Here are a few of the great posts from Emerging Women around the web this past week Enjoy!
Kathy reflects on the struggle to make the church a welcoming place for all.
Betsy writes on becoming a locavore.
Sally ponders the significance of Mary in her faith.
Jan comments on the recent Pew report on church affiliation.
and Erika Haub has some thoughts on the purpose and effectiveness of typical church outreach.
Well, one problem with being a book lover and the mom of a toddler is that books suddenly disappear when you are about use them, and so this post isn’t going to have any quotes. I hope if you’ve had a chance to dip into the book you’ve found some gems of your own, and please feel free to share any that inspire you!
In the latter part of the book, Karol talks about the breakup of the old order, with its imposition of sameness, at the cost of individuality and the voices of the sisters. She describes the crisis of community that occurred when after years of oppression, the freedom to dissent suddenly arose, causing the foundations of friendship, sisterhood and solidarity to be shaken, and the cost both of that oppression, and the pain of its lifting after being normative for so long.
1. Where is your community at in the process of valuing the voicing of its members, even when it means the loss of uniformity?
2. What is your community doing or not doing to foster an environment where people are/feel loved and safe enough to stretch beyond comfort zones to include the Other, even when the other is the person in the next seat or pew?
3. Describe a time you took a risk and voiced a dissenting opinion about theology, community or spiritual life? What was it like?
4. Describe a time you did not voice a dissenting a opinion, but felt one? What was it like?
5. Describe a time when someone else’s dissenting opinion felt threatening to you? What was it like?
6. What is your heart’s urgent prayer for the church/God’s people?
This week for our round-up we are presented with a number of hard questions and serious topics. I encourage you to check you what these blogging Emerging Women have written. As always please send links to any posts you think should be included in this weekly round-up to emergingwomen (at) gmail (dot) com. Enjoy.
Shayne reflects on serving as a wounded healer in her role as hospital chaplain as the NIU victims arrived.
Jemila writes on scapegoats and atonement.
Heather wonders about the spiritual discipline of deep rest.
H.W. asks some good questions about men and women working together in the church.
Kathy gives her thoughts on church leadership and co-pastoring.
and I write about loving Jesus with my mind.
Family News in Focus (WCRH, The Compass, Pointing Hearts to Christ) featured an article yesterday on the increase of gambling addictions among women over the last 20 years. The article attributed the rise to the greater economic and social independence gained by women during that same time frame.
“In the push towards equality, women have not found a way to shed some of the more destructive traits of power and independence,” noted Steve Jordahl, the journalist. He concluded the article with, “You’ve come a long way, baby.”
In lamenting the loss of the paternalistic structures which fostered economic and social inequalities, Jordahl is, in one sarcastic sentence, employing the power-based tactic of derision and diversion. Derisive comments set the conditions for discussion by establishing the person delivering the dismissal as one who has the authority to do so. A cool head can parry that blow by ignoring it. The diversion is tougher: Where does one begin when the opening gambit attacks the very foundation of your stance?
Jordahl’s insult equates past history of social and economic injustice and inequality with Godliness, and paternalistic protectionism with success. His gloating over the fact that given the chance, women will falter at the same rate as men, seems a far call from Godliness. His solution—keep women safe by removing their access to social and economic equality—shows a fundamental lack of respect for the ability of men and women alike to function in ways that move each other toward deeper spiritual growth.
We left church to get away from outdated, inflexible, fear-based dictums on WHO God is and WHAT God demands of us. I tune into this (formerly?) moderate Christian radio station now and then just to touch base. Yikes. If this is where mainstream Christianity is, I’m checking out of that, too.
I’ve started the new (to me) spiritual discipline of lectio divina for personal spiritual formation in conjunction with a project related to grad school, and it made made realize how my spiritual disciplines are awfully mundane now that I’ve been introduced to so many throughout the church’s 2000 year of history of them.
I wanted to see what are your favorite spiritual disciplines?
(If your interested in learning more— Tony Jones wrote an AWESOME, down to earth, and helpful book/handbook I’ve been enjoying called “The Scared Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life”.)
Which ones do you practice or enjoy?
One of the main themes that emerges in this book is the issue of blind obedience. We have suffered so much for being/not being blindly obedient to our churches, to theologies, to authorities who come in the name of God, be they spiritual or political. I love Sister Karol’s voice because she offers a third way: that of sensing the voice of God in our authorities and in ourselves, our peers and those whom we influence as authorities.
Karol Jackowski writes,
“It’s not that I didn’t believe sister Beatrice’s [her superior] voice was the of God — I did. But I also believed that we too speak with the voice of God, and listening to what we had to say was an important part of being obedient.” (p 149)
And,
“Nothing is more deadly to the holy spirit of community that silencing the divine voice of i
ts members, because it’s then that we silence the voice of God.” (p150)
1. What has been your experience with blind obedience?
A. Are you by nature a white sheep who tends to follow blindly, even to the slaughter?
B. Are you a black sheep who tends to buck anything that smells faintly like authority?
2. What ideas do you have for how we can listen to the voice of God in all people? What practices and methods of discernment help root you and your community, if you have on, in the Spirit as you seek to listen to the voice of God in authority, in yourself and in all who travel side by side or in your care on the path?
To what extent is the Emerging/Emergent church endorsing Barak Obama as the Democratic candidate for this year’s election in the U.S.?
I’ve heard some Christians (who do not label themselves as Emergent/Emerging) say that they’ve seen a lot of this lately. I can’t say that I have, but maybe that’s because I don’t read most of the official Emerging blogs? Have you noticed this trend? If so, what do you think of it?
