Female Leaders: They're Fantastic!

I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. – Romans 16:1-5

Today’s Reading: Psalms 97-99; Romans 16

At the end of Romans Paul starts giving shout outs to random folks in the church. I’ve always found these chapters to be fascinating as they reveal to me hints about how the early church worked. In these shout outs he leads off by giving all kinds of props to women. In fact a third of all the shout outs are to women.

The women must have been holding it down jack!

When I look at the passages above it is clear to see that women held important leadership positions in the church. The church at Rome was told to assist Phoebe in whatever business she had need of them. The Romans were told to greet the church in the home of Priscilla and Aquila.

Paul clearly viewed these women as powerful assets to the church and as people worthy of authority.

So what happened? How come so few of our churches are led by women? What happened to this very visible presence of female leadership in our community?

Sure, there are many women who are pastors and leaders in churches. I am not trying to pretend that female leadership does not exist at all, but at the same time let’s not front here. Don’t Paul’s shout outs indicate a role of leadership for women that for a LONG time disappeared in the church?

I think so.

I’m no Church historian so I can’t break down exactly why this may have happened. I’m sure it is some mixture of age old sexism, pulling out individual passages in the text to substantiate said sexism, and many other factors that have led to the perpetuation of our male dominating society.

But one thing is clear… women are clearly as capable of leadership as men are. Holding women back from these positions is not only wrong, but also detrimental any organization, entity, or society that chooses to do so. According to the World Bank “societies that discriminate by gender tend to experience less rapid economic growth and poverty reduction than societies that treat males and females more equally.”

Must this not also be true for churches and other religious institutions? Wouldn’t it be more efficient, not to mention just and right, to utilize 100% of the potential human resources rather than roughly half?

Some might say that men hold the majority of the leadership positions because that is precisely what the people want. They would rather follow a man than a woman.

That’s hogwash.

This is a paradigm that can and needs to be broken. I can’t wait to see what the church will look like when women are granted the leadership roles they deserve. I imagine that so much of what we hold true about our faith would be changed by this shift. By becoming more loving and accepting of women we will naturally become more capable of loving and accepting others as well.

So I just want to take a moment to thank Phoebe for all that she did some two thousand years ago. Her life is a reminder that we have a lot to learn when it comes to how we view women in our communities.

Let’s continue to grow and learn by acknowledging everyone’s potential to contribute to the good of all. 

Hold The Bacon

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. – Romans 14:14-15

Today’s Reading: Psalms 89-90; Romans 14

At the beginning of this long journey I wrote a post about one of Jesus’ parables. The lesson was that it isn’t what goes in us that makes us unclean but what comes out of us from our heart.

Clearly food choice has always been an issue of extreme importance.

But here is a flip side. Well, really it’s not a flip side but it is another perspective on loving your neighbor.

Paul is writing to the church in Rome about various things, but one of those things is a divide amongst the people about where they get their meat. Some folks in the congregation were eating food that others thought was unclean. Paul responded to the crisis by saying that food doesn’t make anyone unclean but why do something around a friend that will cause them spiritual hardship?

This kind of thing happens all of the time. Do you know someone who struggles with addiction? Perhaps they are working on self control in some aspect of their lives. Maybe they love the “drank” or love to gamble. Maybe they are like me and they love terribly terrific fast food.

I remember when I was fasting one of my friends was eating some GOOD food in front of me. He was like, hey man… I know you want some.

And I did… I did oh so very much.

So mean he was! I look back on it and laugh because it was funny; but I have seen the same thing happen in situations where the stakes are much higher. I’ve been in clubs and bars where friends are trying to bait one in their group into drinking more than they want. I’ve seen relationships where the one spouse who is trying to exercise and get healthy is being tempted with horrible food by the other spouse who resents their desire to change. I have friends who have had to cut off old “friends” because those folks kept tempting them to return to the lifestyle that they were trying to grow out of.

I think we have all done this to a certain degree. Often times it isn’t malicious. We have seen our friend be so good with their diet that we think they deserve a Carl’s Jr break. Or we feel sorry for them and think that they deserve a nice stiff drink as a reward for their long standing sobriety. After all what’s the harm? We can handle it so why can’t they?

Well sometimes they can’t. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Those around us may or may not share in them. It is important to be aware of that, to be sensitive to the effect we are having on those around us.

This is what love is. Love is thinking about others before ourselves. Sometimes we have to forbear something we want for a short time to accommodate the challenges of those we love.

And that is ok. It is called being considerate.

How considerate are you? I bet not as much as you think. Think about it. 

The Ultimate Teamwork

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Romans 12: 3-5

Today’s Reading: Psalms 84-86; Romans 12

When I was younger I had visions of changing the world.

Even as a child I sensed that there were so many things wrong. As I grew up and learned more about what was happening around me I realized that I had a very privileged childhood. I had parents who loved me and friends who cared for me. I was getting a good, private education in a city with a  public school system that was one of the worst in the nation. I was healthy and I never once wondered where my next meal would come from.

