017, p. 44).

You, my dear sister, are an ambassador of the Gospel. You have been called by God Himself to do the work He has appointed for you—to do it well, you need to be willing to invest in yourself and then pour out of your experience and into someone else. You do not need to do this alone. But you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone and seek out a mentor.

If you’ve been called then it’s time to do something with it—no more excuses. If you’ve been sidelined or pushed aside, ask God to forgive those who have done it to you and you may need to seek God’s grace so you too may forgive and move past it. Holding on to the pain and hurt of someone’s ignorance and mean spirit is not recommended in leadership. Don’t allow the poison of others to keep you from fulfilling your God-given calling. Preacher woman, it hurts, but the Kingdom is more important than our suffering, it’s time to press on.

If you have been doing ministry for a long time, please find someone younger (or less experienced) and mentor them. Take to heart the words of the Psalmist, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come,” (Psalm 71:18).

Consider these words from a mentoring point of view. You are passing the mantle to another who is younger (or less experienced) and helping to equip her for the upcoming years: to fulfill the Great Commission. When this is done effectively, our influence makes a mark on so many we will never meet here on earth. What a great thing!

This is how the Kingdom is to grow. We can learn from one another and reach out into this world through others: this is Kingdom multiplication. Don’t keep your knowledge and your experience to yourself, but share it with as many as you can. Kingdom work is not for our egos or our glory - it is for God’s glory.

We do not want to miss the real mission for a single minute. Lives are at risk, hanging in the balance. Some may never hear the Gospel because we were too busy trying to protect our own kingdoms rather than working for the One Kingdom that matters.

Let’s Do This!

We have been called: men and women alike have been called to be ambassadors of the Gospel. If you are one of them, will you stand up and be counted? Will you find a mentor to help you grow to the next level in your calling? Will you look around and grab the hand of another and call them to a higher standard, mentoring and sponsoring them; all the while challenging their thoughts and motives to grow deeper and stronger in their own God-given calling?

What is the first step you can take? If you’re a mentor, who’s mentoring you? If you have a mentor, who can you mentor? Even if you’re just beginning, who will you choose? Send them a message, have a conversation, go for coffee, just get started. We’re in this together! Let’s get it done - people are counting on us.

Scripture taken from NIV.

Leach, Tara Beth. (2017). Emboldened. [Electronic Edition]. Available from https://www.amazon.ca/Emboldened-Tara-Beth-Leach/dp/0830845240/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=emboldened&qid=1609772040&sr=8-1

Saxton, Jo. (2020). Ready to Rise. [Electronic Edition]. Available from https://www.amazon.ca/Ready-Rise-Gather-Community-Influence/dp/0735289840/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2M7IEYZZT3S4L&dchild=1&keywords=ready+to+rise+jo+saxton&qid=1609772176&sprefix=ready+to+rise%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1

Resting as Image-Bearers

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 08:00:02 GMT

Rest is part of what it means to be human, part of our DNA as image-bearers.

Where We Are

By the time you read this article, a president will have been inaugurated, more COVID-19 vaccines will have been distributed, and more productive conversations around race will have taken place. Yet, I feel confident as you read this that there is still political division, racial tension, and a pandemic that continues to assault our world.

For over a year now we’ve been attempting to lead people through the growing tensions and increasing despair. It hasn’t been easy. There’s been a constant stream of changes, adjustments, and losses. An overflow of information, opinions, and advice. A barrage of anger, fear, and grief. At times, communicating has felt like trying to make your way through a language landmine.

The last year has put a magnifying glass on our communities, our relationships, our churches, and organizations, what we value and consider to be true.

It’s been exhausting. The pace—unrelenting.

And there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight in the near future.

So may I suggest that one of the best things we can do as leaders this year is to rest.

Writing that honestly makes me pause. It seems so counterintuitive and unproductive. This is not the year to slow down, step away, or cut ourselves some slack. More than ever the good news of Jesus is needed. More than ever good leadership is needed. Whatever is ahead, we must lead the way.

The Wisdom of Rest

Didn’t Jesus say, we were the “light of the world and no one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket”? To rest now seems like we would be snuffing out our light, retreating from the real world, placing our needs above the needs of those we lead and those we minister to.

But rest is built into the very fabric of the universe by the Creator. When God created the world, He said that everything He had made was good and in this good creation, God placed humanity to work. We were to care for, nurture, develop, and maintain this creation. We were to be participants in what God had made and to work alongside Him.

God did not stop though at the end of His creation and declare it done: not until He had created one more thing, one more thing that He declared was not good but holy. He rested on the 7th day and declared that space in time holy. His rest was not one of laziness or vacation but of delight, of taking joy in creation itself.

We often overlook how significant it is that rest is part of the world before sin disrupted the goodness of that world. We look back at the creation narrative through the eyes of hindsight and assume that rest was simply part of God’s remedy for a world that had gone off course, like a runaway train. At the very least, we see rest as a respite that God gave us to help us till Christ comes back and makes all things new, sets things right.

Rest was, however, part of God’s created order. It was connected to His declaration that all He had made was good, was complete and functioning as He intended. Rest may feel more needed in a world riddled with sin and its consequences, but rest is not a result of those. Rest is not essential because sin has messed things up; rest is essential because God created it.

He designed it for our flourishing

This is profound. To think, as the Nicene Creed puts it, “God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible” or as the Apostle Paul writes in Colossians that this Christ who “is the visible image of the invisible God,” and “existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation” and “who holds all creation together” wants us to rest.

He made us to rest and rest was made for us. To think that God not only rests but invites us to rest and delights in resting with us is almost too much to fathom.

Add to that truth that not even sin negates God’s invitation to us to rest and we begin to see just how fundamental rest is.

Throughout the narrative of Scripture, He invites humanity again and again to enter into that rest.

An Invitation to Rest

He invited the Israelites, His chosen people, to join in this rest as they wandered the wilderness. He invited them as they entered the promised land - when they had so much that needed to be done to establish themselves in this special place - to stop and rest.

God was inviting them to join in the rest He intended for them to enjoy at creation in the Garden of Eden. God was inviting them to join in the rest He was promising them would come one day, when what was lost at Eden was restored. God was making space for them to experience this rest right where they were.

Jesus echoes the Father’s call to rest when in Luke 4 He launches his public mission on the Sabbath and declares freedom for the captives, sight for the blind, and that the Lord’s favor has come. It hearkens back to Creation when we were free when we had eyes to behold God and his goodness and we walked with Him in the garden, what the Bible Project calls the ultimate rest.

Our Ultimate Rest

Jesus echoes the Father’s call to rest when He tells the people in Matthew 11 ,

Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.

Jesus is speaking to people who would have been tired and worn from the daily struggles of life, the religious leaders’ endless talking and rulemaking, and the oppressive Roman Empire that made promises of a world it didn’t have the power to create.

He invites them—in the world they live—into rest. Yes, there will be work to do; there will be a yoke. And Christ will be leading them in that work. But they are to come and rest. They are allowed—in working with Him and being led by Him—to find rest, to experience rest.

Christ invites real people—in a world filled with sin and brokenness—to rest. Yes, sin is real and its consequences unavoidable. But rest is still possible. This is the good news of Christ. Rest is possible in the middle of what Jesus called “trials and sorrows” because Christ has “overcome the world.”

Rest is not simply something we need because the world is broken, because our bodies tire, or because sin has altered everything. The rhythm of work and rest is woven into the very fabric of the universe by the Creator, much like gravity.

Rest is part of what it means to be human, part of our DNA as image-bearers.

So as we move to the second part of the year and continue to live in a world where the demands for a response, a solution, an opinion, or a course of action will continue to be unrelenting, let us not forget to rest. As we continue to live in a world in need of hope and solutions, let us not forget that rest isn’t just a remedy but part of what it means to be made by God, for God and to be with God.

For further consideration:

How do you rest? What brings you rest?

Where in your schedule (weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly) can you insert intentional times to rest?

What do you need to eliminate or rearrange in order to make rest happen?

Ezer Cenegdo

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 23:20:09 GMT

God created women and men equals and gave them joint dominion over the rest of creation.

Foreword

Joseph Coleson's 'Ezer Cenegdo: A Power Like Him, Facing Him as Equal is published in conjunction with the second Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy Conference (Indianapolis, April 11-14, 1996). The booklet furthers the mission of the Conference which is "to equip and encourage divinely-called women in vocational ministry and professional leadership positions."

Dr. Coleson incorporates recent scholarship which corroborates biblical insights which support the equality of the sexes, insights shared with other Wesleyan/Holiness writers dating to the earliest years of the Wesleyan/Holiness movement. Fannie McDowell Hunter and B. T. Roberts were among those who contended that God created women and men equals and gave them joint dominion over the rest of creation. Female subjection was a result of the Fall. The Order of Redemption restores the equality which was present at creation.

Dr. Susie Stanley

Introduction

The major purpose of this short study is to show that in Genesis 1 and 2 God's design of the human race included equality between the genders. (This equality was to serve as the model for equality in every other human realm, as well.) Genesis 1-2 is the first and most important text for this issue because this is the only description we have of God's intentions for what we may call "The Order of Creation." The central teaching both of Genesis 1:26-31 and Genesis 2:18-25 is that both male and female are human, that male and female are equal, and that both male and female are equally created in God's image.

How did affairs degenerate from God's perfect intention? Genesis 3 teaches that male dominance over females (or more rarely in human cultures, formalized structures of female dominance over males) is a result of sin, "The Order of the Fall." Genesis 3 will be our next focus.

God did not leave the human race hopelessly trapped in the Order of the Fall. God put into motion a plan to redeem the race and restore us to a condition like (perhaps even better than) that enjoyed by the first humans before the Fall; this renewed life we may call "The Order of Redemption." A final section of this work will deal briefly with the Order of Redemption and the hope it engenders of restoring God's intended order to all our redeemed relationships, beginning in this life.

Genesis 1-3 raises many other important and interesting issues, as well. Still other issues have been raised by readers who think Genesis 1-3 addresses them, when in fact it does not. Whatever these other issues, whether addressed in Genesis 1-3 or not, this work does not take a stand on any of them. Our focus in these pages is only the issue of gender equality.1

The Order of Creation: Part I

As presented in Genesis 1, God's creation of the human race was the climax of the whole creative process on this earth. God had prepared the inanimate world to receive and sustain life, then had created a complex web of life. Beginning with verse 26, this final creative act is depicted, spare in its detail, but rich in its imagery and in important revelation.

Genesis 1:26: In the Image of God2

Then God said, "Let us make 'adam in our image, according to our likeness, and let them exercise dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of the sky, and over the land creatures, even over all the earth, including every moving thing that moves upon the earth."

A new creature was to be formed, different in several ways from life already on the earth. To emphasize the importance of this new creature, the text tells us that God held a council before creating it. For no other object or creature does Genesis 1 record a planning session.

All God's previous words had been commands for something to come into existence, or to begin fulfilling a designated function. Now God said, "Let us make." This is not a command, but a proposal. It is also a statement about community. Genesis 1:26 says that God exists somehow in community. This was true before the creation of any intelligent beings; it would be true had God created none of them.

This new creature was 'adam; Hebrew 'adam is a collective noun. When both the man and the woman are in view, both are included in this noun. When a single creature is the subject, as in chapter two before the making of the woman, the 'adam is not the man without reference to the woman. Rather, 'adam is the single human being, as yet undifferentiated according to gender. Only after sin entered the world did the man arrogate to himself the name 'adam, and relegate the woman to not-quite-human status in the hierarchy he fashioned, a hierarchy that has been followed in most human cultures since. The author of Genesis, however, rejected this male claim. (See, e.g., Genesis 5:2; 6:1-8.)

As 'adam, we are made in the "image" and "likeness" of God. This does not mean God has a physical body. "Image" may best be understood as "reflection" or "representation." "Likeness" is essentially a synonym of "image," as used here. Hebrew authors often used two (or more) words to express the richness and fullness of important concepts.

What this means here follows from the rest of the verse; God stated His intention to give 'adam dominion over the earthly creation. 'Adam was created in God's image in our capacity to exercise responsible and benevolent stewardship dominion over this earth and its non-human inhabitants.

This implies intelligence, wisdom, language, personality, will, spirit, creativity, ability to feel, humor, and more. It also implies community. In all these, human beings were created in the image of God. In spite of the Fall, our humanity is characterized and defined by these traits. The image of God in us makes us worth redeeming.

Genesis 1:27: Male and Female

So God created the 'adam in His image; in the image of God He created it; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27 is the climax of the creation account of chapter 1. Its language is poetic, its teaching profound, its impact powerful. It consists in three statements, each with God as Subject, each with 'adam as object, and each with bara' (created) as the verb. This can be shown as follows:

Then God created the 'adam in His image;

In the image of God He created it;

Male and female He created them.

The Hebrew verb bara' (created) is used sparingly in the Bible, even in the creation account of Genesis 1. Except for this verse, it is used only in verse 1, an introduction, and in verse 21, relating the creation of the first animate life.

How amazing, then, that bara' should be used three times in this one verse! This is truly a special act of God, and the author wants the reader not just to know it intellectually, but to feel it, ponder it, use it as a guiding principle for action. A human being is a special creation of God.

The first two lines of this verse repeat the same statement in slightly different words. This is a device of poetry, but it is also for emphasis. God wants every human being to know that s/he is created in God's image. There is no such thing as a worthless human being, for existence in God's image makes every human's worth beyond calculation. There are not resources enough on the earth to equal the worth of a single human, because each is created in the image of God .

C. S. Lewis expressed this truth as follows:

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. . .. You have never talked to a mere mortal. . .. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.3

Genesis 1:27 states very clearly that women and men are created equally in the image of God. After the strong statements of our creation in God's image in the first two lines, the only change in the third line is that humankind is both male and female. Females are in God's image. Males are in God's image. Neither is more nor less in God's image than the other.

We should notice one more way this verse emphasizes the truth it is setting forth. In both the second and third lines the first element in the line is not in its normal position; it is at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis. "In the image of God" normally would be last in the sentence; in this one, it is first for emphasis. In the image of God the 'adam is created.

Similarly, "male and female" normally would be last in the sentence, but here are first for emphasis. Both male and female the 'adam was created. Both female and male are 'adam. Both male and female are created by God. Both female and male are in the image of God.

In only twelve short words (Hebrew) this climactic verse presents and emphasizes in many ways three foundational truths:

1. Every human being is a special creation of God.

2. Every human being is in the image of God.

3. Male and female are 'adam, created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:28: The Original Blessing of the 'Adam

And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and exercise dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of the sky, and over every living being that moves upon the earth."

The author presents the commissioning of the human pair as a blessing. God's blessing is not merely the bestowing of material goods or provisions. Here is a much higher blessing, the delegation of oversight and responsibility.

This commissioning refers to the 'adam as "them," plural, not singular. Human dominion over this earth is a co-regency. Both the female and the male, jointly, are responsible to care for God's creation. The female is not a part of the creation over which the male has dominion. In the economy God intended, planned, and executed, the 'adam, female and male, received the commission together. For one half of humanity to subjugate the other half robs both of God's intended blessing upon all humans.

In case we missed the pronoun, "them," the five imperative verbs that are the substance of this blessing/commission are all plural. "You (two)," the female and the male, and ultimately all the human race, are included.

The Order of Creation: Part II

Genesis 2 picks up the narrative of human creation and supplies much more detail than could be presented in Genesis 1, given the different aims of the two chapters.

Genesis 2:7: God-Formed, God-Breathed

Then Yahweh-Elohim (God) formed the 'adam of clay from the earth, and breathed into its nostrils the breath of life, and the 'adam became a living creature.

Throughout Genesis 1 and 2 the author emphasizes that God's creation of the human race was a special and climactic act. This verse does that in two ways.

The first is the use of the verb "formed." We should notice this verb at once because here is its first use in the narrative; "made" and "created" have been used up to this point. The Hebrew verb yatsar, "he formed," is used most often with reference to the work of the potter. The potter forms on the wheel the vessel that s/he makes. The noun translated "potter" is from this verb, as well; it could be translated "former/the one who forms."

This is a tremendous revelation. Human beings were not formed from the blood of a guilty, executed, minor god, for the purpose of serving the gods, as the most important ancient extra-biblical creation account would have it. Human beings are not an accidental link in a long chain of random events without purpose, as the most important modern extra-biblical account of origins would have it. The sovereign God formed the 'adam as the intended end of His creative acts on this earth. We know God does not have physical hands as we do. But the use of the verb "formed" invites us to think of God as skillfully and lovingly forming the first human from the dust of the earth, just as the master potter forms the finest ceramic vessel on the wheel.

