68 Sermon Illustrations on Women

Recent biography on Freud delves into his character. Freud born in 1856 in Vienna, worshipped by his mom, though he exiled mothers to the margins of his case histories (a striking symptom of the limitations in his theories about women generally). "Freud the conventional bourgeois battled Freud the scientific conquistador every step of the way." Liked to trash his opponents, could not allow his disciples to grow up. Attached to his daughter Anna, psychoanalyzed her against his own strictures. She never married. Mrs. Freud played an "astonishingly small role in his life."

Freud, dying of cancer in 1939, arranged to commit suicide with the help of a trusted physician friend. This secret act of euthanasia researcher Peter Gay sees as one final testament to Freud's essential character: "The old stoic had kept control of his life to the end." Gay portrays a creative titan at war with his inner demons. Sometimes of course the demons carried the day.

#203

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Episcopals elect first women bishop, Barbara Harris, a divorced black with 8 years experience. According to Margaret McManus of the Center for Women and Religion at Berkeley, the issue is no longer equality, but the transformation of our religious institutions. Discussion of the gender of God, feminization of the church, de-sexed language, and understanding of God, trinity and Jesus. Feminists have developed new rituals.

Father James Burtchaell criticizes "the methodology of feminists whose central insights come from their own sense of injustice and then go to Scripture to find what they need." It has become, in effect, an assault on everything in Christianity but Jesus and his initial movement. One who dares to differ is Biblical scholar Elizabeth Achtemeier of Union Theo. Sem. in Richmond, VA. She repudiates the women-church movement as "a new religion." She criticizes mother metaphors for God because they resurrect the Near Eastern fertility goddesses whom the authors of the Hebrew Bible rejected in proclaiming a Creator who is qualitatively different from his creation.

From Coshocton Tribune newspaper, 2/12/89, page 1:

Rev. Barbara Harris was ordained Feb 11, 1989, to become the first woman bishop among the major Christian churches. She has no formal seminary or college degree, is divorced, very liberal, and has only 8 years experience as a priest. John Jamieson of the conservative Prayer Book Society's Chicago chapter voiced opposition but she received a standing ovation anyway.

Looks at Genesis and especially Acts, which describes the fourth act (Pentecost) in the 5-part Biblical drama of salvation, to discover what it reveals about the role of women. Both men and women receive the Spirit. Being witnesses of God's salvation to a lost world is more important than gender roles. Not only are men and women both created in God's image, they also share in having dominion over the creation.

In Genesis 1 and 2, Adam and Eve are given dominion and social unity (like unity of Godhead?) In sinning, Eve overstepped the bounds of accountable dominion and Adam overstepped the bounds of human social unity.

Genesis 3:16 is interpreted as referring to women's unreciprocated longing for intimacy with men. Bilezikian writes: "The woman wants a mate and she gets a master; she wants a lover and she gets a lord; she wants a husband and she gets a hierarch." Van Leeuwen says the peculiarly female sin is "to use the preservation of relationships as an excuse not to exercise accountable dominion in the first place."

Jesus' positive view of women strongly contrasts with prevailing view of his day. He balanced male and female images in his parables, insisted on monogamy and eliminated divorce, valued the family of God over human families, and allowed women to be first witnesses of resurrection. Out of 633 verses on women in the gospels, almost none of them is negative in tone. He was preparing men and women for the "Emancipation Proclamation" of Pentecost.

Sermon in 1 Corinthians series. Worship and the place of women.

1. Worship is important.

a. It is an action, something we offer to God.

b. It should involve spontaneous sharing.

c. Freedom, but order.

2. Place for women.

a. Full rights in liberal churches.

b. Should have right to participate in worship in all churches.

1) Paul says women can speak in services.

2) "Silence" refers to a specific situation.

3. Special place of women in NT.

4. Application to our church.

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The latest educational area for "politically correct" pedagogy is kindergarten, where it has even entered story time. At the Bryant School in Teaneck, N.J., children are indulged in their reading of Cinderella, but are then asked: "Will Cinderella be happy after she and the prince are married? Wouldn't it be better if Cinderella had wanted other things to make her happy?"

Debra Goldsbury, a preschool teacher at the Happy Medium School in Seattle, suggests confronting any tot who enjoys the fairy tale thusly: "This story is not fun for me. Cinderella isn't making decisions for herself or taking charge of her own life."

(Other examples of preschool p.c. are given.) [1692]

[compare "Beauty and the Beast" storyline.]

Women have more stamina than they are given credit for.

The Donner Party was the greatest disaster of the West. The whole train was caught at the top of the Sierra Nevadas during the worst winter on record. Starvation led to murder and insanity.

One small group was chosen to go for help. They were called the "snowshoe party." 10 men, 2 boys and 5 young women began the trek. They fought through twelve foot snowdrifts, subzero weather, snow blindness, and had absolutely no food. Unable to sleep, they huddled over small fires as the snow fell around them. Those who did not survive, sustained those who did.

Thirty one days later, they stumbled into a small camp. Of the ten men who started, 5 died and 2 were killed. One boy died. But not one of the women.

#2507

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Important article on biblical feminism. Three stages of gender roles must be analyzed: God's original intent, the effects of the Fall, and the changes redemption in Christ brings.

I. Basic gender questions:

A. Which gender differences are intended by God in Genesis?

B. How do gender differences come about?

C. Which differences are genetically inevitable and which are more cultural?

D. What are the costs of the current gender distinctions?

II. Adam and Eve sinned differently.

A. Each overstepped the bounds of part of God's cultural mandate.

B. Each got a differentiated curse.

C. Much that we see as "natural" is not what God intended.

III. Gender complementarity is just as important as gender equality.

A. Differences are usually not black and white, but tendencies and averages.

1) We are more alike than different.

B. Environment plays a big role.

1) "Baby X" experiments with mislabeled babies.

