I'm remembering a few Novembers ago

 

I remember starting to blog back in the day when it was one of the newest and most fresh ways to get ideas out there. Part of me thinks that I'm about to sound old. "Back when I was a young whipper snapper...." as the saying goes.

I needed a place to put some of the ideas that I was processing in my own life. It serves as a one of those baby steps to communicating what one is passionate about. Through the years, I have used it regularly when I wanted to have a landing place for my writing. Sometimes I write mostly for myself. Sometimes, I write mostly for others. There have been certain seasons when writing here on this blog has been one of the things that saved my life.

Four years ago, I discerned a nudge from the Lord to gather some mostly online resources for those who themselves are sorting through the question about women leading in church. Part of me also wanted to gather these resources so that in one place there could be a 30-day crash course so that others we may know who struggle with the questions could have a safe distanced learning experience.

It was called NO MORE. NO VOICE. NOVEMBER

Now, in this season, I'm excited that I get to do a workshop in partnership with the wonderful folks at the Genesis Justice Network that focuses on my research. I enjoy sharing these stories that I gathered almost a decade ago. Though we have made progress, we as female pastors, still face an uphill battle. There remain people among us who have not wrestled with scripture themselves and come to peace with women leading in church. There remain people among us who have not heard what it is really like to lead as a woman in places where the script that is running in the back of peoples minds is "she should not be doing that!" I would love to share these stories with you and for us to have conversations about how we can work together in making the world and our churches places where women can thrive in serving and leading. You are invited to join us! It's FREE!!!

Winter and Spring are Arm Wrestling

 It snowed on Easter and understandably this makes New Yorkers grumpy. The other day when I was working on writing a sermon, I had such a delightful sunny perch. The barista named Carlie is a chalk artist putting this "note" to winter on the blackboard. She also picked that great "the earth speaks in flowers" mug from which I enjoyed my coffee. I felt a bit like a cat sunning myself in the window.

Flowers bring a delightful aroma. The wind is like a bouquet bringing the sweetness of daffodils, hyacinth, tulips and flowering lilac shrubs into our nostrils and our experience. During these weeks of winter and spring arm wrestling, I'm struck not only with severe seasonal allergies, but also by the "full strength" of how spring comes in other places than here. The crocus flowers are often snowed on several times before spring truly arrives in western New York. 

Considering the different ways that spring comes depending on where you live strikes me as a great comparison with how God is revealed to us in our lives. It is not surprising that for some people there has always been a subtle awareness that there is a God who loves and cares personally for them. There are many others with whom I have conversed who give testimony to God showing up in an explosive pop similar to spring blossoms. This is also not surprising.

Regardless of these varying experiences of God, when we finally come to "know" God in a personal way there is something is unmistakable about it. The fragrance, aroma, smell or whatever you want to call it finally makes its way into every fiber of our being and we are changed by it. The wrestling is over. We are each and all created by God. We are each and all created for a walking and talking interactive life with God.

It is not surprising that God uses us, feeble and weak and imperfect as we are, to reveal the truth to others. In 2 Corinthians 2, one man who was also an imperfect follower of Jesus, Paul, put it like this: "Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation....This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? We stand in Christ's presence when we speak; God looks us in the face. We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can...we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body" (the Message, paraphrase, 2 Corinthians 14ff and 2 Corinthians 4:10).

Is your life speaking the truth to others? Does it have an aroma of authenticity? Does it bring God's perfume of grace, mercy, and love? If you know that you currently do not show this, would you like it to and if so, what is God's invitation in this.

Assignment: take a walk outside somewhere near or in a bed of blooming flowers and talk to God about the fragrance of your life.

 

Pandemic Ponderings, part 1

https://youtu.be/2hvdvsEn7KI

I often wonder how many things in our world are shifting. So much seems to be "on thin ice." It could be that these shifts have been happening for a while, but now that a full world-wide pandemic has thrown us all into a chaos, it is impossible to come back from. 

Shifts in my own life, personally and professionally, have opened up so many questions. Pondering such questions can be scary and exhilarating all at the same time. 

This really great short film was part of the 2019-2020 Banff Mountain Film Festival. It captures one of the new (or RENEWED) messages that I heard loud and clear at the beginning of the pandemic. Maybe you also have heard it. It is the message that so many moms have said: "Go Outside!"

"We need to be outside."

