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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Book Discussion: The Chocolate Cake Sutra
The Chocolate Cake Sutra, by Geri Larkin, is a fun and nuanced look into the lifestyle and actions that lead to a "Sweet Life." Larkin writes as a Jesus-friendly Buddhist and her prescriptions sound familiarly scented not only with "Sweet Life," but with the Abundant Life offered when we live in harmony with the Spirit and act in ways that incarnate the kingdom of God.

You can find a review here .

The prologue and introduction are full of fodder for growth and an interchange of ideas. Let's start with the story Larkin tells of a "young man named Eugene who was desperate to find a truly holy person with whom he could study." After much searching, Eugene eventually happens upon a guy in woods who works for a hot-shot holy woman called Jaya, who has an incredible reputation for what she can do for her students' spirituality. It takes Eugene taking three years and many near-death experiences to even gain admittance into Jaya's complex, where he is instructed to wait in the shrine room. Eugene is told it won't be long before Jaya is able to meet with him.

So Eugene waits. But he really has to pee.

"'I have to go to the bathroom,'" Eugene says to Jaya's assistant.
"'You have to stay in the shrine room.'"

Eugene sure waits his best, and at last, hours later, he aims at a corner of the shrine room and pees like nobody's business, whereupon he is dragged away by two acolytes, with the largest bellowing,

"'How dare you!'"

"'You show me a place that isn't holy, and I'll pee there!'"

"'He stays'."

"It was Jaya."

1. What is your reaction to this approach to the holy?
2. What can communities of Christian disciples learn from this story that can be applied to worship?

In her introduction, Larkin isn't afraid to deal a significant blow (or is it constructive criticism?) to her celebrity crush, on a serious count of spiritual arrogance.

Larkin writes, "The Interview was about a movie he had just directed. It was about Jesus Christ. As a card-carrying Buddhist, I have have always been moved to tears by the last hours of Jesus. Even as I write, I can barely fathom the depth of love and compassion for the people harming him. It is the best love story ever." Larkin goes on to describe the situation that sparked her accusation:


My crush was responding to criticisms of his interpretation of the story...As I remember it, the interviewer asked how he would respond to someone criticizing his film.
A pause. 'I'd forgive them.'
Oh, no. The arrogance in his voice told me he had it wrong. It was that 'I'm-better-than-you tone that gives me the goose bumps because it's the same tone that says 'You don't get God because he's ours.'


3. What is it like for you to read about a non-Christian pouring her heart out over her love of Jesus? What feelings and ideas come up for you?

4. What is your sensibility about what differentiates self-perceived spiritual accuracy from self-deceived spiritual pride?

5. What's your favorite story or quote in the book so far?








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posted by Jemila Kwon at 2:47 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 2 comments
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sarah - Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Will Sarah Palin be the worlds's most powerful woman? She could be one heart beat away.
With either ticket, barriers are coming down, and that's good to see.

The glass is breaking in the ceiling.

Here is an interesting link mp3 from PBS from Alaskans on the unknown and interesting woman who could be VP. Pros and cons.




So, McCain throws a big curve ball.
Politics just got more interesting.

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posted by LisaColónDeLay at 8:25 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 18 comments
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Thoughts on Women in Ministry
I just published the following post on my blog and thought that I might as well share it here... a little background is that my husband and I have been praying very hard about becoming a part of the "core launch team" for a church plant in our area. We completely share the vision of mission and outreach that the others involved have, but I found out a couple of days ago that the plant will not allow women to be elders.

I titled the post- It's My Blog And I Will Post It If I Want To... (not trying to stir up trouble, just saying what has been on my heart, as well as acknowledging that I most definitely do NOT have all the answers!). Here it is:

Over the past couple of days I have really had the debate about the place of women in ministry on my heart and mind... I have always had my own personal opinion on this, which I have felt in my heart was correct. I have done some research on scripture dealing with this subject in the past, but I will fully admit that I never really made a serious effort to take the time needed to be sure that there is solid material to back up what I believe in my heart to be true. I am now feeling this push that it is time to take my view, which I believe in my heart and mind is supported by the God I have a close personal relationship with, and make sure that I have solid biblical material to back it up in conversation. One thing that I am realizing is that it is all about interpretation and this is a debate that will continue forever.

I am enjoying reading some thoughts on different interpretations of various verses, but if for right now we simply focus on taking the various usual verses that are cited during this debate and reading them in there most literal sense... their are most definitely verses that when read very literally directly oppose the place of women as leaders, but there are definitely other verses that when read literally do support the role of women in positions of importance and authority. (Please excuse the fact that I am not taking the time to include the scripture, but if you have an interest or opinion on this you most likely know what the usual verses are.) I as a woman who was raised to believe that I could do or be anything that I wanted (an artist... an art teacher... or even a stay-home-mom), choose to acknowledge that their is scripture that literally seems to go in both directions of this debate, but in a day when a woman and an African American man can run for president, I believe that the logical way to go is in the direction where women are not restricted from ministry on any level.

