Tag: church change

Why Not Women? (Romans 16:1-16)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year ALeave a comment

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

Greet, also, the church that meets at their house.

Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.

Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.

Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.

Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the churches of Christ send greetings. (Romans 16:1-16, NIV)

The reason we have the “Captain Obvious” people in our lives, is that they simply point out something that is right under our noses we might miss. I’m playing the role of Captain Obvious. In today’s New Testament lesson are a group of women. Paul names, greets, thanks, and encourages several church leaders, and they are not all men:

  1. Phoebe is a deacon. She’s actually the representative who was sent to take Paul’s letter to the church at Rome and read it to the congregation.
  2. Priscilla is co-equal with her husband Aquila. Together they co-pastored a house church. She helped teach and mentor Apollos in Corinth.
  3. Mary
  4. Junia is an apostle. Paul states that she’s outstanding amongst them, of which also he is one.
  5. Tryphena and Tryphosa
  6. Persis is a dear friend of Paul.
  7. Julia

In the earliest church, within the New Testament Scriptures, women are mentioned as serving in every sort of capacity. And yet, women are the greatest and largest untapped resource in the church today.  

You might wonder why I would say such a thing, being that more women attend church than men. However, still in this day and age – removed 2,000 years from the biblical text – the reality for many churches around the world is that only men can hold positions of authority.  

The reasoning goes something like this: “The Bible says women can’t serve over men, so women can’t hold those positions.” Really?

So, a woman can serve as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, can be elected as governor of a state, and can manage men on a factory floor, but that same woman cannot serve as an elder in many churches? I once asked a pastor that very question, and he answered with “Yes, because the Bible says so.”

I guess he never read Romans 16.

If you are of the belief that a church office is based on gender instead of the calling and gifting of the Spirit, then, methinks, it behooves us to ask these questions of the biblical text:

  • If women are not to exercise authority over men in the church, how do we account for actual women leaders in the Bible, such as Deborah, Huldah, Philip’s daughters, Priscilla’s role in Apollos’ life, not to mention the list of women leaders in Romans 16?  If our impulse is to say that these are exceptions because there were no men to “step up,” then what does that say about our theology? Is God not big enough to find a man to put into a position of leadership?
  • If we insist that women ought not to teach and be silent based on Paul’s letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 3:11-15) then why do we ignore Paul’s instruction that women are to publicly prophecy and pray? (1 Corinthians 11:5; Acts 21:9)
  • Doesn’t the prominence of women in the ministry of Jesus and Paul suggest something different than just having women tag along to teach children?
  • Just when does a boy become too old for a woman to legitimately teach him?  If women can’t teach men, why in the world would we ever think that they are the best teachers for boys?
  • How can we apply Galatians 3:26-28 (there is no male or female in Christ)? Are women the exception?
  • Does the Reformation doctrine of the priesthood of all believers only apply to men?  Doesn’t the absence of women in church leadership go against this?
  • Isn’t it weird and confusing that women have an equal vote in congregational decisions, even when a male leader is being elected and/or disciplined, when they aren’t supposed to exercise authority?

I could go on, but I think you get the picture; the absence of women in leadership is problematic, at best. It’s a problem because there are actually women leaders in the Bible. So, here is my unabashed, dogmatic, and biblical belief:  

All individuals are equally created in God’s image, and, therefore, have equal worth, privilege, and opportunity in Christ’s Church without any limitation, including gender.

In some churches and Christian denominations today, there are far too many wonderful Christian women who are exhausted and depressed because they are trying to live up to a certain expectation of being someone they are not. They suppress their gifts and calling because they believe they must prop-up the fragile male egos around them.  

They aren’t free to serve in leadership positions; and it’s eating them from the inside-out. These women think there is something wrong with them, but the reality is that there is something wrong with the whole system of male-only authority. And, what’s more, we are missing out on the blessing of God. It is high time we value all women, even those with gifts of leadership, by allowing them to serve without limitation.

I have a wife and three daughters. All of them are more intelligent, more gifted, and better leaders than me, the lone family male. To have them using their superior talents in the church by leading and serving is the least threatening thing to me on this earth. I love it that they can outdo me; it is my joy!  

Even more than that, I believe it is Christ’s joy, as well. We must be proactive in cultivating and nurturing the gifts and calling we see in women. They don’t need to be put in their place; instead, the good-old-boy system of the church needs to be put in its place so that men are practicing a leadership that sacrifices on behalf of making women’s leadership a priority.

Lord God, bless all women who daily strive to bring peace to their communities, their homes and their hearts. Give them strength to continue to turn swords into ploughshares. We pray for all women who face prejudice, inequality and gender disparities. Help us to see and to face the discrimination against women in all the many forms it may take.