Small infants were dressed neutrally.

They are given to adults and told it's a boy or girl.

After some time with the baby, they described them.

Girls are described as more friendly, sociable, feminine,

physically "fragile," and easily upset.

Boys are described as more independent, masculine, tough,

and secure.

There's only one problem - the researchers lied about the

child's sex!

C. Actual differences are slight.

1) In perception, thinking, and personality.

2) Even differences in brain use have been exaggerated.

D. Cultural universals.

1) What men do is seen as more important than what women do.

2) Ironic since the NT describes becoming a Christian in childlike and feminine terms.

IV. Natural but fallen.

A. Gender roles are shaped by culture, and influenced by the Fall.

1) Distortions of the differences become the norm.

2) Yet Christians use them to support status quo.

B. Myths among Christians.

1) The nuclear family is primary.

a) Healthy families? Next to alcoholic families, incest and abuse is most common in highly religious homes.

2) People were content with their roles before feminism started.

V. Headship and Servanthood.

A. Traditional families are not necessarily healthy families.

B. There is more concern over who is in control than on whether family is healthy.

The oldest human we know of that can be verified is [was] Jean Calmet. She made a great quote the last time she had a birthday; she was asked to describe her vision for the future. She said two words: VERY BRIEF.

Another woman was asked the benefits of living to the age of 102 and she said there is very little peer pressure at my age.

Finally, there is a pastor of the Grace Episcopal Church in Madison, Wisconsin, whose name is John Fedderman. He told of an elderly woman who, when she died she had never been married and she said she wanted no men to carry her casket, no male pallbearers. In her instructions for her Memorial service this is what she said: They didn't take me out while I was alive, they're not taking me out when I die!

"It was into his sixth day of overtime, as God was creating the model for mothers. An angel appeared and said, "you're sure doing a lot of fiddling around with this one."

The Lord said, "have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, (but not plastic) have 180 movable parts, (all replaceable) run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that disappears when she stands up; have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knuckle, to a broken leg, to a disappointed love affair; and six pairs of hands."

The angel shook his head slowly and said, "six pairs of hands... no way!"

"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, "it's the three pair of eyes!"

"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.

The Lord nodded, "one pair that sees through closed doors, when she asks, 'what are you kids doing in there,' when she already knows. A second pair here in the back of the head that sees what she shouldn't have, but of course she has to know. And still a third pair in the front that can look at a child when he/she goofs up, that say without so much as uttering a word, but that convey, 'I understand, and I love you.'"

"Lord," said the angel touching God's sleeve, "come to bed, take it up again tomorrow." "I can't," said the Lord, "I am so close to creating something just like myself."

Already I have one that heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger, and get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," he sighed.

"But tough" said the Lord, excitedly! "You can't imagine what this mother can do, and endure!"

"Can it think?" asked the angel.

"Not only think, but it can reason and compromise!"

Finally the angel, bent over and ran his finger across the model's cheek. "There's a leak," he pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"It's not a leak," said the Lord, "it's a tear."

"What's it for?" asked the angel.

"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."

"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.

The Lord looked somber... "I didn't put it there."

ATTRIBUTES OF CHRISTIAN WOMANHOOD

By Jimmy Jividen

1 Timothy 2:9-15 contains four attributes of a Christian woman:

a. Her greatest beauty is to be found in modesty (9-10).

b. Her greatest eloquence is to be found in quietness (11-12).

c. Her greatest power is to be found in submission (13-14).

d. Her greatest glory is to be found in motherhood (15).

Some in our contemporary culture see such attributes as demeaning to women. They don't get it. God gave these attributes of his finest and final creation.

Modesty is not a sign of ugliness. Just the opposite. A woman who possesses the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit radiates a beauty far above that of jewels, and clothes. Her attractiveness is "inside out."

Quietness is not a sign of ignorance. Just the opposite. Holding your tongue, and being sure what you speak, where you speak, when you speak, and how you speak is the greatest wisdom.

Submission is not a sign of weakness. Just the opposite. It was by submission to the will of God that Jesus was highly exalted. He did not bear the cross out of fear and duty, but because he chose to. The greatest power is found in conquering you own ego by submission.

Motherhood is not a sign of inability. Just the opposite. It is the highest position of honor and the most noble calling of service. Far above all the titles of "Queen," "Princess," "Your Honor," "Madam President," and "Doctor" is the voice of a child saying "Mommy."

To change from such an ideal is degradation. Why would a butterfly ever want to be a caterpillar?

It was a stifling hot day and a man fainted in the middle of a busy intersection. Traffic quickly piled up in all directions, so a woman rushed to help him. When she knelt down to loosen his collar, a man emerged from the crowd, pushed her aside, and said, "It's all right honey, I've had a course in first aid." The woman stood up and watched as he took the ill man's pulse and prepared to administer artificial respiration. At this point she tapped him on the shoulder and said, "When you get to the part about calling a doctor, I'm already here."

Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman doctor in America, started her practice in New York in 1851. Not only was she unable to find patients, no one would even rent her a room once she mentioned that she was a doctor. After weeks of trudging the streets, she finally rented rooms from a landlady who asked no questions about what Elizabeth planned to do with them.

Quaker women, who had always been receptive to the goal of equal rights, became Elizabeth’s first patients. But no hospital would allow her on its staff.

Finally, with financial help from her Quaker fiends, Elizabeth opened her own clinic in one of new York’s worst slums. The clinic opened in March 1853. Elizabeth hung a sign out announcing that all patients would be treated free. Yet, for the first few weeks, no one showed up. Then one day a woman in such agony that she didn’t care who treated her, staggered up the steps and collapsed in Elizabeth’s arms.

When the woman was treated and recovered, she told all her friends about the wonderful woman doctor in downtown New York. The dispensary was soon doing well. It eventually expanded, moved, and is now a branch of the New York Infirmary on East Fifteenth Street.

