Women in the pulpit
Since I'm on the subject anyway this morning, I happened to visit a church on Sunday (no, it didn't burst into flames when I entered) and it was my very first experience in a church led by a female pastor.
She preached - sadly it wasn't a great sermon imo - and women helped with communion. And I don't mean they just baked the bread and smiled from the background!
Omg.
Then I stayed for Sunday School and it came up in discussion. A man who'd been raised Catholic and now attends this church mentions that to him it just didn't seem different at all, he just accepted it. Well he seems nice but can you imagine going your entire life without seeing anyone like you in a position of spiritual authority? (Or, you know, any serious authority...) Not allowed to teach men (read: any male over 13) or preach or help at the alter (except for cleaning it and arranging flowers before the service) and then suddenly walking in and there are not only women helping but there are women and men both involved in EVERYTHING?!
Not only that but a man taught the preschool Sunday School - how awesome is that? A strong handsome intelligent lawyer teaching four year olds. Kids NEED male role models at that age SO BADLY. And instead of having the only female staff member be in charge of children or women's ministry, the children's pastor was A MAN. An intelligent enthusiastic gifted MALE. Again, excellent! Men and women serving all over the place in accordance with their gifts. Who'd have thought it.
I mean, it's almost like... men can be excellent fathers. And women can be equally intelligent and equally close to God. They might even know what they're talking about sometimes. O.o I don't want to be crazy or anything, but they might even be capable of, dare I say it, being part of the priesthood of believers as equal children of God. (Too radical?)
Gee. Who knew.
Edit: Also another, male, visitor got up and left a minute after she started preaching. What a crazy world.
She preached - sadly it wasn't a great sermon imo - and women helped with communion. And I don't mean they just baked the bread and smiled from the background!
Omg.
Then I stayed for Sunday School and it came up in discussion. A man who'd been raised Catholic and now attends this church mentions that to him it just didn't seem different at all, he just accepted it. Well he seems nice but can you imagine going your entire life without seeing anyone like you in a position of spiritual authority? (Or, you know, any serious authority...) Not allowed to teach men (read: any male over 13) or preach or help at the alter (except for cleaning it and arranging flowers before the service) and then suddenly walking in and there are not only women helping but there are women and men both involved in EVERYTHING?!
Not only that but a man taught the preschool Sunday School - how awesome is that? A strong handsome intelligent lawyer teaching four year olds. Kids NEED male role models at that age SO BADLY. And instead of having the only female staff member be in charge of children or women's ministry, the children's pastor was A MAN. An intelligent enthusiastic gifted MALE. Again, excellent! Men and women serving all over the place in accordance with their gifts. Who'd have thought it.
I mean, it's almost like... men can be excellent fathers. And women can be equally intelligent and equally close to God. They might even know what they're talking about sometimes. O.o I don't want to be crazy or anything, but they might even be capable of, dare I say it, being part of the priesthood of believers as equal children of God. (Too radical?)
Gee. Who knew.
Edit: Also another, male, visitor got up and left a minute after she started preaching. What a crazy world.