The New Mosque & the US Constitution & a Few Jesus Quotes Too

Before I get to the real point, I want to establish a few things.

• I do not believe God is a Republican. (Yes, I'm speaking tongue in cheek. But I do not believe either party has it all right. Never have.)
• The Puritans came to "The New World" not because they were brave or adventurous but because they had been persecuted for their religious beliefs. (I used to talk about this each Thanksgiving week when I was a pastor, and someone always told me they had no idea...)
• The words "separation of church and state" are not found in the US Constitution nor in the additional Bill of Rights.
• There is no such thing as a "Christian nation." We were never that--though it is true that most of our leaders, and indeed our citizens, believe in God (or, as they were likely to say in a previous time, "Divine Providence.")
• I believe we were founded upon Judeo-Christian PRINCIPLES, and that the writings of our forebears make that very clear. Maybe some day I'll post about that.
• I think there was an intent by our founding fathers NOT to establish a state religion (as can be found in the majority of European countries and in our mother country of England, where the reigning monarch is also the "defender of the faith").

Here is the first amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

That's it.

I could write about 10 rants about this subject and how I think the whole arena of "church & state" has been mangled beyond recognition--until abridging the freedom of speech has become commonplace in our local high school, and a kid gets in trouble for talking about God to a friend. While the majority of Americans who identify themselves with a religion or denomination are one form of "Christian" or another I've never heard anyone suggest there should be a law establishing a state religion.

Yet, while those who labored over our amazing constitution were avoiding a national, state-sponsored and funded religion, they were also affirming our freedom to believe, or not to believe, to go to a Christian church or a Jewish temple (or a Buddhist one) or to stay home and read the funny papers without fear of reprisal from the government.

So what is the point?

I am dismayed at the reaction in our county to the fact that a small group of Muslims have acquired a former store in which to establish a mosque. Reading the paper, and looking at pictures and viewing a video of a local civic meeting would lead one to believe that a group of known, previously-arrested, avowed friends of Osama Bin Laden have arrived and announced "Death to all."

Perhaps I should be honest and say that I find much in the Koran that is profoundly troubling, and I am not a fan of Islam for many reasons. But it is quite something else to be carrying a sign that reads

No Jesus
=
Know Jihad

or protesting, or name-calling, or angrily quoting the first commandment ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me") to the city council and warning them that they will rue the day they allowed a mosque anywhere near. Sorry, but all that stuff is just plain old fashioned bigotry and ignorance--ignorance of so many things I don't know where to begin!

Just one day ago a speaker on a local religious radio station said, "When it comes to discussions with people of other religions you dare not be polite. " He used Jesus' encounters with SOME of the Jewish community to justify his assertion. My husband turned to me and said, "That's not true! Did I hear him right?" Yes, unfortunately, he did!

Last time I checked, no one I know claims to be the Messiah. We cannot know the thoughts, or intentions of our fellow human beings. We are sometimes required to be judges of actions and behavior, but we are not the judge of the human heart. Only God can be that.

First off, let's spend more time pondering these words of Jesus:
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus went on to tell the story commonly known as "The Good Samaritan," a story with some profound implications of how damaging it is when we judge those we consider different or not as righteous as we are. Or how about these words, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

One of my favorite biblical scholars and apologists, Ravi Zacharias, says that without love, faithfulness, and personal integrity the message of grace often goes unheard and that if we want to have a positive impact we must be willing to take the time to actually learn what someone else thinks. He adds that most people of other faiths could rightly say to many [most?] Christians, "You don't know anything about what I really believe."

The imam of the little group of Muslims in our county said he hoped people would get to know them and put the ugliness of the process behind them. Do you think they feel respected, valued and loved, or do you think they feel misjudged and misunderstood and maybe even hated? Are they likely to share their customs, beliefs, hopes and fears with anyone who stood up at the meeting and denounced them?

If someone said we could not have a church in their community because of what some Christians somewhere else did or did not do, wouldn't we be upset and feel we were being unfairly judged? How do many of us feel about countries where churches are not allowed and where sharing one's faith is not only considered impolite but is unlawful? What if someone carried a sign that said

Christian
=
the Inquisition?