Forgive all women and men who let differences breed hate and discrimination. Let your example of valuing all of creation help us to see that we are equal partners in the stewardship of your world. Help us to see the strength and goodness in all women and men. Amen.

Inclusion vs. Exclusion (Acts 15:1-21)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

“‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,
that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’—
    things known from long ago.

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (New International Version)

The Council of Jerusalem, by Franz Mayer of Munich, 1883

What happens when new people come into a group who are different? How does any church or faith community deal with long time members alongside new ones? Is there a way to work through differences without becoming like the Borg, trying to make others to be just like me? (“Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile.”)

Differences of thought, opinion, and practice are inevitable. Conflict cannot (and should not) always be avoided. Anyplace there’s people, conflict eventually happens. Put a bunch of sinners together in one place (like in a church), add a few grumpy old people, a few know-it-alls, then sit back and watch the fireworks. 

It seems to me that every church is about one or two good fights away from being non-existent. It’s a miracle that more congregations don’t call it quits every year, especially after their annual congregational meetings! I myself have a long resume of handling ornery folks, family squabbles, and cantankerous curmudgeons that could make your head swim – or just get you downright angry.

What is the source of conflict among you? What is the source of your disputes? Don’t they come from your cravings that are at war in your own lives? You long for something you don’t have, so you commit murder. You are jealous for something you can’t get, so you struggle and fight. You don’t have because you don’t ask. You ask and don’t have because you ask with evil intentions, to waste it on your own cravings. (James 4:1-3, CEB)      

Within the church there are expectations, whether they are reasonable or not. If those expectations are not fulfilled, people feel unfulfilled. So, they look to put unnecessary burdens on those entering the faith – to make them pay their dues by observing rules that they themselves aren’t even able to keep.

Conflict begins with some kind of desire. If unmet, it becomes a demand. And demanding something usually leads to judging other people. After all, if you really care about me and my group, you will meet these demands (desires). If left unchecked and unresolved, the progression ends in trying to punish others by simply withdrawing from a relationship with the intent of hurting another.

A focus on reaching out, on rebuilding and restoring lives, puts our efforts where they need to be – and puts us on the same page together, acting out of a sense of purpose, not preservation.

Today’s New Testament lesson deals with the conflict and debate surrounding gentile inclusion into the family of God. The success of Paul’s missionary journeys in reaching non-Jewish peoples and establishing churches, created tension as to whether these new believers ought to become Jewish in order to be Christian.

This question was at the heart of why the Council at Jerusalem was convened. Those who believed that Gentiles need to become Jews, demanded that the they be circumcised and observe the Law of Moses. Others, including Paul and Barnabas, believed that sort of thinking and approach was contrary to the gospel.

The Apostle Peter was there and gave his own experience of observing God work among Cornelius, a Gentile. Peter’s story was more than personal testimony; it was a powerful theological argument about what God was doing and what God is up to with all people, not just the Jews.

Peter’s story demonstrated that God (and not Paul or anybody else) is responsible for including Gentiles among God’s people without making them Jewish. It was God who called and cleansed Gentiles – making no distinction between them and Jews.

People are justified and made right by God’s grace, and not by human judgments of who can be in or out. The upshot of the whole thing is this: We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, both Jew and Gentile. Period.

The only thing needed from Gentiles is to believe, because salvation is an act of God’s grace, and not the result of human effort.

What’s more, the inclusion of non-Jewish persons as the people of God is nothing new; it has always been there in the Old Testament Scriptures. And they were never called to become just like Jews in order to be the people of God. (Amos 9:11-12)

This is instructive for all contemporary faith communities. Our mission is not to make followers of me or you or of a particular faith tradition, but to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Grace brings us in, grace keeps us in, and grace will lead us home.

Our focus is to be on openness, connection, and inclusion, and not in seeking to be closed-minded and closed-hearted – separating from those different from us and practicing exclusion. The following ways may be helpful in fostering a more generous gospel:

Talk less, listen more. Don’t interrupt. Do give focused attention. Use respectful language. Ask how others prefer to be addressed and how they refer to themselves. Asking is a sign of care and respect for the person you are talking to, and is also a way to help them feel safe and comfortable.

Be open. Don’t stereotype. One person doesn’t represent an entire group of people. There are different Christian traditions throughout the world. And there are also different traditions and ways within all major religions, as well as within all people groups, institutions, organizations, communities, races, ethnicities, and genders. Seek to learn, rather than superimpose what you think onto someone else.

Become self-aware. Understand that, although all persons are created in the image of God and are equal before the Lord, there is not equity in human organizations and systems. Being aware of our own privileges is a crucial first step to adopting a more inclusive attitude.

Stay curious. To remain curious means to seek people and situations that allow us to challenge (both in a positive and negative way) our beliefs and our cultural and personal patterns of thinking, worshiping, working, and living.

