What Would Jesus Do?

What would Jesus do? I remember before I became a Christian, the popularity of this expression in the 1990s. Admittedly, I have asked myself this question in a moral dillemma. After all, it seems reasonable for a follower of Jesus to want to live like Jesus. (What a concept right?)

Oh and in case you are wondering… that expression is not a new idea from the 1990s, try the 1890s, from Charles Monroe Sheldon’s book, “In His Steps:”What Would Jesus Do?” Hip huh?

I found a man I admire. One pastor in Michigan decided to really focus on what Jesus would do and decided to live like him for a year.  Read here.

I admire this man for taking a first century Jewish approach.  For going the extra mile. I know I couldn’t do it…

Gonna party like its 2009?

Happy New Year! Made it through 2008 just fine; maybe 2009 will be divine? I know that was cheesy, but it rhymes!

So, it is that time to make some resolutions. In the past I resolved to make a million dollars, become famous and lose weight. I decided this year I am going to be realistic. My resolution: be a better blogger. I am not going to even quantify that. I just want to write more better and more often. Is that okay with everyone?

Happy New Year. May God bless you abundantly and may you know God more this year then ever.

I’ll Tell You About Biblical Womanhood

Okay, enough is enough. I haven’t blogged in a while because I have felt that I have not had anything even remotely positive to blog about lately. I am not always a Negative Nelly, but I am fired up!

I am not here to make mountains out of mole hills over the gender issue. You do not have to convince me of anything. I believe both men and women can equally serve in the Kingdom of God. I know others interpret Scripture different. Fine. The Holy Spirit speaks to us, I accept that. I must admit however, as much as I believe in a person’s right to live by their convictions I struggle internally when I disagree.

I have been frustrated for almost two weeks since Lifeway decided to pull of their shelves the most recent edition of Gospel Today magazine, because it featured five women pastors. I had to see what was so offensive and make a statement I went to Lifeway to specificially ask for the item. I asked for the item and at first, the salesperson looked up the magazine in the computer, made a phone call and proceeded to tell me that they did not carry that magazine. I do not give up that easily. I then approached another salesperson, they claimed to not have the item. I told the salesperson I knew they were suppose to resond that way, but according to Lifeway’s official statement, they could sell the item if a customer specifically asked for it. The salesperson then went to the back to get the magazine. Came out, told me I had to purchase the magazine, and walked to the front with the magazine and I had to buy it immeadiately. I felt like I was buying porn. The only thing missing was a brown paper bag. The article highlights five women pastors, but also notes there are some churches that do not allow women in pastoral leadership positions. Okay. I understand the SBC’s stance. But what happened to the Baptist principle dealing with the matter of conscience? On a side note, more for a humoruous story. That same trip to Lifeway, I had to purchase our pastor’s Bible for her oridnation service. (Ironic, I know.) When giving the name to be inscripted on the front, the sales person said, “Hmm, I’ve never heard of a man with the name Lillian.” I responded, “That is because the Rev. is a woman.” She later got a laugh out of that.

Just when I was cooling off, someone sent me the most recent edition of Southwestern News. I have no idea if they were making a joke or sending a statement, but the cover was entitled, “Biblical Womanhood” and had a woman and daughter in pink dresses. I was peeved.

I guess on top of it, I have been muddling over the issue of the SBC’s support of Sarah Palin as VP. I don’t understand how she can’t be the head of her house, but the head of the white house. She will be putting her authority over men right?

I get all fired up about this and then I watch my pastor be ordained this past weekend and that was so beautiful, so godly, seemingly so right. I watch her and how she has already done an excellent job serving in this role and I am dumbfoudned how people can say the Holy Spirit doesn’t equally equip. I must however be true to my conscience, but also allow others theirs and allow them to disagree with me. Just do me a favor, dont’ tell me that my pastor or I are going to hell beause we feel God leading us in that ministry. Ok I’m done.

Equally Called, Equally Sent

Women and men are equally created, equally fallen, equally saved, equally called, and equally gifted to serve in the Kingdom of God.

As I was struggling with my call to the pastoral ministry and my views on feminism and the church, I ran across this statement in a book and it was if I had a mass epiphany. I finally got it! In Scripture both men and women were created, both sinned, both were given salvation through the blood atonement of Christ, both empowered with the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Lord, and both gifted to serve the church. The fruits of the Spirit are not gender based, neither are the gifts of the Spirit.