 

Every good gift

Over the last month, I have been in New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. I swam in the Atlantic Ocean (again!) 

I have also spent time dog sitting for some friends. These friends, old and new, two legged and four-legged remind me of a simple truth that is worth keepin near to the heart. We all have friends. We all need friends! Treasure the friends in your life. I am counting them as some of the greatest gifts nowadays. 

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows

  



 

Jesus - song lyrics by Rich Mullins

 

Jesus - by Rich Mullins

"Jesus, write me into Your story

whisper it to me

And let me know I'm Yours"

The walls seemed to echo back to us these words penned by Rich Mullins. The story as told in the movie Ragamuffin (available on Prime and other sources for movies) features Rich taping the "demo" version of the Jesus record in an abandoned rural church such as this one. Levanna Community Church is on Levanna Rd. near Aurora, New York on the east side of Cayuga Lake. Folks gather about once a month except when it is too cold. The building does not have electricity or indoor plumbing. The dear servant of God who serves as the pastor of the congregation gave us all the details as we visited with her.

The saints of every generation need to have their identity as the people of God whispered to them. The world needs more ragamuffin saints such as Rich and this pastor to live as salt and light...to help us all see how Jesus is indeed writing us into His Story.

Denial and Other Waters, part 3

 Streams, reservoirs, lakes, rivers....these are a few of my favorite things!

As I scroll through pictures to show others a few things from my life over the last couple of years, my response to this picture is "this is me and the St. Lawrence river...the only body of water I didn't swim in on that trip." I know that I will return to that river and swim in it. I have to because, in my very bones now, I am a swimmer. (Disclaimer: this does not mean that I am fast nor does it mean that I can do anything beyond the basic freestyle-crawl move!)

This is a fairly recent development. Until 3 years ago, I would casually swim as a low-impact option for cardio exercise. I didn't crave it and I didn't even really enjoy it until I started swimming outdoors (another aside that I will write more about in the coming weeks and months is that during the pandemic, I became a triathlete!).

Pool swimming was definitely my comfort zone. Growing up in New Mexico, I joke that I had only swam in open water 3 times in my life. "You can't see the bottom!!! Where are the lines? What is that rubbing up against my legs?" So many potential dangers just below the surface of the water.

I am really good at denial. I refuse to admit the truth sometimes. This can work in my favor when I am approaching different waters in which I might want to swim. My aunt Becky joked about becoming shark food as I put on my wet suit on Monday, January 31 for a nice swim in the Atlantic Ocean at the Jacksonville Beach. Sharks are real and there have been shark attacks in those waters. But, no I have to swim in that water! No matter that it is 63 degrees and all the locals have on their snow boots and puffy coats. No matter that it will not be a full mile swim that I am used to. No matter all the potential risks and challenges. I did not "feel" afraid. I told myself that the swimmer in me would be angry if I didn't do what swimmer do....swim! (More on cold exposure in upcoming posts)

Denial does not always work in my favor. Sometimes it is just stupid! Sometimes it is what I do to protect myself from harsh realities with which I just do not want to deal. But if it is true that reality is what you run into when you are wrong, it helps to come face to face with truth even when it hurts.

At the core, though, I am most fundamentally a daughter of the King of the universe. I have been created, redeemed, and given a joyful present and future by God. So many of the labels that we use for ourselves do not get at the core of who we really are. For instance, I may call myself a swimmer nowadays, but what if I injure myself and am no longer able to swim? It is an aspect of my life and something I very much enjoy, but I would not cease to be me if I were not able to swim. 

It could be that some of us at least some of time struggle to anchor our lives in our real identity. I live in denial as a way of remaining in control. Letting go of all the partial definitions of who I am requires a fixed gaze on the true me as seen through the eyes of My Heavenly Father.

I no longer need to swim in the waters of denial if I am "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3) as the apostle Paul writes. In the New Testament, there are 164 times that the words "in Christ" or "Christ in me" are used. I can trust that this is my true identity.  

Denial and Other Waters, part 2

There is no denying that we live where winter abounds!

I have always loved winter and this is what I told people who would go on and on about how dreadful the winters are in western New York. It is true that it takes longer to do everything in the snow. For instance, you have to plan ahead, know how long it takes to put on your snow boots, your multiple layers of clothing which needs to include gloves, hats, scarf. There is some art and science involved in layering! Also, it is important to plan for snow removal before it happens. It is also good to learn and practice winter sports. There are also things to consider when winter starts again after a few sunny days. A long winter can have impact on all of us, not to mention those that suffer from seasonal affective disorder. 

