Just a reminder:
- This writing is not about bashing your religion.
- This writing is not about bashing your denomination.
- This writing is not about bashing you.
- If you take offense, well, I'll finish this item 4 later . . .
In Part I of this writing, we discussed how clothing can be used to include or exclude one from the "table." But what about other exclusionary devices -- tactics -- TRADITIONS???
What about this one:
As a child, I wondered why pulpits were populated by men -- and only men; why women ministers were curiosities and had celebrity status; why women were systematically assigned to missionary work as if being called thusly was not as significant as being called to preach the Gospel. Why did all women go to "mission" meetings and men to "brotherhood" meetings? Were men ever missionaries? Did women ever have "sisterhood" meetings?
So, what's the deal? This writer sees it like this: Sometimes traditions are perpetuated to maintain the status quo, thereby depriving others -- in this case, women -- access to all of the rights, privileges and responsibilities, of being true believers in The Way, The Truth, The Life -- in Jesus, the Christ. In Galatians, Paul makes clear that we are one in Jesus Christ -- that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female (Galatians 3:28). So, why do some folks insist on defining a believer's role in the building of the Kingdom God based on one's gender? Simple. One can-be-and-in-this-case-is-nasty little word: TRADITION.
Were one to take a look at the big picture, one might agree with this writer: WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE TIME FOR SOME TRADITIONS. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. (Luke 10:2). There are more people on the face of the earth than ever before. There are more churches on the face of the earth than ever before. Still, we lose ground with petty territorialism, insecurities and jealousy, because:
Note to pastor who informed me that he does not allow women in his pupit: Where is GOD in YOUR pulpit? And what makes you think I want to be anywhere near YOUR pulpit?
While I do not advocate abdicating our sense of how to effectively "do church" for the sake of hyped commercialism and marketing, I do advocate the adoption of a Paulinian mindset: in Jesus Christ there is no male nor female.
While some bask in the glow of their positions, standing on what has always been and sitting on their responsibilities, the harvest is rotting in the fields.
Because of tradition.
While those who have called themselves warm the benches of the dugouts (oops - pulpits) of many churches, the truly called are precluded from going to bat or into the field.
Because of tradition
While some man, woman, boy or girl would hear in the firm, strong, and gentle voice of another, a message of love, hope and salvation, he or she is instead subjected to the rantings of one who did not take the time to be still and listen for and prepare a message from the One who is waiting with open arms to receiving His children.
Traditions aren't all they're cracked up to be, according to Paul in the second chapter of Galatians.
What about this one:
- You simply cannot go to worship there; they have a woman for a pastor!
- Or -- as I was told recently: Oh, I see you're an ordained minister, but I don't allow women in my pulpit.
My Sunday School class just finished a short study of women in the Bible. While some of the actual female characters in the Bible were discussed, the study was as much about the fallacies regarding women in the Old and New Testaments (with some mention of the Torah), the misuse and misapplication of gender in many versions of the Bible, and the effects thereof.
A little sidebar here: Recently I happened on the website of a "church" which describes itself thusly:
We are a local New Testament church reaching the [city name] Area with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Don't expect anything contemporary or liberal. We are an old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, separated Baptist church and not ashamed to say so.
My first thoughts upon reading that little snippet: Doesn't he realize King James is a version of the Bible and not an accurate translation? Was Jesus a fundamentalist? Was Jesus a separatist? If Jesus was "old-fashioned" and "separatist" how could He have possibly reached the folks whose lives he changed, and who in turn lived the Great Commission? How could he sit "at table" with loose women and tax collectors and all those other sinners? Just curious. As a child, I wondered why pulpits were populated by men -- and only men; why women ministers were curiosities and had celebrity status; why women were systematically assigned to missionary work as if being called thusly was not as significant as being called to preach the Gospel. Why did all women go to "mission" meetings and men to "brotherhood" meetings? Were men ever missionaries? Did women ever have "sisterhood" meetings?
So, what's the deal? This writer sees it like this: Sometimes traditions are perpetuated to maintain the status quo, thereby depriving others -- in this case, women -- access to all of the rights, privileges and responsibilities, of being true believers in The Way, The Truth, The Life -- in Jesus, the Christ. In Galatians, Paul makes clear that we are one in Jesus Christ -- that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female (Galatians 3:28). So, why do some folks insist on defining a believer's role in the building of the Kingdom God based on one's gender? Simple. One can-be-and-in-this-case-is-nasty little word: TRADITION.
Were one to take a look at the big picture, one might agree with this writer: WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE TIME FOR SOME TRADITIONS. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. (Luke 10:2). There are more people on the face of the earth than ever before. There are more churches on the face of the earth than ever before. Still, we lose ground with petty territorialism, insecurities and jealousy, because:
- The Church is not your church
- Those who are lost do not have the luxury of waiting for you to choose your successor
- Your successor is not necessarily your biological son (the laws of descent and distribution of your state do not apply to God's Kingdom)
- Your son in the ministry is not yours (God has children, not grandchildren)
- Even if you/your family own the real estate on which your subset of the Family of God meets for worship, study and fellowship, it is still not yours (the earth is the Lord's -- and everything in it)
- Yes, there are actually others who have studied the Word and have something substantial to impart to God's people. They study with their hearts and minds, not their genitalia. Their filter is the Holy Spirit, not their hormones.
Note to pastor who informed me that he does not allow women in his pupit: Where is GOD in YOUR pulpit? And what makes you think I want to be anywhere near YOUR pulpit?
While I do not advocate abdicating our sense of how to effectively "do church" for the sake of hyped commercialism and marketing, I do advocate the adoption of a Paulinian mindset: in Jesus Christ there is no male nor female.
While some bask in the glow of their positions, standing on what has always been and sitting on their responsibilities, the harvest is rotting in the fields.
Because of tradition.
While those who have called themselves warm the benches of the dugouts (oops - pulpits) of many churches, the truly called are precluded from going to bat or into the field.
Because of tradition
While some man, woman, boy or girl would hear in the firm, strong, and gentle voice of another, a message of love, hope and salvation, he or she is instead subjected to the rantings of one who did not take the time to be still and listen for and prepare a message from the One who is waiting with open arms to receiving His children.
Because of tradition.
Traditions aren't all they're cracked up to be, according to Paul in the second chapter of Galatians.
News flash: Not only is it not about tradition, it's not about the rituals. And it's not even about the religion. But it's all about the relationship.
Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing may require the emptying of oneself to allow room for the Main Thing to come in . If your traditions take up too much space, there may not be room for the Main Thing.
What baggage do you need to throw overboard to allow the Main Thing in your boat?
Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing may require the emptying of oneself to allow room for the Main Thing to come in . If your traditions take up too much space, there may not be room for the Main Thing.
What baggage do you need to throw overboard to allow the Main Thing in your boat?
to be concluded in Part III.
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