The second way this verse emphasizes the special nature of the creation of humankind is by the statement that God "breathed into its nostrils the breath of life." Again, we know that God does not depend upon the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere to sustain God's life. But again, we are invited to think anthropomorphically. The transcendent God whose spoken word brought the universe into existence came intimately upon this earth, in some way, to form and animate the first human. The human race is not divine, but our life began with the divine breath.

A Hebrew play on words in this verse makes clear our connection with the ground. The word translated "ground" here is 'adamah. So, we are told that Yahweh-Elohim formed the 'adam from the clay of the 'adamah. We are physical, material beings.

At the same time, we are spiritual, because our life began only when God breathed into the nostrils of the first 'adam. Not until then did that one become a living being, which the other animals already were, though not by means of the divine breath. The divine breath and the divine image make human beings, not divine, but of the spiritual world.

Genesis 2:18a: "It Is Not Good"

Then Yahweh-Elohim said, "It is not good for the 'adam to be alone."

In the narrative of the creation of the heavens and the earth in chapter 1, the creation of the 'adam—the human pair—is climactic. In the much more detailed account of the creation of the 'adam in chapter 2, the differentiation of the 'adam into male and female is climactic.

Six times in the account of chapter 1, when God looked upon what He had made, "God saw that it was good." The seventh time, after the creation of the 'adam, "it was very good." Yet here God's evaluation is, "It is not good." This is an important indicator that Genesis 2:4b-25 is a purposeful return to the creation of the 'adam, giving the reader important information which would have sidetracked the account of the creation week had it been included there.

Was God caught off guard? Did God just discover, after the 'adam had been wandering around for a while, that it was "not good for the 'adam to be alone"? Did God have to modify the original plan to come up with something better? Why did not God create two humans at once in the first place?

The answers to these questions become clear as the author takes the reader through God's process of differentiating the 'adam into male and female. God was not caught off guard. God did it this way so human beings would understand that human companionship, especially between man and woman, is a priceless gift from God. God knew that perpetual solitude is not good for spiritual beings; this way, the 'adam discovered it, too. We really do need each other.

Genesis 2:18b: Another Autonomous Power/Being - an Other

"I will make for it an 'ezer cenegdo."

English versions consistently translate 'ezer as "helper." This is possible, but if we translate it this way, we must avoid the English connotation of someone of inferior status or skill. For example, "carpenter's helper" and "mason's helper" refer to those who do not yet have the skills to be master carpenters or masons.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, "helper" means just the opposite. When the Bible speaks of a helper, it usually refers to God the Helper, the Rescuer of those who cannot help themselves. If 'ezer should be translated "helper" here, it means God intended to make someone who would rescue the 'adam from solitude. This would be God's final step in making a creature in God's own image, which includes living intimately in community.

But 'ezer almost certainly does not mean "helper" here. There is another Hebrew word with these same root letters; this noun would be spelled the same whichever root it came from. The two words originated before Hebrew was reduced to writing, when it had two different letters, both now represented by the single Hebrew letter 'ayin. These two different original letters are not imaginary. Ancient Ugaritic had both; modern Arabic has both. The existence of the "missing" letter in an earlier Hebrew is why, for example, we still spell Gaza and Gomorrah with "G."

The second root 'zr went unrecognized in Hebrew until scholars noticed that 'ezer often parallels words for "strength," "power." The easiest way to see this is in the alternate names of a well-known Judean king. Uzziah means "God is my strength." But Uzziah had another name, Azariah; Azariah also means "God is my strength." In several other places, too, especially in poetic passages, the two nouns in this king's two names appear in contexts where they must be synonyms and where 'ezer, therefore, must mean "strength" or "power." Thus, in some passages 'ezer, from one root, means "helper," but in other passages 'ezer, from the other root, means "strength," or "power."4

So which meaning should we choose here? The following Hebrew word cenegdo is strong evidence in favor of "strength," "power," "autonomous being." Hebrew cenegdo is two prepositions and a pronoun written as one word. The first preposition means "like," "as," "according to." This being (the 'ezer) would be like the 'adam, in the sense of being of the same kind or species. This one, too, would be 'Adam.

The second preposition means here, "facing," in the sense of standing in one's presence as an equal and other entity. It is the first biblical expression of the "I-Thou" relationship. The relative position of two parties when in each other's presence carried social significance in the ancient Near East, just as in modern societies. Two persons, both standing or both sitting (or both lying), facing each other, by their position and by their body language, acknowledge each other as equals. That is the import of this preposition.

We should translate the pronoun, "it," rather than "him," though "it" does strike us as too impersonal. As long as there is only one of the species 'adam, it is no more accurate to call it "him," than to call it "her." Until the differentiation is done, until gender is introduced into the human species, there is neither he nor she, but only "it." The Hebrew pronoun bears this meaning often in other contexts; when the pronoun refers to the 'adam, we should translate "it" throughout Genesis 2, until verse 23, when 'ish (man) and 'ishah (woman) are introduced.5

How should we translate the entire expression? A straightforward literal translation is, "I will make for it a power like [it], facing it." An expansive paraphrase, expressing in English all the Hebrew intends, might read, "To end the loneliness of the single human, I will make another power, another autonomous being, like it, corresponding to it, of the same species, and facing it, standing opposite it in an equal I-Thou relationship, another human, its equal. And when I have finished that last creative step, the human species will be both male and female."

Genesis 2:20: To Name, But Not to Find

So the 'adam gave names to all the domesticated animals, and to the flying creatures of the sky, and to all the wild creatures of the field, but for the 'adam it did not find another power, another being, corresponding to it.

We are tempted by our usual English renderings to think, "It wasn't fair that Adam got to name the animals before Eve was even created." But since the naming of the other creatures was done before the differentiation of the 'adam into two persons, the human doing the naming was not yet either male or female. This is why we have left 'adam untranslated, and usually preceded it with the definite article, as does the Hebrew.

By the time this task of naming was finished, God's primary purpose was also accomplished. The 'adam had discovered what God already knew. Among the creatures was no other autonomous power, no being corresponding to it, no other creature its equal. The success of the naming—establishing dominion over the other creatures—is contrasted poignantly with the failure to find a companion among them. The 'adam must wait for God to act.

Genesis 2:21: From the Side

So, Yahweh-Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon the 'adam and it slept. Then God took a section from its side and closed up the flesh instead.

So, God acted. We can say nothing about the details of this differentiation. The image probably includes the traditional "rib," but it certainly is intended to suggest more than that, as well. Only here in all the Bible is this word translated "rib," referring to a human being. Elsewhere this word refers to the sides of buildings, of hills, of walls, etc. We should note, too, that the male called the female "flesh of my flesh," as well as "bone of my bones" (v. 23).

Furthermore, the Septuagint (the first translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek in the Third Century B.C.) translates this word pleura; the Greek term is not limited to designating the ribs. That which God built into a woman was not some small incidental piece of the 'adam. This was major surgery. Both what God built into woman and what was left to become man were different from the original. There is no hint here of superiority of one gender over the other. The issue here is the differentiation into two genders, different but equal.

Genesis 2:22: God Built a Woman

Then Yahweh-Elohim built the side which He had taken from the 'adam into a woman, and He brought her to the 'Adam.

The use of "built" here is significant, because "built" is used in the Akkadian creation accounts to describe the making of human beings by the gods. Also, in the Ugaritic epic poems, one title of the father of the gods is "builder of creatures." Here we have further evidence that the Genesis creation story was intended as a theological corrective to the traditions of Israel's neighbors, traditions with which the educated Israelite, at least, was familiar.

The author respects the reader's intelligence, and does not tell us, "This is the power corresponding to the 'adam." But we know. And we know that God is pleased with this one, the final creation. Further, we know that God expects the man to be pleased with this one and to recognize her. With the 'adam now differentiated into male and female, human companionship is possible. Each will find in the other a power corresponding to him/her. Human solitude and isolation need be no longer. What was "not good," God now can pronounce, "very good."

A final note: 'adam in this verse refers to what was left after God had taken the material from the side of the 'adam, and what was left was now male. But the male was still 'adam, too. And the narrator had not yet given another term by which to call him. The use of 'adam here and in v. 23 to refer to the man does not contradict our contention that both man and woman are 'Adam.

Genesis 2:23: Bone of My Bones, Flesh of My Flesh

Then the 'adam said,

"This time, finally, [it is] bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh!

For this reason she shall be called 'woman,'

because from 'man' this one was taken."

The man did recognize what God had done for them both. His statement is at once a poem of thanksgiving to God, and a call for every human couple to celebrate the mystery of division and reunion, the foundation and joy of human gender and sexuality.

The first two words of the man's statement are, literally, "This, the time!" It is an expression of simultaneous recognition and joy. Finally, after the disappointment of the time of naming the animals, when at the end he found no creature to be a power like and corresponding to him, here was the one!

The parallel phrases, "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh," acknowledge that this one was of the same species as himself. She, too, was human. More than that, she had been taken from his own side. She was not merely of the same species; she was literally his own flesh and bone. The closest possible bond existed between this couple.

The first woman was taken out of the man; every man (and woman) since has been taken out of woman. Human beings individually, and collectively in our two respective genders, are interdependent. We were differentiated from one individual so we could relate to each other in human companionship.

A further meaning of these phrases is possible, though not certain. The formula, "X of X's," in the Semitic languages as in English, is used to indicate the superlative degree. "King of kings" means both a king over kings, and the greatest of kings. It may be that the man intended this as well: "Of all my bones and all my flesh, this is the best, because of it God made the woman." If the man meant this, too, it is another acknowledgement of God's handiwork in the creation of the woman.

Genesis 2:24: To Leave and To Cleave

For this reason, a man shall forsake his father and his mother, and he shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

The author's editorial comment upon this scene reinforces our understanding that the presentation of the Order of Creation in Genesis 1 and 2 is intended to teach equality between man and woman. In the patriarchal societies of ancient western Asia, a man did not leave his father and his mother; he brought his wife to live with him under his father's authority. This text confronts that practice so directly that it must be understood as intending to teach a radically different model of family life.

God did not intend women to be the servants and breeding stock of a male-dominated extended family. God did intend every woman to be the co-equal partner with her husband in the new, independent household they establish together. God did intend every man's first human loyalty and devotion to be redirected from his parents to his wife. God did intend husband and wife to rejoin as one flesh, both literally in sexual union and metaphorically in many other ways, what God had differentiated in the final creative act, the act by which God provided for human community upon the earth in reflection of divine community in heaven.

The Order of the Fall

God had made every good provision for the man and the woman. God also had made known a single prohibition; the fruit of one tree within the garden was forbidden. The woman was the first to disobey and eat the forbidden fruit. Because of this, many have interpreted Genesis 3 to teach that man has a God-given right to dominate woman, even if Genesis 1 and 2 do not teach that as part of the Order of Creation. To establish the truth, we must take a closer look at several lines of this part of the story.

Genesis 3:6b: To Her Husband with Her

And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate.

A preliminary note in defense of the woman on a point in verse three is in order here. Some commentators suggest that her phrasing of the penalty for eating of the fruit was a softening of God's own words. God had said, "You shall surely die"; the woman said, "Lest you die." This so-called softening is only apparent in English, and is non-existent in Hebrew. Given the construction of the rest of the sentence, this was the natural way for the woman to report the penalty. She was not softening it. She did believe—at this point—what God had said, though she did not know what death was.

The story does say the woman conversed with the serpent, and that she ate of the forbidden fruit first. Because of that, it has been fashionable to blame the woman. But the man did eat; he, too, was guilty of breaking faith with God.

Furthermore, the man's guilt is compounded when we consider the question often answered incorrectly, Where was the man while the serpent was tempting the woman? We often imagine him in another part of the garden, unaware of what was going on until it was too late. Then we fault the woman for not waiting at least until she had consulted him before acting so rashly.

But the text answers the question for us; the man was "with her." Apparently, the man stood by, saying nothing, offering no support, while the woman struggled with the temptation presented her by the serpent. Then, when she had eaten, he did, too, without a word of protest. The man appears passive throughout, and it is not to his credit.

Genesis 3:16b: He Shall Rule over You

To the woman He said:

". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Also, to your man shall be your desire,

but he shall rule over you."

God's statements here to the woman (and then to the man) have more the character of predictions than of judgments. Now that sin had entered the world, the order of the world had been changed. But these changes introduced by sin were not (and are not) the arbitrary judgments of God; rather, they were (and are) the inevitable consequences of choosing separation from God.

We may even see in these changes God's arrangement of things in the best way possible, now that sin had come into the world. At the least, we should not regard the new state of affairs that God outlined here as permanent and unalterable throughout eternity. God already had announced the promise of redemption through the Seed of the woman (3:15). According to Paul (Romans 8:18-25), all creation ultimately will share in this redemption, begun already in the Christian through the work of Christ.

The woman had sinned first; God showed her the consequences of her sin first. God's second pronouncement usually has been taken as God's command—or at least as God's permission—for man to dominate woman. Given God's original intention as seen in the Order of Creation, given God's ultimate intention as seen in the Order of Redemption, God's command is precisely what this cannot be. If it is God's permission, it is so only in the most remote sense, in the same way that God usually does not actively prevent any person from committing any evil. In the end, men who take selfish advantage of women will come under God's judgment.

God simply was saying to the woman, "You will desire a lover, and you will get a master. The man will take advantage of your desire and bend it to his own ends." The woman, in giving the fruit of the tree to her husband, had bent him to her desire. Now her desire constantly would be bent toward him, even when it was to her disadvantage. Her desire would be so strongly toward her husband that it would give him the leverage to rule over her.

In almost all societies of which history and anthropology have record, this has been the case. The male of nearly every society has ruled over the female, often to the point of holding her life in his hands. This is not just sexual desire. It is the natural affinity of the female for the male, often including even the nurturing tendency of womankind. It is strong enough that often men can—and do—manipulate women unfairly by taking advantage of it in many ways, both petty and important.

Some Christians have used this verse to justify the exclusion of women from significant participation in the life of the church. But the church is a society of the redeemed. The church should model the Orders of Creation and Redemption, not of the Fall. In creation, female and male are formed equally in the image of God. In Christ, the Redeemer and Lord of the church, there is neither male nor female. In the church, the body and bride of Christ, that should be the basis of polity and practice.

Genesis 3:20: Eve, the Mother of All Living

Then the man called the name of his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Immediately upon the conclusion of God's encounter with the three principal characters, we are told that the man named his wife Eve. Both the name and the naming are significant. With the naming, God's prediction began already to be carried out. Her husband would rule over her, God had said. His naming her was an act of dominion, just as the 'adam's naming of the animals had been an act of dominion.

The name, Eve (Hebrew, Havah), is derived from a verb meaning "to live." (Scholars are divided over whether it is from the most common Hebrew verb, "to live.") The statement explaining the meaning of her name is the author's, not Adam's, since she had not yet borne any children when Adam named her. Adam named her Eve in anticipation of her motherhood, for God had promised her children. All future human life would be traced back to its beginning within the womb of Eve.

Further, in assigning this name to the woman and arrogating to himself the name "Adam," the man was saying, in effect, "I am 'human being,' but you are not quite 'human being.' You are only the mother of human beings." Domination of other human beings is possible only as, and insofar as, we dehumanize them, a process that began in human relationships even before the first couple had left the Garden.

The Order of Redemption

Beyond Genesis 3, the Old Testament record of the dealings of man with woman and woman with man is mainly of two kinds. A considerable body of narrative details men's abominable treatment of women. But an even greater number and variety of passages show God's redemptive purposes already at work before Calvary.

In the Hebrew Bible: A Call to a Better Way

One sign of hope often missed in societies shaped by life in the shadow of the Cross is the legislation of the Torah, God's instruction to Israel at Sinai. Much of that legislation seems to us to be anti-woman, and if implemented today, of course would be. But in its own day, it was God's mitigation of the worst features of a patriarchal, slave-holding society that found itself often, for many reasons, on the edge between security and disaster. The spirit of Israel's law toward women was superior to much in antiquity, and its spirit encouraged both men and women to grow in grace toward God and toward each other.

Secondly, there are passages of genuinely lyrical quality extolling the virtues, the rightness, and the pleasure of the genders relating to each other as God intended. Some of these are narratives, as Jacob's love for Rachel (Genesis 29). Some are poetic compositions in praise of women, as when wisdom is personified as a woman (e.g., Proverbs 8:1—9:6), and when the "excellent wife" is lauded (Proverbs 31:10-31). Perhaps the best is the Song of Songs, with its delight in the sensual love of a woman and a man. In this love-song drama, there is no hint of female subordination to the male.