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #1286]

There is a widespread belief around about the Bible that it is some kind of powerful patriarchal conspiracy which has been used to oppress women. As a female speaker I find that this question is frequently asked: “How can you as a woman promote such a sexist book? The church has tried to keep women down!” As Christians we need to be sensitive to the issues which underlie such an emotive question. While it may indeed seem to be the case that women have been discriminated against by religion, the Bible itself deserves closer examination on the subject. How is it that many of the greatest Jewish and Christian pioneers have been women? What does the Bible really say about this subject?(1)

Throughout the Bible there are numerous positive images of women and stories that involve women. In the Old Testament women share the image of God at creation. At the end of time at the Second Coming of Jesus, the church is represented as the bride of Christ. All the way through from beginning to end, the Bible includes the feminine as an integral part of the Judaeo-Christian tradition. While it is true that the Bible is written over a long period of time into specific cultures and that some of these contexts did not give equal social advantages to women, it would not be true to say that the message of the Bible is sexist or discriminatory against women.

In the New Testament, there are quite a number of significant events involving women, particularly considering the conservative cultural attitudes of the context into which it was written. This context is demonstrated by a simple statement in John’s Gospel in the famous encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. There is a telling little sentence in 4:27 which sheds a great deal of light on just how radical the Bible is in affirming women. The disciples come across Jesus during his conversation with the woman and we are told they “were surprised to find him talking with a woman.” This is the context of Jesus’s ministry and yet he goes against these cultural trends time and time again.

He does this firstly by having female disciples. In a culture where the idea of women travelling around with a group of men, or having the status of disciple was seriously questionable, Jesus has a number of women who are included in his travelling circle who contributed financially to the needs of the group. In fact, when Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are waiting outside to see him, he points to his disciples and says “here are my mother and brothers.” This statement is unthinkable unless there were women among his disciples. In the Middle Eastern culture of the 1st century, it would be unspeakably offensive to point to male disciples and use female imagery to describe them. The group of disciples referred to must have included some women.

We also see Jesus teaching women in the New Testament. In Luke 10:38, we read of Mary who “sits at the feet of” Jesus and engages in theological study, much to her sister’s chagrin. This phrase “to sit at the feet of” is the same formulation as Acts 22:3 where Paul describes his training under Gamaliel. The clear implication here is that Mary is affirmed as worthy of a Rabbi’s theological instruction; indeed, it is interesting that later on in John’s Gospel we read of Martha, Mary’s sister, who is the first to be taught one of the most astounding theological statements of the New Testament. Jesus says to her “‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies” (John 11:25). In contrast to the cultural norms of the time, Jesus made a habit of revealing great theological truths to women. The first person who discovers Christ’s true identity in John’s Gospel is the Samaritan woman at the well. We must not underestimate how radical this is: Jesus was turning cultural taboos on their heads by teaching women and allowing women to be his disciples.

In reality, it is clear that women played a full and vibrant role in the ministry of Jesus, both as examples within his teaching and as recipients of it. While this may seem absolutely right and proper in our 21st century context we must remember how radical this was in first century Palestine. Jesus intentionally affirmed and included women. We see a continuation of this in the early church, from Lydia and Tabitha to Philip’s daughters, where women undertook various roles. While it is true to say that there are two particular passages in Paul’s writings which seem to go against all of this, by commanding some women to be silent and forbidding others from teaching, these must be read and interpreted in the context of the rest of the Bible. Paul himself gives guidelines for women when they publicly prophecy and mentions women who do teach like Priscilla.

When we come to the text of the Bible with the issue of sexism in mind, we must be clear that while God is predominantly spoken of with male imagery and ultimately is incarnated in the man Jesus, this is not to say that women are undermined or undervalued. Some female imagery is used of God, and Jesus constantly affirms the value of women, teaching them and interacting with them as human beings. Both male and female are created in the image of God and both are so precious that Christ comes to the earth to redeem both male and female with his blood shed on the Cross.

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1. A version of this article was first published in IDEA Magazine, Jul/Aug 2005. See also IS THE BIBLE INTOLERANT? by Amy Orr-Ewing (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006).

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Copyright © 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #19810]

THAT WOMAN IS A SUCCESS . . . Who loves life and lives it to the

fullest; who has discovered and shared the strengths and talents that

are uniquely her own; who puts her best into each task and leaves each

situation better than she found it; who seeks and finds that which is

beautiful in all people . . . and all things; whose heart is full of

love and warm with compassion; who has found joy in living and peace

within herself.

- Barbara J. Burrow

These attributes were written by Renee Cook, director of the Christian Lay Leadership Institute of Eastern Seminary. She died soon after writing this, at age 29.

VIRTUOUS

That describes you so well,

Whether matters of home or business

Nothing goes neglected or undone.

Words of comfort and correction

Roll from your lips with ease.

Words of definition and direction

Sprout from a heart willing to serve and ready to lead.

HONORABLE

Another word that seems to silhouette your face.

In the words you speak and the life you live

There is always consistency - Christ shines through you with grace.

Uncompromised by people, events or things.

Unmoved by flattering lips and sweet affections.

Honesty is the song your soul sings.

And you call for integrity from those who call you friend.

DILIGENT

In prayer, in faith and in service.

In living and in dying to yourself.

In growing and disciplining others.

It is the measure of your true source of wealth.

FRIEND

In times of need and times of joy.

Unflinching by the sides of those you chose to love.

You laugh with us and cry with us.

And you've forgiven us with the love of the Lord.

DISCREET

In words and deeds.

You are all lady, but no doormat.

You are a true woman as God has intended.

WOMAN OF GOD

You are a fine example of those who have been described in Proverbs 31:10-31.

A model of Christ, the Father's dear Son.