A friend had introduced me to Eugene Cho's blog awhile ago and it is great!! This morning I came across a post from back in May on "Supporting Women in All Level's of Leadership" It is a great post and many of the comments are extremely interesting and thought provoking also!

I had really thought that this was the ministry that God has been preparing my husband and I to be a part of and has been leading us toward over the past couple of years, but was taken aback at the idea of women not being allowed as elders. I am awaiting confirmation that women would not be limited in any other areas of service, because if they are that would be a complete deal-breaker for me. I guess what I am most struggling with is if I am told that this limitation on women really is only a limitation as far as belonging to a board of elders... does the fact that there is this limitation at all automatically mean that no matter what is said women have a different level of standing than men within this church plant? The pastor that is heading this up said that he did not want this to be a divisive issue and I was given the impression that it was something that is almost wanted to be kept "hush hush," which makes me feel that there would be this unspoken understanding amongst the people who are aware... that the women involved are of a lesser value. I am just unsure that I can or should compromise my views even though there are many, many reasons that I have felt a pull to this particular ministry.

Any thoughts, suggestions, similar stories?

Thanks!

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posted by Unknown at 12:11 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 18 comments
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A Room of One's Own - Week 4
As we wrap up this month's discussion of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, I want to turn to the question of expectations and costs. Woolf constantly seeks to understand what exactly it is society (popular opinion) expects from women. It is easier to understand why women are the way they are if one understands the constraints on who they are allowed to be. She quotes a common opinion on what was suitable for women writers - "female novelists should only aspire to excellence by courageously acknowledging the limitations of their sex." While she was shocked that such a statement came from 1928 and not 1828, it is one we still hear today.

In the church especially we are used to there being certain expectations and limitations for women. Even when the church or group is egalitarian, those assumptions regarding what is suitable still exist. Often if a woman writes a book it is assumed to be a book for women, even if the spiritual themes are broader than that. I've come to expect that if there is women present in a line up of conference speakers I can almost guarantee that she will be speaking on social work in urban settings, AIDS in Africa, or overcoming sexual abuse, eating disorders, or being a lesbian and not anything strictly theological or from the Bible. Not that most of those things are bad topics, just that they are "acceptable" topics for women to address.

Yet to move beyond those expectations comes at a cost. Woolf presents an interesting perspective -
Moreover, in a hundred years, I thought, reaching my own doorstep, women will have ceased to be the protected sex. Logically they will take part in all the activities and exertions that were once denied them. The nursemaid will heave coal. The shopwoman will drive an engine. All assumptions founded on the facts observed when women were the protected sex will have disappeared—as, for example (here a squad of soldiers marched down the street), that women and clergymen and gardeners live longer than other people. Remove that protection, expose them to the same exertions and activities, make them soldiers and sailors and engine–drivers and dock labourers, and will not women die off so much younger, so much quicker, than men that one will say, ‘I saw a woman to–day’, as one used to say, ‘I saw an aeroplane’. Anything may happen when womanhood has ceased to be a protected occupation, I thought, opening the door.

Much has been said of the costs of women finding equality. Lifestyles and family structures have changed and often women are made to bear the full guilt of the vicissitudes of those changes. Women and men have had to make sacrifices and surrender their pride. Women have been maligned and ridiculed. We have been accused of seeking power when all we want is to be ourselves. We still in the church are subject to harsh criticisms, asked to be quiet (in the name of unity of course), and told our passions are unimportant. Pushing expectations comes at a cost.

So I ask. What expectations do you see in play? How can they be challenged? What costs have you had to pay? Are the costs worth it?

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posted by Julie at 4:13 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 4 comments
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Theology beyond experience
In my ministry / relational interactions . . ." on the street" research lately I have been running into a lot more wafer thin theology among devote Christians. (Like if you poke a stick at it, (MAYBE) it could collapse like a bubble gum bubble.) For instance, one guy... I'll call him Bazooka Joe, explained that experience precedes (or overshadows) theology. For his faith walk with Jesus this is the deal. No distinction could be made for anybody's experience in a spiritual sense, good or bad. He didn't want to determine what that was, b/c who's to say? It becomes individual, if not almost arbitrary to sort that out, he seemed to think.

I thought about this, but then something didn't seem to quite fit, so we interacted a bit him more. When I asked him about his conversion from atheism, and if that experience would then have more weight, he admitted, logically it couldn't, of course, based on what he said, and what he believed to be accurate about experience.
So experience is. . .well, not like Theology.

