***For starters this isn’t usually the type of thing I blog about. However, I’ve found myself so enthralled with recent goings on at the Church I once attended that I had to write.
I would love for comments to be added and shares to be made.
I should also say that due to a severe eye condition, right now the only screen I can type on is my cell phone. Please try to excuse any spelling/grammar errors, as text to speech and I have a complicated relationship. Do not confuse my literal blindness with ignorance.
I will also preface this by saying I have never once identified as a feminist. If I get to board a life boat first and leave a bank robbery with the kids, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. However, I believe feminism was and is a strong movement. ***
Ok…let’s see if I can make this phone work.
I would love for comments to be added and shares to be made.
I should also say that due to a severe eye condition, right now the only screen I can type on is my cell phone. Please try to excuse any spelling/grammar errors, as text to speech and I have a complicated relationship. Do not confuse my literal blindness with ignorance.
I will also preface this by saying I have never once identified as a feminist. If I get to board a life boat first and leave a bank robbery with the kids, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. However, I believe feminism was and is a strong movement. ***
Ok…let’s see if I can make this phone work.
The church I once attended has gone through a great upheaval. I no longer worship there, and I have not been there recreationally in some time. (Recreationally meaning, not an obligatory wedding, christening, or confirmation.) In fact I’ve only seen its internal structure crumble through dramatics no less than Gossip Girl worthy.
I suppose it should be noted this Church is Lutheran. I will define Lutheranism as a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian. Luther began his teachings on this Christianity around 1517 A.D.
But it is a new day. They are looking for a new Pastor, and in the interim put in place is a sort of substitute Pastor. For the purpose of this I will call him Pastor M. Troubling things I’ve heard of Pastor M. No sex scandal, he doesn’t steal out of the collection plate. In fact he’s doing something much more disturbing. He’s excluding women from the church he is currently babysitting for two months. It began by excluding a youth minister from the Confirmation of the students she taught for two years. A bright, kind and strong woman who, despite upheaval, took the teachings of the God she worshipped and sang his praises. Why was she ditched? Simple answer…she’s a girl.
Simply overhearing this news I shook my head. She should have fought harder; she should have stood her ground. However, that can be difficult to do in a new setting. Especially upon finding out…she would have been standing alone.
The next week, I was curious. A love of theology and general ridiculousness pushed me to seek out a copy of the sermon. Easy enough. I skimmed it (this guy could RANT) and my jaw dropped.
I suppose it should be noted this Church is Lutheran. I will define Lutheranism as a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian. Luther began his teachings on this Christianity around 1517 A.D.
But it is a new day. They are looking for a new Pastor, and in the interim put in place is a sort of substitute Pastor. For the purpose of this I will call him Pastor M. Troubling things I’ve heard of Pastor M. No sex scandal, he doesn’t steal out of the collection plate. In fact he’s doing something much more disturbing. He’s excluding women from the church he is currently babysitting for two months. It began by excluding a youth minister from the Confirmation of the students she taught for two years. A bright, kind and strong woman who, despite upheaval, took the teachings of the God she worshipped and sang his praises. Why was she ditched? Simple answer…she’s a girl.
Simply overhearing this news I shook my head. She should have fought harder; she should have stood her ground. However, that can be difficult to do in a new setting. Especially upon finding out…she would have been standing alone.
The next week, I was curious. A love of theology and general ridiculousness pushed me to seek out a copy of the sermon. Easy enough. I skimmed it (this guy could RANT) and my jaw dropped.
Of course this is a snippet from an entire sermon. The entire sermon would have included the real Pastor’s name so I did not post the entire thing. However, if there is a desire to read it, I will make it available.
They say there are 5 stages of Grief, first is Denial. I stood there speechless. Was he serious? A woman is supposed to sit next to her man and look pretty? All because God so mucked up Adam that he needed a do-over and she was second?
My grief quickly turned to stage 2. Anger. I’ve been lingering there about a week.
Here is the thing Pastor M. Unless you bring me a note from Jesus himself, that book you’re quoting is about as real to me as Harry Potter. It was written by men. Decades to hundreds of years after Jesus was hanging out with Prostitutes and Lepers. Yeah…remember them?
Pastor M. I can hit you with Bible quotes all day. The Bible sir is not an ala carte situation.
For instance I saw your Facebook, and the one’s of those you’ve friended along the way.
I think it’s a shame that most of them will be struck down by wrath due to that BBQ:
It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (Leviticus 3:17 KJB)
This next one is gonna be awwwkward:
Those adorable kids in your Facebook photo’s…I hope it was nice knowing them.