And secondly, as I said to begin with, one of our founding principles is freedom of religion. And that means not just the kind we know and like. Those of us who sometimes are troubled by what we regard as the misunderstanding or misquoting of the constitution believe in the free exercise of religion--don't we? So let's stand up and say so and stop denying others the rights and freedoms we want for ourselves. Anything else is unamerican.

Religous People *&^% Up Everything

The title is a quote I read recently. More on that in a moment.



The occasion of the remark was that Pat Robertson made another embarrassing comment, saying offhandedly on The 700 Club that Haiti's problems are the result of a long-ago pact with the devil, and adding "true story." Really? I'd like to have a footnote for that. I wish Pat understood that he is giving ammunition to people who want to say that Christians are _________ (insert pejorative term here).

What I find most disturbing is not the actual comment. I mean--maybe some time in the past some people did do that--or thought they did. It is no secret that there is a great deal of occult practice in Haiti. Pat Robertson's comments are not the main point of this post however.

I made the mistake of watching Pat's comments on You Tube, and then the even bigger mistake of reading the comments (numbering well over a thousand at that time). They were, predictably I suppose, vicious, obscene and often completely false. For example, it is one thing to say that the comment was ignorant or stupid or whatever. It is quite another to say that he cares nothing for anyone, never gives any money to charity, and lots more that is, demonstrably, incorrect. Actually, Operation Blessing, the charitable organization that he started and donates to, gets very high marks from those who monitor the fiscal responsibility of non-profit charities.

But here's the deal. By the time I had read about 20 comments, I realized that there was a theme. The emerging theme is the title of this post. An alarming number of people apparently believe that those of us who believe in God are the cause of most of the world's ills.

People of faith have done plenty of damage over the years. Not that others have not, but I'm speaking of the camp to which I belong. I've written more than one post here about my frustration with what a friend calls "Christiandumb." I'm all too aware, these days, of how short we have fallen from what Jesus wanted his disciples to be.

However, I'm tired of the labels and the name-calling and the outright slander that is becoming the norm in a lot of places.

Listening to the radio yesterday, I heard several interviews with people in Haiti. Who were those people? They were World Vision employees, missionaries staffing an orphanage and feeding programs, people on humanitarian missions from a Bible college, and so on.

Are people who believe in God the only people who are involved in charitable persuits? No. But it's fair to say that they appear to be in the majority.

I will never forget the trip Ken and I took to the gulf area just days after Katrina devastated the coastal cities. Yes, FEMA was there, as was the Red Cross, and others. But the overwhelming number of people who were manning makeshift medical clinics and food and clothing distribution and much more were from churches. I was proud, during the exhausting week we spent there, to be part of the Church of Jesus Christ. I worked alongside Catholics and Lutherans and Alliance and Baptist folks. Convoy of Hope was there.

Again and again the locals said things like, "If it weren't for the church folks we'd have nothing." The disappointment with the efforts of many of the usual relief organizations was sometimes pretty bitter.

WE DO SOME THINGS RIGHT! Let's rejoice in that. And for those who believe we are the source of all ills, wake up! Let's go to a portion of the world that has had little or no Christian presence and see what we find.

We we believe in the gospel of Jesus Chrisst have so much more to do, and so much more we could do if we just would. But we are not the source of the world's ills.


P.S. The pictures are of Convoy of Hope staff and voluteers in action in Haiti. Convoy of Hope is the organization I mentioned in my previous post.

Stop the Presses: Susan Boyle has feelings!

This is an excellent article. The fact that it STILL needs to be said just makes me furious. Susan Boyle is not the ugly one, folks. I'm not saying that her outburst of profanity was a good thing to do (if it even happened--it was reported in British tabloids). But imagine the stress this unknown woman has endured for the past several weeks as she was catapulted from obscurity to instant fame. And no, we do not need to describe men the same way. We need a crash course in basic human respect. Arrrgh!

Politics, Schmolitics!

Edited and excerpted from an email I sent out yesterday, in response to yet another hate mongering, fear inspiring, empty-of-verifiable-facts email:

We have a lot to worry about these days what with energy shortages, Wall Street swooping like an out-of-control amusement park ride, a crashed housing market, looming recession, outsourced jobs, radical Muslim terrorists, our overtaxed military--and this election. But sending more emails that are designed to make us fearful, or unkind, or judgemental is certainly not going to help.

Judgement begins at "the house of God' does it not? Who, after all, is the author and finisher of our faith?