How does Theology fit into experience, and experience into Theology?
or for you, does one inform the other?
how?
discuss. . . .
: )

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posted by LisaColónDeLay at 5:25 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 32 comments
Monday, February 11, 2008
Emergent = White Males?
Josh Brown, whose blog I really enjoy, has just started a new series addressing common critiques of Emergent. I'm looking forward to all the questions he will be addressing, but today's is of particular interest (especially since he talks about Emerging Women). The critique he addresses (and disagrees with) is - Emergent is just a bunch of white guys sitting around talking theology. So I encourage the group here to head over there, read Josh's thoughts, and contribute your $.02 (whatever your take on the issue). Have fun.

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posted by Julie at 11:10 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 2 comments
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Upcoming at Emerging Women
So we have passed the holidays and from what I have heard many of us are still in recovery mode. I know things have been slow around here recently as life has taken priority over cyberdiscussions, but I hope that we can gain momentum and jump back into more conversations soon. As the last year drew to an end some of you gave your opinions on things you would like to see here at Emerging Women which I want to mention today.

Gatherings
I hope that the small gatherings can continue around the country to help women connect with each other. This is up to you guys to instigate and so far they have been great successes.

The Northwest Emerging Women have their Convergence gathering in February which I highly recommend anyone to attend (I had an amazing time last year). Other gathering are still in the works but no concrete plans are set as of yet.

Interviews
But one suggestion that I want to institute as soon as possible is that of hearing the stories of Emerging Women from around the world. The idea would be to collect interviews from women we admire who are out there making a difference. I'm not talking just about "famous" women, but any women we can learn from and by inspired by. I am envisioning simple email interviews that will be posted here in multiple installments. And while I think it would be great to hear stories from all sorts of women, I would like to limit it (at first at least) to women who are connected in some way (however small) to the emerging church. We so rarely get to hear the stories of these women and I would love to bring the presence of women in this conversation into greater focus.

So what I am asking from you all here are three things -
1. Who would you like to hear from? Name whoever you want.
2. What sort of basic questions would you like asked of these women?
3. And are you willing to contact the people you know and conduct the interview? (we can work out details later)

I am excited about this and can't wait to start hearing the stories of these women.


Book Discussions

And I know we are a bit behind in announcing the upcoming selections for our Tuesday Book Club discussion, but here is the list for the next few months. We have chosen somewhat lighter fare from a diversity of perspectives and all selections are available at the Emerging Women Resource Store. Once again we are looking for volunteers to lead select weeks of the discussions. If you are interested, leave a comment or email emergingwomen@gmail.com. I look forward to exploring these books with you all here.

February - Forever and Ever, Amen: Becoming a Nun in the Sixties by Sister Karol Jackowski

March - A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

April - The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

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posted by Julie at 1:10 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 6 comments
Thursday, November 01, 2007
50 Ways To Encourage a Woman Leader
I've been seeing way too many comments here and elsewhere about how hard it is to find women who are willing to lead in various emerging church contexts--by speaking up front, writing articles, writing books, or otherwise getting their voice out into the public sphere. I'm particularly disturbed by comments by men along the lines of, "I would love to have more women involved in leading (insert project here), but every women I asked turned me down!"

There's something not right in this picture. I know so many brilliant women involved in the emerging church in various forms--women who have a lot to say, women who have a unique perspective, women who have leadership qualities in spades. I find myself thinking that if these women turn down a chance to speak or write or lead in some other way, then the project must not be worth doing. But then I take a deep breath and try to remember that for all sorts of reasons, women's leadership is not as easy as it should be--in the church and outside of it.

So, let's take to heart Mother Jone's advice: "Don't mourn, organize." Let's create a list of 50 ways to encourage a woman leader. (Notice that I didn't say, "encourage a woman to lead"!) I'll start and please add more ideas in our comments.

1. Include women's voices and perspectives from the beginning. Don't plan the event, outline the book, organize the tour, and THEN try to find a woman or two to add diversity. The entire project might look different if women are involved from the get-go, and it might be more appealing to women leaders.

2. Don't just include one woman--include ten. No one likes to be a token.

3. Ask a woman leader what she would like to write about, speak about, sing about, make art about, and then make room for her to do that. Don't just come to her with an idea about what you'd like her to say.

4. Invite women to tell their story as leaders (to you, or to everyone). If a woman isn't claiming and celebrating her own leadership abilities, listen to her story and notice out loud the ways in which she has already been leading. Thank her.

5. Introduce the women leaders you know to each other. Too often, women leaders are isolated within their own churches or networks. Women do a tremendous job encouraging each other to step up to the plate--if only they know each other.

What else??