We are adaptable creatures. God made us that way. This means that if we move to the artic north, we learn to love winter. We learn to snowshoe! We practice making the best out of even the winter that lasts too long.

In a similar way, we learn responsive obedience to God by taking small and incremental steps. Now, we are embarking on Lent. It is a season of the Christian year. If you are new to this idea, I recommend you read this great article "What is the Meaning of Lent..." (https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-the-purpose-of-lent.html) 

It is a time when we practice things because we want to grow in intimacy with the Lord. 

To specifically address my denial, these are a few practices that I am going to focus on from now until Easter:

• "confess" more which means that I will be having more frequent conversations with God asking for Him to search me and show me areas of my life where I am prone to get stuck in denial...confession really means "owning our junk."
• "repent" in the company of others, see where I need to listen more, cultivate curiosity, ask for more information, and ask for others to forgive me when I am in the wrong.
• "listening to my body" which means taking care of this most precious gift of God, my body...paying attention to getting enough sleep and rest, experimenting with different ways of exercising so that I steward the gift of my body well.

A Lenten Prayer (St. Ephrem, the Syrian)

O Lord and Master of my life!

Take from me the spirit of laziness, faintheartedness, desire for power, and idle talk.

But give your servant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love.

Yes, Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to unjustly judge my brother (or sister) for you are blessed, now and forever, Amen. 

Denial and other waters, part 1

When I was in my twenties, a mentor of mine said to me, "Denial is not just a river in Egypt!" I'm not sure what our discussion was about, but clearly this person thought that I was not fully acknowledging some important portion of reality. 

Honestly, this year, my fiftieth year of life, I am now ready to acknowledge some things that are true. This post could also be titled, "Dear younger me, learn from Moses already!"

The Nile is a powerful force. The Red Sea is also a powerful force. Denial is also a powerful force. On one hand, denial is a healthy (though temporarily so) mechanism to navigate the stressful situations in which we find ourselves. Denial, like a lot of good things (like winter), must eventually end so that something else, something with more force and more eternal endurance can come.

Moses, Aaron and Miriam hear the Almighty, the God of the universe call them to lead their people out of Egypt. The overwhelming series of events including 10 plagues with the climax being the "saving" of the firstborn babies and the parting of the Red Sea. (For a refresher, read Exodus 1-15 and just for fun watch this clip from the movie The Prince of Egypt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeJSvgq6Dxo)

In Exodus 7:6, it states that Moses is age 80 and Aaron is age 83. For the purposes of keeping this post on the short side, let's decide to take these ages at face value. These folks were not spring chickens. They had some seasoning on their skillets. They knew a thing of two by then. They had learned by lived experience to trust that the Almighty God who had led them to the border of the water would provide a way forward. God did just that.

Moses' words to the people as they are facing the desert and the sea which were both very fierce and powerful forces is a good one for me during this season of transition and uncertainty: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you...the LORD will fight for you; you need only be still" (Exodus 14:13-14).

You may be facing some pretty uncertain times as well. You may be facing some scary things that make you want to live in denial or cower and run away. You may be tempted to think that taking refuge in the past would be safer or at least more comfortable. Yet, perhaps, the Almighty God is inviting you to live facing the scary future with openness to whatever God is doing.

Dear younger me: The way will open before you as you put your confidence in the LORD!     
 

New York Minute

Cassadaga Lakes, in winter

It almost seems passé to write things like:

    "How much has changed since I put these 5 lines on text in the 'draft' folder of this blog?!"

    "Why add words to the blogosphere when so much that is wrong with our world stems from people publishing text that is meaningless, obvious, or malicious?"

    "What things have you learned over the last 2 years of the pandemic and how has it shaped you?"

    

However, I feel prompted to begin blogging again after two years of blog dormancy. 

A few weeks ago, as I was deciding if I really did need to start blogging again, I clicked on the tab to "create a new post" only to discover that I had started a post two years ago only days before the world was turned upside-down. I had intended to write about my experience thus far living in western New York. The picture here and the 5 lines of text surprised me there. I had totally forgotten that I had a draft. It was going to be about the beauty of western New York, maybe especially during the winter, and what my experiences of it had been thus far. Truly, when I was writing two years ago, I had only lived here for a minute...now I have lived here for three minutes.