We all know that the world, and the USA especially, is under threat from Muslim extremists. That is not news. And if you think there is no profiling going on at airports, you have not spoken to anyone who looks middle eastern. They are almost always stopped and checked (along with little old ladies).

 

I know, and I am glad, that our country began with a strong reliance on "Divine Providence" and that some of Amerca's values were based on Judeo-Christian ideals. I absolutely deplore the lack of truth and honesty in many of the nation's current history textbooks. I an distressed when someone says he or she did not realize that the pilgrims came here for religious freedom. However, if you think our founding fathers "died so we could be a Christian nation," you need to check your history. People are Christians, not governments.

Contrary to this incredibly foolish email, the Book of Revelation does not describe the “anti Christ” We learn most of what we think we know about this mysterious man (which is actually very little) from the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. Revelation does not say that he will be a man in his forties. It certainly does not say that he will be of Muslim descent, since there was no Mohammad and no religion of Islam for many centuries after Revelation was penned. Ezekiel does seem to imply that a coming man of evil power will be “a son of Abraham” but that is as close as the Bible comes to saying, and that could be a Jew as well as an Arab (not necessarily a Muslim). I don’t think any Anti Christ, whoever he is, and whatever he does, is likely to be directing worship or prayer to ANY god but himself, Allah or otherwise.

This is yet another urban legend, a way to make us needlessly suspicious, cynical and afraid. God is not the author of fear, right? I have seen more cruel, unchristian, bigoted and hateful things in my inbox from "Christians" this year than I ever would have believed possible. I am distressed and disheartened by our mean-spirited...uh...can I say...stupidity? Is this Christlike behavior? Is this loving others as we love ourselves? It isn't confined to the "right" either. I mean, plenty of us will be glad to see him receede in our rear view mirrors, but G.W. Bush is not Satan, okay?

I am so weary of political emails, of political speeches, of “I approved this message” TV ads from both the right and the left. Please stop adding to my weariness and my cynicism. I will go to the polls this year, as I have for a long time, feeling less than thrilled about my options. People seem to want to know what I think, or at least to influence me to vote "like God wants" me to.

 

All right. I think Obama is an untried, youthful, charming man who, among other concerns, is too inexperienced to be commander in chief. I think of that whenever someone mentions Palin's lack of experience. And I find his stance on babies born alive after abortions to be despicable. But I don’t believe he is a closet Muslim, extreme or otherwise, nor the anti Christ, nor refuses to salute the flag etc. I like the thought of someone who is more likely to think towards the future than the past. Biden, in my opinion, doesn’t even deserve a mention.

 

McCain is a patriotic American for whom I have great admiration, and he also has some character flaws I do not like at all. We have been strangely quiet about the "family values" of McCain, haven't we? I am concerned that he is not forward-looking and if he is elected it will be more of the same old, same old. As for Palin, I was initially sort of excited about her. I loved the fact that a young woman with a family, someone not a "Washington insider" was chosen. But she has been less than thrilling in the days since, hasn't she? I am saddened to say that I am already tired of her voice, and if she refers to "soccer moms" one more time I may throw something at the television.

So I’ll pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and I will vote, but I won’t be throwing a post-election party, no matter who wins. Truth is, GOD is our hope and not McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden.

Boyd was right in that the Church has been looking to "Caesar" (in our case, Uncle Sam) for far too long. The kingdoms of the world will never get the job done, dear friends. Yes, America has been blessed. I love the USA, and I will keep right on loving and praying for her. I will not bash nor malign her. But I weep for her sometimes. Let's face it. She is not "Christian." She is sick. Maybe she is terminally sick. I hope not.

 

That does not mean that the Church has to be sick right along with her...

Enough, already. I’m feeling old and crotchety today, and I’m tired of the whole mess! Sorry for the rant. Election day can't come soon enough for me.

Keep the Nasty Stuff Under the Counter?

NEXT WEEK I JUST MUST LIGHTEN UP A BIT.  Meanwhile...

There are none in Wisconsin, but if you live close enough, how about you go to a local  LifeWay (Southern Baptist Convention) store and flood them with requests for this magazine. And then tell them what you think of placing a magazine under the counter because of--women preachers (shudder) on the cover.  Oh, no, it isn't because women are on the cover.  It is...well, click on the link and read for yourself. 