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A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape…

but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape…

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything…

but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear…

A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her…

but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone…

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future…

a woman of strength realizes life’s mistakes can also be God’s blessings and capitalizes on them…

A strong woman walks sure-footedly…

but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls…

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face…

but a woman of strength wears grace…

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey…

but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong…

“… Whatever the era, whatever the times, one thing will never change: Fathers and mothers, if you have children, they must come first… Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens in your house.” — Barbara Bush

Marri, a young woman in Kabul, Afghanistan, smuggled this poignant letter out to London Sunday Telegraph correspondent Christina Lamb after the U.S. and British air strikes began last week.

Dear Christina,

This week I listen to the bombs falling on the airport and military command just a few miles away and though we are scared by the bangs which shake our flat, we believe they will not hurt us and we come out and watch the flashes in the sky and we pray this will be an end to our suffering.

You asked me to write a letter about our life under the Taliban regime and I hope this will help you outside to understand the feelings of an educated Afghan female who must now live under a burqa.

Although Marri is not my real name please use this as what we are doing is dangerous. I'm 30 years old and live in a three-room flat with my family on the outskirts of Kabul. I graduated from high school and speak Dari, Pushtu and English as my father was a diplomat and my mother an English teacher. My mother went to university in India.

I know from our friend that you have a kind husband and a beautiful son and you travel the world reporting and meeting people. I dream of a life like that. It's funny we live under the same small sky yet it seems we live 500 years apart.

You see us now in our burqas, like strange insects, scurrying in the dust our heads down, but it wasn't always this way. I do not remember much before the Russian invasion as I was still young but even when the Russians came we still went to school. Women worked as professors and doctors and in government. We went for picnics and parties, wore jeans and short skirts, and I thought I would go to university like my mother and work for my living.

I know in the villages many schools had been destroyed in the war but here in Kabul we were lucky. Only when the Taliban came were all the girls' schools and university closed.

Hidden in our house, behind all the burqas and shalwar kamiz, is a red silk party dress, my mother's, from the time when the king was in power and my father was in the foreign ministry. Sometimes I hold it up against me and imagine dancing but it is a lost world. Now we must wear clothes that make us invisible and cannot even wear high heels. Several of my friends have been beaten because the Taliban could hear their shoes clicking on the pavement.

You might think we women are doing nothing but my friends and I struggle for the rights of Afghan women, working secretly here for the Afghan Women's League, trying to educate our women and young girls. There is not much we can do as we are not allowed out, but some of our members make nan bread and distribute it.

We have small rebellions. Maybe you do not know but we are forbidden to wear make-up under the burqas but I have a red lipstick.

I have two brothers and two sisters, and right now my elder brothers work and we women must stay home all day. We study or we try to teach our neighbors some English but it is hard as we fear someone might report us and we cannot get English books. At night there is no light.

Life here is very miserable. We have no rights at all and we have asked many times other countries of the world for help but they have been silent.

Now it is good that after all this time the world has turned its face toward Afghanistan. Right now I want to laugh at the world a lot because in other countries of the civilized and progressive world no one knew about our problems before those attacks on America and now we are all the time on BBC.

You cannot imagine how an educated Afghan girl lives or how even when we go out for something in the market, the Taliban, in particular Pakistani Taliban, tease us a lot. They insult us and say: "You Kabuli girls, still coming out in the streets, shame on you," and worse. Now think, Afghanistan is my motherland and a Pakistani Talib treats me like that.

You might wonder why I am not married. It's hard to find love in this situation, we are so tired. I look in the mirror and I see a face that does not remember a time before war, and I would not want to bring a child into this city of fear.

We do not have schools, the doors of education are closed on all, especially us. We cannot paint or listen to music. The Taliban ran their tanks over all the televisions.

We asked the world, are we not human beings? Do we not deserve to live in peace? Can we not have our rights as women in other countries?

Many people have left but my family is staying, praying for change. The market is still working - we Kabulis are tough - and there is food in the market but we have stocked up in case it runs out. Already there is no oil.

The Taliban say this is a war on Afghanistan. Some of our friends say we must now support the Taliban against the outside, but how can we support those who lock us away? We listen secretly to the BBC and hope that Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair mean what they say.

I hope they do not come and bomb then forget us again. Maybe when you watch the bombs on CNN you will think of me and know we are real feeling people here, a girl who likes to wear red lipstick and dreams of dancing, not just the men of beards and guns.

I do not know what you want me to write to you. If I start writing I will fill all the paper and my eyes will fill with tears because in these seven years of Taliban no one has asked us to write about our lives.

In my mind I make a picture of you and your family. I wonder if you drive a car, if you go out with friends to movies and restaurants, and dance at parties. Do you play loud music and swim in lakes? One day I would like to see and I would also like to show you a beautiful place in my country with mountains and streams, but not now while we must be hidden people. Maybe our worlds will always be too far apart.

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20011015-14680088.htm

Though a recent survey raises questions, the health benefits of faith have been documented for centuries.

According to a study published Monday in Archives of Internal Medicine, religious anxiety may hasten death among ill patients. Of 596 elderly hospitalized patients surveyed in 1996, those who said they “wondered whether God had abandoned me,” “questioned God's love for me,” or “decided the devil made this happen” were more likely than people who didn't share those thoughts to be dead two years later.

This study stands apart from most faith-health research in the past several years, which has suggested that religion affects health positively. Speculation on why this happens (better lifestyle choices? stronger support communities? prayer?) continue to spawn studies, but the concept is hardly earth-shattering. The physical benefits of Christianity have been attracting attention -- and converts -- since the days of the early church.

Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and comparative religion at the University of Washington, explored this phenomenon in CH issue 57: Converting the Empire. The following excerpts from his article, “Live Longer, Healthier, & Better,” illustrate his conclusions:

Christians in the ancient world had longer life expectancies than did their pagan neighbors. Modern demographers regard life expectancy as the best indicator of quality of life, so in all likelihood, Christians simply lived better lives than just about everyone else.