Since it looks like not only did you cut their hair:
Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. (Leviticus 9:27)
But honestly…they looked a bit unkempt while playing:
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the LORD will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the LORD has destroyed by fire. (Leviticus 10:6)
Now it seems a little ridiculous right. The good book has some pretty BAD ideas on dealing with bed head and you’re going to completely phase out every female in a congregation on the same note.
I wish you’d reconsider your bigoted and choosy inclinations when it comes to the Bible. I wish you’d understand the impact it makes on anyone to be silenced and singled out. I’ve known women whose whole life was serving God and living his word. I’ve known women who considered the support of fellow congregants a life saving entity…literally. Diminishing women won’t win you a Penthouse after passing those pearly gates. For as my sister so wonderfully put it, “Jesus wouldn’t even be here without the devotion and love of a religious woman.” You have to admit…Mary had moxy.
I recently learned that your wife is pregnant. In that moment, I stopped what I was doing and did say a small prayer. (Quite rare for me.) I prayed that you and your wife are blessed with a healthy and beautiful baby boy. I will admit my first instinct was to say, give them a girl God, let him see how bright, clever and overwhelmingly important she will be.
But I’ve seen how the slightest breeze of condescension can steal a little girls thunder. I have seen little girls forced to wear tutu’s instead of the Batman cape, because what girl could save a city let alone herself. I don’t want that to happen to another little girl. So instead I hope that the soul of the fearless and the freedom filled angel girl is bestowed to a Father who will treasure her for her gifts, her stubbornness and her open mind. That this angel girl be given a father who not only stands up for her rights, but teaches her to stand up for herself. A father who helps her to create a Batman-Ballerina Halloween costume, because she values the ideals of both. Every child deserves that type of unconditional love.
To be taught that in the eyes of God they are no less important than the moon and stars…let alone boys.
There are so many battles going on in the world Pastor M.
Why would you ever fight with half an army?
My grief quickly turned to stage 2. Anger. I’ve been lingering there about a week.
Here is the thing Pastor M. Unless you bring me a note from Jesus himself, that book you’re quoting is about as real to me as Harry Potter. It was written by men. Decades to hundreds of years after Jesus was hanging out with Prostitutes and Lepers. Yeah…remember them?
Pastor M. I can hit you with Bible quotes all day. The Bible sir is not an ala carte situation.
For instance I saw your Facebook, and the one’s of those you’ve friended along the way.
I think it’s a shame that most of them will be struck down by wrath due to that BBQ:
It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (Leviticus 3:17 KJB)
This next one is gonna be awwwkward:
Those adorable kids in your Facebook photo’s…I hope it was nice knowing them.
Since it looks like not only did you cut their hair:
Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. (Leviticus 9:27)
But honestly…they looked a bit unkempt while playing:
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the LORD will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the LORD has destroyed by fire. (Leviticus 10:6)
Now it seems a little ridiculous right. The good book has some pretty BAD ideas on dealing with bed head and you’re going to completely phase out every female in a congregation on the same note.
I wish you’d reconsider your bigoted and choosy inclinations when it comes to the Bible. I wish you’d understand the impact it makes on anyone to be silenced and singled out. I’ve known women whose whole life was serving God and living his word. I’ve known women who considered the support of fellow congregants a life saving entity…literally. Diminishing women won’t win you a Penthouse after passing those pearly gates. For as my sister so wonderfully put it, “Jesus wouldn’t even be here without the devotion and love of a religious woman.” You have to admit…Mary had moxy.
I recently learned that your wife is pregnant. In that moment, I stopped what I was doing and did say a small prayer. (Quite rare for me.) I prayed that you and your wife are blessed with a healthy and beautiful baby boy. I will admit my first instinct was to say, give them a girl God, let him see how bright, clever and overwhelmingly important she will be.
But I’ve seen how the slightest breeze of condescension can steal a little girls thunder. I have seen little girls forced to wear tutu’s instead of the Batman cape, because what girl could save a city let alone herself. I don’t want that to happen to another little girl. So instead I hope that the soul of the fearless and the freedom filled angel girl is bestowed to a Father who will treasure her for her gifts, her stubbornness and her open mind. That this angel girl be given a father who not only stands up for her rights, but teaches her to stand up for herself. A father who helps her to create a Batman-Ballerina Halloween costume, because she values the ideals of both. Every child deserves that type of unconditional love.
To be taught that in the eyes of God they are no less important than the moon and stars…let alone boys.
There are so many battles going on in the world Pastor M.
Why would you ever fight with half an army?
Thanks For Reading!
Jessa
Jessa
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