Yes, I'm beyond disgusted. I am dismayed at the arrogance and pride and plain old fashioned foolishness. Most of all, I grieve for the message this sends to those who already think Christians have nothing to say that is worth hearing. Please pray with me for those who are on the edge of leaving their faith for something they believe is more hospitable to women--and for those who have already left the church and don't know whether to come back.

I know several of those people personally.

And I cannot tell you how much I admire this man, who has graciously but steadfastly called his Baptist brethern to account, again and again.  Now he is being bold enough to post simply but eloquently about why Wayne Grudem and his pals in the CBMW are on a very slippery slope indeed.  I meanioned CBMW and subordination in the godhead and Arianism a few posts ago, but his blog post does a great job of explaining the problem.  God bless you, Wade!

Lord, forgive those who do not know what they are doing. Convict those who might, but would rather hold on to power, tradition...anything but you and your Holy Spirit given freedom.  Help LifeWay employees who are embarassed by this to speak up. Bless those in the Southern Baptist Convention, and other likeminded denominations, who are praying and speaking truth and calling for wisdom and balance and  change. And as for me, help me to love my enemies and pray for them. How strange to feel that fellow believers are my enemies. I hate that. You must hate it more, Lord God. Grant strength and grace and wisdom and peace to those who seek you. And thank you, Jesus Christ, for never treating the women in your life as though they should hide under the counter. Amen

"Stop the (Charismatic) Insanity!"

The blogosphere has noted the so-called, "Healing Revival" in Lakeland, Florida, and the odd (to say the least) revival preacher, Todd Bentley.

I've read comments, questions and opinions on the blogs or websites of Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, and various stripes of Pentecostals, among others.

Some made me angry because they simply passed on old stereotypes that are largely false. Some made me sad as I saw the damage that was happening. Some I agreed with. I have, until now, refrained from mentioning the goings-on in Florida for several reasons:

1. To non Pentecostals many thing that seem reasonable to me might seem "whacky." I think that this is largely a matter of culture or expectation of what church "should" be like--but that is an issue for a different day and a different post.

2. I can't really comment on something I'm just hearing about, not with any degree of objectivity. I didn't plan on visiting Florida, so I stayed quiet.

3. I love my Pentecostal brothers and sisters and don't want us to be bashed. Enough of that happens without me helping it along.

4. God still heals. That does not mean that if we say the words right, pray often enough, or have faith enough that it has to happen. But I do believe in what the AG calls "divine healing" and I've seen it enough to not want to criticize or deny or hinder what God may be doing.

5. I believe the Holy Spirit works in unusual ways sometimes. The Holy Spirit certaintly does use people that would not be my choice! Odd people can be vessels for God too. I also believe that the human body can react to the presence of God's power in ways that are a bit unusual.

6. I left my former denomination because my views on the activity of the Holy Spirit in the world changed. (I did not leave solely because of the "woman" issue," though that was part of it).

7. I loved God and Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit from the time I was a young child. Why? I do not know. I also loved the Bible. I had a heart that was hungry for God, even though there were times of confusion, doubt and anger with God. When I first encountered Pentecostals I was scared of them, but drawn as well. I was patronizing and condescending and gently mocking. Many years later, my life changed profoundly when I ended up at First Assembly of God, Jacksonville, N.C. and met the Rev. Joe Stenson and his wife. I did not (and I still don't) agree with all I saw, heard, or was taught by my beloved, "Brother Stenson" but the presence of God was undeniable, the love of the saints in that church was amazing, their earnest prayer was astounding. They were reaching folks that no other church in town wanted to deal with. I endured some extremely difficult days because of attending that wonderful church, but there was no going back. I am, to the degree I am able, loyal.

8. I believe in supernatural times, times when God is moving in unusual ways that change the world and change history and change the course of the Church. I do believe that there is such a thing as genuine revival and I have been a student of some of the historic times when this occurred. It is fascinating.

BUT

My heart is heavy and I am disappointed, disgusted, concerned, distressed and angry--not to mention embarrassed.

I ask my brothers and sisters in the Pentecostal / Charismatic camp of Christendom, "What is it going to take for us to come to our senses?" By "us" I am not saying each and every one of us. I know that many are concerned and dismayed. I mean "us" as in all of us as a whole.