The Hebrew Scriptures show women in leadership positions. Miriam was a leader, with her brothers Moses and Aaron, in Israel's Exodus from Egypt. Miriam and other women occupied the office of prophet, a position ordained by God. Deborah was one of the judges of early Israel, when the office of judge was the highest in the nation. In the period of the monarchy, the Queen Mother (the mother of the reigning king) was, in both Israel and Judah, an important person of great political influence. The "excellent woman" of Proverbs 31 is presented as a woman to be emulated; such women lived in Israel, independent businesswomen of industry, acumen, wealth, and influence.

One of the most lyrical and powerful examples of the Hebrew Scriptures' assumption that women as well as men are called and gifted for ministry in the Kingdom of God occurs in a comparison of Isaiah 40:9 with Isaiah 52:7, an example all the more powerful because it is done in passing, taken for granted, not especially pointed out. Both these verses honor the person who brings good tidings to Jerusalem. In Isaiah 40:9, the messenger of good tidings is designated by use of a feminine participle and all five verbs in the verse are feminine. In Isaiah 52:7, the same participle is used, except that here it is masculine in form. Both feminine and masculine forms are used of those who perform one of the most joyous and joy-inspiring tasks in all Scripture, bringing glad tidings of peace to the city and the people of God.

The Hebrew Bible: Canonical Placement

Another fact that, when recognized, trumpets the Old Testament's call for equality between the genders is "hidden" so prominently that it almost always is missed. I refer to the canonical placement of the several most important texts about women. Genesis 1-3 is first in the canon of all the Scripture. This is not by accident. What it teaches is foundational; it requires our attention and our assent to its teachings. Since it includes teaching about man, woman, and their relationship, what it teaches on these subjects must be normative for the believer.

A second prominently hidden teaching by virtue of canonical placement occurs in the arrangement of the third major division of the Hebrew Bible, the Writings. In the book of Proverbs, four female characters figure prominently. Early in the book, wisdom and folly are personified as women. Wisdom is to be sought above any treasure; folly is to be avoided (woman, as well as man, is fallen, and needs God's redemption). In the last chapter of Proverbs, King Lemuel records the wisdom his mother taught him (Proverbs 31:1-9). This is followed by the last pericope of the book, the famous acrostic poem extolling the "excellent woman," the gifted woman of strength, initiative and standing.

Immediately following Proverbs (Hebrew Bible arrangement) is the book of Ruth. Boaz, at the threshing floor, told Ruth she was an "excellent woman" (Ruth 3:11); the Hebrew is identical with Proverbs 31:10. Boaz promised he would marry Ruth, as she had asked. Ruth was not Israelite, but Moabite; this fact heightens further the emphasis on the teaching that women are not to be denied equality in the community of faith; even "foreign" women who join the family of Yahweh are "excellent women."

Having noted this tie between the last chapter of Proverbs and the book of Ruth, we should consider also the next four books in the Hebrew canonical arrangement, because together Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Esther make up the group called the Megillot, or (Festival) Scrolls. If Proverbs 31, extolling the excellent woman, serves as an introduction to the story of Ruth the excellent woman, might it perhaps serve as an introduction to the rest of the Megillot, as well? When we ask this question in this context, we note immediately that all five of these special books—each read on an important occasion of the Jewish liturgical year—have feminine subjects.

Ruth is the central character of Ruth; the Shulammite, of the Song of Songs. The feminine participle Qohelet designates the protagonist of Ecclesiastes (though the book begins with the implication that this is King Solomon). The ravished and ravaged daughter of Zion is alternately the speaker and the subject of Lamentations. Esther took the initiative early in her story, and guided events to a successful conclusion for her people.

If Proverbs, the distillation of Israelite wisdom, features women prominently, and for the most part positively; if Proverbs has obvious links with Ruth; if the liturgical books of five major observances of the religious year all focus on women (real or personified); is not the proper conclusion that the inspired Wisdom of Israel regarded women very highly indeed?!

The Old Testament does not attempt to gloss over the bitter price of sin paid by women who live in a society dominated by sinful men. But in its legislation it goes as far as possible, for that age, to curb men's cruelty to women. And from beginning to end it goes further in its moral and relational instruction, teaching that God intended better, that both men and women benefit from following God's better way.

The New Testament: The Order of Redemption Begun in Christ

This section can be but a short, quick overview. In any case, others have covered this ground much more thoroughly and more capably than I can do.6

The Gospels

First, the New Testament also presents us with an important fact of canonical arrangement. The first New Testament pericope, Matthew 1:1-17, is a genealogy of Jesus, arranged in three groups of fourteen male ancestors, for a total of forty-two. In the first group, representing the formative years of the Israelite community of faith, four women are listed, also. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba all were non-Israelite. (Bathsheba may have been Israelite, but her name is Canaanite, and her husband was Uriah "the Hittite.") Three of the four were "immoral" women; the fourth, Ruth, was from Moab, the nation remembered for luring Israel into immorality at Baal-Peor (Numbers 25).

Yet Matthew listed Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. He did not list Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel, the honored wives of Israel's first patriarchs, the physical and spiritual founders of the nation. Why the former group and not the latter?

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba came from outside Israel; their inclusion in the genealogy of Israel's Messiah is an emphatic reminder that God's grace is not for Israel alone. God intended Israel to be a conduit and a messenger of God's grace, not merely a recipient. To include "foreign" women in Jesus' genealogy was to emphasize the elevated status of all women, and the fact of God's grace extended to all persons, female and male.

Also, each of these women exercised decisive initiative to come to the place where she could benefit from the outpouring of God's grace. Facing both active and passive opposition, these women acted in faith, acted on their own initiative to join the community of faith. Each became, in the manner available to her, a leader in the community of faith of her own time. Matthew recognized their decisions and their actions as commendable and, in the very first pericope of the New Testament, commended them.

Throughout the Gospels we see—if we are looking—the radically new and different treatment of women by Jesus. He talked with women, ate with, traveled with, and taught women, accepted women's ministry to him with respect and dignity. Luke especially recorded Jesus' attitude and actions toward women, calling men to a better way in this realm of their lives, too.

Given the social norms of Roman Palestine, it is impossible to overestimate the importance of the fact that women were the first to see Jesus' empty tomb, and to see Jesus himself after His resurrection, and further, that Jesus directed the women to report His resurrection to Peter and the rest of the men of the company. Women, whose witness was not accepted in a court of law, were charged with first witness to the most important event in all history. This was church leadership of the first order!

The Early Years of the Church

In the life of the early church, as recorded both in the book of Acts and in many of the epistles, we would have to be blind not to notice that many women were active in leadership.

Lydia and a group of women in Philippi were the first converts and became the first local church on the soil of Europe (Acts 16:13-15). Priscilla and her husband Aquila were associates of Paul, and taught Apollos (Acts 18:2; 24-26). Paul encouraged and exhorted Euodia and Syntyche as fellow workers in the cause of the gospel (Philippians 4:2-3).

In Paul's long list of greetings to individuals in the church at Rome, the first two names are of women; ten of those referred to individually were women (Romans 16:1-16). One of these, Junia, Paul included in the ranks of the apostles, the highest office of the First Century church, though this fact is obscured in many translations by rendering her name as masculine, Junias (Romans 16:7). Paul took it for granted that women would pray and prophesy in church; to pray and to prophesy were to exercise leadership and teaching roles in the public worship of the church (I Corinthians 11:5).

The programmatic New Testament text on this issue is also from Paul, Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This is not an eschatological idealism of Paul; it is his mission statement for the church in its interpersonal relationships, whether on an individual (one-on-one) or on a communal (group) level.

The Few "Problem" Texts

The evidence of both the Old and the New Testaments is overwhelming that God instituted gender equality in the Order of Creation, that male domination of woman is directly and solely the result of sin (the Order of the Fall), and that God intended and intends the Order of Redemption to restore gender equality, beginning with the community of faith, the church. The few New Testament "problem" texts we must interpret in this light. We cannot deal with them in depth here, but simply state the most prominent "problems," and list their most probable "solutions."

I Corinthians 11:3ff. , "The man is [the] head of woman."

By now every competent intermediate Greek student knows that "head" in Greek does not connote "authority," "ruler," or "boss," as it often does in modern English. Greek kephale (KEH-fah-lay), used as a metaphor, means "source," "origin." Paul was reminding the Corinthian church of the chronological sequence of the events of creation. That which God took from the single 'adam, God built into the first woman. This means that the individual who became "man" was the chronological and physical source of the individual who became "woman." When we consider this entire passage, it is clear that "head" cannot refer to hierarchical authority, or we create serious Christological heresy with our interpretation.7

I Corinthians 14:34-35 , "Let the women keep silent in the churches."

If this is the instruction of Paul himself, it is culture-specific, even church-specific. Some of the uneducated women (the majority of women were not afforded the opportunity to learn), sitting in a separate section of the congregation from their husbands, had become accustomed to calling questions across the room to their husbands when they heard statements they did not understand. Paul simply was telling them not to do that; it disrupted worship for the entire congregation. Such women should save their questions and ask them at home.

Others have made quite a strong case that these are not Paul's own words; he was quoting legalistic, misogynistic opponents in order to refute them. Since writing conventions of the First Century did not always require one to indicate when one was quoting, these statements, over time, came mistakenly to be regarded as Paul's own. The error was compounded by reading them then as a universal prohibition against women speaking in church

Ephesians 5:22 , "The women to their own husbands."

Paul's sentence begins several verses earlier. "Being subject" does not occur in verse 22 but is inferred (and supplied by many translations) from verse 21. In verse 21 "being subject" is not a main verb of the sentence; it is a participle used with a reciprocal pronoun. Together, they should be rendered, "being subject to one another."

If used as an example of how every person in the body of Christ should be subject to every other person—that is, should have a willing spirit to do whatever one can do to serve another in any given circumstance—there is no particular problem with Ephesians 5:22. Wives to their husbands, as all of us to each other, should exemplify the spirit of Christ.

However, when used by husbands or teachers in the church to impose conditions of second-class citizenship upon wives, this verse is terribly misinterpreted and misused to bring into the church a non-Christian, anti-Christian model of leadership and followership, one that Jesus himself specifically condemned (Mark 10:42-45; John 13:12-17).

I Timothy 2:12 , "But I do not allow a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence."

This is a rendering according to the traditional understanding of this verse. But Catherine Kroeger8 has made a strong case that it should be rendered something like, "I do not permit a woman to teach that she is the originator of man, but she is to be in conformity [with the Scriptures] [or: she is to be in silence]" (my translation, based on Kroeger).

Some women who had come into the church at Ephesus, where Timothy was overseer (bishop), had begun to teach a distorted version of the Genesis creation story, based partly on gnostic doctrine, and partly on earth goddess theology, which was then very popular in Asia Minor. (The temple of Artemis/Diana in Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.) Part of this heretical teaching was that Eve was the real first person of the human race; together with the serpent, Eve was regarded as creatress of humanity.

Based on Paul's work with women throughout his ministry, his written commendations of women co-workers, and everything else we know about Paul's thinking on this matter, it is inconceivable that he would issue a blanket prohibition against women filling the office of teacher/preacher anytime, anywhere, if men were present. In this verse, Paul was simply forbidding the teaching of this particular heretical doctrine in the Christian church, a heresy that, because of the popularity of the goddess religion in Asia Minor at that time, was being taught principally by women.

Conclusion

The New Testament makes it abundantly clear that one of the characteristics of the Order of Redemption is a restoration of the equality between male and female. The question for the church becomes then, Are we going to perpetuate an order of female/male relationships that has its roots directly in the Fall, that is a direct and immediate consequence of sin, or are we going to live in the Order of Redemption, that clearly and intentionally calls us to equality in every area of life? To put it as bluntly as possible: When is the church going to give up the sin of treating women unequally, shown most frequently and most destructively by denying women co-leadership in their homes with their husbands and by denying women leadership positions in the church, the body of Christ, who died to redeem us from all the consequences of our sin?

The negative influences of inaccurate biblical interpretation on this issue have made deep inroads into our movement. Many of our people have been led astray; thus, it is imperative that Wesleyan/Holiness clergy, women and men, know the solid biblical basis for our historical teachings on this issue.

If the church is to be true to our calling in Christ, we must teach and practice the biblical equality of men and women, in our homes, in our churches, in every area of our lives. All of us—women, men, and especially our children—have nothing to lose but the sin that shackles and trips us. We have everything to gain in genuine, godly, reciprocal love and service, to God and to all our sisters and brothers, as we help each other toward that heavenly home where God waits to welcome us with open arms and the words of commendation to all women and all men who have served God unstintingly, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of thy Lord!"

Notes

1. I wish to thank Laura Moore for her invaluable suggestions at several points as this work was in process.

2. All biblical translations in this work are my own.

3. C. S. Lewis, in his sermon, "The Weight of Glory," readily available in anthologies of Lewis's work.

4. I first learned of this meaning of 'ezer in Walter Kaiser, Hard Sayings of the Old Testament , (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1988), pp. 23-26.

5. Phyllis Trible, God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality , Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978), p. 80.

6. Several topics in this section are covered in more detail by Gilbert Bilezikian, Beyond Sex Roles , 2nd Ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985).

7. Bilezikian (see n. 6) is especially helpful on this passage; Beyond Sex Roles, pp. 134-144, and "Appendix, " pp. 215-252.

8. Richard Clark Kroeger and Catherine Clark Kroeger. I Suffer not a Woman: Rethinking I Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence . (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992). This is a multi-faceted issue. To follow Kroeger's argument, one should read the entire volume; that is a very enjoyable task. (Catherine Kroeger generously credits her husband with co-authorship, but this work is hers.)

______________________________

About the Author: Joseph E. Coleson was Professor of Old Testament at Nazarene Theological Seminary from 1995-2018. He previously taught at Western Evangelical Seminary (now Portland Seminary) and Roberts Wesleyan College. He is an ordained elder in The Wesleyan Church.

Priscilla: Women in Scripture Series

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 09:00:47 GMT

Passionate, Loyal, and Kind Equipper of Others

What We Know About Priscilla

Luke introduces us to Priscilla in Acts 18:2. Paul had entered Corinth and met Aquila and his wife Priscilla. They had migrated to Corinth from Rome because “Claudius had commanded all the Jews leave Rome” (Acts 18:2). As Jewish Christians, they had to leave along with the Jews.

We learn that Aquila was a native of Pontus, a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Today, Pontus is part of the eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. Residents of Pontus were present at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9). (It must be noted that there is general consensus that Prisca is the formal name and Priscilla is the familiar name as in Timothy--Tim.)

In Acts 18, Luke records that Paul stayed with Aquila and Priscilla and they worked together. Acts 18:18 records that when Paul set sail for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila were with him. They remained in Ephesus and ministered there. In I Corinthians, we learn that the church was meeting at their home. Luke tells the story in Acts 18:24-28 of their encounter with Apollos and of their gentle correction of his theology (v.26) and of their letter of support for Apollos as he moved to Achaia.

Partners in Ministry

Neither Priscilla or Aquila are mentioned without the other which points to their partnership in ministry. Out of the seven references to this couple, the wife is mentioned before the husband five times (faithward). This is not usual in the writings of the New Testament period and there have been several reasons suggested.

Among them are that 1) Priscilla was the leader in their ministry work (faithward), 2) she was a Roman lady with a higher rank than her husband (Walls, 51, p.3) and 3) she is named first because the churches that they led met in their home which would be managed by Priscilla (Majeski, 2013, p.4). What stands out to this writer is that they are clearly partners in ministry. They were equals and united in their calling as church planters and disciplers.

Paul mentions Priscilla and Aquila in his greetings at the end of Romans as his fellow workers and notes that they risked their lives for him. The NIRV reads “Greet Priscilla and Aquila. They work together with me in serving Christ Jesus. They have put their lives in danger for me. I am thankful for them. So are all the Gentile churches.”

This points to their leadership as a couple and their ministry not just to Paul but to everyone they encountered. The last mention of Priscilla and Aquila is in the second epistle to Timothy when Paul asked Timothy to greet them.

God used this ordinary couple to accomplish great things for Him as they moved in obedience to a governmental decree and in obedience to the Holy Spirit.

One writer indicated that while we attribute the growth of the churches in Corinth and Ephesus to Paul, much credit needs to be given to Priscilla and Aquila as they discipled and encouraged many in these cities (Women of Faith Study Bible, p. 2047). As a couple, they were willing to go to Ephesus, a city which was morally corrupt and face the challenges this would bring to their ministry. What is so remarkable about this ministry couple and what lessons can we learn from Priscilla?