So many people don’t have it so good and I wanted to change that. When I got to college and studied abroad in Brazil I saw that the problem was way bigger than I ever imagined it.

This really troubled me. How was I supposed to fix everything that was wrong in the world? I spent many sleepless nights trying to figure it out.

How foolish was that!?

Ok… foolish may be the wrong word but there is something very arrogant about it. Taking on that burden presupposed that I could possibly be equal to the task. I know now how absurd that is.

No one person can change the world. But there is something that each and every one of us can do. We can do our part. And if we all do our part we can work as a team to change the world.

That’s what I get from the passage above. For some of us, doing our part is going to school and studying so that we have the best chance possible to make a difference in the future. For others it is smiling at the strangers we encounter in life. Perhaps it is that smile that sparks a stranger to do something that really makes a difference. Or perhaps you are that stranger. Perhaps you are the one who has the silver bullet that will tackle one of the major problems of our time.

But regardless of your role, no one is better than anyone else. Every single task is important. Every person is valuable. Sure, if we don’t step up to our specific task then maybe someone else will do it, but that creates a burden that is too heavy for another to carry.

We are each built for our own purpose, not to fulfill our own and the next man’s.

If there is one thing that you remember long after you read these words I want it to be this.  We must all do our part. Whenever you get that feeling inside or that little voice tells you to do the unthinkably loving action that you never would do on your own, do it. When you feel the burning fire of an unrealized dream burning deep within your soul, do it. If you see a stranger on the street and feel moved to smile and say hello, do it.

It is in these moments of spontaneous love that our purpose manifest right before our eyes.

Seize the day! Do it now before the sun sets.

And for everything that is out of your control, don’t worry about it. You can only do what you can do. Leave the rest up to someone else on the team. 

Why I Am A Christian

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says,“Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” – Romans 10:8-13

Today’s Reading: Psalms 77-78; Romans 10

Yesterday I talked about why I believe in God… I spoke about how I see God in everything no matter how bad things get. There is always something that I can look to that provides me with evidence of God’s love, purpose and existence.

Coincidentally (if you believe in coincidences) we have come across one of those key verses of Christianity: Romans 10:9-10. It’s one that is often quoted. Whether or not you are a Christian you have probably heard it:

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There is a deeper meaning here that the casual reader may not see. For the past few chapters Paul has been setting up these verses. He has talked about the imperfection of human beings and how we cannot live up to the standard of any laws. No matter how hard we try we cannot be perfect. And as the rules dictate, everyone must pay a cost for the mistakes we make. Then he talks about how Jesus came to be that payment, the perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices.

But what is the underlying theme here? What is compelling about all this spiritual mumbo jumbo?

For me it is Grace.

Grace, in this sense, is defined as unmerited favor. It is the notion that one can receive something and not deserve it.

I too believe that I am not perfect and that there is no possible way I can achieve perfection on my own. I also believe that God is perfect. So, how can I possibly connect with something that is perfect?

I imagine it like having a glass of pure, clean water. That is God. That is perfection. And imperfection is like a drop of red dye. No matter how small the drop it will corrupt the entire glass. If any imperfection is to come into contact with perfection then what was once perfect will be rendered imperfect.

So how do I connect with God, be “at one” with God, when I am the one bringing the imperfection? I cannot do it through my actions because I can never hope to be perfect. What qualifies me? What makes me special?

Nothing at all of my doing…

But what’s’ interesting about the Jesus story is that He claims to have bridged the gap. Through His life and death and rising again he paid the price of imperfection and became that bridge that I can cross to reach God.

Ok fine Clarence. You just inundated me with all these ridiculous fairytales. So go on, why is it important to you to believe this stuff?

Well for me, my faith represents taking a step across that bridge. Sure I am imperfect and God is perfect. And sure the whole Jesus thing may be this bridge that connects the two; but if I don’t take the leap of faith then I will never cross that bridge.

I can never get to where I want to go if I don’t first take the steps necessary to get there.

So that’s what it is for me in a nutshell. I know that I am imperfect. I believe that God is perfect. And for me, my faith in Jesus is what bridges that gap. This faith is the firm ground that I can walk on as I embark on the path of the purpose for my life.

With each leap of faith I take one step closer to God, and one step closer to the man that I am becoming.

We Will Not Lose

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:37-39

Today’s Reading: Psalms 70-71; Romans 8:22-39

I love this. Paul is so absolutely ride or die with his faith. This is one of those spiritual pep talk scriptures for Christians.

But there is an important thing to remember here. The part of this passage that hits me the hardest is “through Him who loved us.”

Paul lists off all of these things that seem to be more powerful than us: death, life, angels, principalities, powers. Against these things we are to be more than conquerors. We shall persevere through the trials of the present and the future. There is nothing that can separate us from God and what God has for us to do.