In the spring of this year, Canadian evangelist Todd Bentley was invited to speak to the Ignited Church of Lakeland, FL. Things began to happen, crowds began to grow, there were reports of healing. Some began to call it the new Azusa Street. There were also reports of bizarre methods and lots of talk of angels, specifically one Bentley called "Emma. " Bentley began yelling "BAM" as he prayed and sometimes shoved, pushed or even hit those who came for prayer. There were reports of people "barking"--and more. I watched a chilling (to me) video of Bentley doing things that would have made me run out the back door as fast as I could go. But the congregation ate it up, laughing, and shouting encouragement. Amidst it all, there were accounts of lives transformed and physical healings.

As we saw a few years ago in the "Brownsville Revival," pastors travelled to Florida. Some took busloads from their churches. In a town not far from me, an independent Pentecostal pastor and some of his church leaders who had attended the meetings held a series of church services in which he purported to give the "Lakeland anointing" to those who came for "impartation prayer." Some of us in the area received an invitation. This, the letter informed me, would spread the move of God in Florida to our area in Wisconsin.

A few people in my church asked me if I was going. (No.) Why not? Among other things, because I see no example in scripture of anyone being able to "impart" power from God to another individual. The scripture actually is abundantly clear that it is the Holy Spirit who decides about gifting, not any person. Yes, the Apostle Paul did speak of wising to "impart some gift." Praying for the people to receive whatever gifts the Holy Spirit has for them, and encouraging them, is NOT the same thing as passing around the work of the Spirit. This, to me, is beyond arrogance. Perhaps the Lakeland anointing (if there genuinely was one) was for Lakeland, not Wisconsin. Another couple told me about God Tube's nightly broadcasts from Lakeland and urged me to watch. I did not do so. I also did not criticize.

Our newly-elected Assemblies of God General Superintendent, George O. Wood, broadcast and published a word of caution and some helpful observations here, "A Statement on Revival", and he urged us to exercise wisdom and discernment and to see if what passed for the work of God lined up with scripture or followed the example of Jesus.

Charisma editor, preacher and writer, J. Lee Grady, pleaded for caution (while avoiding criticism). Grady is not afraid of emotion, has seen people healed, delivered, etc. in his meetings and is a long-time exuberant Pentecostal (not Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Holiness Church, I think). His love for God and the Church is remarkable. Yet, simply for calling for caution and a degree of reason, he was called names, rebuked and viciously criticized.

Now Bentley is stepping down after filing for separation from his wife and admitting to an inappropriate relationship with another woman on his staff.

Yesterday I took a look at a copy of the latest Charisma, paying particular attention to the "Letters to the Editor" section. One letter in particular caused me to shake my head. The letter writer began by praising the Lakewood revival and saying she had been there several times. She recounts that she has received several healings. Perhaps so. That didn't disturb me. This quote did: "It is sad that Body of Christ judges its own. I guess things were the same when Jesus walked the earth."

Do we understand that to"judge" as in to observe and think and make rational decisions is not the same as being judgemental and arrogant (which, if the context is read, is clearly what Jesus was instructing us not to do in that passage)? I like how Peterson puts it in The Message, " Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment." Amen to that! The ban on any "judging" cannot mean, as the letter writer patronizingly implied, that we are not to question anything another believer does. Or perhaps it's just that caution is needless if the speaker is exciting! (She didn't say that. I couldn't resist.)

Jesus warned us about "wolves in sheep's clothing"--people who would look and sound legitimate for a while, but inside they were quite different. Imagine the damage a wolf can do in a flock of sheep. Once again, there is blood in the flock of God, and the name and cause of our Lord Jesus Christ is compromised.

The New Testament Epistles caution repeatedly about false teachers and prophets and we are told to examine, to judge, (oh, bad word), discern, use caution, and more. The Apostle Paul talks about how leaders have a responsibility to safeguard those under their care, and he says, "It

isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside..." I Cor. 5:12-13

In response to a blog post elsewhere that was critical of Todd Bentley, an Internet commenter said, "He must be from God, or he couldn't do the things he does." That statement is incredibly naive, and it borders on cultic thinking. If we have become so enamored of the spectacular, we are ripe for heresy and deception of all kinds. Jesus told us that some would do amazing things-- and yet he would say "I never knew you."