Lessons from Priscilla’s Life

First, God uses difficult seasons to advance His Kingdom.

They had migrated from Rome to Corinth and it was not a voluntary migration. Undoubtedly, they left friends, possessions and possibly family not knowing what would come .

This year has been difficult for everyone as we have dealt with the trifecta of a pandemic, its effects on the economy, and the racial/political tension in the United States. Certainly, the move from Rome to Corinth and then another move from Corinth to Ephesus were not easy for Priscilla and Aquila. Yet, they set up their tent making business and began ministering to others. God accomplished great things in their ministries in both Corinth and Ephesus.

I am reminded that Jesus began his public ministry after 40 days of fasting and temptations in the desert (Luke 4:1-13). As we look at the challenges of Priscilla and Aquila and Jesus, let us ask ourselves: What challenges or hardships have we faced that have enhanced our ministry or what will God use to strengthen our ministry in the months to come? What great things will God accomplish through our ministry He has called us to lead?

Secondly, Priscilla and Aquila were hospitable to others.

They opened their home to Paul in Corinth and to the church in Ephesus. As they did this, they were given opportunities to teach others and to share the Good News of the Gospel with those who entered their home. One author puts it like this -

When Paul arrived in their community, they gathered in a worn-out traveler.

They provided shelter, company, and income for him, advancing his missionary

ventures. In Ephesus, they followed the same template with Apollos, perhaps

sharing what they had learned from Paul to strengthen the witness of this

remarkable young preacher. Their table and living room became sources of

encouragement and instruction for those who would teach the church at large (faithward).

How do we demonstrate hospitality in our homes? As the pandemic continues, how will we demonstrate hospitality or the love of Christ to others? Will we deliver food or gifts to porches, will we creatively reach out to others with the love of Christ?

Will we donate to food pantries or shelters? Can we provide a meal to someone who is ill or temporarily unable to cook? How do we respond to the questions of a younger Christian or a child? God will help us know how to be hospitable now and in the future as we listen to the leading of HIs Spirit.

Thirdly, Priscilla and Aquila were kind not only in opening their home, but also in their correction of Apollos.

Acts 18 records that when they heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Then they wrote him a letter of commendation to the church in Achaia.

Paul writes in Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13) that love is patient and kind. Are we kind in our thoughts, acts and deeds. I find myself asking “Am I kind?” “Am I saying the kind thing?” “Am I doing the kind thing?”

Lastly, Priscilla and Aquila took great risks for God as He used them, two tentmakers, to encourage and plant the churches in Corinth and in Ephesus. After migrating from Rome in AD 49 and leaving behind all that was familiar they took the risk and moved to Ephesus to do it again. This was not easy work but they did it and God used it.

As I mentioned above, Paul says they risked their lives for him. He thanks them and says that not only he but all the Gentile Christians are thankful for their lives and ministry. One author reports that after Claudius’ reign ended, they moved back to Rome in about AD 55 (Jeffreys).

Passion, Kindness, and Obedience

Priscilla and Aquila’s lives demonstrate partnership in ministry at its finest. They were loyal to Christ, to each other, and to their ministry partners. My prayer is that for those of you reading this who are married is that your marriage is such a partnership.

This does not necessarily mean that each partner has an ecclesial assignment, but that you both have a passion for Christ, a passion for each other, and a passion for seeing others come to Christ. God honors passion, kindness, and obedience. Priscilla’s life demonstrated all three and more.

As I wrote this, I was challenged to ask myself, how my life demonstrates passion, kindness, and obedience to Christ and seeing others come to know Him. I asked myself these questions:

Does my life demonstrate a passion for Christ as I minister to my community?
Am I kind to those around me?
Am I listening to the Holy Spirit and obeying God in all areas of my life?
Am I as kind in my home as I am to those outside it?
Do I have a passion for those in my family and am I passionate about seeing them come to know Christ?

While your individual circumstances will dictate which questions you ask yourself after reading this article, I pray that it has encouraged you to ask how to be passionate, kind, and obedient to Christ.

Scripture References

Acts 18:2-3

Romans 16:3-4

I Corinthians 16:19

2 Timothy 4:19

I Corinthians 13:4

References

Bolinger, Hope Why Is Priscilla Significant in the Bible? Crosswalk.com March 5, 2020 retrieved from https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/why-is-priscilla-significant-in-the-bible.html January 5, 2021
https://www.faithward.org/priscilla-and-aquila-a-first-century-dynamic-duo/ retrieved January 5, 2021
Jeffreys, Mary Ann. “Paul’s Inner Circle.” Christian History, vol. 14, no. 3, Aug. 1995, p. 26.
Majeski, Kimberly. “Priestesses and Holy Women in Search of St. Prisca” Submission to Midwest Society of Biblical Literature February 3, 2013. Viewed January 1, 2021
“Pass It On” Women of Faith New International Version Study Bible Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Corporation, 2001, page 2047.
Walls, A.F. “Aquila and Prisca, Priscilla.” New Bible Dictionary Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1962, page 51.

Photo: The Cubiculum of the Veiled Woman in Priscilla's Catacombs in Rome. This room is named for the picture in the semi-circle on the back wall, in which a young woman, wearing a rich purple garment and a veil on her head, lifts up her arms in prayer. Photo by Kristacek: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orantas_poza,_3.gs.pirms.Kr.,_Priscillas_katakombas,_Roma..jpg

Weary? Find Some Refreshment

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 15:00:13 GMT

Spending time in the presence of Jesus is the most important thing you can do for yourself and for those you lead.

Take a Moment for You

I t would be lovely to sit down over a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of tea sandwiches and cookies in my dining room or in a coffee shop to have this conversation with you today. There is something special about sitting across the table from someone and connecting in that way. If you don’t mind I’d like to ask, how are you? I mean, how are you really?

Right now, in this moment, close your eyes and take a deep breath: feel the rising and falling of your breath. Do you notice any tension in your neck and shoulders? Let the rising and falling of each breath melt the tension away.

Take a few moments and breathe, checking in with your body. How’s your head? Your back and belly? Your elbows, arms, hips, knees, legs, ankles, and feet? Allow each breath to blow the tension out and breathe in the breath of life, praying and seeking the Holy Spirit.

How do you feel now? There is something about taking time to breathe and still the craziness of the world. Now, how’s your mind - your thought life, your emotions, all those things that are not part of the physical body? Take time to honestly assess where you are and how you’re doing—even if it takes you a few minutes or more.

You don’t have to be “on” for anyone right here and now. This has been a tough season for everyone—without an end in sight. Most leaders and pastors that I know are in this absolutely crazy place of adding “referee” to their job description in a way that is unprecedented and unknown as to how long it will last.

Lofty Expectations

People are struggling with anger and fear on levels and in numbers that are unheard of and they are taking it out on the church. Sometimes the leader gets the brunt of their wrath, other times it’s other people in the congregation. Either way, we are called to be the peacemakers in the midst of the chaos.

We can take some solace in the fact that people take their frustrations out in places where they feel safe so if you’re dealing with what seem like ridiculous demands or asks, some unreasonable attitudes and cantankerous parishioners, take a moment and breathe a prayer of thanks for the people (even the challenging ones) in your congregation, knowing they feel safe and comfortable coming to you.

In the midst of the busy and crazy times we are living in, are you taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus? Are you taking time to “Be still and know that He is God?” Psalm 46:10

I know, I know…it’s so busy, we are all swamped. Pivoting and changing on the fly has become a daily routine – sometimes even multiple times daily. So many needs and so many expectations. Isn’t it exhausting? Who has the time to simply sit and be still?

Quite honestly, though, how can we continue without taking the time to be still in God’s presence? In this world of have to’s and should’s and all the expectations (both from outside and within), if we can’t (or won’t) pull back long enough to spend time soaking in God’s presence, there will be nothing left within us. If we are not returning to the fountain to be filled, there will be nothing within us to pour out.

Differing Views

Let’s take some time to focus on Mary and Martha. It’s likely you know the story, but join me for a few moments and find some refreshment in a home that showed much hospitality. As we journey through the New Testament we see these two sisters, these two women doing life together. In doing life together, the choices they make and their priorities differ rather dramatically.

Being different from one another can cause some anxiety and friction to flare up from time to time. Let’s break open the Word and peel back the layers to see what Luke records from one particular instance where these two precious women don’t quite see eye to eye:

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened

her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But

Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked,

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,

but few things are needed—or indeed only one.

Mary has chosen what is better,

and it will not be taken away from her. ” (Luke 10:38-42 NIV emphasis mine)

Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus invited Jesus into their home and when Jesus arrived, there was so much Martha still wanted to accomplish. She found herself running around frantically completing her to do list rather than simply spending time with Jesus. Can you relate to Martha? You’ve invited a precious guest over and desperately want to make a good impression—maybe not just a good impression—but a lasting and perfect impression.

Martha is so busy, she has separated herself from everyone else, chained to the kitchen and her “duties” while everyone else sits, listening to and learning from the Master teacher. The frustration must have bubbled up within her: jealousy and hurt. Maybe Martha was frequently left to do the chores while Mary enjoyed relaxing with company.

Martha is the doer, hustling and making things happen. If you have a job to do and it needs to be done well and on time, you contact a Martha type. Now please don’t misunderstand me as we continue on, there is a significant place for Martha and her actions. But, there is also a time for it.

We all have a breaking point that when we perceive injustice—real or imagined—we snap. It can stop us in our tracks and force our hand to seek what we would call “a fair outcome.” Martha was angry that she got stuck to do all the work while Mary got to lay back and enjoy herself.

Poor Martha. Can’t you picture her: wet brow from toiling over the stove, hair disheveled, flour coating her apron, wringing her hands and waving the dish towel around? She went to Jesus seeking some support in her work, some pity or at least a pat on the back. She approached Jesus, believing that He would talk some sense into her sister.

Take a Step Back and Assess

There are times we need to “chill” and do as Mary did: simply sit at the feet of Jesus. Now, before all you type A personalities start making that face and distorting the beauty God gave you, scroll back up the page and reread the boldfaced words that Jesus spoke in Luke 10:42. (Yes, take time right now and do it.)

Many women are programmed to be doers from the time they are young. For many of us, the reality of rest and sitting at the feet of Jesus seems “lazy” or “unproductive”, but it is one of the most productive things we can do for ourselves and for those we lead. Have you ever found yourself so busy doing for God that you forgot to be with God?

Leaders are especially prone to this. Don’t be so quick to say no, but truly take a moment and ask God to search your heart. We sometimes get so busy doing that we forget to be. We must remember that we are human beings, not human doings.

We all need to make resting in the presence of Jesus an important part of our spiritual lives; I mean besides our time of preparation for preaching, teaching, and discipleship. We all spend lots of time doing that; and as women leaders, most of us are great multitaskers and personally I have to sometimes check myself to be sure I’m not short-changing my own spiritual walk, maybe you’re the same.

See, no one is responsible for our spiritual growth except ourselves. If we don’t intentionally take time to grow and rest in Jesus, no one will make us. There is a space within us that lacks when we don’t spend time with Him personally and it will show. In Matthew, Jesus tells us to come away with Him. Drink in the words of these next verses like a cool drink on a summer day:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light,”

(Matthew 11:28-30 NIV).

I know you’ve read this Scripture, you’ve heard it, you’ve even preached it. But do you practice it? You may be getting frustrated with all of this or you may be feeling freedom. I wish I was sitting across that table from you so I could see you: your face, your eyes, your mouth, your posture, your physical reactions.

Are you tensing up or breathing a sigh of relief? Are your shoulders, elbows, neck, and head becoming tense with a bit of pain creeping in or are you soft and loose, breathing in the fresh breath of the Spirit that gives you peace and space to spend time with Him? Ah, I hope it is the latter.

There is such freedom in being released from all the expectations we put on ourselves: notice I said, “ourselves.” It is rare that anyone will expect more of you as a leader than we already expect from ourselves.

Set a New Schedule

Give yourself a break—seriously, find something to laugh at—even if it’s yourself. There’s such healing and joy in laughter. Find something that makes you laugh and let it out. If you need a good cry or a screaming fit, do that as well. Allow the tension and fear, the apprehension and doubts be carried away by the emotions you need to release.

Oh sweet sister, when was the last time you scheduled a rest at the feet of Jesus in your daily routine, or even once a week? How about a 24 hour retreat away from all the cares and responsibilities in your life? It’s a new day—after a very challenging pandemic year, that is continuing on—why not take a day to recalibrate, away from the hustle and bustle of your daily world? Why not schedule it right now? Get it on the calendar and guard it like you would any other important meeting with someone you may never get the opportunity to meet with again if you cancelled?

Why not make it a regular rhythm in your life so you don’t get busy and forget to return to the feet of Jesus regularly? Take out your calendar and schedule in your own personal time with the Lord if you don’t already have it there and guard it selfishly. It is the most important time you will invest in yourself.

We very easily fill our calendars and become busy - too busy. We cannot be effective women leaders and pastors if we will not spend time in the presence of Jesus to be filled and we certainly cannot effectively lead and pastor if there is nothing of Him in us. Won’t you draw near to Him and fill up so you can effectively pour out? What is the first thing you will do right now, to draw near and find rest for your soul?

Cover Photo by Luis Alberto Sánchez Terrones on Unsplash

Parking Lot Chaplains

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 15:00:31 GMT

Being true to our calling in all sorts of places.

Recently I was moved by a tweet. I know, right?

Rev. Amber Picota (@irreverentreverend) wrote, “I am in the vet parking lot waiting to hear about my cat Buttermilk who has cut his leg and probably needs stitches (pray 4 him pls), & then this lady just came out on the phone w/ an empty carrier bawling her eyes out. Hold my latte, I’m bout to become the parking lot chaplain.”

Someone was in need. Someone saw the need. Love, care, grace, and mercy were offered.

This isn’t a blog post about expanding your ministry to the local Veterinarian Clinic, unless you feel so moved! It is rather a call for us to be fully present to where God is giving us ministry opportunities, even in the parking lots of our lives.

This is not a new message. You have probably heard it before. You might even be trying to live into it in 2021. Even so, I need to be reminded to be fully present to what God is already doing and to what God is calling me to do.

This idea is connected, I think, to the words that were spoken over me at my ordination from 2 Timothy 4:2. Maybe you heard them too. “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.”

Often we imagine this admonition from Paul to be about standing in a pulpit on a Sunday morning to deliver the sermon. It is, but it’s more. We might interpret what he says to his apprentice in ministry to be about when we are feeling it and when we’re not. It is, but it’s more. We might take the last few phrases to mean get your education, know your stuff, be sure to speak up against what separates us from God, ourselves, one another, and creation. It is, but it’s more.

We often have too small an imagination for what we have been called to as ministers of the Gospel. We need to be “Parking Lot Chaplains.” This can be in the literal parking lots of our lives, but what I am trying to get across is that we need to be true to our calling in all sorts of places.

Here are three questions to help us think about this idea.

Am I Out and About?

If we are only spending time inside our churches, we are missing out on what we are called to do. I have found in all of my ministry assignments that I need to be out and about in my community.

It can be easy to fill all the hours of the week, and more, with ministry inside the church. There is always more to do. But that reality shouldn’t be what guides us. We are called by a God who isn’t held within the walls of our church buildings or in our Zoom waiting rooms.

The pandemic made things more challenging. It showed us we need to be thinking of creative ways to be out and about. Have you gotten to know the teachers and administrators at the school nearest your church? Have you grabbed a cup of coffee and set up a Google Meet with anyone from the church down the street? Have you searched the demographics of the neighborhood you are situated in, walked the streets of your town, paid attention to where people gather, signed up to volunteer at one of the nonprofits in your community?

We need to be out and about so we can see where God is at work. I hope we aren’t too focused on our territory, our own emphases, our own ministry that we miss opportunities to link up with others. We would be stronger, more effective, and more well rounded as Gospel bringers if we didn’t do this alone.

Out and about can also refer to the ordinary activities of our lives. When I was a young pastor, fresh out of Seminary, with a toddler and a nursing baby, I remember feeling like I wasn’t getting to do ministry like I was “supposed” to and not being the best mother I was “supposed” to be. It was in this unique time of life and ministry I began the practice of Breath Pray ers . This ancient discipline of choosing a phrase or Scripture to pray many times throughout the day transformed that time.