In fact, many pagans were attracted to the Christian faith because the church produced tangible (not only “spiritual”) blessings for its adherents.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Chief among these tangibles was that, in a world entirely lacking social services, Christians were their brothers' keepers. At the end of the second century, Tertullian wrote that while pagan temples spent their donations “on feasts and drinking bouts,” Christians spent theirs “to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined to the house.”

Similarly, in a letter to the bishop of Antioch in 251, the bishop of Rome mentioned that “more than 1,500 widows and distressed persons” were in the care of his congregation. These claims concerning Christian charity were confirmed by pagan observers.

“The impious Galileans support not only their poor,” complained pagan emperor Julian, “but ours as well.”

GIRL POWER

Women greatly outnumbered men among early converts. However, in the empire as a whole, men vastly outnumbered women. There were an estimated 131 men for every 100 women in Rome. The disparity was even greater elsewhere and greater still among the elite.

Widespread female infanticide had reduced the number of women in society. “If you are delivered of a child,” wrote a man named Hilarion to his pregnant wife, “if it is a boy, keep it, if it is a girl discard it.” Frequent abortions “entailing great risk” (in the words of Celsus) killed many women and left even more barren.

The Christian community, however, practiced neither abortion nor infanticide and thus drew to itself women.

More importantly, within the Christian community women enjoyed higher status and security than they did among their pagan neighbors. Pagan women typically were married at a young age (often before puberty) to much older men. But Christian women were older when they married and had more choice in whom, and even if, they would marry.

URBAN SANCTUARY

Christianity also offered a strong community in a disorganized, chaotic world.

Greco-Roman cities were terribly overpopulated. Antioch, for example, had a population density of about 117 inhabitants per acre -- more than three times that of New York City today.

Tenement cubicles were smoky, dark, often damp, and always dirty. The smell of sweat, urine, feces, and decay permeated everything. Outside on the street, mud, open sewers, and manure lay everywhere, and even human corpses were found in the gutters. Newcomers and strangers, divided into many ethnic groups, harbored bitter antagonism that often erupted into violent riots.

For these ills, Christianity offered a unifying subculture, bridging these divisions and providing a strong sense of common identity.

To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity and hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate fellowship. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family.

In short, Christianity offered a longer, more secure, and happier life.

LIKE THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE

Like Deborah, I will serve the Lord in power and speak His word without fear.

Like Esther, I will intercede for God's people before the throne.

Like Abigail, I will humble myself to wash the feet of the servants of the Lord.

Like Sarah, I will respect my spouse and his ministry to the Lord.

Like Hannah, I will dedicate my children to the Lord.

Like Priscilla, I will explain the way of God more perfectly to those who are seeking.

Like the Shunamite widow, I will trust God in the day of adversity.

Like Lydia, I will be a worshiper of God and open my home to His ministers.

Like Tabitha (Dorcas), I will always do good and help the poor.

Like Joanna, I will use my wealth to support the ministry of Jesus.

Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, I will hear the word of God to me and answer, "Be it unto me as you have said".

Like Mary, the sister of Martha, I will know the voice of Jesus and hear his words.

Like Mary, the mother of Mark, I will make my home a haven for the followers of Jesus.

Like Mary, the Magdalene, I will keep at the feet of Jesus and love him unto death.

WOMEN … AND MEN!?!

WOMEN:

Women have strengths that amaze men. They carry children, they carry hardships, they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. Women wait by the phone for a “safe at home call” from a friend after a snowy drive home. Women have special qualities about them. They volunteer for good causes. They are pink ladies in hospitals, they bring food to shut-ins.

They are childcare workers, executives, attorneys, stay-at-home moms, biker babes, and your neighbors. They wear suits, jeans, and they wear uniforms. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up against injustice. They are in the front row at PTA meetings. They vote for the person that will do the best job for family issues. They walk and talk the extra mile to get their children in the right schools and for getting their family the right health care.

They write to the editor, their congressmen and to the “powers that be” for things that make for a better life. They don’t take “no” for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They stick a love note in their lover’s lunch box. They do without new shoes so their children can have them. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. Women are honest, loyal, and forgiving. They are smart, knowing that knowledge is power. But they still know how to use their softer side to make a point.

Women want to be the best for their families, their friends, and themselves. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a new marriage. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They have sorrow at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. A woman’s touch can cure any ailment. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

A woman can make a romantic evening unforgettable. Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes. They live in homes, apartments and cabins. They drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin! Women do more than just give birth. They bring joy and hope. They give compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. And all they want back is a hug, a smile and for you to do the same to people you come in contact with.

Thank You God for women

MEN:

Men are good at lifting heavy things and killing all kinds of bugs.

Who says women are second-class Baptists? No one I know unless it might be someone who suggests that teaching the Bible to women and children is a waste of talent and training unless men are in the audience.

The discussion of a woman's role in the church has moved to the front among evangelicals, especially in the last two decades. The issue divides congregations and destroys the faith of individuals. The problems and confusion accompanying the rise of “biblical” feminism prompted Southern Baptists to address the matter head-on. What could be a better defense in a conflict of ideas than a clear and unambiguous statement based on the text of Scripture?

Producing a concise, clear statement of the generally held beliefs of Southern Baptists is challenging, especially when Scripture is contra-culture and against popularly held notions. I served on the Baptist Faith and Message Study Committee that drafted a statement on the family. The committee examined major passages of Scripture on the family and relationships therein. The article is positive in its tone and declares what Scripture affirms rather than what it forbids; its words and phrases were carefully fashioned in line with Scripture itself.

Anyone taking issue with the statement needs to address his concerns to the words found in the statement as well as to the Scriptures cited. Facts should overshadow feelings; Scripture should overrule experience.