Have we completely forgotten the last two decades? Do we not recall the long list of our Charismatic "heroes" who turned out to be less than they appeared? Have we closed our eyes, covered our ears and hummed loudly as the news came about those who had

commited criminal acts, had affairs, lied, cheated, or at the very least did something beyond foolish?

I am afraid. I fear we American Pentecostals are addicted to hype. Will "ordinary" humility, grace, love, prayer, good works, peace, and justice suffice? Are we tired yet of the prophecy conferences that claim to instruct us how to be seers? Are we tired of "life changing" seminars? Are we sick of the cotton candy spirituality of "events?" Can we stop running to find the latest and greatest new thing? Are we nauseated yet by a surfeit of slick and flashy and empty junk?

Over the last few months, J. Lee Grady's column "Fire in My Bones" included several articles regarding the Lakeland revival. After the notice of Bentley's affair, he wrote "Life After Lakeland: Sorting Through the Confusion." It includes several pointed questions. All of them deserve careful consideration by my Pentecostal and Charismatic brothers and sisters, and the link will take you to the column. But here is one question that I think strikes to the heart of the problem.

Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the beginning?

To put it bluntly, we’re just plain gullible.

From the first week of the Lakeland "Shaka Boomba” (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.

I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We’re spiritually hungry—which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything.

Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.

I recall a wise Pentecostal preacher's words a few years ago as the world began to realize the depth and breadth of the scandals regarding priests in the Roman Catholic Church. In response to an unkind comment from one of our AG clergy colleagues, he said, "Understand this, what happens to any church, any denomination, affects us all. Don't be so foolish as to think that if the Catholic priest in your town is discovered to be a pedophile, that it would not affect you, every other pastor, minister, and every other Christian believer. What affects any part of the church world affects all of us."

Please allow me, friends of other branches of the church tree, to apologize for the damage that our lack of wisdom, lack of judgement and lack of humility may have caused you and your efforts to share the Good News of God's love and grace through Christ. May God forgive us. And peers in the Assemblies of God and similar churches and organizations, I ask, can we return to humility? Can we seek the Spirit and not spiritual manifestations? Can we mature? I pray we can before it is too late. Will you join me in praying for Todd Bentley and his wife and children and "the other woman"? And for the sheep who are, once again, bloody? Will you join me in repentance on behalf of our churches and our cities and our nation and our world?

May God have mercy on us and give us wisdom. May the Holy Spirit show us the way of repentance and genuine renewal.

Just a Few Smart Alec Thoughts -- Rant Warning

No this is not the next in the series. However, it is odd that as I've been thinking about and writing the "Husband as Head" posts, gender issues keep coming up. I think I had three conversations just this month. (I was more gracious, I hope, than this post would indicate.) Every one of the following statements, and others like them, has been said (or written) to me, and not just by men.

When I read or hear:

I think:

1. The men in the Bible led their families. Patriarchy is the biblical pattern.

(The first time I heard this, I was literally shocked into silence.)

And how did those biblical families turn out? Pride, polygamy, lying, sibling rivalry on steroids, adultery, fratricide, rape, murder, jealousy, manipulation, sorrow and deceit--among other stuff. News flash: Everything the Bible records is not loving, just, gracious or pleasing to our Creator.

2. If God did not intend the man to lead, why was Adam created first? God's plan of authority is revealed in the creation order.

God made a whole lotta stuff before Adam. Creation got more sophisticated as God proceeded. So it is obvious that Eve was a higher order than Adam, created to rule over him. She came last and thus was the best of all. Somebody had to be first. Don't attach whatever meaning suits you. Perhaps we should remember what JESUS said about those who sought to be first? Careful about thinking that being first is so significant. You might end up at the back of the line.

Note: This is not snarky--this is ligit--I believe (and many Hebrew scholars agree with me) that HUMANKIND was made together as one being. Later that original being (made in God's image) became two instead of just one. The rib language is just a way of trying to explain how a woman could be made "from out of the side of." If so, they both were created together, as the first creation accounts says. So nobody was "first." I'll try to find some links to post later.

3. Men are usually natural leaders. A woman was made to follow a man.

What planet are you from? Every man is not a leader. Every woman is not a follower. Leadership ability does not come from testosterone. Or estrogen either. Leaders come in both male and female. Same for followers. Just think about the people you know.