It continues to be a practice that keeps me connected to God. Here is what I prayed: “I’m Yours, Lord. Do with me what you will.” I would repeat this phrase in the parking lot at the grocery store to set my heart and mind on being present. Guess what? I found plenty of opportunities to be a minister. I didn’t wear a name tag that said “Grocery Store Chaplain,” I just made sure that I stayed in tune with God and stayed open to others.

Being out and about can be formalized ministry partnerships and it can be informal actions that fill your cup and bless your neighbor.

Are we out and about?

At What Table Do I Sit?

I am on a few boards that give me the opportunity to have a voice, to gain experience in leadership, and to make decisions for organizations I care about. What if being a parking lot chaplain at the tables of power I am privy to became about advocating for diversity and inclusion? What if I used my seat to amplify the voices of others who are underrepresented in those spaces--women, people of color, youth?

What if when those who are often tokenized sat next to me I really listened, partnered with them, and sought to dismantle the structures that often discriminate and oppress even in the church? What if I was given the opportunity to give up my seat so someone that is too often kept on the periphery was able to find a place?

One of the things I am learning from my sisters of color is that as we seek to dismantle the structures that perpetuate racism and oppression we must be ready to do the hard work this takes. Too often we think we have done good work by elevating a person of color to a place of leadership only to fail to listen to them, to continue to tokenize them, and to perpetuate the sorts of behaviors we are trying to break down.

It is unfair for us to invite people of color to the table and not to do the hard work that those of us who are white need to do to recognize our own complicity in the oppression Jesus said he came to end. There are many salient calls for people of color to stop coming to white religious tables to be abused. We need these people, with their faith, experiences, and expertise at any table where we sit.

Those of us who are white also need to stop imagining all the tables belong to us and all the invitations are for us to give. This requires those of us in the majority white culture in the United States to listen well, to repent, to relinquish power, and to champion change in our organizations.*

It isn’t just the tables of privilege that matter. Before COVID-19 I sat around tables with female inmates. Part of my ministry at the University I serve has grown out of my own passion for decarceration and justice reform in our nation. This would take me weekly to sit in really uncomfortable chairs, in really barren places, with really broken women.

Often at tables like the ones in the prison library we can believe we come with the wisdom and the hope and something to give. Don’t hear me say we have nothing to offer in these situations. The problem is we often believe we are the only ones with something to offer and there is nothing for us to learn.

I have experienced personal, spiritual, vocational, and lasting transformation by what has been given to me around those tables. I have learned things no other teacher could have taught me. I have been blessed in ways I didn’t know I needed blessing. I have been moved, humbled, and put in my place at that table.

To be the minister I have been called to be, I have needed to be fully present at that table and to those women so I could be ministered to. I have sought to obey God’s calling to visit the prisoner and have learned keenly that visitation isn’t merely for the incarcerated it is also for my transformation. Choosing to become proximate to those who are different from us, being open and ready to learn and listen, seeing people as made in the image of God will make any place a holy place. I don’t bring Christ into the prison, He is already there. I just have the privilege of partnering with what the Spirit is already at work doing.

At what tables do we sit?

Where Could I Be?

People will tell you where you should be, there are places you have to be, and there are locations you want to be.

A practice that will help us stay true to the Mission of God is to ask in prayer, “Where could I be that I currently am not?” This is of course scary. God might call us to places we don’t want to go. God might invite us to step out in faith. God might show us a need we don’t feel equipped to meet.

However, if there is one thing I know from the 18 years I have been pastoring is when God calls God provides. You might already be feeling a stirring in your heart you have been pushing down. You might know of a need but have gone through the pros and cons and decided it won’t work. You might be on your knees right now praying for courage to obey. Wherever you are, hold tight to the presence of God with us. There is great joy in following Jesus wherever He leads.

One of the comments to the tweet above is one pastor’s answer to “Where could I be?” Monica Mowdy (@monicamowdy) wrote, “I have a deal worked out with a local vet down the road from the church and I can pray with people when they have to put their animals down. It might be one of the most holy things I do as a pastor.”

Where could we be?

Our Calling

Being open to God and to others will change us and change the world around us. Parking lot chaplains are desperately needed in this world—faithful ministers who are fully present, actively looking, and prayerfully acting to bring light and life right where they are. Can we see the empty pet carriers all around us? Can we set down our latte and minister in surprising places? Can we recognize the tears of a suffering world and act?

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.” Maybe this will be in the four walls of your church or in a parking lot somewhere. Hopefully it will be both! However it happens, may God be glorified as we answer God’s call.

*For a great book to understand this more, check out I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

What's Working? Reframing Our Goals

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 15:00:02 GMT

How to appreciate what's working rather than focusing on the deficit of what's not.

Summertime! Oh summertime! With the change in weather, we often find ourselves feeling motivated and inspired. Something about the sun and fresh air makes us look for new projects or pick up something we left undone. We evaluate how far we’ve come since the new year which now doesn’t seem quite so fresh and new. We reevaluate our goals and decide what to add, change, or delete. We’re hopeful.

The dictionary defines a goal as “the end toward which effort is directed.” A goal can be the end itself we are trying to reach or part of several smaller steps designed to get us to a final target.

A goal can be short-term, achievable in the next 6 months to year such as increasing sales, holding a big outreach event, or losing weight. It can be a mid-range goal that you can complete in 2-5 years, like buying a house, remodeling your building, or finishing a degree. Or it may be what Jim Collins calls in his book Good to Great, “a BHAG, a big hairy audacious goal.” That’s a goal that is long-term, 10-20 years. It’s big picture thinking and guided by you or your organization’s core values and purpose.

Whatever your goal and its size you can easily find a wealth of information on how to determine a goal: set it, break it down into achievable steps, and then monitor and measure for success. This is all good.

Making a Plan

This is all part of what it means to be created in God’s image. We were made with the ability to consider, analyze, and take action. Part of our purpose at creation was to participate in the flourishing of the world and one way we can do that is by setting goals that improve our world, others, and ourselves.

We often need more than knowledge of the benefits of setting goals and the theological argument that we were made to create, design, and flourish. Goal setting and dreaming big can overwhelm us. It often can leave us feeling distracted and down rather than energized and eager.

So, how do we enter into self-reflection and guide our organizations and people into reflecting on where we are and where we want to go and not be overwhelmed? How can we make this goal-setting process more than just a ritualized yearly task that sometimes has far less return on investment than we had hoped for?

We begin with asking, as we reflect, two questions. These are questions that aren’t about the future and what we still lack or are hoping for. These are questions about what we already have and want to keep:

What have you learned over the last year or this past season?

Be specific. What did your latest failures, successes, challenges, and disappointments teach you? What new skill did you learn? What did a class or book teach you? What do you know now about others, yourself, the world, and/or your field that you did not know a year ago?

What do you want to keep?

What are the things that you want to take with you into the new year or this next season? What resources? What values? What relationships? What new things are a “must-have” and what old things are non-negotiable? What brings joy and satisfaction to your career, daily tasks, relationships, and life?

Without meaning to, goal-setting (and the type of reflection needed to dream big dreams and set big hairy audacious goals) can have us starting from a point of “lack” or “discontent.” A realistic look at what we still need to do and a holy dissatisfaction with the status quo are not bad things. They aren’t, however, the whole perspective.

A Greater Perspective

Asking what we have learned allows us to take stock of our resources —resources that we often overlook—and create an opportunity to build on something we may have underestimated. Asking what we want to keep helps us to not lose sight of the things we value and ensure we keep those things that make goal setting worth the work in the first place.

Okay, but …

What about what still needs to be done? What about the areas you or your organization still need to work on? What about the stuff that isn’t working? What about that specific problem that keeps tripping you and your team up?

Sure answering these questions is good for the soul and creates positivity but does it really make a difference? Yes, this self-reflection would be a boost to our confidence and outlook, but does it have a real impact on the physical, work-day realities that must be faced and fixed?

Behavioral scientists seem to think it does.

They call this approach appreciative inquiry (AI) and it is a shift from a traditional deficit-based approach. Traditionally, when we want to improve something—ourselves, a performance, an organization—we start by looking at what is not working. We try to answer the question, “What is wrong?” We become, as individuals, or the organization as a whole, something to be fixed or managed.

Appreciative inquiries (AI) ask, “What is working?” It is a strengths-based approach that works to not simply fix a problem or mitigate risk but empowers real change and create better, more holistic health for individuals and organizations. This allows organizations and individuals to become more than a manager of solutions and problems but creators that answer the question, “What should be?”

Here’s a quick overview of the four steps used with this approach, often referred to as AI, and how it compares to the traditional approach of making goals and creating change:

“At its heart, AI is about the search for the best in people, [and] their organizations … AI is not so much a shift in the methods … of change, but AI is a fundamental shift in the overall perspective taken throughout the entire change process.”*

Positive Changes for Positive Growth

Some of the positives that come out of appreciative inquiry are: increased energy and motivation for change, encourages continued learning and innovation, increases adaptability and sustainability, and creates greater buy-in and participation which leads to stronger commitments to change and the larger vision.

So as the warmer weather breaks in and you begin to evaluate your goals for 2021 and decide what the next step is in this upcoming season of life and leading, don’t rush through these questions. Don’t underestimate the power of taking the time to acknowledge what you have achieved, learned or developed over the last year. Don’t minimize all the intangible insights you’ve gained.

Take time to dream about how what you’ve discovered this last year might not simply fix a problem or make a process more efficient, but how it might make a better future, a future more in line with the God who saw all that He had made and declared it good.

In short, before you change those goals, name what’s good.

Even with taking time to self-reflect and seeing the importance of a strengths-based approach, setting and managing goals can still feel overwhelming. It can be hard to discern what is good from what is necessary, what is better from multiple good options. It can be challenging to decide when good is good enough and when good enough is not enough.

As we reflect and plan, it is good to remember the words of the Apostle James:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you,” (1:5).

God is at work in the world and He is at work in us. He is invested in us and in our world. We can go to Him and ask for clarity and direction and He will not withhold it from us.

As you name the good, ask the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see, a spirit to discern, and the wisdom you need to continue forward.

Resources:

Excerpt from: Stavros, Jacqueline, Godwin, Lindsey, & Cooperrider, David. (2015). Appreciative Inquiry: Organization Development and the Strengths Revolution. In Practicing Organization Development: A guide to leading change and transformation (4th Edition), William Rothwell, Roland Sullivan, and Jacqueline Stavros (Eds). Wiley

Additional resources on Appreciative Inquiry:

https://positivepsychology.com/appreciative-inquiry/

https://appreciativeinquiry.champlain.edu/learn/appreciative-inquiry-introduction/

https://cvdl.ben.edu/blog/what-is-appreciative-inquiry/

A Celebration of [Her]story

Wed, 19 May 2021 22:24:26 GMT

Forming a Sisterhood of Clergywomen One Conference at a Time

Being a woman in ministry can be isolating and lonely. In addition to all of the challenges that exist in any ministry, there is the complexity of navigating your call in the midst of a church culture that often pushes against it. There is the challenge of trying to balance your family and ministry. There are the awkward moments where someone thought you were the wedding photographer instead of the officiant, or the pastor’s wife at the community event.

This is the reason that Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy (WHWC) came into being. An organization dedicated to creating space for women to explore their call, to be encouraged in their call, life and ministry, and to be equipped to tackle whatever may come their way, and do it together. A sisterhood of clergywomen that transcends denomination, language, cultural barriers, and physical location was formed, and continues to seek ways to encourage, empower, and equip one another.

In order to cultivate connections among women clergy, WHWC created a bi-annual conference that has been a source of inspiration for thousands of women clergy and students since 1994. It has been held in places all over the country, with various speakers, workshops, and worship bands, but it has always been a source of restoration for the women who attend.

A Celebration of [Her]story

After a year of immense loss, pain, stress, and grief, it is more important than ever to be reminded of the one who calls us to the ministry, the God who sustains us through it all, and of the amazing sisterhood that we are a part of. It is important to take time to rest, and to be reminded of the faithfulness of God in the past, the present, and the future.

So, we are inviting you to come and be a part of [Her]story. To listen and remember the ways that God has faithfully called and been present with women in the past. Women who also faced social issues like racism and sexism. Women who at times faced epidemics and disease. Women who were weary and tired, but persevered with the power of the Holy Spirit.

We invite you to come and find your own [Her]story, to find ways to share where you find yourself in the great story of God. To unite with one another in the sharing of these stories, to be empowered, encouraged, and equipped for the days ahead.

A Time for Rest and Renewal

We invite you to join us in Grapevine, Texas March 10-12, 2022. We will be meeting and staying at the Embassy Suites, a beautiful hotel accessible for all abilities. There is space for you to have fun, through swimming in the pool, shopping in town, or visiting the local escape room with new (or old) friends.

There will be space for you to engage your body in healthy ways, through a run around the nearby lake, a visit to the fitness center, or eating good food with others. There will be space for you to pray, to journal, and to talk to others about your spiritual journey. There will be space for you to share your story, to cry, to laugh, and to join together. There will be space for you to listen, to learn, to be filled, and renewed.

There will be space for you to rest, to take naps, to go for a quiet walk at the nearby botanic gardens, or to sit in solitude. There will be space for you to worship, through music, through preaching, through art, through fellowship, and through rest. There will be space for you.

A Time for Equipping and Encouragement

We are thrilled to have Jo Saxton and Kadi Cole join us as our keynote speakers next year, and they will share with us their stories and how God has been faithful to them. We will be filled with encouragement for the days ahead by these gifted and called women of God. We are grateful to have them join our [Her]story.

It has been an incredibly challenging ministry season, and now it is time to dream again. It is time to make space to rest. It is time to make space to be filled. So join us March 10-12 2022, as we celebrate [Her]story, the way that God has been faithful and continues to be faithful to women called by God.

Register Now

Ready to Register? Go to our conference website to register today . I can't wait to see you there!

The Heavy Season

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 23:53:06 GMT

Accepting the hard times for what they are.

2020 is over. I’m tempted to say, thank God, because as I consider the past year, the immediate thing that comes to mind is how hard it was. I don’t really even mean for me. As a chaplain I have sat with families who don’t know how to properly grieve or move forward. I’ve sent out more sympathy cards than I can count. I’ve watched friends and colleagues break.

There is a general heaviness all around us right now. there is massive grief. There is a sorrow that is indescribable. It is easy to see the darkness and settle into it.

The church, the country, the world--we never anticipated the massive changes that would come with 2020. We never would have guessed that how we live and function could be so upended. We never could have predicted the loss and the grief that was coming.

We never would have expected to be so tired, so anxious, so stressed.

And yet here we are: beginning a new year scraping by because we barely got out of the last one.

It is easy to look back over the past year with anger, sorrow and frustration. It is understandable that these things might be dwelling within us. We haven’t really had time to breathe and consider what has happened. This is because even though the year has ended, the circumstances have not.

The events of this past year have caused great grief and deep sadness in many families. It has caused upheaval in lives and churches and places of work. We have changed the way we live. We have within us the heavy burden from all that has been lost. We carry the stress of the unknown and the too painful.

Because of all of this, it would be easy to say, “Good riddance to 2020! Let’s get on with 2021!” I’d like for us to slow down just for a moment. I think that if we are wise, we will not throw the whole year out the window and try to run away from what has happened.

It is true that there were a lot of hard and terrible and heartbreaking things that happened over the past year. Can we simply acknowledge this as a part of life and live in the messiness of it? Can we look at 2020 without judgment and accept that this has been a heavy season, but that God is still present? The truth is that for every season, the good ones and the bad, God walks beside us.

Look at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

Something I’ve only recently noticed is that there is no judgment in this scripture about how things are. There is just the knowledge that these circumstances are all part of life. There are seasons of loss, and sorrow, and brokenness. There are seasons of mourning and weeping. They exist. I love this and need this perspective!

For many many people 2020 was one of these dark seasons. (2021 may continue to be one too.) For many families who have lost loved ones, for churches who have closed, for people who have lost their jobs, and for many other reasons, it was especially so.

I don’t know that anyone actually likes these seasons. Can we be still for a few moments and recognize the truth of them, without judgment? Can we just sit with the knowledge that they simply are?

If we can do that, we can then look and see that the Scripture equally speaks to the good. Life is both good and bad. Everything has a season. The author of Ecclesiastes is sharing with us what IS: the state of life. It’s not the way things might be or the way we wish they would be, but it is the way things are.

We are subject to events and circumstances in life that we have little or no control over. So, it becomes important that we acknowledge what is and accept what has been. All of these things are part of life, even life as a believer.

The good news is that we do not live in the hope of perfect circumstances, but a perfect God. We do not live in the expectation that nothing bad will ever happen. We do live in the belief that even in the darkness, God is still our light.