God introduced His purpose for marriage in creation (Genesis 2:24) and reaffirmed that purpose in the Gospels (Matthew 19:5) and the Pauline epistles (Ephesians 5:31). This covenant commitment for an exclusive, permanent, monogamous union of one man and one woman is pledged in the presence of God and transcends time and culture. Epidemic divorce -- even among church leaders -- and militant attacks on divinely fashioned sexuality complicate the matter even more as biblical standards are blurred by experience and convenience.

Scripture defines how a husband and wife are to relate to one another. As exercising dominion over the world and extending the generations (Genesis 1:28; 2:18). There is no hint of inferiority in the assignment. God is described as a Helper (Psalm 27:9). In this unique function a wife complements and augments her husband.

The husband's leadership was established and carefully defined at creation, i.e., before the Fall in the Garden of Eden and not as the result of human failure (Genesis 2:15-17), and then was modeled by Jesus, the perfect servant leader. The union of “servant leadership” with “gracious submission” is natural and edifying.

Both husband and wife mutually submit, as suggested by the participle translated “submitting” in Ephesians 5:21. This mutual submission does not negate the unique submission described in verse 22 and elsewhere (Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-4). The understanding of mutual submission sets the stage for obedience of husband and wife to their respective assignments from God.

Submission to any command, by definition of the Greek word used in the earliest text of Scripture, reflects a choice in contradistinction to forced action. A husband “submits” to the command of Christ when he determines to “love” his wife as Christ loved the church, even to the point of being willing to lay down his life. A wife “submits” to her own husband (Ephesians 5:21-22; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7). What may seem “ridiculous” in a modern cultural setting or inappropriate when juxtaposed to current ideology, if coming directly from Scripture, is elevated to divine mandate; and that position trumps all others. Even knowledge from firsthand experience should not mold and fashion your interpretation of Scripture; rather, Scripture should bring your thoughts and actions into focus, and subjection, to what is prescribed by God.

Success is not a criterion for sanctifying a task and making it right. I have three graduate degrees in theology, considerably more theological education than most pastors. I have experience on the public platform, and some even suggest that I have gifts for biblical exposition and teaching. Others have testified that I have met their needs through my messages. Some men have expressed appreciation for my ministry.

However, ministry success, public affirmation, spousal permission, pastoral blessing, widespread opportunity -- none is the biblical criterion for what I should or should not do in the Kingdom of Christ. In the Pastoral Epistles within the context of church order (1 Timothy 2:9-11) are found explicit boundaries that cannot be violated by what I perceive to be my calling.

Any calling I believe to be from God is filtered through my human frailties. What I feel may not be what God wills. That is why Scripture is ever the monitor and governor of all I desire to do for God. I do not have ultimate jurisdiction over my own actions, and I cannot dictate or control the actions of others. Yet, I have the responsibility not to put myself in a situation where I am regularly or willfully violating boundaries of Scripture.

Doctrine and practice, whether in the home or in the church, are not to be determined according to modern cultural, sociological and ecclesiastical trends. Nor are our choices to be according to emotional whims, obvious giftedness or even a calling that stands in contradiction to any clear mandate in Scripture.

Scripture alone must be the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Scripture makes frequent connections between the life of the family and the life of the church (1 Timothy 3:5, 5:1-2). Leadership patterns in the family are consistently reflected in the church as well (1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). A Christ-centered marriage has the potential to give a “word about God” to a world indifferent to spiritual truths.Those within the family circle have a unique opportunity to study the Bible and to learn theology through object lessons built into the family's structure. By lifting up Scripture, we can point women and men to Jesus Christ, and discover God's unique purpose for each of us.

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Sometimes our Christian heritage must be overcome, not celebrated.

From the beginning of Christianity, women have been included in the New Community. In some times and places, they have found the church more affirming and liberating than their surrounding cultures. But in others, the church has fallen far from its Bible — which sees both sexes as of equal worth.

During its early years, Christianity taught a spiritual unity that at least potentially mitigated the harshness of Roman law, in which women were considered non-citizens with no legal rights. Inequality was everywhere in this system; for example, while men’s adultery was assumed, women’s was punishable by death. Over against this culture, the ideal of the early church is captured in the words of Paul, “Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Eph 5:21). And women did, as we will see, gain some status “in Christ,” filling key roles within the church.

This continued to be true in the Middle Ages, when society at large assumed women would marry and bear many children-indeed, among the elite, parents often arranged or forced marriage on their daughters. Monastic life offered many women an attractive alternative. This was a life of devotion, scholarship, travel, and spiritual fellowship and equal dialogue with male monastics and church leaders.

Nonetheless, the potential equality embedded in Jesus’ message often failed to pan out in the teachings and practice of the church. In Men and Women in the Church: Building Consensus on Christian Leadership (InterVarsity Press, 2003), Dr. Sarah Sumner examines the church’s decidedly spotty record on treatment of women.

Sumner cites several expressions of a deep prejudice against women in the writings of the Church Fathers. The first is from a 3rd-century treatise titled “On the Dress of Women,” written and presented to an audience of women by Tertullian - the influential teacher and coiner of the term “Trinity.”

Here Tertullian likens all women to Eve, calling them “the devil’s gateway,” “the unsealer of that forbidden tree,” and “she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack.” It was because of Eve, Tertullian argued, and therefore because of all womankind, that “God’s image, man” was condemned to death, and that the Son of God himself had to come and die. In light of this, he added, how dare any woman “think about adorning yourself over and above your tunics of skins?”

Sumner also cites Ambrose, the bishop of Milan from 374 to 397 A.D. In his treatise “On Paradise,” Ambrose wrote that “though the man was created outside Paradise, an inferior place, he is found to be superior, while woman, though created in a better place, inside Paradise, is found inferior.” For Ambrose, it was a fact of nature that men are superior to women.

