Putting Women in Their Place
I came to a truce with God on Sunday.
It was elder ordination Sunday, the day that my rather conservative church body chose to introduce two newly appointed elders. The gang of ten are respectable men and looked the part in their blue and grey suits and ties. As I sat silently in my pew with my head covered, I couldn't help but wonder about their wives of these men appointed to be servants.
I don't mean to be disrepectful of the men. I do not know any of them. You could not even call them acquaintances of mine either, by no fault of either parties, unless you consider apathy a sin. We share only a passing recognition of each other. Our relationship does not extend past the experience of occupying the same legal property lines at least once a week. It is not unlike the relationship I have with fellow movie-goers.
As I am introduced to these men, their wives are what remain in my mind. Are they the Marthas or the Marys. I wonder about their marriages. Have they always been happily married? Did they ever struggle with their roles? How have they learned to be submissive?
We were told when Bill Clinton was elected that we got two leaders for the price of one. Regardless of your political stripes, these seems a plausible idea. When we ordain, whatever that means, leaders for the church are we not also elevating their wives? Or are we assuming that these submissive and silent wives have no influence on the ideas of their husbands?
I finally came to a truce with God. He agreed to continue to love me and I agreed to continue to seek answers to my questions about the role of women in faith communities.
I wanted to let you know about a conference on this topic. I don't know much about the main sponsoring organization other than what I have read on their site which you can access here.
Putting Women in Their Place: The Role of Women in Faith Communitites
11:30-3:00
March 8, 2006
Houston Room
University Center
University of Houston
Hope to see you there! Please email me if you would like the flyer of the event.
It was elder ordination Sunday, the day that my rather conservative church body chose to introduce two newly appointed elders. The gang of ten are respectable men and looked the part in their blue and grey suits and ties. As I sat silently in my pew with my head covered, I couldn't help but wonder about their wives of these men appointed to be servants.
I don't mean to be disrepectful of the men. I do not know any of them. You could not even call them acquaintances of mine either, by no fault of either parties, unless you consider apathy a sin. We share only a passing recognition of each other. Our relationship does not extend past the experience of occupying the same legal property lines at least once a week. It is not unlike the relationship I have with fellow movie-goers.
As I am introduced to these men, their wives are what remain in my mind. Are they the Marthas or the Marys. I wonder about their marriages. Have they always been happily married? Did they ever struggle with their roles? How have they learned to be submissive?
We were told when Bill Clinton was elected that we got two leaders for the price of one. Regardless of your political stripes, these seems a plausible idea. When we ordain, whatever that means, leaders for the church are we not also elevating their wives? Or are we assuming that these submissive and silent wives have no influence on the ideas of their husbands?
I finally came to a truce with God. He agreed to continue to love me and I agreed to continue to seek answers to my questions about the role of women in faith communities.
I wanted to let you know about a conference on this topic. I don't know much about the main sponsoring organization other than what I have read on their site which you can access here.
Putting Women in Their Place: The Role of Women in Faith Communitites
11:30-3:00
March 8, 2006
Houston Room
University Center
University of Houston
Hope to see you there! Please email me if you would like the flyer of the event.
posted by Andreia Huff at 12:51 PM
6 comments