No matter where you are today or what happened in your last year, there was both bad and good. No matter what happens in 2021, I can guarantee you that there will be both bad and good. Life is up and down. The truth that we see in Ecclesiastes 3, even as we sit in the knowledge of what 2020 has been, is that we can hope for a season of healing and laughing and dancing. This is my hope for all of us.

Friends, in these dark seasons it is easy to turn inward. Here is what I want to encourage you to do:

Pick up a pen and write a thank you letter to a mentor who has inspired you.
Grab your phone and call someone who needs encouragement.
If you’ve got the means….grab a $5 coffee card and send it to a young woman starting out in ministry.

We all must go through seasons of darkness, but we do not have to do it alone! 2020 has been heavy, but you are not alone in it.

Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy exists to equip, engage, and encourage women in ministry. This only truly works when we are connected. So make connections. Use your gifts to encourage another woman in ministry. Engage with each other and build each other up. This is a time to embrace one other, a time to boost each other up, this is a time where we truly need each other as we serve and work in the Kingdom of God.

Anna the Prophetess

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:26:38 GMT

Luke 2:36-38:
"And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” ESV

What can we learn about walking with God from the life of Anna, the Prophetess?

She is only mentioned in the Gospel of Luke as Jesus is brought to the Temple in Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord. She is the second person that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus encountered at the Temple. (The first is Simeon in Luke 1: 25-35.)

What do we know about Anna? Luke tells us she was a prophetess; she was a daughter of Phanuel; she was married for only seven years; she is now at least 84 years old; and she lived at the Temple where she worshiped with fasting and prayer night and day. Luke records that she was a daughter of Phanuel which means “face of God” and of the tribe of Asher. “She numbers among the few New Testament characters with tribal listings. Others include Jesus, of the house and lineage of David and the tribe of Judah (Luke 2:4; Matthew 1:1-16), Saul of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5) and Barnabas, a Levite (Acts 4:36).” (Branch, 2020) We also know that Anna and Hannah come from the same root word, and the meaning of Anna is favor or grace (Bible Gateway 1988).

These verses may exhaust our knowledge of Anna, but even this brief description tells us what is most important about her. “Unlike Simeon, who knew he would find the messiah, Anna simply recognized the Lord. After decades and decades in the Temple, seeing people coming and going with their sacrifices every day, she had the vision to recognize that one young couple and their child were unlike any of the others” (Daily Gospel Reflection).

“What gave her that ability to see—to recognize the divine in the midst of the ordinary? All we know is that she fasted and prayed—she cultivated a close relationship with God. She knew God—she was familiar with God because she spoke with God every day. And that familiarity opened her eyes to recognizing God’s presence in situations outside of prayer. The same is true for us—a habit of prayer opens our eyes to recognize God’s presence in the rest of our life experience” (Daily Gospel Reflection) .

Anna did not have to be told the child was Jesus, or God’s son. She immediately began giving thanks for Him and spoke of Jesus to all who were looking for the redemption of Israel. Her life of worship with prayer and fasting gave her a close relationship with God so that when He came into her presence as a child, she knew Him. As one author said “The same is true for us—a habit of prayer opens our eyes to recognize God’s presence in the rest of our life experience” (Daily Gospel Reflection).

What can we learn from Anna?

The first thing is that we are never too old to worship God, to pray, and to have his presence as a part of our lives. Anna’s service to God was worship, prayer, and fasting. Are these foundational in our service to God or do we get too busy to spend time with God. Anna recognized God’s son because she knew God intimately. She recognized the Son of God because she knew the Father God. How are we cultivating our relationship with the Father so that we recognize His presence in our lives? Are we able to discern His voice above and amidst all the other voices that surround us each day?

Anna knew that God had provided for her and would continue to provide for her basic needs. She was a widow and had no home that is mentioned. She lived in the Temple and had to rely on others to provide food when she was not fasting and clothing. Do we believe that? Do we trust God to provide for us as we live out the ministry to which He has called us?

Anna thanked the Lord. Anna’s prayers were paired with praises. Luke records in verse 38 that she gave God thanks when she saw the child. When we see God in our midst, do we stop and give thanks to God or do we run to tell someone else what happened? Anna did this, also, but only after she had thanked God.

We are called to share the Good News, let us not forget to give God thanks.

References:

Bible Gateway. 1998 “All the Women of the Bible: Anna”. Zondervan. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Anna , December 2, 2020.

Branch, Robin Gallaher 2020 “Anna in the Bible” in Bible History Daily. Retrieved from https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/anna-in-the-bible/ , December 2, 2020.

St. Anna the Prophetess 2020 Daily Gospel Reflection University of Notre Dame Retrieved from http://faith.nd.edu/s/1210/faith/interior.aspx?sid=1210&gid=609&calcid=25793&calpgid=61&pgid=26183&crid=0 , December 2, 2020

Swiatocho, Kris 2006 “The Women in Christ's Life: Anna, The Prophetess” Crosswalk.com. Retrieved from https://www.crosswalk.com/family/singles/the-women-in-christs-life-anna-the-prophetess-1373811.html , December 2, 2020.

God's Grace for All

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 19:18:07 GMT

Made Available Through The Women of Jesus' Lineage

As we conclude the Advent season and the celebration of the birth of Christ, I find myself thinking about the women listed in Matthew as being in the lineage of Jesus. They are Tamar (Matthew 1:3); Rahab and Ruth (Matthew 1:5); Bathsheba (Matthew 1:6); and Mary (Matthew 1:16). I have been pondering why would Matthew name them in the lineage of David. As I have read and listened to others talk about them, I have made a few discoveries.

These women demonstrate the availability of the grace of God to all people because in some ways they were all outsiders whose lives demonstrate acceptance by God. God’s grace is available to all because Jesus came so we all could be welcomed into the family.

1. Tamar

Tamar was a Canaanite woman (Genesis 38) who was married to Judah’s oldest son Er. Judah was the brother of Joseph and had himself married a Canaanite woman. When Er died, she married the second son Onan. When Onan died, Judah sent her home to her father to wait for the youngest son. At this point in time, Tamar must have felt dismissed and abandoned by the family and person (Judah) who was to protect her. She was a widow and had the right to search for a husband in another family, otherwise she had no chance for a husband or children.

When Tamar portrayed a prostitute, she tricked Judah into carrying out his responsibility to protect Tamar and make sure was cared for. In her story, God’s grace is evident because God accepted her good intentions and forgave her. She was an outsider whose acceptance by God is shown as her name is included in the lineage of Jesus.

2. Rahab

Rahab (Joshua 2 and 6) was also a Canaanite Gentile who lived in the city of Jericho. She protected the spies from discovery and gave them lodging. She told them in Joshua 2 that she believed in the God of the Israelites. She asked that in return for her protection of them, they would protect her when they took over Jericho. Joshua and the spies keep their word, and Rahab and her family were spared.

Rahab is also mentioned in Hebrews 11 and James 2 as a righteous woman. Rahab wanted to be saved both physically and spiritually. God does both in her story. God welcomed Rahab, an outsider, because she wanted to know him and to be known by Him. Rahab did not have the best past, but God welcomed her with open arms. She was an outsider whose acceptance by God is shown as her name is included in the lineage of Jesus.

3. Ruth

Ruth was from the land of Moab. In Deuteronomy 23:3, God says that “no Moabite shall enter the assembly of the Lord.” So how did Ruth become included in the lineage of Jesus? Naomi was from Judah and when she returned to Judah, her daughter-in-law Ruth went with her.

Major Bonnie Kirk says in an online resource , “Naomi was a widow, who was selling her husband’s land to the closest kinsman–redeemer in her family. Along with this deal would also come Ruth as wife to the kinsman–redeemer so that any heir would help maintain the name of the dead (Elimelech) with his property. The closest kinsman–redeemer rejected this offer since he already had a family and heirs. This opened the door for Boaz who was next in line. The elders and all the people were witnesses then that Boaz bought all of Naomi’s land and acquired Ruth as his wife. (4:1–11).”

In Ruth’s story, God’s love and grace brings her back into the story. She was an outsider whose acceptance by God is shown as her name is included in the lineage of Jesus.

4. Bathsheba

Bathsheba whose story begins in 2 Samuel 11 is not mentioned by name in Matthew’s gospel. She is identified as “her who had been the wife of Uriah.” (Matthew 1:6). Uriah was a Hittite and while fighting with David, he probably did not worship the LORD GOD of Israel. We know the story of David and Bathsheba, the death of their first child, and we read of their marriage and the births of four sons named Solomon, Nathan, Shimea and Shobab.

Bathsheba’s life indicates that God does forgive and bestows His grace when sin is confessed. Bathsheba was an outsider whose acceptance by God is shown as her name is included in the lineage of Jesus.

5. Mary

Mary was a young woman from Galilee. Some scholars indicate that the genealogy of Jesus recorded in Luke is possibly the genealogy of Mary since the father is listed as Heli (Luke 3:23) while Matthew indicates Joseph was the son of Jacob (Mt. 1:16). If this is true, then in Luke's genealogy, one notes that both Nathan (the son of David and Bathsheba) and David are mentioned in Luke 3:31. Mary’s lineage included the son of Bathsheba and David, the son of Boaz and Ruth, the son of Rahab and Salmon, and the son of Tamar and Judah.

Being Jewish, Mary was not an outsider as the other women in the genealogy are, but the outsiders are included in her lineage. Mary is described as being highly favored and totally submits to His will of being the mother of Jesus. Mary was very young and was not the woman one would expect to be the mother of the King of Kings.

God's Grace for All

These five women demonstrate that God’s grace is available to all because Jesus came so we all could be welcomed into the family. They were outsiders and ordinary women through whom God did extraordinary things including the birth of his son Jesus.

As we conclude our season of Advent and move towards a new year, I wonder: how will we respond to the outsiders who come into our churches? How will we respond to those who come in the building but don’t look quite right? How will we respond to an outsider in our social group? Do we feel like an outsider in our social or family groups? Do we feel like an outsider in our faith group?

What do we do when we feel like an outsider? Do we become bitter or do we respond as these five women and embrace the hope they found in God. Do we obey so that our God can do extraordinary things through us ordinary women, called by God to proclaim His love and grace to those around us? The hope of acceptance by God is ours. During this season let us embrace it.

Resources

Aren’t the Genealogies of Jesus Given in Matthew and Luke Contradictory? Josh McDowell Ministries. Retrieved on Dec 21, 2020 from https://www.josh.org/answer/arent-genealogies-jesus-given-matthew-luke-contradictory/

Kirk, Major Bonnie (2019, Aug 27) Conclusion: The Five Women in the Genealogy of Jesus. The Salvation Army Women's Ministries Resources. Retrieved on Nov 11, 2020 from https://wmresources.org/blog/conclusion-the-five-women-in-the-genealogy-of-jesus/

Discussion Group from Preacher Girl School led by Dr. Kimberly Majeski on the women in the genealogy of Jesus. November 2020.

Scripture:

Genesis 38

Deuteronomy 23:3

Joshua 2, 6

Ruth 4:1-11

2 Samuel 11

Matthew 1

Hebrews 11

James 2

Feeling Like a Fraud

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 16:26:11 GMT

2020 has been a particularly rough year. Most people wonder if they are even qualified to do their own job. How do you manage to lead when you feel like a fraud?

Feeling like a fraud?

That’s a feeling I have had off and on over the course of my ministry life. No, even before that … just as a young woman in the church. If I had to sum it up, I was never enough and always too much. And I was waiting for someone to expose me.

In the last two years, in a new position, in a new state, old fears of being exposed have cropped up. They are fears I thought I had overcome and put to rest. It’s not uncommon for me on any given weekend to proclaim the word of God while pondering what happens when the people listening realize that I’m not sure God knows what He’s doing letting me lead. For instance, I yelled at my kid as I left the house for church. I am just waiting to get home and pick up the argument me and my husband were having last night. And if I'm really honest, today of all days, the church is the last place I want to be.

What is this feeling?

If you are a word nerd like me. you love to trace the origin of a word and find out where it came from. What were a word’s ancestors? What were fraud’s forefathers?

Deception and error.

Yep, that’s it. Deception and error. I hear so many messages of deception and error that tell me I am a fraud:

Either I’m fooling everyone including myself or I’ve lied to myself and others.
If that’s not it, then someone has made a gross mistake.
I don’t belong here.
I ’m going to screw this up.
It’s just a matter of time before I am found out.

There’s a psychological term for feeling like a fraud. It’s called "imposter syndrome" and it turns out it’s a pretty common phenomenon. An estimated 70% of people experience these impostor feelings at some point in their lives.

Imposter Syndrome

Apparently, women are particularly prone to imposter syndrome. In a Forbes interview in October 2020 , corporate COO Laura Newiski discussed her firm’s 2020 report on women in leadership . They found “that 75% of executive women identified having experienced imposter syndrome at various points during their careers - and 85% believe it is commonly experienced by women across corporate America. Women can experience imposter syndrome in key moments of an existing role, or at specific milestones such as a career change or promotion. In fact, nearly 6 in 10 executive women told us that promotions or transitions to new roles were the times that they most experienced imposter syndrome.”

As a woman in ministry, I know that it isn’t just the corporate world where women struggle with imposter syndrome. I have spoken to many women preachers, teachers, and leaders who struggle with it. They wonder if they are good enough despite consistently doing their job and doing it well. This wondering so many of us do is like quicksand; it immobilizes us despite our best efforts to the contrary.

2020 has been a particularly rough year because of the pandemic and a contentious election. No one knows what they are doing and everyone has multiple opinions. The lack of clarity combined with information overload has immobilized many leaders. Add feeling like a fraud to the mix and it all begins to feel like too much to manage.

How do we manage it?

But we must manage them because we have to lead. So how can we manage imposter syndrome while continuing to lead?

Here are a few tips:

Be honest about what you are feeling. Share it with someone or a group of people that you trust. Sometimes just naming the feeling lessens the weight.
Assess your abilities and question your thoughts . Know what you are good at and know what you need to work on. When thoughts come, ask them questions: Why am I feeling this way? What am I worried about? Are they valid? Are they rational? What can I do?
Allow yourself to fail and set realistic expectations of yourself. No one gets it right all the time. No one knows everything. Don’t aim for perfection; aim for progress.
Get good at remembering and telling stories . Remind yourself what God has done for you and through you. Read about the men and women of the Bible who failed but God used. Find books on men and women of history who overcame challenges without having it all together.
Be willing to be vulnerable. The people we lead are best served when we present our real selves as we are being transformed by the Spirit to look more and more like the image of Christ.

That last tip may be the most important of all.

It reminds us we aren’t enough and that’s okay because Jesus is.

It reminds us we are enough just as we are because Jesus is.

It reminds us it was never about us; it’s about Him.

And He is not an impostor; He is good.

Resources:

Abrams, Abigail (2018, June 20) Yes, Impostor Syndrome Is Real. Here's How to Deal With It. Time. Retrieved December 2, 2020, from https://time.com/5312483/how-to-deal-with-impostor-syndrome/

Caprino, Kathy (2020, Oct 22) Impostor Syndrome Prevalence In Professional Women And How To Overcome It. Forbes. Retrieved December 2, 2020 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2020/10/22/impostor-syndrome-prevalence-in-professional-women-face-and-how-to-overcome-it/?sh=4e06daf073cb

Cuncic, Arlin (2020, May 1) What is Imposter Syndrome. Very Well Mind. Retrieved December 2, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469

KPMG Study Finds 75% Of Female Executives Across Industries Have Experienced Imposter Syndrome In Their Careers. (2020, Oct 17) KPMG Women's Leadership. https://womensleadership.kpmg.us/summit/kpmg-womens-leadership-report-2020.html

Pastor, Feel Like An Imposter? (2019, Sept 16) Divine Therapy, LLC . Retrieved December 2020 from https://www.divinetherapyar.com/b/pastor-feel-like-an-imposter

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:18

Who Called You?

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:54:39 GMT

Feeling discouraged in your calling? Unsure? Trying to discern what your calling is? Remember Who called you.

Early in my ministry call, I had been asked to speak at a church in their regular Sunday morning service. After delivering the message God had laid on my heart that morning, someone from the congregation approached me and said, “You should really be a preacher.” I didn’t know the person at all and I didn’t tell that person, but I had recently begun preparing for my first ordination class.

This comment was a confirmation from God. It was an answer to the prayer I had been praying about the calling I was struggling with. God spoke clearly through a stranger who didn’t know any of my story. Don’t you love how God works?