4. Ever since the Fall, the woman will seek to dominate the man.

What planet are you from? This is the most backwards statement imaginable. I'm not saying women can't be bossy or domineering. But taken as a whole, man has dominated woman ever since the Fall. Look around the world. Look into your history book! Talk to a social worker! Or a doctor!

5. You just want to make men and women the same. Men and women are different.

NO WAY! Now you tell me!

6. MY Bible says...

What? Oh sorry. I guess I stopped listening to you.

7. Women are just not emotionally equipped for the demands of pastoring (leadership).

Women are strong. Perhaps we do cry easier--some of us. But maybe that is why we tend to hold up better, over the long haul, than some of the men we know.

8. If a woman is in the pulpit, men will be distracted by sexual thoughts and won't hear what is said.

HAHAHAHAHA! You don't have a lot of respect for men, do you? Hey, If a man is in the pulpit the women might get distracted! Pastor ______ is pretty hot.

8. A preaching woman is an abomination.

Oh dear me. I'll stop right this minute. Hey, did someone remember to tell God about Deborah, Hulda, Priscilla, or Junia? God must have forgotten that abomination part.

9. Well, you aren't like most women.

Well, you aren't normal either, buddy.

10. I just think a woman preaching is strange.

Get over it.

11. A woman must be under a man's authority and protection. When she's unmarried at home, it's the father. If there is no father it can be some other male relative. Later it will be her husband.

Chapter and verse for that, please.

12. How can you be under your husband's leadership at home and he be under yours at church?

He's not my boss. We are partners and friends. I'm not his boss. We are partners and friends. At church I'm the pastor. I serve. He serves.

13, The husband must exercise "servant leadership" in the home.

Chapter and verse for that, please.

14. The man has final say.

Chapter and verse for that, please.

15. Someone has to lead or chaos will ensue.

What about partnership, submitting in love, praying together, being unselfish...?

16. Well what if they disagree? Someone has to be the one in authority.

You don't have many friends do you? Or if you do, how do you decide who gets to be in charge? No one is? Uh oh!

17. Just read the Bible.

I can't print my thought. It wouldn't be fittin'.

18. You just do not respect the Bible.

I have a hard time with respecting you, actually.

19. The husband is the priest of the home.

Chapter and verse for that, please.

20. You just don't want to be submissive.

I'm sure glad I'm not married to you.

There really is a point to this rant. This list could go on , and these statements do make me angry, but it is not a personal kind of anger. This kind of thinking has permeated much of my life in the church and I wonder about others who still struggle with them, or who are kept from real freedom because of such thinking. I know I'm not the only one who has wondered about such statements.

Dr. Debbie Gill, co-author of "God's Women Then and Now" encourages us to show respect to those who disagree with us, noting that, "The respect Christ's followers show is based not on the virtue of the one to whom you show respect, but on obedience to Christ." She is right. Most of these things I would never say out loud, and I'm not saying my thoughts are good. I better ask forgiveness for my snarkiness, actually. However, if we just think and observe people, and read who Jesus was, so many of these asinine statements just crumble to dust. The are not in the scripture at all. The are arrogant and rude. So why do they just, like the Energizer Bunny, go on and on and on and on?

Selah.

Is the Husband the Priest of the Home?

I had a conversation recently in which someone said, "What is with this 'priest of the home' stuff that I keep hearing?"

What a good question! All right then, where is the scriptural basis for the husband serving as priest of the home? Have I missed it?

I am about to run the risk of being considered an arrogant feminist witch at worst, or a misguided and nitpicking female at best. I am speaking to my relatively conservative peers of an "evangelical" persuasion who pride themselves on being biblical and holding scripture in a high regard--our "all sufficient rule for faith and practice."

I must confess that I once taught this "husband equals priest of the home" idea. Actually I blush to recall that one of my "best" sermons included this concept. I preached that particular sermon in more than one place. Oddly, it was a long time before I noticed that this particular point of my sermon (about marriage) had no scripture reference. I am ashamed and embarrassed to note how easy it was to simply teach what I had been taught.

I just did a search for the topic of husband as priest of the home. I found numerous articles that stated "The Bible teaches the husband is the priest of the home" and NOT ONE listed even one scripture for this assertion. Is this "rightly dividing the Word of Truth?" Hardly!