Things seemed to clear to me, except I was in a struggle again. If this is the case, why is it that my church was not affirming of my call to the pastoral ministry? Why were they stuck on one passage written to a particular church? There came a point where I decided that my call to follow Jesus was greater than what a church congregation said. After all, I was going to have to answer to Christ, not my church. With that said, I found a congregation that would affirm me.

I was very proud of my church yesterday. I witnessed something that gave me a glimpse of hope and brought tears to my eyes. After eight long months of anticpation, prayer and searching, our church decided to call a pastor to our church. Putting aside all tradition and imaginations, our church listened to the voice of God. Not to make a big deal out of it, we chose a woman. This is the only time I will choose to make her gender an issue. As far as I’m concerned, her gender is not an issue. She has a wodnerful resume, many giftings and I believe she is truly a good fit for our church. I can’t help but get excited however that this little central texas Baptist church I attend broke aside from tradition to possibly face scrutiny and choose the best candidate for our church regardless of gender. I cried and cheered with glee because it gave me hope. Maybe people are starting to listen to the voice of God. Maybe the role of women is beginning to change in the Baptist church. I’m ecstatic.

Dream is 45 Years Old

 

 

Yesterday was the 45th anniversary of Dr. and Rev. Martin Luther King’s infamous “I Have A Dream” speech. Although we do not have full equality yet, praise be to God that we have come so far in these years. May we continue to honor this dream. Did I mention Dr. King was Baptist?

Little Yentl is Married!

I am sorry that I have neglected my blogging duties. I was doing so good there for a while. In my defense I have been a little busy as I am a newly wedded bride. That’s right! This just goes to show that a feminist CAN get married.

Just a little about my husband because I love him and I am very proud of him. My husband serves in the United States Army Band. He is a tuba player. His job requires him to be away from me for a while, but I am proud of the work he does. He serves our country in a very unpopular war, doing something constructive and morale boosting. Here are a couple of pictures from our little backyard wedding, complete with potluck.

Right after our wedding

Grappling with Social Justice

“In the Christian obsessed with “social justice” it isn’t easy to discern whether charity is flourishing or faith is expiring.” – Nicolas Gomez Davila

Plain and simple: I grew up poor. From a young age, I questioned the social order and welfare systems of the USA and the world. When my mother had to work three minimum wage jobs to feed her four children, I knew there was something wrong with our social system. After I became a Christian I read the teachings of Christ and felt compelled that something, if not everything must change in society and as a follower of Christ, I have the responsibility to advocate and work towards such change.

As I entered college, I felt a greater calling to rise up and do something. Sitting in a theology class, I heard the words “social justice” and “social gospel” for the first time. I could finally put a cause to the angst I felt internally.  Now I am at a point where I am grappling with these concepts. I am a large advocate of changing our society down to the systemic levels. I believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ. I believe in showing the love and compassion of Christ through works (a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name). What I am struggling with is finding a balance between evangelism and social justice. I have been reading Rauschenbusch and others and I recognize that the pendulum can’t sway too much to one side. One must not give up the message of the saving power of Christ when leveling out society. But one must not keep people from eternal hell by failing to meet their needs to keep them for an earthly hell.

Don’t think I’m a heretic. I think believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6), but I also firmly believe that Jesus calls Christians to help save people from the hells of this earth; poverty, disease, abuse and addiction to name some. My question is, why can’t we as Christians find a balance (myself included)? I see there are some denominations that have a social justice emphasis while others strictly evangelism. This debate splits moderate and conservative Baptist. I don’t think this will be settled overnight, but I thought I would share my struggles.

Texas Loses Another…

Sunday was the last time in the pulpit for Brett Younger at Ft. Worth’s Broadway Baptist Church. I’m sad to lose a great moderate preacher in this state. I admit that I’m a geek that downloads his sermons every week. I was quite upset when a friend of mine went to visit Broadway without me.

What is most sad about Younger leaving is that it is based around controversy. Last year around November, to celebrate Broadway’s 150 anniversary as in custom in many churches, they wanted to make a picture directory of church members. However, what is not custom in most churches (well Baptist churches) is Broadway’s congregation has been welcoming to homosexuals. The question was then brought in front of the church as to how, if at all, homosexual couples should be photographed and displayed in the directory. This led to a large debate within the church, a vote that was postponed until February. A decision was made that no one would be photographed individual or in family units, rather the directory would have pictures with groups of church members in church activities.