In 2010, I first sensed the call to ordained ministry, but could not see how it would be possible. At first, I didn’t share my calling with anyone for fear of being found out or of failing. After some conversations with some great mentors, I accepted the call in January 2012 and began my studies in August the same year.

It was a difficult decision for me because God had clearly called me to homeschool our three precious girls, and that hadn’t changed. How could I balance managing a home, homeschooling, leading at church in a few different capacities, and studying for ordination — not to mention all the other hats I wore as a stay-at-home mom and wife? I certainly didn’t know. But, as I learned from a dear mentor of mine, all I had to do was say yes, and God would take care of the rest.

At that point, I felt confident in the call God had placed on my life. I prayed for opportunities to speak and He came through. I prayed for people who didn’t know me or anything about me to speak what God wanted me to know. He did that too.

Preparing for Ordination

A couple years after my official start of studying and preparing for ordained ministry, I found myself questioning what God had previously spoken in a clear and concise manner. The question, “Should I be preparing for ordained ministry?” kept running through my mind, fueled by comments that were negatively made about my choice to pursue the call because I am a woman. I was told that Paul teaches that women cannot lead men and preaching was leading men .

I had not been around the church my entire life, so I looked up the verses that had been rattled off at me and I began to study what they meant. I knew The Wesleyan Church (where I was a member, received my call, and was pursuing credentialing) supported women in ministry because I had read The Discipline of the Wesleyan Church . I also knew that Dr. JoAnne Lyon was the General Superintendent of the church in North America at the time.

I was disheartened and discouraged by these words and the attitude that blurted them out. It wasn’t the first time I had heard it, but this time it was a male pastor in my own denomination behind the words. So I went to the Lord with the question of whether I was hearing Him right and if I was to continue pursuing the call I sensed so deeply within me.

One morning not long after, as I was prayerfully seeking God’s word about whether He was calling me, I was reading my Bible and a particular verse leaped off the page and into my heart. It was a passage from Zechariah. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” Zechariah 4:6. That word resonated deep in my soul and spoke volumes to me personally, all of which I cannot record here. I kept reading that verse over and over, sensing the peace and presence of the Lord. I prayed and hid that specific word in my heart.

As I continued to pray, there came a deep sense that God had certainly called me and He wanted me to keep track of His words to me. It felt in that moment that I may need to remember and reflect on His words and call on my life in the future. I had heard of a “calling” journal somewhere before (though I’m not absolutely sure where) but being someone who journals, I decided to record this particular encounter.

So I grabbed a journal; a wire bound, small journal in navy blue with polka dots and a red elastic strap to secure it. recorded the date, the Scripture, and what I sensed God speaking to me and about me through those particular words. That was in 2014. Through the years, I have added dates, Scriptures, and the words that I have sensed God speaking to my heart as they relate to my call. I have also recorded when specific people have confirmed a word I have sensed God speaking to me along with the date, to keep a timeline.

Discerning Your Call

Discerning your call is important work. It is work that once completed, may prove to be worth much more than the time you will invest in it. Discerning your call early on will help you when those moments of discouragement come: whether it’s an inner, critical voice speaking discouragement or a voice from outside that speaks negatively. It will help you in the moments of discouragement that come to you personally or are about women clergy in general. It is never too early or too late to discern your call from God.

Every Christian has an important calling on their life. Not everyone will be called to clergy work but if you have been, or if you think you might be being called, take some time to prayerfully seek God and discern the call He has on your life. Walk in the light He has given you until you have more information. Sometimes, it will seem like He has given you one piece to a 5,000 piece puzzle, but being faithful with the piece He has given you will bring more pieces your way. Obedient faith is what God is calling His followers to.

Trusting Him and leaning into His leading is most important. Bit by bit the puzzle will get put together. Piece by piece, you will be able to discern the calling He has on your life. Do not grow weary in the calling He has on your life, but walk in full confidence with your head held high knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt who you are and whose you are.

If you haven’t experienced any negativity, I praise the Lord with you because this has not been the norm - at least in my experience! Something I have had to learn and subsequently remember is that opinions are a dime a dozen and some are not correct, however, one thing is for certain: God calls whomever He chooses. Neither gender, race, social standing, nor experience factor in when God has a call on someone’s life.

Being Confident in Your Call

In the book of Joel, the Lord promises His Spirit to all believers. “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days,” Joel 2:28-29 (emphasis mine).

I know for a fact that there will always be those who will try to discourage anyone who is following God. The higher the level of leadership we are called to, the higher the discouragement can be. I have found that recording those moments and then going back to read them when my level of excitement is low or the discouragement is growing can be so helpful to get me back on track.

It's not what others say, it’s what God has spoken, His calling on your life that matters. That’s what we all need to focus on. The voices of the critics can be loud, but the certain voice of God is the one we should be focused on.

I’m reminded that in Scripture others had ways to remember too. In 1 Samuel 7:12, the Scripture reads, “Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.'”

The Philistines were coming to attack Israel; but God. He moved in such a way as to cause panic and the enemy was destroyed. Samuel set up the Ebenezer stone as a reminder of what God had done; that God was their Helper. When I get discouraged, I look to my calling journal (my Ebenezer stone) to remind me of God’s words and Truth to me.

Are you feeling discouraged in your calling? Are you unsure of your calling? Are you trying to discern what your calling is? Pray and ask for a word. Pray and ask for confirmation from someone close to you or someone entirely random. Read Scripture prayerfully seeking wisdom and discernment about your call, with an open heart to hear and gracefully receive what He has to say to you.

Record it in a “calling” journal and keep it specifically for that purpose. Even if it’s one passage a year, keep that journal somewhere close so you can come back to it and remember. Remember Who called you. Allow His words to define you, and live out your calling with boldness and courage, emboldened and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Scripture (All Scripture taken from NIV):

1 Samuel 7:12

Joel 2:28-29

Zechariah 4:6

B anner Photo by Doug Robichaud on Unsplash

Urgent Call to Action

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 18:09:51 GMT

The board of Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy (WHWC) is committed to diversity and anti-racism born out of our Wesleyan Holiness theology and history. We commit to work towards racial reconciliation at all levels of the church and in our world. In response to current events, we share this urgent call to action from our President.

Signed,
Board of Directors
Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy

As the first person of color in the role of President of WHWC, I admit to a biased perspective that comes from experiences of life impacted by the color of my skin. However, I believe that in watching people killed before our eyes we all have reached a new realization that the generations of racism have not disappeared with time. Martin Luther King Jr. preached about a dream decades ago before I was born, and that dream may still be unrealized before I die unless we act.

Racism is wrong, and we must stop it!

Really. I mean that you and I need to stop it. Stop willful actions against your neighbor who looks different than you. Stop being indifferent to the plight of others who live at a disadvantage from the systems of racism that are institutionalized into common practices. Stop being complicit in racism through inaction to prevent its propagation.

You can stop it by loving others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39).

Together we can stop racism by standing up for someone when they need help, by kneeling with someone when they need allies, and by peacefully marching to make sure the call for change is heard. We can stop racism by working through the institutionalized policies and practices of organizations that propagate inequities. We can stop it by learning from and listening to others.

We all need to grow in our appreciation of the racial and ethnic diversity that God created in people.

Jesus convicted the church people of his day by giving us the parable of the Good Samaritan as the outsider who transcended racial boundaries to be the only one to care for the broken and battered person on the street (Luke 10:25-37). Are we going to continue walking by the bodies in the street while we focus on the busyness of the business of church organizations, or are we going to be the church showing God’s love to all?

Continue the conversation on our Facebook post , in your ministries, and at home. Let’s join together and change the world!

Rev. Carron Odokara
WHWC President

Daughter, if You Don’t Like it, Change it; Your Father is Rich

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

When the Church of the Nazarene was very young, in 1924 Louise Robinson, later to become thewife of General Superintendent J. B. Chapman, embarked on her missionary service in Africa. Soon after arriving, she was assigned the unbelievable task of housing girls who ran away from betrothals into which they had been forced or sold. Thirty-two girls soon lived in one small room. The building could not be enlarged or improved because the mission had no funds, no building materials, and no security. The heartbreaking situation looked hopeless to the beginning missionary.

With understandable frustration, young Louise wrote to Dr. George Sharp, her supervisor, “This whole setup is impossible. I just do not like it at all.” Dr. Sharp shortly replied, “Daughter of the King, if you don’t like it, change it. Your Father is rich.”

That correspondence sounds extremely dissimilar from the words on a plaque someone gave me, “Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men. Fortunately, that’s not difficult.” Though some may argue the statement contains a kernel of truth, the conclusion is wrong.

For our purpose, the issue regarding women ministers is not gender rights or competition, but the call of God. You see, almost everyone would agree that the acceptance of women in ministry is often difficult, sometimes prejudicial. But in keeping with Nazarene biblical beliefs, no one volunteers to be a career preacher. Nazarenes insist God calls whom He wills.

Consequently, the called woman preacher does not impulsively decide the ministry is to be her occupation. This call is the doing of God. He does the calling and the church is charged with responsibility to recognize and nurture that call. Women go into ministry because God calls them.

Hearing such a sacred summons, devout individuals regardless of gender respond with an unshakable conviction that they must obey. And for 2,000 years of Christian history, the called minister has accepted the ramifications, obstacles, and blessings of that call. Called women must have a comparable assurance if they are to survive the tests and disapproval with poise and piety.

Their inner certitude of God’s call puts the issue beyond debate, apology, or prejudice.

Legacy

The advocacy for women ministers has been a part of the holiness movement’s heritage beginning with John Wesley. Convincing authority may be found in the work of the Spirit, Scripture, religious experience, and inspiring history. And the accomplishments of many clergywomen help verify the validity of their calling.

Competent and credible

Though the rudimentary purpose of a call to ministry is to do something vital for God, it can never be accomplished without a sincere sense of mission. But to fully realize this calling, the woman preacher must be competent and credible. Skill must be demonstrated in preaching, evangelizing, and pastoring.

Like all Christian workers, the clergywoman ultimately finds acceptance in productive leadership and wholehearted involvement in people’s lives rather than in angry arguments about women’s rights or in vocal accusations of male counterparts. The woman minister serves best when her ministry is done in proficient ways that are pleasing to her Lord and life-changing to people.

This requires that the woman of God factually assess her gifts and graces and accurately identify her strengths and weaknesses. Then she can exercise her abilities to their greatest potential in the Kingdom of Christ. Abilities are given by God to produce results.

The woman minister pulls down barriers when she uses her creativity, faith, and nurturing skills to build a strong ministry and a growing church. That is precisely what missionary Louise Robinson did to change her situation in Africa and to set herself on a lifelong pilgrimage of being a change maker for the glory of God.

Tackle hard assignments

Many situations seem impossible to either men or women. But true change makers revitalize and even relish tough tasks.

For years I have watched Nazarene Bible College graduates, both male and female, go to their first pastorates. Those initial assignments often appeared to be bleak–someone called them “mankillers.” No one argued against the need for these beginners to have better places to start.

Better places simply were not available to them or else they were not called to more promising situations.

But faith, fasting, and tenacity sometimes generate achievements that surprise the members in those churches, astound the faculty, and please the district superintendents. They re-awaken churches using a variety of methods and lots of creativity. God blesses all work done in His name.

Similar situations are sometimes open to women. No one claims those opportunities are ideal or golden, but a ministry setting exists where people need a pastor.

This demanding kind of Kingdom work when done for love and with efficiency does more than make a reputation, even though a good record usually gets out on us. The challenge means more than great gain. Rather, it means meeting needs and enriching lives. It takes the Good News to human sinfulness and assists the Spirit of God to mend lives, forgive sins, and heal brokenness.

What needs to be done can be done. And we can do it with God’s help.

Agnes Diffee represents an incredible ministry model. Though she started in a small struggling church, in her prime she pastored Little Rock, Arkansas, First Church. Knowledgeable peers said she was known well enough to have been elected governor of her state had she chosen to run. Her vision to heal the broken hearted and preach to real needs prompted her and the church to own and operate radio station KARK. In addition to her regular duties of preaching, pastoring, and hospital visitation, Pastor Diffee spoke on the radio five to seven times each week. She acquired an exceptional library and testified to having read every book in it. Diligence to study and passion for the lost made her a respected preacher and honored pastor.

Make opportunities

If no vacancy or opening is offered, why not make one? I heard Emma Irick, veteran pastor and evangelist say about the early days of Nazarene church planting, “We went to towns where they did not want us and stayed until they could not get along without us.” That might be an impressive Magna Carta for ministry.

Our early women Nazarene preachers did not wait for opportunities, but driven by zeal for souls and righteousness, they set out to change conditions as they found them. They were effective pastors and evangelists, not because they lacked opposition, but because their hearts flamed with godly ambition to apply the gospel to life. They looked beyond every challenge because they felt their chief objective was to bring people to Christ. In an ultimate sense, no one can keep another from telling what they know about Christ.

Mainstream involvement

To be accepted, women musty not isolate themselves from the church’s mainstream. Instead, we must make ourselves visible and put our energy into programs of the church on the district and denominational level as well as the local church.

Look beyond difficulties

If we allow difficulties and discrimination to control us, they become insurmountable mountains.

Then we cannot see the work to be done or the victories to be accomplished. Why not recognize the reality that there may always be difficulties and then determine we will work in spite of them.

Our energy will not be dissipated by controversy regardless of how we feel about it. Then our God-given capabilities and competencies can be used to create a positive outlook about ourselves and our work.

Give up the anger and get to work

GROW Editor Neil B. Wiseman suggested these words as the title for this article. For several years we worked together on the faculty of Nazarene Bible College, and he has a way of nudging his colleagues to think about the heart of an issue. I admit I have been jittery about the proposed title, but editors have the last word on these things.

Though the statement may be too strong, the message is vital and discerning. No one, male or female, has time enough, however long his life may be, to argue about prejudices pointed at them and nurse anger about inequity.

Consider the facts

God calls, He keeps the records, and He has the final word. And in the Father’s wisdom, He invited us into His holy service. His trust warrants unconditional devotion. And His mandate obliges us to spend our energies to build His church.

Women ministers stand at the front line as the church and world approach the 21st century. If they will, clergywomen can generate new Kingdom vitality by doing their work well in the name of the Lord. Nothing can stop us, except ourselves.

“Daughter of the King–if you don’t like it, change it. Your Father is rich.”

Janet Smith Williams, now a Nazarene evangelist, enjoys a productive ministry that has included service as co-pastor with her husband, Roger; college teacher at Nazarene Bible College, Southern Nazarene University; and public school teacher. She served as a teen-age evangelist and was ordained by Dr. J. B. Chapman after having completed the home course of study before she went to Eastern Nazarene College. She holds degrees from Eastern Nazarene College, Nazarene Theological Seminary, and Denver Baptist Seminary. Janet ‘s extensive research on Nazarene women ministers adds authenticity to this article.

Williams, J. S. (Spring, 1992). Daughter–if you don’t like it, change it. Your father is rich. Grow, 33-35.

Women in Ministry

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Should women be ordained as ministers of the gospel? This question is at the heart of the complex issue of women in ministry. No church, no pastor, no denomination is immune from dealing with this subject. And, no matter what our opinions are, they must first be rooted in Scripture. That is why it is critical to probe and examine the Word of God to get the answer.

But before we begin looking directly at Scripture, we need to obtain some background information. We need to spend a few moments talking about the world in which Jesus lived, into which the first Christians came and the roles women played in it. If you examine first-century cultures, it is obvious they were patriarchal cultures. A patriarchal culture is a culture in which males, by the nature of the culture, assume the basic leadership roles. They will be the heads of tribes, judges in the courts of law, heads of families and leaders in religious observances. Some were more patriarchal, some were less, but they were all male-dominated cultures in one way or another.

The second thing I want to say to you is about the New Testament itself. The New Testament is an androcentric book. That is, it was written by males from a male’s point of view. These are maybe the two most important things I could start with. That means when we look at the New Testament and the New Testament world, one of the things we have to realize is even though women were playing very important roles, often those roles are sublimated or subsurface. They are not immediately apparent, and it requires a certain amount of digging to get at what roles women actually had.

The third thing that I’d want to say to you is that our basic access to the first-century world is not just limited to texts. We have evidence about women and their roles from other sources as well. For example, we have inscriptional evidence. We have evidence from tombstones that tells us about the women who paid for a certain tombstone to be erected for their husbands or sons. And sometimes these tombstones will tell us what their roles were. There’s also archeological evidence – the evidence we derive from excavating homes and buildings. That tells us a little more broadly some of the roles that women have assumed. There’s papyrological evidence – not formal documents, but very informal documents. In ancient times paper was very expensive, so people wrote on everything, such as pottery.