But this statement isn’t a statement of one’s own power. It is a statement of what we can do when we connect with the love of God. That’s what “through Him who loved us” means to me. When we tap into that love that goes beyond human understanding then nothing can stand in our way.

Proof of this for me is the example that I always go back to; the Civil Rights Movement. It must have seemed so strange when black folks in the south and their allies from various cultural backgrounds resisted the violent policies of Jim Crow intimidation with peaceful measures. I remember learning about it as a kid and thinking that it was crazy.

But I get it now. As King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

It takes a love beyond my understanding to live like this; and for me, that love can only come from my connection to God.

It has not only been helpful in the extreme environment of social struggle but it can be helpful for all of us in our day to day lives. The same love that was required to turn the other cheek during the sit-ins is what powers our forgiveness of those who have wronged us. It is what allows us to take another chance on love when we have been hurt in the past. It is what allows us to reach out and help those in our lives who take more than they give.

The power of love cannot be defeated in and of itself. It only yields when we have lost our faith, when we have lost the courage to get up, carry on, and continue on love’s journey.

If we don’t give up then we will never lose. 

The Power of Kanye West

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. – Romans 7:14-15

Today’s Reading: Psalms 66-67; Romans 7

I recently had lunch with two inspiring fellows, Jim and Joe. We were talking about all kinds of things related to our spirituality but there were two things from our time together that jumped out at me when I read the words above.

The first was a conversation that centered on hypocrites. They asked me how I came to where I am spiritually. I explained how some people who claim to be “Christian” are the same folks who seemed to be doing so much ill in this world. I had to understand how these people could claim faith in the same God that I believe in but act so contrary to what I believe. So, I dove back into the Bible for answers.

As we discussed this idea further Jim said something like this:

It is the hypocrites that are the courageous ones.

Wow.

Shortly after the meal was over we walked back toward my car. Jim bid Joe and I farewell and we were left to our own one on one conversation. We started talking about Hip-Hop and artists that we like and Joe brought up Kanye West. He said that one of the things he likes about Kanye is his honesty. Kanye discusses some Christian values in his songs but in a way that shows his struggle with them. And he does it for the whole world to see.

Kanye is one of my favorite artists today and someone that I actually look up to. These two exchanges are the reason why.

It takes courage to stand up and speak out for what you believe in.

Regardless of one’s particular faith, most of us have certain core concepts of decency that are shared across the board. We say that we believe in the golden rule: treat others the way we want to be treated. But even in this seemingly simple task all of us fail. We all have our moments where we fall short of this and the other standards we hold ourselves to.

This is why I am so impressed by those brave individuals who are outspoken about their beliefs. They speak candidly about the way they feel the world should be, knowing that they too cannot live up to their standard all of the time.

When they fall we trample upon them. We terrorize them with words of judgment and ridicule. We call them hypocrites for saying one thing and acting another way.

But aren’t we all hypocrites? Yes, we are.

It’s just that the majority of us don’t have the courage to step out in front of the world and loudly proclaim what we believe. And even fewer of us have the strength and courage to stand back up after we have fallen, after the world responds to our shortcomings and failures with slander and disdain.

Kanye is not perfect nor has he ever claimed to be. But the power of Kanye West is in his faithful courage. It is in his fearlessness to stand in front of all of us and speak his truth. It is in his audacity to stand back up again after he has fallen and proclaim his truth again and again.

Like many of his fans I am encouraged by his journey. I wish him the best and hope that he has the strength to maintain the courage he has shown us over the years.

I am rooting for him. I hope that you are too. 

A Spiritual Gangsta

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Today’s Reading: Psalms 60-62; Romans 5

I was at my Dad’s church recently and he was preaching on faith. Now I’ve heard him speak on faith countless times but he always finds a way of dropping a new nugget of knowledge in there that I hadn’t heard before.

This time he was talking about some examples from his life where his faith has grown. Oftentimes it is in the overcoming of trials and tribulations that our faith grows because these times are opportunities for us to see the miracles that God works in our lives. So as he finished up several stories he said something that slapped me in the face. It was something like this:

“So now when something bad happens or I experience a set back I laugh because I know that I will be blessed.”

Huh?

It was as if he almost looks forward to the trials in his life. I kinda understood what he was saying but I couldn’t identify with it AT ALL. It didn’t make an ounce of sense to me but somehow if felt right. When I observed the contrast of these two feelings (on the one hand thinking he was totally bonkers, and on the other thinking that he was right) I realized that he’s just at another level that I haven’t reached yet.

Then I read the passage above.

He was speaking from a place of faith that I aspire to, but is totally foreign to me. How much more miraculous is life when we can see through the trials and find the blessings within them?

I think that I am getting better with this. I’ve experienced some trials recently and illogically felt a sense of peace about them. Perhaps when I see how God gets me through them I will reach that higher level of spiritual gangsta.

Stay tuned… we shall see.