Friday, January 25, 2008

Evangelical Feminism!

 
 
I received a comment from 'Anonymous' following my 'Gold Wrapping Paper' blog this week:
 
"Hi, Greta . . . 
Have you any thoughts on the "evangelical feminism" that seems to be permeating so-called Christian counselling in some churches today? I would love to hear what you have to say." 
 
I did reply in the Comment Section, but whether Anonymous will go there I do not know. Nonetheless, I am grateful that he/she has raised an ongoing, controversial issue still existing within the Sacred Halls of Biblical Interpretation.
 
Evangelical Feminism!  What does Anonymous mean by that?
 
Dictionary: 'Evangelical, evangelistic, evangel:' (in that order) means: " relating to, or contained in the New Testament,
preaching good news, one who preaches or tells the good news.
Dictionary:  Feminism: ' a doctrine advocating the granting of the same social, political, and economic rights
to women as the ones granted to men."
 
Well, let's confuse it even further with an Academic definition: "Evangelical Egalitarianism." 
What is Egalitarianism?
 
Dictionary: egalitarianism: ' relating to, or believing in political, social equality". 
 
What it all boils down to is this: Evangelical Egalitarianism'  means 'a new testament acceptance of gender equality.'
 
So!  Where do I stand, what do I think about feminine involvement in Biblical counselling within the church? 
 
First off, The Chief Counsellor lives inside me!  I have first hand experience of how He operates.  I say to others, both male and female, what The Counsellor has told me to say.  I comfort with the same comfort with which I myself am comforted!  How much more Biblical can you get than that?
 
Next, I believe God made/designed men and women to benefit and compliment each other. Biblical equality recognizes average differences between women and men.  B.E. (biblical equality) is not grounded in the current cultural feminist ideology and philosophy.  My belief re biblical equality is grounded solely in a consistent, proper interpretation of God's written word.  I believe that the gifts and callings of God are not given on the premise of gender.  Rather, that all believers in Christ stand on equal ground before God. I have problems believing that God gave sole leadership capabilities only to the male gender in the church.  Scripture says that in the body of Christ 'there is neither male nor female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile. [Gal.3:26-28].  Men and women both were given the same armour.
 
And yes! I have read Paul's words in 1Timothy 2:12: "I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man". 
 
That is an isolated case, ladies and gentlemen.  Had it been interpreted in proper context we would not have the misunderstandings we have today regarding Biblical Equality. You don't find that referral anywhere else in the scripture. In fact, it contradicts the many biblical texts where women are teaching and/or leading men with the blessing of God upon it. Very dangerous to set standards in the church that reinforce the 'traditions of men'. Read the words of Jesus to the Pharisees if you think that is not correct.  If the women were to stay at home, or were to keep silent in the church then what about those women in Romans 16 whom Paul pays homage to?  The ladies who helped him in the furtherance of the gospel?  Let us be consistent, ladies and gentlemen.
 
More could be said.  However, my final argument today for biblical equality is that Jesus death liberated women to speak to men.  The sinful, second-class treatment generally of O.T. women passed through the cross.  In other words, it was dealt with on the cross.  Jesus first commission after the resurrection was to the ladies!  " Go tell the guys the good news that I have Risen from the dead like I said I would! Please make sure Peter gets to know it right away."  Jesus was letting Peter know, through the women, that he needn't worry or feel guilty anymore for his betrayal. Everything had turned out as intended for the greater benefit of all mankind. 
How neat, how affirming is that? 
 

posted by Greta Sheppard @ 1:26 AM 2 comments

Monday, January 14, 2008

Gold Wrapping Paper


 
 'Gold Wrapping Paper'

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. 
 
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and said:  'This is for you, Momma.'
 
The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over-reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened  the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner:
 
"'Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"

The little girl had tears in her eyes and said: "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full."
 
The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl and begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.
 
A sudden sickness took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life. 
 
Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
 
In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a Golden Book filled with unconditional love and kisses from our Heavenly Father. There is not a more precious possession than the copy of a Father's very own words of love written to his child. The Holy Spirit 'blows kisses' our way every day when we read those Words.  
Be comforted!
 