The themes that I will write about now will reflect ideas and experiences that have been important to me. It will be about my experiences of God in my every day life. There will be plenty of scripture, some encouragement, some prophetic challenges issued to myself and others who crave honesty. There will be illustrations from my own life about how we are all on this adventure of life together, and how healing comes when we allow ourselves to behold God. It is for those of us who need constant reminding (being held) of the extravagant love of God.

(from March 9, 2020)

I remember that I used to dream about living in New York. It was New York City! I used to think that the constant motion of city life was perfectly designed for the kind of life that I wanted.

Now after living in western New York for over a year, I am entertained by that younger me and all of the things that I craved. There is so much on that list that simply does not matter to me now.

New Kingdom of God Adventure

Christmas 2018  

Dear Friends and Family,

As I compose this letter on my birthday, I am thinking about the present that I received from Will. Practically every year I say to him: “This year for my birthday and Christmas would you take me to the Ryman in Nashville to see Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God?” This year during the concert it struck me that the epic story of God extends to us and through us extends to the world. Jesus, who at his birth was Son of God and Son of Man, comes to us and as we welcome His love and reign in our lives, he then sends us out on further adventures of telling everyone we meet that He is worthy!

I appreciate being introduced to artists such as Scott Mulvahill, a talented upright bass (double bass) player with a blues sound and an incredible voice. He was part of the band for the tour and has just released a new album called Himalayas (Please check out his music at www.ScottMulvahill.com or watch the music video for the song on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCz83djGJZA). This cover song is our theme song now as we are at a crossroads in this Kingdom of God adventure.

A little over eight years ago Will received a call to serve at Oakdale Christian Academy here in Kentucky as the director of the capital campaign to help get the new girls’ dorm built. The dorm, rightfully called “The Inn” has been built, Odermann Hall the boys’ dorm has been completely renovated and just recently May Hall a new dining hall was started. I was originally hired as dorm parent for girls and later appointed as the pastor of the Oakdale Free Methodist Church. The Lord has blessed us and Oakdale over these years.

Over the past eight years I have also completed my Doctor of Ministry degree from Northeastern Seminary, served as the president of the Breathitt County Ministerial Association, and saw my doctoral dissertation go from written form to a full length documentary. The documentary, Lived Experience, features the stories of five female pastors. (If you would like to view my work it can be viewed on-line at http://new.fmcusa.org/conversations/lived-experience-of-female-free-methodist-pastors/)

Earlier this year we began feeling like the Lord was preparing us and Oakdale for a change. We left it in the Lord’s capable hands and over the summer and into the fall I was invited to fill the pulpit (preach) at a number of churches in Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, and New York during breaks here at Oakdale. I was blessed to serve these churches who were either without a pastor or whose pastors were on sabbatical. 

In October, I was invited to preach at the Gerry Free Methodist Church, in Gerry, New York. During that weekend I was asked to meet with the pastoral transition team. For reference, Gerry is a small town in south western New York State. It is an hour or so east of Erie, PA and about two hours south of Niagara Falls. After a time of seeking the Lord’s direction I (we) have decided to accept the position of senior pastor at the Gerry Free Methodist Church.

As the anticipation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ was experienced by the people of Israel, and now as we await the coming again of our Savior, Will and I anticipate how the Lord will show up in the next couple of months. We are excited to be part of serving a Mighty God who does great things for all of us as we serve in His kingdom.   

Thank you for your prayers as we make this transition in mid to late February 2019!

Peace,

Roberta (and Will) Mosier-Peterson 

Pastor Roberta Breaks the Instagram

It is embarrassing to admit how ignorant I am about certain things. It took a huge amount of prayerful courage to e-mail a digital native in my congregation and ask for help. I waited till the last possible moment and sent that e-mail to Grace Wilson: "I'm wondering if you could help me with a project I am working on?" She told me she thought I was going to ask her to bake and I enjoy baking so it could be that I just needed an extra set of hands while doing so. The truth is I have never really needed "help" with baking, tie-dying (after that first initial tutorial by Lori), or gardening. These are activities that are more enjoyable with others, but they have never required substantive help.

