Please read the following and celebrate your union in marriage.
I had a converation with a friend the other day, more an aquaintance really, who asked me what I was doing now that both of the children are in school. When she discovered it involved reading the Bible, she clammed up, her body language changed. She said to me - I've read the Bible - that's why I know I don't agree with it and she walked away. It felt just awful - she has mis-read the Bible - she's a strong woman with her own business and four children. She imagines that God has made her a second class citizen - that her husband should rule over her and that she should exist in all realms - domestic. Women everywhere are finding the message of the gospel polluted by such ideas: ideas that they bring to the text. We need so much education - these fallacies need to be desperately undone so that women can have a relationship with God through his Word because they understand how to read his word as life-giving, so that they understand just how much they are loved by God - that they are co-heirs with men, equal partners in marraige and blessed.
4 comments:
It's a shame that the person you were talking to reacted in that way but never has there been a more contentious subject than religion. For some it heralds nothing but love and affection, takes what can be everyday occurrences and makes them acts of God, for others they will take those same things as "nature" or "something that happens without God's will".
What I think is worth noting is that you are embarking on a journey of discovery, whether the lady in question thinks it is a journey worth taking or not is a matter for her to decide (and maybe relate back to you in a slightly more positive manner). You should be commended in trying to learn more about your chosen field so that maybe later you are able to pass that knowledge to either lesser informed or even mis-informed individuals as this lady may well be.
Everyone has an opinion on something, most people have an opinion on a number of things but religion is something that just about every free (or even restricted) thinking human being holds some kind of thoughts about. It's a shame that your friend's were so close to the surface that the mere mention of your studies brought out such a reaction.
Learn, reflect, distribute and you might just make the world a better place, one person at a time.
Thank you for your encouragements M@. Interesting relections on my situation. It is proving a very interesting journey and of course, I have to include myself in any charge I make about mis-reading the Bible, because I guess we all come to it with our own presuppositions and baggage. Part of my reason for embarking in study is so that I might journey closer towards an understanding of how God wants us to live, the real challenge is then putting all of that knowledge into practice right here, right now. Wow!
Thanks for the shout out, R! :-) My church is very small, and I am about to burst with the longing to preach this sermon series to stadiums filled with people. LOL!
I don't know what to do about it, but I am praying.
I will pray too Singing Owl. Tonight at my house group meeting, we had time for contemplative prayer, asking the spirit to reveal to us something for our encouragement. I really felt in tune and saw rivers and oceans, and strangely, women crying - big salty tears - I had the words - make me an empty vessel Lord so that you can fill me anew - I think that I have to share this with you - it could be that the women are my mum and my sister who both seem to be on separate journeys in search of God but it could be that they are the women who are going to hear your message in the 'stadiums' - anyway - I'll leave the vision with you - I just found it interesting that it was about women crying. I think that there's going to be a lot of spiritual healing for women with tears that will renew them when they hear God loving them so much through your ministry.
Lots of love Rachel
I'll pray for stadiums.
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