Attitude adjustment

I was at a meeting of women about a year ago. A female pastor was giving a talk, and she mentioned an experience that she had had preaching. After the talk was over, one of the women at my table said, "She said she was a minister. Does she preach? I've never heard of such a thing."

I guess my table-mate doesn't get out much, but even so, I was surprised by her comment.

This week, someone said to me, "It's surprising that they hired a woman for that job." MY job. The situation didn't allow me to laugh at the time, although I did later.

Ken Ramsey told a story about a time that he was preaching at a revival in southern WV. He met a man who had become a faithful attender at the church where they were. The following conversation occurred (as near as I can reconstruct it):

Ken: So you must like the preaching here.
Man: Don't believe in women preachers.
Ken: What?
Man: I don't believe in women preachers. But she's here, and she's preaching, and it's good, so I've been studying on it.
Ken: And?
Man: I still don't believe in women preachers. But I've decided that God does, so I'm working on adjusting my attitude.

In all things in life, when we decide that our attitude and God's attitude don't align, or we willing to adjust our own attitude to bring it in line with God's? How stubborn are we? How stubborn am I?

Just in case you missed it, the United Methodist church in Africa has just elected its first female bishop, Rev. Joaquina Nhanala of Mozambique. How's that for an attitude adjustment to be celebrated?

Image: Labyrinth at St. Mark's UMC