 

posted by Greta Sheppard @ 11:13 AM 2 comments

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Anniversaries, Walls and Rude Graffiti . . .

Two years ago today, January 2nd, 2006, we posted our first blog.
I was happily informed this afternoon by my site manager that we have had 85,000 hits in 2007. 
"Not bad for a site that has no advertisements" said he!  Thank you to all those readers and a very special appreciation for those who have taken the time to leave a comment.  Every comment received is equivalent to the joy  felt in opening a Birthday or Christmas present.  Keep them coming!
 
This year, for my New Year reading I purchased a book off the Sale Table of our local Bible Book Store.
The title: WRITING on the WALL captivated me. 
The Forward: God's Graffiti,  baited me, pulling me even further into the book. 
 
Peter Greig, writer of the Forward, says it well: 
 
"I like prayer books but this one in my hand was 'different from the norm'. Most contemplative titles are written by educated mystics in rarefied environments, light years away from the rush and bustle of normal society.  Such books are exquisite, mostly because they are compiled by deep people, clever people: clerics and hermits, poets and zealots.
      But this book represents the meditations of a messy spirituality, the prayerful ramblings of ordinary people who never intended their thoughts to be widely read.  These are the prayers of the meek, the poor in  spirit, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Some may not even call themselves christians, but they believe in prayer and have dared to post their heart-cries on the Internet, on university and church walls and even, in one situation, on the wall of a brewery.
      Dead walls can indeed 'convey soft whispers to the ear' as secret prayers ascend. Jesus says that God hears the mumblings of tax collectors and ignores the posturing of Pharisees.  He is moved by the humility of the meek and weak, whose prayers, we may be sure, rise to God on high." 
 
Brian Heasley, author of WRITING ON THE WALL remembers his days as a homeless man, occasionally sleeping in bus shelters and marveling at people's need to express their anger and creativity, or just advertising for customers.
 
Heasley goes on: "Walls always seem to get written on . . . ever been to a public toilet that had nothing to say? I suppose I have always been surrounded by writing on walls.  From ornate murals to clumsy graffiti in the school yard, the pain, passion and even prayers of ordinary people have always intrigued me.  Growing up in Northern Ireland, the elaborate paramilitary graffiti of East Belfast formed the back drop for much of my childhood.  As a young man in and out of prison, I read the thoughts(both primal and profound) of fellow inmates, anonymously etched on the paint work of cells.  As a father of two, the walls of my home have been frequently adorned with crayon, felt-tip markers and jam.  And now as a pastor (it's been a long journey from Belfast!), I sit in prayer rooms surrounded by people's private longings, written out on the walls for all to see.
     The raw prayers of young pilgrims scrawled on the walls of the 24-7 prayer room in Norfolk, England, touched me. They were painful, passionate, angry and grateful, but most of all they were honest. This book is not a work of literary genius.  It's not a collection of the musings of intellectuals.  It's rude graffiti, prayer in honest form."
 
Graffiti: a rude decoration inscribed on rocks or walls
 
Rude:  Rough in manners or behavior; unmannerly;
    of a primitive simplicity.
 
Praying in secret!  Jesus prescribed it! 
 
"Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God.
Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage".
[Matt.6:6 . . . The Message]
 
God does Graffiti . . . he wrote on a wall . . . Dan.5:30
Jesus drew in the sand . . .
God's Finger carved words in a slab of stone.
Michelangelo had a pretty good go at the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel
**************************
 
 
Hm-m-m-m . . . creative and art-sy, wouldn't you say? 
May we all be blessed with an Honest Heart and a HAPPY NEW YEAR !
 
 
(p.s: ISBN number for Writing on the Wall is : isbn-13: 978-0-8307-4367-4 . . . . or . . isbn-10: 0-8307-4367-7 )
Published by Regal Books, Ventura, California.
24-7 website: WWW.24-7PRAYER.COM
 

posted by Greta Sheppard @ 10:43 PM 1 comments