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posted by Heather Kirk-Davidoff at 8:19 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 21 comments
Monday, October 22, 2007
Why Can't We Say "Yes"
So this question has been bouncing around my head since the Emergent Gathering. At the EW lunch the issue of why there were no women doing any of the upfront stuff at the Gathering arose. This was a serious issues for some of the people who had come to check out this whole emerging thing. When I talked to one of the main event coordinators about that, he told me that it seemed like that whenever he asked a woman to do upfront stuff she declined. I don't know if he was generalizing from one or two experiences, but his conclusion was that women don't want to (or at least have a problem with) leading upfront. And to one extent I agree with him. I don't think that women don't want to have a voice and so therefore shouldn't be asked, but I think there often are issues that stand in the way of women feeling comfortable leading/speaking in front of others. I understand the differences between wanting and not wanted to lead, but often there is something preventing women who want to lead from doing so even when presented with the opportunity.

So what do you think? Is it hard sometimes for women to step to to lead others? Is it fear? Is it lingering baggage from oppressive past experiences? It is lack of experience? Is it a lifetime of being told your voice had no value? What stands in our way and what can we do to help each other overcome that?
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posted by Julie at 10:04 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 11 comments
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
What Pastors Get Paid
So I know there has been a lot put out recently deriding millionaire pastors, but I found this recent study put out by Christianity Today on what us average folks make more relevant. You can read a summary of the study at the Out of Ur blog. But I especially thought this part regarding what female pastors make was interesting -
Female solo pastors earn more than male solo pastors.
Okay, so there aren’t many female solo pastors; in American churches responding to our survey, only six percent of solo pastors are women. Still, it’s intriguing that female solo pastors reported 10.4 percent higher total compensation. Their average salary was 8.6 percent higher than men’s ($49,219 compared to $45,259); and better housing and retirement benefits made up the rest. Why the difference? Why do female solo pastors earn, for total compensation (includes health insurance, retirement, and continuing education), $62,472, when their male counterparts earn $56,558?

My first hypothesis went like this: “Since there are precious few women hired as senior pastors—only 2.5 percent, in our research—women stay in solo pastorates longer, and their longevity leads to higher pay.” But that hypothesis doesn’t hold up: for solo pastors, the number of years served makes next to no difference in pay.

The more-likely explanation is regional. We know that solo pastors receive the highest pay in the New England and Pacific states (not surprisingly, given the higher cost of living in these regions). And these regions probably have the greatest cultural acceptance of women serving as solo pastors. Thus, women solo pastors tend to find work in regions with a high cost of living, and consequently, get a higher salary.

And before we assume that the church runs counter to the still-prevalent cultural practice of paying women less than men for comparable work, women were paid less than men in every other church position surveyed (except for secretary). On average, females earned approximately 80 percent of the compensation of males. Or, in other words, males earned about 30 percent more than females.

I think their explanation (female pastors are more accepted on the coasts which also have a higher cost of living) makes sense. I also wonder if the women who are solo pastors serve in mainline denominations that have established programs for things like health insurance, retirement, as well as sufficient funds to pay pastors a living wage as opposed to the (mostly) men who serve in smaller more conservative churches that have no resources and pay poorly. What are your thoughts or reactions to studies like these?
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posted by Julie at 10:03 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 3 comments
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Tuesday Book Discussion: The Faith Club
by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner.

Each Tuesday this September we'll be discussing themes from The Faith Club, an interfaith journey between three women friends -- a Muslim, a Jew and a Christian. It's an easy, engaging and rich read -- if you're busy, keep it in the car and read at stop lights, or a sneak in a few minutes before bed. If you haven't started yet, come join the conversation and share your reflections and experiences.

The beginning of the learning year is a good time to look out into the world, as well as into our own hearts to discover what it means to understand, appreciate and grow in relation to people, faiths and experiences very different from our comfort zone.

This week I invite you to share your experiences with people from different faiths, both positive, negative and whatever ambiguous feelings lie in the spaces between these poles.

1. When was the first time (if ever) you had a close friendship with someone of a different religious background?

2. On page 28, someone is quoted saying, "'I never liked that word "tolerance." It's too passive. Think about it. To tolerate someone? That doesn't sound very positive. It's not a call to engage and understand someone else. I like the phrase "'mutual appreciation.'"

What do you think of the word "tolerance?" Do you have any alternatives that you find have more to offer?

3. Why is interfaith friendship and conversation important?
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posted by Jemila Kwon at 7:48 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 8 comments
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Real Issues of Women in Ministry
I recently got an email that directed me to this post at Margaret Feinberg's blog. I think she's asking some good questions and wanted to post them here. Join in the conversation here or over at her blog.

Old school: Women wrestling with the issue of whether they should be in ministy.

New school: Women are in ministry and wondering how to do it best.

