47

By Steve

Tue, 21 Aug 2018
  • 1032 reads
3 comments
 

I'm James Lee, and I just turned 47. There's my wife Joan and my two lovely kids. They are trying to make me smile. No matter how I try, I can't smile. Recently, some rather disappointing things have happened. For years, I dedicated myself to Grace Church. I helped build the actual church. I helped the reverend out when he first came to Grace. I felt that my actual flesh was on Grace church itself. But now, there is a terrible argument tearing the church apart. The congregation is arguing about whether a woman could be a reverend of the church. I was absolutely against the idea. 

I have no problems with women working. I have no problems with women doing the many things that men do, but I cannot stand the idea of women becoming reverends. I know this sounds chauvinist, but I do not believe that women can be as spiritual as man. Women are bound by nature.

The congregation decided against me. It was humiliating. It was clear that I did not matter.

 

 

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Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

There seems to be so much emotion on this issue. The issue isn't whether women can be as spiritual as men, clearly they can, but there are differences in role. It is clear in the New Testament that men and women are equal in the sight of God, but are to work together with their different abilities (also, every man, every woman has variety of gift from each other too), but there is still a general difference, which is why leadership in the church is to be male, but supported (as in marriage) by the multitudinous gifts, wisdom, kindness, back-up, input by all the women as well as the other men. God's Word is there to guide us, but we panic sometimes when it's clear meaning is distorted. And sometimes have a selfish desire to be doing a job to which we are not suited, instead of that to which we are!

That said, where there are few men willing to take on the leadership, sometimes women have felt they have to step in for the time being, but must beware getting authoritarian! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Steve on

The narrator is a Baptist. In Baptist churches, you hardly see any women in leadership positions.

 

James Lee is going through a mid-life life crisis during the Metoo movement and he feels very disempowered by women.

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on