Taking a Stand

Ritter Park on Saturday

Facebook is an odd addition to our social routines in our country.  Through this new medium, I can find out about the kidney stones of a person with whom I am "friends," but don't really know, and how his urologist is going to treat them.  Through Facebook, I can be reminded of birthdays, and add to the birthday celebration of friends far away or close by -- and, yes, all of those fun birthday wishes do add to the joy of the day.  Through Facebook, I can keep in touch with distant friends, I can hear news, I can see friends wearing funny glasses and carrying rubber chickens -- well, just one friend.  It's a strange mix.

Yesterday and today, Facebook opened up a different world for me.  A young woman I only know because I served on the Emmaus team when she was a pilgrim, posted an announcement.  She didn't want to start an argument or debate the issue, but she was announcing that she is called to be a pastor, and that she was pursuing credentials to follow her calling.  GREAT!

Except, it seems, it is not great.  Not for some who read her post.  Most people were very supportive, but others were not.  One person told her that she and those who encouraged her (including me, since I had posted my own support) have walked away from God's Word to serve "a god we really didn't want to know."  Her mother commented that while she loved her daughter, her daughter was wrong, and she did not approve of her decision.

We'll ignore the issue of a mother posting her opinion of her daughter's life decision of Facebook for the moment.

I know there are people who believe that it is wrong for a woman to preach.  I know there are people who believe that it is not biblical for a woman to teach men, to speak in church, to follow her calling from God to use her gifts in ministry. I know this is how some people believe.

I wonder if we stand up often enough to tell these people that they are wrong.  I wonder if we say often enough that their interpretation of the Bible is incorrect.  I wonder if we take enough of a stand against this kind of bigotry so that those who believe this way might challenge themselves to grow beyond this twisting of God's Word.
I wonder if by saying it more often we could somehow change this young woman's reality so that when she says, "I am called to be a pastor," she wouldn't feel as if she were revealing a deep secret that was going to be met with not only disapproval but also questions about her faith.

I am called to preach, to teach, to speak in church and to use my gifts to spread the Word of God.  While I have chosen to do this through the path of lay ministry, I stand with this young woman.  I am grateful to belong to a church (and a family) that supports my call.  May it also be so for this young woman.