Generally speaking, exclusion creates conflict, whereas inclusion gives space for others to explore and discover what it means to live into their faith and spirituality.

Loving Lord, give us strength so that we can build places of belonging: To create a community for all to share their gifts, to know that each of us is loved, to help us to see the light of Christ in all that we serve. Help us remember that each of us is loved and important. Amen.

Never a Dull Moment (Acts 28:1-10)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year ALeave a comment
Miracle of St. Paul on the Island of Malta, by David Teniers, c.1620

Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. (New International Version)

There never seemed to be a dull moment in the life of the Apostle Paul. Throughout his life, he experienced all sorts of extreme circumstances, having survived as if he had the nine lives of a cat.

Once, when in the town of Lystra, Paul had such an impact on the people through his gift of healing, that the crowd believed he must be one of the gods; and they tried to worship him. But when Paul resisted, and a rival group from another town came along and turned the crowd, Paul was stoned and left for dead by the very people who tried to venerate him. (Acts 14:8-20)

So, it’s almost as if today’s New Testament lesson was just another day at the office for the Apostle Paul. After a suspenseful sea voyage, and then the wreck of a Roman prison ship, the drama of Paul’s life just kept going.

One minute, the people on the island in which Paul was shipwrecked were convinced that he’s a murderer, and the next minute they’re ready to assign him as a god. Nobody I’ve ever known can elicit such opposite reactions in such a short period of time – more than once. But that’s our Apostle Paul for you.

Circumstances are circumstances. But the way in which we interpret them is another thing. Take, for instance, the word “change.” For some, change is a wonderful word which brings thoughts of healing and hope. For others, change is a dirty word to be resisted, conjuring up feelings of fear and anxiety.

For one group, never-a-dull-moment is exciting and adventurous. For another group, never-a-dull-moment is nerve wracking and to be avoided at all costs.

Opposite reactions of a group of people comes from the different perspectives of change they see. It isn’t helpful to talk about who is right and who is wrong; the real trick is in how we choose to look at a thing.

I had only one grandparent when I was growing up. My Grandma was seventy-nine years old when I was born, and she lived to be ninety-seven. Even though I always knew her as an old lady, she had a lot of spunk in all ninety-five pounds of her. 

She had an old wooden cutting board in her kitchen. I’m not sure how old it was, but it was likely purchased from Methuselah’s Kitchen Outlet. It was cracked and falling apart. The board had deep furrows in it from the thousands of cuts made on it. Grandma liked her cutting board.

For Mother’s Day one year, my Dad bought her a nice brand new cutting board. And what did my Grandma do?  She put the new board in the back of her cupboard and continued using her nasty old cutting board. 

Whenever my Mom or sisters were in her house and helped her in the kitchen, they were not about to touch that old board; the thing was a bacteria trap. But Grandma didn’t care about bacteria or that it was falling apart. 

My Dad asked her why she did not use her new cutting board. She simply answered, “Oh, it’s much too nice to use.” But we all knew that was Grandma’s way of saying that she liked her nasty old cutting board, didn’t think it was all that bad, and wasn’t getting rid of it.

It seems we all have a bit of Grandma in us, bless her stubborn old heart. We like the way they do things, and really don’t see what another person sees. We don’t see that no one else has an emotional attachment to our cutting board. Sometimes we don’t realize how overwhelming and even intimidating our ways can be for someone else. 

Just imagine being in a new place with people you don’t know. Are you nervous? Does it help to have someone you know bring you and introduce you to people? Is it beneficial to have someone let you know what is happening and what is going on? 

Many years ago, I remember walking into a beautiful new church building, sitting down, and seeing a huge old pulpit that was literally falling apart. Since I’ve been around a lot of churches, I quickly discerned it was likely the old pulpit from the old church building. And, I discovered, it was. But, honestly, I had zero emotional attachment to that pulpit, and it was a distraction because it just looked like a big old ratty collar on a new puppy.

The point is this: Our view of change – whether to do it, or not, to embrace or resist – must be motivated by a solid set of values and a worthy purpose.

Paul put up with a lot, experienced a lot, and never had a dull moment. And he did it without bellyaching. That’s because he was continually focused on his ultimate purpose and values.

Our purpose, like Paul’s, is the Great Commission, to make disciples. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Our values, likewise, are the Great Commandment, to love God and neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Since our purpose is disciple-making, then we are always to make decisions based upon that standard. Since our values are loving others, then we always know how to go about our purpose.

If any faith community is helping people grow spiritually, then there is no need to change. But if a Christian community has not seen a person come to faith in Christ in the last year, that’s a significant reason to change. If a church has not seen anyone come to Christ in the last five years, then that church is eating meat prepared on a cutting board full of bacteria, and it’s making everyone sick.

Have we taken the old cutting board for granted, and just expect other people to use it if they are in our kitchen? Or do we have a vision, a motivation, and a driving desire to see all sorts of people find new life in Jesus Christ? 