When I google "Women in ministry" 97% of the articles (yes, that's super scientific :) are on whether or not women should be in ministry. But when I talk to women who are in ministry, that's not what they're asking about. They want to know:

-I'm a single woman in ministry--how do I draw boundaries so my work doesn't become my life?

-I'm one of the few women on staff and sometimes it seems the males don't know how to respond to me. They'll go to lunch but I'm not invited. At times, I feel left out for being a woman, how do I handle it?

-Where can I connect with other women who are assuming similar roles in their churches?

-Where do I find a Godly woman who can mentor me, encourage me and hold me accountable?

-Why does some of the stiffest opposition for doing what I do (whether it's leading small groups, the worship team et) come from other women rather than men?

-Though the senior pastor and board supports me with this leadership role, there are some on staff who aren't as supportive. They won't come out and say it--but it shows up in their comments and attitudes. How can I win their hearts and represent Jesus well in the doors as I respond to the calling on my life?

So what do you think are some of the "real issues" of women in ministry?



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posted by Julie at 9:07 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 9 comments
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Tuesday Book Club - Misquoting Jesus Part 3
Many of us on this blog have wrestled with what the Bible and the church say about the role of women in the church. Ongoing conversations about original intent, redemptive trajectory, translation issues, and historical evidence all play a role in those discussions. For our Tuesday Book Club this week, I want to look at the approach Bart Ehrman brings to this discussion in his book Misquoting Jesus.

Ehrman states that disputes arose regarding the role of women in the early church "precisely because women had a role - often a significant and publicly high profile role." This was one of the main criticisms the pagan early opponents of Christianity leveled against it. But since Paul didn't urge a complete social revolution (equality of the sexes) just as he didn't urge for the abolition of slavery (although he said there is neither slave or free), future generation continued to debate the worth and place of women. This led to the suppression of the role of women in the church altogether.

To Ehrman part of this suppression involved the creation of letters written in Paul's name, but by others with different agendas. Many scholars believe that the book of 1 Timothy with its extreme views of women was one such book. It contradicts Paul's earlier ideas because it is not by Paul and was written later. Similarly as the debates continued scribes made changes to scripture in order to limit the role of women and alter texts that seemed too permissive. Examples include restrictive passages missing in some early manuscripts, the changing of the apostle's female name Junia (a common name) to the unheard of male name Junias (because women couldn't be apostles), and changing texts like "prominent women" to "wives of prominent men."

This approach assumes that yes, those passages as we read them in the scripture are oppressive and restrictive of women. But that textual criticism implies that those passages were not originally written as such but were altered by scribes trying to align scriptures with their own sense of the limited role of women. This is a very different approach from those who assume that the scriptures as we have them are what God intended, but that our sexist prejudices have led to restrictive interpretations. How do you react to these different approaches to the troublesome passages regarding women? Does one approach make more sense to you? What are the problems with either approach and which may be the most helpful to the cause of women?

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posted by Julie at 10:53 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 14 comments
Monday, August 13, 2007
Women in the Emerging Church
In response to some recent conversations, I posted on my blog over the weekend my thoughts on some on the issues women face in the Emerging Church. (read it here). These are just a few of my impressions based on what I have heard. Please add your own thoughts to the conversation there and help clarify our experience in the EC if you want.
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posted by Julie at 11:30 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 9 comments
Saturday, August 11, 2007
New Seminary Subject: Homemaking
New Seminary Subject: Homemaking

By ROSE FRENCH
The Associated Press
Thursday, August 9, 2007; 2:10 PM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary offers coursework in Greek and Hebrew, in archaeology, in the philosophy of religion and _ starting this fall _ in how to cook and sew.

One of the nation's largest Southern Baptist seminaries, the school is introducing a new, women-only academic program in homemaking _ a 23-hour concentration that counts toward a bachelor of arts degree in humanities. The program is aimed at helping establish what Southwestern's president calls biblical family and gender roles.

Coursework will include seven hours of nutrition and meal preparation, seven hours of textile design and "clothing construction," three hours of general homemaking, three hours on "the value of a child," and three hours on the "biblical model for the home and family."

Seminary officials say the main focus of the courses is on hospitality in the home _ teaching women interior design as well as how to sew and cook. Women also study children's spiritual, physical and emotional development.


Click here to read the rest.

----

My first thought? "I want a wife!" ;)

On a more serious note, I'd be much less squicked out by this if female students at that school and in that denomination were able to become pastors. The lack of choice is what really bothers me, not the homemaking courses in and of themselves.