The discussion did not stop at with the directory controversy. This ignited a firestorm of controversy in which a group was formed named “Friends of Broadway.” They started a website and sought to persuae that Younger had destroyed Broadway and an argument over photographs was only the tip of an iceberg of problems. The church took a vote to remove Younger, with the ruling in his favor. However, in the calm of the storm, Younger threw himself overboard as wished by the congregation and resigned from Broadway to take a job as a professor of preaching at the McAfee School of Theology.

I don’t know if I should be disappointed with Younger or not. Certainly I can’t imagine being in his shoes and the amount of pressure and maybe even hatred he faced from his congregation. I don’t know his heart or intentions, but they seem suspect to me. With all respect, I admire Younger, but it seemed as if he meant to stir the pot only to leave it on the stove. I have to question in my heart if he intentionally caused controversy because he knew he was leaving. Surely this job was not offered and accepted overnight… In such cases I feel it was wrong on his part to cause such strife and dissension in the church for something he is nothing going to continue to fight for. But maybe I’m just a conspiracy theorist or just jealous because first Julie Pennington-Russell leaves for Atlanta, and now Brett.

I will also take this time to give my opinion about the directory issue. I have mulled over this or the last eight months. It has caused me to think about what I would do in a similar situation. I guess in my mind I am not sure what the big deal is. I can sympathize with the church for struggling over loving the sinner but hating the sin. Members of Broadway did not want a homosexul lifestyle endorsed and thus why they did not want to photograph couples. I get that. But if that is the case, then why stop there. Why is homosexuality the only sin they don’t want endorsed? Why did no question the photographing of couples living out of wedlock. Or what about divorced members that remarried? Are these not lifestyle sins too? I am simply advocating consistency. No sin is greater then another.

The church is made up of humans. Our very basic theology tells us that humans are sinful. If humans are sinful, then the church is made up of a bunch of sinful people. The is none righteous, not even one. I am not saying to condone sin, but as a local churches and teh universal church we must reconigze that we all sin. I think this is just one more example people have included in their arsenal to excuse their bitterness toward churches and Christians. How sad.

Goodbye Brett Younger. Texas loses another. I will have to find something else to do for those 20 minutes on Sundays.

Female Priests To Be Excommunicated

I came across this article today:

May 30, 2008

The Vatican issued its most explicit decree so far against the ordination of women priests yesterday, punishing them and the bishops who try to ordain them with automatic excommunication. The decree was written by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and published in the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, giving it immediate effect. A Vatican spokesman said the decree made the church’s existing ban on women priests more explicit by clarifying that excommunication would follow all such ordinations. Excommunication forbids receiving the sacraments or sharing in acts of public worship. (Reuters)

As a Baptist woman seeking to be a head pastor, I can only sympathize with the struggle of these women and the defense of their call. I am not Catholic and so I don’t know all the theological reasoning as to why women are not allowed in the priesthood, but I am interested as to the Biblical reasoning. I just know that I too have been kicked out a church, because i would not sign the Baptist Faith and Message declaring that a pastor can only be male. This is probably the wrong post for me to put all of my theological reasoning and defend my call. I guess my heart just hurts because Christ treated all people with equality and dignity, but many times those of us that are followers of Christ don’t live to that. Since when did the Holy Spirit become gender biased?

The Magdalene Sisters

An independent film entitled The Magdalene Sisters made my eyes fill with tears, my body fill to the brim with anger and my mouth break out spontaneously in prayer. It has been long time since a movie has had that kind of impact on me.

The movie is titled after Ireland’s “Magdalene Laundries.” Originally opened about 150 years ago by the Catholic Church to create a means for women in prostitution to start a new life and career. However, by the turn of the century these laundries became a place for women who had a child out of wedlock or who’s chastity was suspect to pay penitence as “fallen” women. It is estimated that nearly 30,000 women entered these laundries. They were beaten, threatened, verbally assaulted, and humiliated. I was ashamed as a Christian that these women were treated this way, rather than the love and compassion of Christ. The sad part is, these laundries existed until 1996.

I suggest anyone watch this. Be warned there is some female full frontal nudity.