If you don’t like empty seats, or the way things are, then the biblical solution is to change – specifically to change practices, speech, and daily behavior to reach others with the good news of grace. Change, or the lack thereof, for any other reason, is a bad reason to change.

Just so you know, after about a year of sitting in my Grandma’s cupboard, my Dad took out the new cutting board, put it on the kitchen counter and threw away the old board. 

It was about time. Never a dull moment with Grandma around.

Gracious God, we thank you that in love and mercy, you reached out to us. When we were dead in our sins, you sent Jesus to die in our place. Thank you that he humbled himself, even to death on a cross. And thank you that you have a heart that seeks the lost. 

Merciful Lord, please give us hearts that care for people in darkness. Teach us to care for them as you do. Thank you for including us in the mission of reaching other people for your name. Grow us to care for humanity, for the people who haven’t yet come to know and trust in you. Amen.

Why Did Jesus Come? (Matthew 9:14-17)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Exploring Church Ministry Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (New International Version)

The late Abigail Van Buren, better known in her day as the columnist, “Dear Abby,” was the person who made famous the phrase, “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum of saints.”

We occasionally need words like Dear Abby’s that are reminders of why Christians and Churches exist in the first place. The Church does not remain on this earth solely for its own benefit, any more than a hospital exists for the benefit of doctors or insurance companies. 

The Church exists to extend the mission of Jesus through proclamation of the gospel, the good news of forgiveness and new life in Christ. The Church calls people who are ensnared, entrapped, and in bondage to guilt and shame, and who need the restorative touch of grace. 

Our calling is not to find out what others can do for us (e.g. tithing and attendance) but what we can do for others. That’s why we are the continuing presence of Jesus on this earth as the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

Even though I am a church pastor, it is not my church. The church is not your church. It is Christ’s Church and we are to act in accordance with that truth.

Some of you reading this blog post are unhealthy. Some of you are sick with sin; some are heart-sick; others are just plain sick and tired of being sick and tired. Jesus (nor me!) is not looking to heap on you a load of expectations and guilt for things you are not doing; but instead is pointing you to the source of healing and change and inviting you to admit your need and come to him. 

Conversely, you may be healthy, spiritually alive and well. Therefore, it’s your job to roll up your sleeves and serve, to participate fully in the mission of Jesus for the church and the world.

Why did Jesus come? 

Jesus came to set up a new structure that could embrace his mission of bringing new life to people.

Christ used the occasion of John’s disciples asking him about fasting to communicate that his mission of reaching people through mercy and forgiveness will need a significant structural change. 

The two illustrations Jesus used – cloth and wineskins – is to simply point out that old and new wineskins are incompatible; and old and new pieces of cloth don’t go together. I would put it this way: You don’t put a new collar on a dead dog.

The Lord Jesus didn’t come to this earth just to perpetuate the status quo; he didn’t enter this world through the incarnation to simply dress up the Jewish religion, or to make a few minor adjustments to what already is going on. No! Christ came to change the old and do something new so that his mission could go forward through us.

We need a structural system which can accommodate the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

The entire sacrificial system and ritual laws of the Old Testament were only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings – external regulations applying until the time of the new order.(Hebrews 9:10)

Christ is the one who arranges a new covenant, so that those who have been called by God may receive the eternal blessings that God has promised. This can be done because there has been a death which sets people free from the wrongs they did while the first covenant was in effect. (Hebrews 9:15, GNT)

Jesus canceled the first covenant in order to put the second into effect; the old is obsolete and has served it’s purpose. Now, Christ’s new covenant is in effect – a system big enough to hold the mission of the Church. (Hebrews 8:13; 10:9)

I wonder:

  • Is there anything in your life or in your church that is obsolete?
  • Is there a practice, ministry, system, or structure that is ineffective and not contributing to the mission that Jesus has for us in reaching others? 
  • Are there any dead dogs you keep trying to prop up on its legs?
  • Are you focused on what is important to Jesus? Do you know what’s important to him?
  • Do you keep performing the same rituals over and over because that is what you’ve always done?
  • What needs to change in your life to accommodate the mission of Jesus?

If the mission of Jesus is to occur we must develop:

  1. A relationship with Jesus. Engaging in spiritual disciplines of prayer, giving, fasting, reading and meditating on Scripture, are activities that put us in a position to know Christ better and respond to what is important to him.
  2. Relationships with each other that are not superficial but help one another to grow in Christ. We need to hold one another accountable for how the mission of Jesus is being accomplished, or not.
  3. Relationships with those outside of the church. This world is filled with sick, needy, hurting, lonely, unhealthy people who are stuck. They need a major change of life that can come from Jesus working through his followers. 

May it be so. Soli Deo Gloria.