Augustine, probably the most famous theologian in all of church history, believed that God did not create the woman for any reason other than procreation. Explicitly he said, “I cannot think of any reason for woman’s being made as man’s helper, if we dismiss the reason of procreation.” He felt that companionship was no part of God’s plan for the relationship between the sexes. For the purpose of conversation, he argued, “how much more agreeable it is for two male friends to dwell together than for a man and a woman!”

Declares Sumner, “If the church fathers were prejudiced against women, and we know it, then we should be careful not to absorb their bias.” In other words, “Traditional Christian thinking is not the same thing as biblical thinking about women.”

Tertullian lived in a Roman culture where marriage and women were degraded. And much of early Christian thought was influenced by Plato and Aristotle, neither of whom were Christian thinkers. Aristotle believed that women were irrational in relation to men and unequal in virtue.

The idea that women are equal in worth to men has only recently received widespread acceptance. As Sumner argues, we must face the difficult fact that we do not read Scripture objectively, but rather through the lenses of a long tradition of gender inequality. When we try to set these lenses aside, we begin to see a God who is counter-cultural in this respect. He is not a respecter of persons — He shows no partiality! (Acts 10:34)

From the Bible emerge three clear pictures about women. Together they show that God is an equal opportunity Creator, Forgiver, Equipper, and Empowerer.

The first picture is one of Creation: we see that like men, women are created in God’s image. It takes both male and female to bear God’s image. We are bone of man’s bone and flesh of man’s flesh. (Gen. 2:23). Right after the first woman was formed and introduced to the first man, the man was told that from that time forward, “therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined (cleave) to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” God blessed both man and woman and charged them both to have dominion over the earth. God intended them to experience oneness and to work-have dominion-side by side. That’s the first picture, the creation picture.

Before the second picture, a terrible event occurs. In Genesis 3, there is the temptation and the fall. Given free will, both the woman and the man make disastrous choices. There are stunning consequences, curses from God upon the tempter, the woman, and the man. But, there is Good News: both the woman and the man are eligible for forgiveness. They can both be restored to a right relationship with God.

Again, God himself takes the initiative and provides a way back into fellowship through the life and death of his Son. Jesus is the Light that comes into the world. Men and women who believe in him are placed together into a new family. They become the children of God (John 1:12).

In the new “body of Christ,” men and women are both given gifts for serving one another. Oneness between a man and woman in marriage was always God’s idea. And now, oneness in the body of Christ is God’s idea. He is impartial in the giving of the gifts. “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleases,” (I Cor. 12:18), “for the profit of all.” (I Cor. 12:7).

Where in the Bible record do we see the consequences for women of this new order? In Luke 10, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word, and when her sister, Martha, complained that Mary had left her to do all the serving (traditionally woman’s work), Jesus told Martha that “Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

That is no isolated incident-women are right there in the center of things throughout the New Testament accounts: Women watched as Jesus died. Women were at the tomb. Women were included as Christ followers. They prayed and supported the body of Christ with their gifts and talents. Later, women such as Priscilla served as teachers. This second picture of light shows Jesus not only forgiving women, but equipping women and welcoming women to learn from him and to serve the body.

In the third picture, women are of equal worth in heaven. The third picture is the eternal picture. In heaven, men and women will stand shoulder-to-shoulder praising God. Here is a description from Revelation 22:3-5:

“The throne of God and of the Lamb is at the center. His servants will offer God service-worshiping, they’ll look on his face, their foreheads mirroring God. Never again will there be any night. No one will need lamplight or sunlight. The shining of God, the Master, is all the light anyone needs. And they will rule with him age after age after age.”

Has Christianity been oppressive to women? Yes. Is Christ? No. As the apostle Paul insisted, “In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in common relationship with Jesus Christ” (Gal. 3:28).

In the beginning, God created man and woman to have oneness in marriage. In the body of Christ, the church, God intends for us to have community with one another. In eternity in heaven, we will be praising God together. God’s will is for men and women to be together, side-by-side. His heart is oneness.

As I watched the movie Twister for the first time, I was reminded of the small Texas town where I grew up. Tornadoes were a common occurrence in Brownwood. In fact, we sometimes had “tornado drills” in order to prepare for the next storm. When ominous dark clouds began to gather and the possibility of tornadoes increased, warning sirens screamed through that quiet little town, sending every man, woman and child scurrying for safety. Our safe place was an old, musty storm cellar in the back yard where my family huddled until the “all clear” siren sounded!

Ministry is filled with storms and twisters — overcrowded schedules, impossible demands, unrealistic expectations, emotional bankruptcy, physical exhaustion and personality conflicts. Chaos often reigns, spinning emotions out of control. Frustration, confusion, stress, and darkness are all too familiar companions.

During those turbulent times, my first reaction is to run and hide until the storm passes over. But I have come to two realizations; first, there will always be another storm and second, what I must do is learn how to prepare for storms before they hit. Storm preparation begins with a balanced life.

As women in ministry we constantly struggle with this issue of balance. We find it difficult to set boundaries, fail to establish margins of time for the unplanned or unexpected, and unwittingly surrender our God-ordained priorities to the empty, vain addiction of just “doing the next thing.”

Balance becomes a casualty of this ongoing battle. Frustration, failure and darkness prosper in an imbalanced life, thriving on the vacuum of clear purpose and sure direction. The pit of despair is a common destination for those who refuse to measure and balance the sometimes-overwhelming demands of ministry, home, family, friends, and personal growth. Frenzy and confusing darkness will reign until a holy balance is firmly entrenched in its place. It is a balance only God can bring and is wonderfully illustrated through the lives of two women in the Bible, Mary and Martha. As women in ministry, Mary and Martha present a profoundly simple but practical three-step plan for living a balanced life of power and purpose.

Now I have to admit that Martha is a girl after my own heart! A perfectionist and recognized by all who knew her as disciplined, strong-willed, energetic and practical, Martha seemed to know who she was and where she was going. Because of her leadership in the community, people listened when she spoke. Martha was single, financially secure and owned her own home which she shared with her sister, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus.