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posted by Lydia at 4:18 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 20 comments
Monday, July 30, 2007
My turn to emerge?
Having lurked for some time now, it's beginning to feel rather rude not to introduce myself. I was ordained 3 years ago in the Church of England, and am working as a curate in a suburban church in Gloucestershire (which you may have heard about in the context of recent floods). My context for ministry is about as traditional as it is possible to be, - and there is lots that is good in that. The world is not made up, solely, of cool urban sophisticates, any more than of the begloved old ladies of Barbara Pym novels...and the church needs to serve both constituencies, and many another in between. I guess I'm very much the sort of hybrid minister called to serve in what ++Rowan Williams calls a "mixed economy church"....and seeing the value of so many different expressions of the church as God's mission in the world.

I realise that Charlton Kings has probably given me an unreal perspective on the opportunities that the parish system still provides, but here certainly I’m regularly in contact with non-church families, who still approach us for rites of passage. This is such a privilege, and I've made some really important connections along the way. My children tease me about the way I seem to enjoy funerals…but truly, the combination of being allowed to share people’s stories and to speak words that might, by the grace of God, make a difference is nothing short of mind blowing.
So in my experience here, the benefits of the parish system still outweigh its drawbacks, and
I’m always surprised and delighted by the amount of free floating good will that seems to exist for the church, and her ministers.

BUT I know too that the connection between what happens within the walls of St M’s, and the lives of hundreds in this community is not just tenuous – it’s non existent.
And I long for all those other people to know directly how much they are loved by God– to feel the difference that Love makes to each and every second of their lives and their eternities….The first time I cycled up to Morning Prayer in church , the Monday after my diaconal ordination, I did so against the tide of children heading to the primary school round the corner. I arrived at the church in tears. We live in a community with many young families but I work in a church whose average age is definitely a few years older than my own. And it hurts so much that we’re not connecting with those many others.
So – OpenHouse (a monthly congregation of families who have no other connection with St M's) was born…and is, I think, making connections with those families whom jargon would describe as “Open un(or de?) churched”…those who’ve some idea of what might happen behind the doors of St M’s…who are prepared to come and see.

But there’s the rub. Come and see.

I love welcoming school-children to St M’s, and many come there to meet the assorted demands of the national curriculum. Certainly there are arguments in favour of taking them to a special place and using the power of an ancient building to enhance our telling of the Best Story Ever…but not if that prevents them from believing it could actually relate to the reality of their lives.
The risk is that clergy and congregations may carry on behaving as if we believe that God is to be uniquely encountered within our churches…and trying as hard as we can to lure people to meet God there…whereas we know that he has “already gone before us into Galilee” ..He’s waiting in the bus queue, taking pleasure in the bounding (and boundless) energy of the dogs being walked on the recreation ground, and the skate boarders in the shopping precinct...
So…I want to be involved in a church that does not just look outwards, but steps out to join in, to bless, celebrate and join in with God’s transforming activity in the world.

I thought a bit about this during Holy Week, and in a response to a comment on my own blog, wrote
“ I do realise that liturgy and buildings are often the problem, I'm not saying they are the whole answer, but I do think that we need a combination of church through relational networks (yuk phrase, but can't think of a better way to put it) and church that is just identifiably there as church.
Of course, you can have buildings without liturgy...or liturgy without buildings....or community without either. I'm a real believer in that famous "mixed economy church" which ++Rowan wants to see...even though the process of being both/and could potentially exhaust everyone.”

Holy Week brought me right up against that, since on the Monday night I was refreshed and inspired by time spent with some prayer installations provided by an emerging faith community in the Lady Chapel of our Cathedral…while on Thursday morning, I was back in that same Lady Chapel with rank on rank of robed clergy preparing to renew our ordination vows at the Chrism Mass. God spoke to me in both services, both situations….I’m excited that I’m part of a church that recognises this will happen.

So…if I were asked to choose between ministry in an inherited and an “emerging” congregation, my answer would have to be “Yes please.”
I want both. My dream church would have as its mission statement something like this
" We exist to demonstrate to ourselves and to our community that everybody is loved and precious to God, and to enable response to that love"
It would not only keep the rumours of God alive, but both live the Gospel and enable others to do so. Enabling others is surely very close to the heart of emerging church....I'm excited to be part of the journey.

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posted by Kathryn at 5:44 AM ¤ Permalink ¤ 3 comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Midwest Emergent Gathering




This past weekend we held the first ever Midwest Emergent Gathering. Basically a few of us who help lead Emergent Cohorts wanted to put on a regional gathering. We invited all the Midwest cohorts and anyone else who was interested and dove into putting on a conference. It was a ton of work, but in the end turned out to be a great experience. We had a fantastic group of people show up and heard from some dynamic speakers. Our keynote speakers included Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Denise Van Eck, Nanette Sawyer, Alise Barrymore, James King and Spencer Burke. If you are interested in hearing what they had to say, the main session talks (and a few others) are all available for download at the Midwest Emergent Gathering Website. And if you are interested, a summary of the whole event has been posted at the conference blog.