The Old Testament speaks of the Aaronic and the Levitical priesthood. The priests were appointed to serve the Israelites. There is one instance of a priest in a home, but that is a rather bizarre story that shows just how mixed up things were during the time of the judges, a time when "everyone did what was right in their own eyes" (sounds like today). In Judges 17 a man named Micah appoints himself a young Levite to be his personal priest. The two men speak of "the Lord God' but Micah also casts an idol to worship. This is the only instance in scripture that speaks of a priest in the home. It did not go well.

In the New Testament, Peter writes about a holy priesthood that offers up spiritual sacrifices (I Peter 2: 5) and a royal priesthood that is a chosen generation and a holy nation - the Lord's own special people (2:9). In both passages it is clear that the writer is speaking of all believers, not just the husbands. The introductory words of Revelation speak to those who were " loved and washed from sin...made...priests unto God..." Wouldn't you say that includes more than husbands?

When I ask about this concept of husband as priest, I am never given a scripture that states such a thing (because there isn't one), but I am usually told, "The Bible says the husband is the head of the home" or "God's plan is that the husband is the spiritual leader in the home." Those are questionable concepts, but I'll let it go for now except to note that the idea of husband as head of the home comes from Ephesians 5 where the husband is spoken of as the head of the wife.

I highly recommend "The Head of the Epistles" by Berkely and Alvera Mickelsen.

We from the "free church" tradition can be vehement in our denunciation of the idea that we need someone to stand before God on our behalf, usually citing the Epistle to the Hebrews for our belief that their is one mediator between God and mankind, and that is Jesus Christ. Since, as the author of Hebrews so eloquently demonstrates, we have Jesus as our High Priest, is there any need for a single priest in the home representing the family to God? Why should a husband functions as a "priest" for his wife and children? Can they not stand before God in the same way as he can?

A pastor friend recently remarked that he tells husbands that they should expect to be the first to have direction from God regarding family decisions or changes, since they are the priest and the head. Clearly this places the wife in a secondary and subordinate position. To place a wife in such a position threatens her growth, both spiritually and personally.

As Christian apologist Cheryl Schatz noted in an article on her blog, Women in Ministry: "By believing in the faulty doctrine that men are the sole priest in the home, many women have been taught that their husband is spiritually responsible for them. They think that if they love God and follow their husband’s spiritual lead that they will have no responsibility in the decisions made by their husbands.

Can we find an example in scripture for this? No!

Ms Schatz goes on to note something interesting about accountability. "In two of the best known examples of a husband not making wise spiritual decisions, Adam and Ananias (Acts 5:1), the wife was judged for her actions equally with the husband. There is no example of a husband called to account for his wife’s actions or a wife freed from spiritual responsibility because her husband made the original decision... God did not ask Adam what Eve had done even though Adam was there with Eve during her temptation (Genesis 3:6) and Sapphira was held equally responsible for her acceptance of her husband’s plan to deceive the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:9).

Christian wives are adults, not grown-up children. We need partners who will together guide the home and make decisions. Many tired and frustrated wives have said to me over the years, "I wish my husband would take his place as the spiritual leader." Upon further questioning it often becomes clear that the wife doesn't so much want a leader as a partner--a husband who will stand beside her as joint heirs of the grace of God (I Peter 3:7), a husband who is not afraid to be a strong man--in the best sense of what that can be. That doesn't mean she needs to be constantly led--as though being friends and lovers and partners is not enough.

A Christian husband has a responsibility to his wife. If he is a father he has responsibilities for his children. He is instructed to love, to be gentle and understanding, to be a man of godly character, to be sober and wise and to provide for the needs of his family.

Being the family's priest is not part of the biblical job description.

Things I Don't Want Anyone to Say to Me

Not that they might not be true...at least in part...sometimes. I just don't want to hear them. I've heard all of them in the last two weeks. When you say them it just feels to me like you don't want to listen. Do you see a problem with these statements? I'll be back to tell you what I think. I know, you can hardly wait.

1. Church is a living organism. Healthy living things grow. Healthy churches grow.

2. When the prayers go up, the blessings come down.

3. God will not take you where his grace cannot keep you.

4. God will never give you more than you can handle.

5. If you love enough, all things are possible.

6. God's plans cannot be stopped.

7. Someday it will all work out. It has to.