They were a close family, living in a small town named Bethany located two miles from Jerusalem. Martha was a wonderful cook, her home clean and always in order. In fact, she might well have been considered the “Betty Crocker” of Bethany. Martha had the gift of hospitality and entertained often, freely welcoming friends as well as strangers into her home. Religious leaders, business executives, and virtually anyone in need, including her close friend, Jesus, knew that they had an open invitation to this home.

Martha seemed to be an intense woman with deep feelings and sure convictions. She loved truth and was quick to share her strong beliefs, the mark of an unwavering faith. Martha certainly had faults just as we do. I am convinced that, at times, she may have missed some of the higher moments of life because she was “too busy.” Sound familiar?

Now Mary, the sister of Martha, is an entirely different story. She lived for the higher moments in life. A free spirit and strong individualist, Mary probably saw little value in material wealth, a clean house, cooked meals and strict schedules. Nothing could compare to the cherished treasures of quiet, peace and freedom! I don’t think Mary missed many of the “Kodak moments” of life. I suspect she was an avid learner who thrived on anything that compelled her to think and reflect!

Mary was almost childlike in her hunger for truth — especially spiritual truth and like her sister, felt things deeply. Sometimes those feelings drove her to do things that others could not understand! For example, it was unusual for a woman to sit among men. But Mary did. She sat at the feet of Jesus while he taught his disciples. Lost in the wonder of hearing new truth, Mary seemed oblivious to her critics and did not appear to notice or even care what people around her thought. She found it easy to abandon herself to those she loved and thrived on the relationships in her life. Relationships with people like the man named Jesus.

Mary was brave. To go against the “norm,” daring to be so different and perhaps even live in the shadow of her very successful and highly regarded sister took courage. Mary was human and imperfect. To some, she may have seemed lazy and flighty or even given the perception of being a procrastinator.

Mary is often considered the spiritual one while Martha is thought to be the not so spiritual one. We tend to look at their lives and say we should be like Mary. However, I want us to realize that the lives of both women offer invaluable life lessons and truths about balance. God is not the author of confusion nor does he create chaos, setting his children up to drown in the raging seas of darkness, burnout and exhaustion. We do a great job of that all on our own. But we can learn important lessons from Mary and Martha, apply them to our lives today, and experience a balance that will bring peace, purpose and power to our crazed world.

Application point: I encourage you to set aside time this week to spend in solitude. Examine your life in the light of balance. What priorities are obvious? What areas are out of balance? How has this imbalance affected your life and ministry?

Researchers at Alabama’s Auburn University say they have determined what men want in the “ideal woman”: she is sexually inexperienced but likes sex, has a career but is a full-time homemaker, has a slim build, is athletic, and has pretty eyes, dark hair, good complexion and a firm derriere. A large bosom is nice, but not all that important.

The study’s lead author, Erica Gannon, says the specifications are similar to what is found in the Bible. “Our participants, whether knowingly or unknowingly, espouse a view of the ideal woman that is very similar to the views held by individuals thousands of years ago.” However, she adds, “It’s hard to be this woman.”

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UPI

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #27407]

Western brides unaware of real cost of marriage, former wives say

Western women who marry Muslim men can find themselves trapped in a world of isolation, oppression and even abuse, say the leaders of two ministries reaching out to those who embrace their husband’s Islamic faith.

Thousands of women, including some Christians, marry Muslims in the United States each year — but do not realize what Islam teaches about women and the rights of husbands. According to Voice of the Martyrs, an organization that helps the persecuted church, the fast-paced growth of Islam in the West is due primarily to “biological growth” through marriage to Western women rather than conversion.

Although a Christian in full-time ministry, W.L. Cati married a Muslim who “talked to me about his principles [and] family values. That a wife doesn’t need to work, how a husband should be supportive of his wife.” She said: “I thought, ‘This is the man of my dreams. The way he explained his religion sounded very much like mine … He said that they believe in Jesus, heaven, hell, the Ten Commandments, angels, the prophets and the Bible.”

But after she wed, Cati discovered she had converted to Islam, “on paper,” according to her husband. Although outwardly she had a comfortable lifestyle, behind closed doors he began to beat her. “He controlled everything — money, my decisions… “ Eventually Cati returned to her Christian faith and was thrown out by her husband, together with her children.

Now she runs Zannah Ministries, which offers counseling, seminars and information services to women married to Muslims. “I promote the Lord Jesus and His ways and trust in Him to help make these women whole again,” she said. She has written a handbook quoting the Koran and Islamic holy texts on the role of women.

Among the writings are the statements that men are superior to women, women are “toys,” a husband has an unquestionable right to beat his wife, and that most women will go to hell. “I cut and pasted the information from their own [Islamic] Web sites, so it is their words, not mine,” Cati said.

“I am not bashing Muslims,” she said. “This is a morality issue. We’re talking human rights. They are allowed to beat their wives and children. They are even allowed to kill. And this is going on right here in the United States.”

During the years of her marriage to a Muslim, Nadia Maroudi met many Muslim wives who were beaten. “We need to educate our women on what Islam really is versus what it appears to be,” she said. “They sell it as a peaceful religion–and it’s not.”

Maroudi was a Christian when she married, and her husband came to Christ, although he later divorced her because she could not have children. While still married she began a ministry to other Muslims wives, Women Crossing Cultural Barriers, that is affiliated with Gül International Ministries.

“I strengthen them in who they are and stress they are valued because of Jesus,” she said. “I show them how to have a personal relationship with Him, [and] tell them what Christianity really believes versus what they’re taught at the mosque. I pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus without bashing their husband’s religion. Muslims believe in a god, and when you tell them you’re going to help them become more godly, how can the men dispute that?”