It was great to see some of the women who interact on this blog at the conference. We held an informal Emerging Women lunch that was basically a time to share experiences and dream about what we as women would like to see happening in the church. A fairly diverse group of women and men attended to discuss the "role" of women in the emerging church (a problematic concept if there ever was one). One father attended who had become disillusioned with his faith as he watched his daughters leave the faith because of how the church treats women. Other women who come from mainline denominations said they have never had any issues as a woman in the church. Other women there were tired, very tired, of struggling to be accepted at all. There were women there who see no need for a separate "women's group" and others who are desperate for other women they can relate to. Needless to say, we had some rich conversation.

Some of the women shared how they were surprised at how male dominated the conference was. While we had tried to give equal speaking and workshop opportunities to women and men, most of the upfront voices were still male and all of the God talk was male gendered. For women especially from mainline backgrounds, it was a bit shocking to see such an imbalance. It made me realize that even when we deliberately planned for more gender equality, the male voice still dominated. No wonder it has been hard for women to see themselves represented in the emerging church. What will it take for women to be fully recognized and seen as a vital (and needed) presence in this conversation?

Another topic of conversation at the lunch involved the lack of resources (or information about such resources) for emerging women. There are women out there writing books, teaching theology, and giving brilliant talks. They just aren't well known. We discussed some of the reasons why this is the case. Some suggested the mommy factor. Women who have the ability to teach, speak, or write often are never blessed with the time to do so because of family obligations (the men seem to have no problems on the other hand.) Also if women do get books out there, they rarely get the same level of promotion and press as books by they male colleagues do. Hence fewer women know that those resources are out there. And often those resources are coming from mainline and not evangelical publishers, making it difficult for many evangelical (or post-evangelicals) to even know they exist. So as a group we discussed the need to not only encourage and empower women to use their voices, but to also start grassroots movements to promote women whose voices are already out there. To let others know what books have influenced you or given you hope. To let the world know when there is a new book published. That could involve sharing with friends, making a point to blog a review about a book (or even just provide a link), or something as simple as creating lists on Amazon or adding a book to your Facebook or Librarything bookshelf. Grassroots means that women get behind other women to help let their collective voices be heard. What are other ideas people here have?

To help with that sharing of information, we highlighted a few of the books women who were at the lunch had written. I wanted to share those here as well. Many of you may have already read Ivy Beckwith's Postmodern Children's Ministry. I found it to be a fantastic introduction to postmodernism and a great help for reimagining children's ministry. We also highlighted upcoming books from Beth Booram (The Wide Open Spaces of God, Sept. 2007) and Nanette Sawyer (Hospitality the Sacred Art, Oct. 2007). I look forward to reading those and hope to post more about them in the future.

In all, I thought the conversation was helpful. It pushed us to think about the effects the roles the church (even emerging churches) have given to women (and we have accepted) have on people's faith and desire to be involved. I realized that we need to always be aware of whether or not all people feel welcomed and included. I saw also the need to be doing whatever we can to help women find, use, and promote their voice. And that doing so does not necessarily have to involve fighting for equality (although that is often also needed), but engaging in love and hospitality. It means encouraging and supporting each other - be that by reading each other's books and blogs, by giving moral support, or watching a friend's kids so she has a quiet moment to write.

So thank you to all who attended for a good conversation.
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posted by Julie at 4:49 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 0 comments
Friday, June 15, 2007
Introduction to Sensuous Wife
Please hear my delight! So glad to be here in this company of women. I'll say a bit to introduce myself. Hi, I'm Sensuous Wife. I started my blog sensuouswife.blogspot.com because I needed a place to put some stuff while it was fresh from my heart and without everything I write having to wait ages for the whole query letter>agent>book deal process. That waiting game has been a real character-builder lemme tell you! I just wanted to get some of my stuff OUT THERE for my own emotional health (can you say need an outlet?) and because I sincerely believe that what Jesus has done in my life is good and that other women could be encouraged by my journey. What I didn't anticipate was this. I thought I was starting this blog to help uptight Christian girls like me to loosen up and enjoy their husbands. And I think that is happening. What I didn't anticipate was God giving me opportunities to befriend women who are expressing their sexuality online in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable. There are so many refused spouses displaying their nude womanhood online hoping someone will find them appealing. Jesus allowed me to see the invisible sign hanging around everyone's neck that says "validate me" and my heart just broke. Because there but for the grace of God go I. And I remembered something I heard in a sermon yeaarrrs ago which was "evangelism is like one homeless person telling another homeless person where to get a good meal" So I've been befriending women and being overwhelmed again with gratitude for all God has brought me out of. And I don't believe I'm the only woman whose heart and sexuality Jesus wants to heal. Do you?