With that in mind, we are now going to concentrate on the New Testament evidence, and also draw on a wider wealth of data.

Let’s look now at a little core sampling in Palestinian and Greco-Roman culture.

Palestinian culture, in the time of Jesus, was a culture in which the dominating parties were not Jews. It was dominated by a foreign power. And that meant Jews were not free to be all they could. They were not in control of their political destiny. And that, in itself, affected the way women’s roles were viewed. One of the things that becomes clear when you examine the

Pharisaic movement, is that they were very concerned about amalgamation. They were concerned that Jews would lose their sense of distinctive identity and no longer practice the distinctives of Judaism which made them a separate people – a people set apart. These practices included circumcision, food laws and purity laws. And for better or worse, this dramatically affected women’s roles. For instance, circumcision only involved males (baptism, on the other

hand, was inclusive). The rules of clean and unclean people had a dramatic religious effect. Because a woman was unclean during her menstrual cycle, she could not hold leadership roles in the synagogue. Why? Because she might be menstruating on the Sabbath and, therefore, could not be counted on to be present every Sabbath.

Into that environment, comes Jesus. What is noticeable about Him is the way He stands out from His culture in His treatment of women. Not so much the way He conforms to the broader assumptions about women, but the ways He stands out from them.

Mark 3:31-31 – Family of Faith

The essence of this text is this, Jesus’ family, His physical family – His mother, brothers and sisters – have come to take Him home. They are worried about Him, they think He might be out of His mind. As Jesus’ family approaches, they say to Him, “Your mother, your brothers and your sisters, are outside asking for you.” Jesus replies, “Who are my mothers and my brothers?” Then He says, “Here are my mothers, brothers and sisters. Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” This is a radical teaching. What Jesus is saying is counter intuitive to Jewish culture. The basic family unit, says Jesus, is not determined by blood, but by faith. The physical family, what we would call the nuclear family, what they would have seen as the extended family, is secondary. That determines the family of faith? It is whoever does the will of God and whoever is prepared to be a follower of Jesus Christ – that is the primary family. The dictates of the physical family must fit into the dictates, agendas and priorities of the family of faith. Now this is a critical principle, because it means that heredity and traditional patriarchal culture are not going to determine what is going on here. What is going to determine it is faith and doing the will of God. The primary family is the family of faith. For Jesus, His

primary family is His following. The secondary family is the physical family.

Mark 7:17ff – Levitical Law

Jesus has a controversy with the Pharisees. The Pharisees were a reform movement within Judaism. They preached the gospel of Leviticus and wanted everyone to strictly adhere to its laws. However, most of the dictates of Leviticus were incumbent upon Levites and priests. The Pharisees wanted everyone to live like priests. They wanted a priesthood of all believers,

and from the pharisaic point of view, every jot and tittle of the book of Leviticus was to be lived out by every Jew. In Mark 7, we have the Pharisees asking why the disciples don’t wash their hands. That is, why aren’t they living up to Leviticus?

Jesus makes it clear that this is not required of His disciples. And then He goes in the house and explains to them, in parabolic form, what He means. In verse 19, Mark adds, “Thus He declared all food clean.” This is explosive teaching. He is saying we are not required to observe the Levitical laws any more. Jesus was not simply a Jewish reformer, He was a radical reformer. He was not just one who wanted to tinker with the existing superstructure, He was rebuilding it. He came to announce a new covenant. A new covenant signed in baptism, not

circumcision. It is clear that early Christians and the earliest followers of Jesus before Easter, had a very hard time processing this. “The meaning is,” he says, “thus all foods are declared clean.” The Old Testament law says, “Don’t eat this, do eat that.” Jesus is saying none of that makes a person unclean. That means no more unclean food, and by implication, no more unclean countries and no more ritually unclean persons.

Now another thing we know about Jesus, which was bitterly complained about in the gospels, is that He continued eating with the wrong sort of people. He kept eating with sinners and the tax collectors. This made Him ritually unclean. Now there are two ways this could be read. One way would be to say that Jesus was an observant Jew who was willing to incur ritual uncleanliness, to redeem these people, after which He went and performed the rules about ritual

purification. The problem is, there is nothing in the New Testament about Jesus ever performing ritual purification rites. We hear about His baptisms, but that is not a ritual purification rite, that is a one-time entrance ritual.

The other point that could be made is that Jesus was doing a major revision of issues of clean and unclean and this had tremendous implications for women. It meant that Jesus was no longer going to treat a woman as someone who was periodically unclean – ritually speaking. It meant that in Jesus’ mind, if that’s what disqualified women from leadership roles, that disqualification was disallowed. The kingdom of God was here, the family of faith had begun,

so things were now different.

Luke 10:1-38 – Mary & Martha

This is the famous story of Mary and Martha. For these two sisters, Jesus was prepared to raise their brother, Lazarus, (who was obviously their visible means of support) from the dead. Upon reflecting on this particular story, the question, “Who is assuming the traditional role of the hostess among these two sisters?,” should be asked. Clearly it is Martha, and not Mary. Jesus, when confronted with a suggestion that Mary really ought to be in the kitchen helping prepare the food and wine, says, “Mary has every right to sit at my feet, to soak up my teaching, to be my disciple, and in fact, she has chosen the better dish.” The Greek here is a play on words, “she has chosen the better portion.” Instead of the physical meal, she has chosen the spiritual meal. The one meal that every disciple needed to consume was the Word of God shared by Jesus.

Now, was Jesus opposed to Martha serving? No, but it was a matter of priority. The priority was, for women as well as men, not the traditional roles, but being a disciple of Jesus. It is no wonder, then, that women flocked to Jesus and followed Him. They were being offered by Him something they could not have gotten outside. It is no surprise that the majority of early Christians were women.

This always raises the question, “If Jesus was a supporter of equality between men and women, why did He choose 12 male disciples?” And it’s a very good question. A proper answer is that He chose them as ambassadors to the traditional culture of Judaism. We are told that He chose them to sit on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. In other words, they have a role in relationship with traditional Judaism. Their job is, as Jesus said, “to seek out the lost sheep of Israel.” This doesn’t exclude others from being disciples and it doesn’t exclude others from proclaiming the Word of God. It simply means Jesus had prepared them for a specific task, in relationship with a very traditional culture.

Matthew 19 – Divorce

This passage, in some ways, is the most revolutionary of all. The earliest Gospel we have is the Gospel of Mark. And it is always useful to compare the earliest form of a teaching with a later form. The earliest form of this teaching is found in Mark 10 and it is very clear there that Jesus’ basic teaching about divorce is that it is not permissible. And if you look at Luke 16:18, the only verse in Luke which deals with the subject, it is also very clear that Jesus’ basic teaching was no divorce. So the question is what does one do with Matthew, where in chapters 5 and 19, we have exception clauses. The Greek word following the words “except on the grounds of” is porneia. This word has two basic meanings. One would be a host of sexual sins: bestiality, homosexuality, lesbianism, adultery, fornication. In other words it can be a synonymous term

for all kinds of sexual sins. But when it is a technical term, it means incest. Now I want to ask a question at this point. What caused John the Baptist to lose his head? The incestuous relationship between Herod and his brother’s wife. We know that Jesus was disturbed by this, and we know that He was close to John the Baptist. I think it was very likely that was what porneia is here – except on the grounds of incest. In other words, marriage was meant to be permanent, except in the case where the relationship is not a true relationship to begin with.

Marriage is permanent whenever God joins two people together, except in cases in which the relationship was not a proper marriage to begin with, and it was an incestuous relationship. Now, this makes very good sense of this text. Notice the reaction of the disciples. If Jesus had simply stood up and said, “No divorce, except for any and all kinds of sexual sins,” He would not have been saying anything different from what other rabbis often said. Now if that was Jesus’ teaching, then the reaction of the disciples is inexplicable. They said, if that’s the way it is for a man and woman, better not to marry. In other words, Jesus was taking away the male privilege of divorce. He gives two options – life-long fidelity in marriage or celibacy in singleness. Now here is the punchline. Who would have found this teaching restrictive? The males, who had the right of divorce.

This is the vision of the physical family from Jesus, and singleness. First of all he’s saying I’m going against the cultural assumptions. Number one assumption, that everybody ought to get married who is an able-bodied person. “Be fruitful and multiply.” That meant get married and have children. That was understood by most rabbis to be a demand of the law – not an option, but a demand. Being single for the sake of the kingdom was not seen as an option. Jesus ways it is. Now again, what kind of person would most benefit from saying you can be single for the sake of the kingdom? Who would most likely assume new roles? Women, because they were no longer required to be mothers or wives. It’s not surprising that Jesus was crucified for saying things like this. It’s just surprising He lasted three years before it happened.

Acts 18:24-26 – Priscilla & Aquilla

This is a story about Apollos, one of the most famous early Christian proclaimers, a man who was a native of Alexandria. He comes to teach in Ephesus, where two Christians, Priscilla and Aquilla, are dwelling. Priscilla and Aquilla, we are told, when they heard him preaching, discovered he didn’t know about Christian baptism. The key verse is verse 26, where they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. That is, as a husband-and-wife team they instructed Apollos, one of the great proclaimers of early Christianity. Now for later Christian scribes who were copying the New Testament this was too much to handle. Some of the later copies of the Greek New Testament, and certainly many of the Latin copies, changed verse 26 to read “And He took him aside and explained the Word of God to him.” The earliest manuscripts have “they,” the later manuscripts have “he.” Why? Because by the middle ages ministers were priests, and, therefore, women couldn’t be ministers, therefore they can’t serve in the teaching office of the church. But here we see it, Priscilla and Aquilla instructing and taking a male aside to explain the way of God to him more accurately. They are not just explaining matters of hospitality or trivial matters, but the important matters about the sacrament and faith in Jesus Christ.

Now we could look at many other texts in Acts, but instead we will turn to some of Paul’s most difficult and interesting texts.

1 Corinthians 11 – Head Coverings

This is a text which is familiar. It has to do with veiling or head coverings. It is

explaining under what circumstances in Christian worship women and men can pray and prophesy. Notice the issue in 1 Corinthians 11 is not whether men and women should pray and prophesy in the worship service, but rather how and under what circumstances. Paul’s argument is long and complex, but Paul’s most basic point is that it is all right for women to pray and prophesy in the worship service, just as it is men. Men should do it, says Paul, without a head

covering, women should do it with a head covering. But my point is, if Paul had wanted to say women should never speak in congregational worship, he would have simply said no praying and prophesying by women. But, he doesn’t do that. Paul’s reason for the provision is that in Christ the male/female distinctions are not obliterated, they are recognized. Women are still women,

men are still men. Male and female, God created us in His image. Paul says that the creation order is not obliterated in the order of redemption, it is renewed, strengthened and recognized. Therefore, in worship, if women are going to lead in the praying and the prophesying let them cover their heads and let the men not cover their heads. The interesting thing about this is that

we know in Greco-Roman settings, both men and women covered their heads before praying or offering a sacrifice. So Paul is not merely endorsing a cultural practice. He is instituting a Christian practice for a theological reason, the goodness of the distinction of men and women, and yet, also their viability in ministry, to offer prayers and prophecy in the early church.

1 Corinthians 14 – Quieting of Women

This is a controversial text. It has been used a great deal to suggest that women should not speak in the Christian worship service. The problem with that exegesis is three fold: first, we’ve already seen in 1 Corinthians 11 that Paul has instructed them how they may speak in the worship service. So it is quite clear from 1 Corinthians 11, that all speech by women in the worship service cannot be being banned. Whatever else this text may mean, it cannot amount to a banning of women in the worship service. Second, these verses must not be taken out of context. The context is how worship should be properly practiced when the issue is the sharing of certain charismatic gifts – prophecy and tongues. Paul is stressing the importance of not interrupting the prophets in the middle of their prophecy. He says let each take turns and be

silent while the others speak. In other words, be in submission to the teaching. Paul is trying to instill a little order into the worship services. And in that context, when the prophecy was uttered, Paul says there needs to be a time for the weighing of the prophecies, apparently some married women were asking questions of the prophets. Paul was saying Christian prophecy is

not like pagan prophecy, Christian worship is not a time for questions and answers, it is a time to worship God and to share fellowship with one another. So he says, don’t interrupt the worship service with questions, ask at home. The silence has to do with the kind of speech they were offering, not all kinds of speech.

1 Timothy 2 – Regulating Worship

Again, the context is crucial for understanding all of what is going on here. In 1 Timothy 2, the subject is regulating worship. Both men’s and women’s behavior is being regulated. In verse eight, Paul says, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” As in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is correcting abuses and he corrects the men first. He says men, stop squabbling. Lift up holy hands in prayer. No more anger, no more disputing, no

more pecking order of who gets to pray first, none of that sort of thing anymore. Then he says of women, “I want women to dress modestly, but with good deeds appropriate for women to profess to worship God and women should learn quietness and full submission. I am not now permitting a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be silent, for Adam was formed first then Eve. Adam was not the one deceived, it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But the woman will be saved through childbearing.”

In the larger context of 1 Timothy, Paul says, I want the older women to instruct the younger women. So again, it is clear from the larger context that Paul is not ruling out women from any and all kinds of teaching. That is point number one. He is correcting some kind of abuse, and the abuse has to do with the translation of verse 12, “I am not now permitting a woman to teach or usurp authority over a man.” Now “usurp” is the key term, maybe the most

key term in the New Testament for the issue of women’s ordination. The term in question is the Greek verb authenteo. This verb can either be used in a positive or a negative sense. It can mean to have authority, it can mean to usurp authority. The context would prepare us to think that since he is correcting abuses the proper translation here would be “usurping.”

So what’s the problem? There were women in this particular congregation who were interfering with those who were already teaching, and trying to usurp authority over the men who were teaching. Paul is saying, “I am not permitting that.” Apparently there are some women who have not been thoroughly instructed yet in the faith. He speaks about these women later in 1 Timothy, saying they are flighty, they are not well-grounded in the gospel, and they are

running off at the mouth before they know what they are talking about. Now if men had done the same thing, I’m sure he would have given them the same exhortation. The issue is not a gender issue, it’s that these are unprepared women. So he says I want a woman to learn in quietness and full submission at this point.

Notice in this text and in 1 Corinthians 14, it’s submission to the teaching, not

submission to men. It’s submission to the authoritative teaching, which was being interrupted. That’s what they ought not to do. Then why this elaborate argument which follows about Adam and Eve and then this whole thing about childbearing? The argument is a theological argument to reinforce the point. To whom in the garden did the instruction come, not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Adam, chiefly to Adam. Eve was not properly instructed. And yet, she presumed without proper instruction to dialogue with the devil. The devil says, “Did God really say that?” She says, “Maybe not.” Now the point is, that Eve is like these women, inadequately instructed and therefore not prepared for the confrontation she has.

The long and short of these texts is this, they are intended to correct abuses. If Paul were here today, I think he would still say that if these abuses show up in worship, they should be corrected. The word is still authoritative. I am not suggesting that these texts are culturally bound, but that they are still applicable if an analogous situation arises. The principle of analogy is crucial. You cannot take a specific text like this and use it to provide a rationale for the

argument that women should never be ordained. In the first place, the New Testament doesn’t say anything about ordained men or women elders. The whole issue there is the character of the person who is going to serve, not the job qualifications, and certainly not that they are male. So the issue here I think is abuse of power and abuse of privilege.

Let’s take a moment and review. If we look carefully at all of this, we can see the newness, the new wine of the gospel, changing the way women are viewed and the way women’s roles appear. This affects the structure of the physical family, especially because the family of faith, brothers and sisters in Christ, is the primary family now. Jesus and Paul set about to reform the traditional patriarchal structure, in terms of women’s family roles and their religious

roles. In Jesus’ context, the reformation was more radical, because the society was more conservative. In Paul’s context, there were plenty of women assuming prominent roles in various ways even thought the culture was largely patriarchal. So, it was not an entire surprise in the Christian communities that Paul dealt with, but much more a surprise during the ministry of Jesus. And so, we see here Paul reforming the existing patriarchal structure. The vision of the

New Testament about women is a vision of a changing world. Paul believed, Jesus believed, the earliest Christians believed that new wine should be put in new wineskins, and this meant new roles, new possibilities for women in the family, and also in the family of faith.

Dr. Ben Witherington III is a professor of New Testament at Asbury Seminary.

Witherington, Ben, III. (Winter 1997). “Women in ministry,” The Asbury Herald 108, no. 1, 3-7.

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