The World is our Church

Last time I posted I got a little distracted by the current events of the week, and was taken off course from where I originally wanted to head with the Blood Bank concept. There are so many directions I would like to take, so I think I will come back to it often in the way I came back to Elijah.

When I think about the similarities of human existence, and the story of creation, I see so many contradictions in the way we perceive each other in common society. I also see numerous contradictions in the example of leadership that Jesus taught us, and the way we commonly define a leader today. One of the biggest issues I have been feeling called to write about is the idea that the leadership of Jesus was somehow tied to Him being a man, or maybe better stated, tied to Him not being a woman. We truly miss out on the teaching of Christ when constrain Him to the common understanding of masculinity, and we miss out on a wealth of wisdom when we ignore the voice and leadership of women.

When I was thinking about how people attempt to differentiate ourselves from one another I was struck with the difficult idea of our calling. I would guess that some people feel that the calling of women is different than the calling of men. Well ,do I have a surprising thought for you…that is not the truth. There seems to be a lot of discussion about finding our calling, or our purpose in life, but I have an idea that will clear the whole mess up for you. Just like we are all the same, each of us has the SAME calling. That calling is to learn about the love of Jesus and share it with the world. Easy as that.

I always wanted to be the host of Blue’s Clues. I loved it when Steve would ask questions to an audience that didn’t actually exist , and then act like he heard an answer. So that is what I will do here:

How did we learn about the love of Christ?

Through His death and resurrection.

Who was the first person to learn about His resurrection, and share it with others?

Mary Magdalene

To be a little facetious…what sex was Mary Magdalene?

Female

Who decided that women were no longer worthy of being the champions of the good news that God loves us? Why would they make such a decision?

The answer to the first question is the church, not God. The answer two the second is one I cannot be certain of, but I have some ideas. The idea that brings me the most angst is the idea that Jesus was masculine in nature, so the person at the pulpit should be masculine as well. I am going to list 4 words, two commonly masculine characteristics and two commonly feminine characteristics.

Gentle

Strong

Meek

Bold

Generally, people would probably define gentle and meek as feminine, and bold and strong as masculine. Let’s turn to the Bible to see how Paul describes Jesus. 2 Corinthians 10:1, “By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you.” We have a meek, gentle and feminine Savior. If you have heard it preached that Jesus was not meek or gentle, you are among peers, but you should know it is a lie. Now, of course , Jesus was all powerful and came at some situations with great boldness, but that is not at all surprising when we remember that Jesus is God incarnate. If Jesus is God, then it would serve to reason that He too embodies both the male and female attributes of God.

So, again, why have we told women that they are not allowed to pursue the calling of every follower of Christ? I guess the only other answer is sin.

Romans 8:2 says that “through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” The old law has gone, and now the Church, with Satan’s nudge, feels the need to make new laws to suppress the word of God from entering freely into the world. I refuse to allow the Church, or Satan, to put knew shackles on my wrist and ankles. I refuse to allow the Church, or Satan, to guide my faith with manmade rules and regulations that are not in line with the life and teachings of Christ. I refuse to let the Church, or Satan, continue to suppress the voice of any believer of God’s love. Sin has infiltrated the Church by creating new laws to suppress the word of God from entering the world, and I refuse to comply.

Women of God, I have hope for your ministry: Just as laws are manmade so is the pulpit. Jesus didn’t spend a majority of his time behind a pulpit; He spent it out in the world. He wasn’t a member of a particular church, and He wasn’t constrained by any denominational rules. These restraints are all manmade, and sometimes do as much harm as good to the people of the Church. We are all the same in God’s eyes. He has given us all the same calling, to share His love, and the world is our Church.

My desire for my readers is for you to also refuse to let manmade rules to guide your faith. Focus on Christ, and refuse to be shackled to the law of sin. You have been set free and your calling is clear. We are all the same, and we all have the same right to learn about God’s love and share it with the world. Follow that calling, no matter what the Church, or Satan, tells you.