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:
Andreia, I feel your pain!
This may help: www.godswordtowomen.org
Y'know, in the last 2 weeks, I've come across so many blogs asking the same questions about Biblical Feminism- something is going on- and it's gonna be big.
Thank you for passing this on! This is a great site.
I hope that what you say is true. I hope that we are on the verge of major climate change in the faith communities. Some books have tried to convince me that all change is painful. I however,like you, look forward to the day when my faith allows me to use the gifts that God has given me.
Thanks for reminding me that I am not alone in this.
Andreia, I just read this post again--do you really have to cover your head in church?
No. I did not have to actually cover my head! It's not that conservative of a place. But there some of the rules are real winners~
It has always seemed bizarre to me that serving communion was off-grounds to people with wombs.(uteri?) If communion is a meal, doesn't it follow that women are particularly equipped to serve it given that that has traditionally been a female duty?
Our tradition passes the little plastic cups filled with grape juice (dont want anyone getting buzzed) and the plates with wafers. Only men and boys are allowed to do this.
Men/boys only can offer public prayer.
Men/boys only can speak (at least with a microphone. I have been to small churches in my tradition where women have hollered out something during the announcement phase with no censure. Usually a clarification of some misinformation!
Men/boys only can baptize someone even if they were taught by a woman.
Men/boys can only pass out flyers or pencils or take up the contribution monies.
Men/boys only can "lead" the acappella singing.
Hhmm, sounds like fun, huh?
Sounds like what I was raised in...
Codepoke wrote about Communion a few days ago at www.familyhooodchurch.blogspot.com. It was great!
What did the conference have to say?
As to the role of women, do remember that God is not your enemy. :-) Your fight and your truce is with those elders. God is on your side, as much as He was on the side of those Jews in Egypt while they waited on Moses. He counted their tears for generations before He finally delivered them.
Patchouli's link to God's Word to Women is a wealth of ammunition and encouragement.
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