So here's the emerging part. The more healed and free and happy and alive I got over the course of years, the less welcome I felt at my church. Marginalized, patronized, benched, whatever you want to call it. Which just boggled my mind. Like why would they want to hide or silence Exhibit G of the grace of God triumphing over so much abuse and pain? So we left. Delighted Husband and I are a few weeks in to our search for a new church home. And we're really asking God to lead us because we (my Delighted Husband and I) so want to offer our hearts to love others and offer what Jesus has done in our own lives and our marriage, and we also really want to be fed relevant teaching and be able to lose ourself in worship. Tall order? I know. But we think it's worth waiting for. So yeah, I'm emerging. :) So I tap tap tapped on the window, and Julie smiled and welcomed me in. So hi everybody! -SW

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posted by Sensuous Wife at 3:30 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 14 comments
Monday, June 04, 2007
Faith in a Dress
Faith in a Dress- Announcing a fantastic new collection of reviews, articles and poems written by women (including a few Emerging Women).

Pam Hogeweide and Erin Word put in a lot of time and hard work to edit and produce this collection of writing by women. Some of the selections are part of the June issue of Porpoise Diving Life, but all of them are included on the brand new blog Faith in a Dress where the writing is listed by title or author. I'm excited about this offering of women's voices. Gathering the women and learning from their experience is a necessary and blessed event. Thanks to Pam and Erin for their efforts!

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posted by Julie at 2:55 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 2 comments
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Hot Off the Press
This just in from Erin Word (aka Lily) and Pam Hogeweide ... an opportunity to write about our experiences as women for women and men. It's short notice, but this looks like a great time to pull something out that we may done previously and give it a new shine. ~ Sonja ~

Women are emerging from the shadows of ministry, busting through the stained-glass ceiling and taking a sledgehammer to old stereotypes. Here's a chance for you to have a voice - would you like to be heard?

Hi, I'm Erin Word (you might know me as Lily), and I have a blog called Decompressing Faith. Let me introduce you to my friend Pam Hogeweide, who writes for Off-The-Map and has a blog called How God Messed Up My Religion. We are the June, 2007 guest editors for The Porpoise Diving Life, a widely read ezine which focuses on issues of church and faith.

Our theme for this issue: "Progress: Faith in a Dress"

Deadline: This project landed in our laps on Friday, May 18th, and all submissions must reach us by midnight pacific time Monday, May 28 for consideration. A tight deadline, but let's go for it!

What we are looking for: Submissions from emerging and missional Christian women. Free, out-of-the-box thinkers. Alternative expressions of faith. Wild and crazy, postmodern approaches to theology. Church misfits. Women on the edge. Stained-glass-ceiling rule-breakers. Diverse perspectives are entirely welcome! If you identify with any of those statements, we want to hear from you! Poetry, prose, fiction...you name it, we'll read it. We also are looking for book and music reviews, if that is more your style.

Anything you submit must be your own original work: It may have been published elsewhere (like on your blog, for instance) and we will still consider it, as long as it is not under copyright. There are no strict word-count parameters; we are aiming for a maximum of 1000 words. We also ask that all submissions be written by women and in English.

Here are some ideas to start with: these are not meant to be strictly adhered to, only to help get you thinking - any other ideas you have are quite welcome. Also, some of the questions refer to your "ministry". The word "ministry" here is whatever it means to you: your home, your family and friends, your workplace, your neighborhood, your church, the homeless, pagans, minorities, foreigners...however you see it to be in your life.
  • Can women lead men?
  • Are women effective leaders and thinkers in the body of Christ?
  • What is the place for social minorities in Christianity?
  • What does emerging or missional work look like in your life?
  • How do you see gender equality in matters of faith?
  • What do you see as the primary role of the Church?
  • What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about women in ministry?
  • What are the greatest gifts women bring to ministry?
  • Who are some of your emerging/missional women heroes?
  • How do you perceive your mission field and how do you reach it?
  • What have some of your struggles been as a woman of faith?
  • How do you see women in ministry changing over the next 25 years?
  • How has your expression of or role in the church changed or grown in the last 5 years?
  • How has your theology changed in the last 5 years?
  • How has your theology changed in the last 5 years?
Please include with each submission: the title of your submission as you would like it to appear, your full name, e-mail address, and blog or website url (if applicable). Please also indicate to us if you would like your e-mail address and/or url to be published with your submission. This is an opt-in only: if you don't specifically tell us to include your e-mail or url in the publication, we won't.

One more thing: we are compiling a list of books, blogs and resources which support the concept of gender equality and in support of women in all levels of Christian leadership and ministry. If you have any ideas, be sure to pass them along!


Pam Hogeweide
Erin Word

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posted by Sonja Andrews at 12:28 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 4 comments