However, this was a project that required a lot of skills and expertise that I just did not have a month ago. I was going to learn to use twitter, instagram, and hashtags. Galaxies of cyber space have existed now for over ten years and I have been oblivious and scared to venture out into them. I had been talking to God for a whole month to process whether or not it was something that I needed to do. It turns out that this project was something God was calling me to do. Facing that fear and inviting God to use me in whatever way He wants is always a good thing. Sometimes the galaxies out there that scare us to death offer adventure and vistas that are so beautiful and grand. Sometimes exploring these means that we have to admit that we need help, ask for it, and face the fact that things may not go well.

During the filming of Lived Experience last year, I faced a depth of fear that almost paralyzed me. I vividly remember deep breathing, forward folding, and praying in the women's restroom that evening after six hours straight of repeating the research findings from my study. The image sired in my mind, I was either going to be crucified or I was going to run out of the restroom and down the hill a few blocks into the Pacific Ocean. I would swim far away never returning to the set. It was God's grace that held me in that place and assured me that sometimes crucifixion is necessary for us to experience resurrection. I finished the filming that day.

The next morning as I prepared for the day, that same fear was hanging on. I made a few phone calls to support people who I could count on to tell me the truth. "I know that this is all true and that it needs to be presented, but why me?" I said to them and to God. Their responses were shockingly similar, "You can do this. I believe in you. The enemy is whispering in your ear and we will ask Jesus and His fierce army to triumph so that God's work can be done in this. This is so important for the church and for the Gospel message to advance." They prayed.

Another important encouragement came through the words of Dallas Willard and Gary Black in the Divine Conspiracy Continued: "Love of neighbor is to act or be poised to act for the good of that thing or person. Love of neighbor is a disposition to act for what is good for those closest to us. If you see harm coming to them, you act to deflect or diminish the harm. And if they need some good thing, you do what is reasonably in your power to supply it."

With all of this in my mind now, I knew what I had to do. I had to do the loving thing, the thing that God was setting before me as mine to do, and I would do it with as much power and love as I could with the help of God and others. I finished the filming.

It has been a year and the response to the film has been mixed. There have been some people who are dear to me who said that they felt punched in the gut by it. Some very dear people (both men and women) have not even seen the film because of they fear being punched in the gut. There are some folks who I had hoped would see it, grasp the truth and power in it, and spread the word. They have ignored it.

This November seemed a perfect time to yes to God's invitation to face the fear and press on in advocating for full participation of women in church leadership. I realize that there are many of my friends who are not ready for Lived Experience. They are not yet convinced or comfortable with women preaching and leading. These people, both male and female are the ones I had in mind when I put together 30 days of learning. I love these folks and I am not interested in them feeling punched in the gut. These last thirty days are my overture of love for those who are genuinely stuck in the "man's world" as Bishop David W. Kendall calls it. This "man's world," is a broken world. It is the world in which we lived, both in the church and outside of it.

One rule that is firmly in place in this "man's world" is that those with influence and expertise will be heard. As it stands now, the influencers in this conversation are white men with seminary education. The content of the last 30 days has been brought to you by heavy weights. These people have convincing power. I hope that they will be heard and that eventually, the stories and voices of women will be heard.

Please consider this a curriculum. This last 30 days is a free on-line course, "Women in Church Leadership 101" for you, your friends, family and fellow church people. This is one of the reasons that I am promoting this and doing a book give-away (please see Day 30 for details about "sharing" this post for a chance to win one of the great resources that are available). Not only are these great sources by themselves, they do not require a seminary education and do not require a whole lot of reading. Also, most of these experts have written full length books that more thoroughly address the issues at hand.

A little over a month ago when I was brainstorming these ideas, I noticed that the new Wreck It Ralph was coming into the theater. I walked around saying to everyone, "I'm glad that Roberta didn't break the internet." The truth is that I often worry about breaking stuff. When I ventured out into this whole new galaxy of a social media blitz, I suspected that there would be some breaking of sorts. Instagram told me that I broke rules with my hashtag (#novoicenomorenovember). Thanks to Grace Wilson, I learned to use twitter, instagram, and hashtags (and Grace, we will do some baking together soon!)

I am praying that the only other thing that gets broken nowadays by me is the kingdom of darkness and what remains of the stained glass ceiling.

Thank you. Lord Jesus, for giving me the charge to once more face my fear, to boldly proclaim with my actions and my words that the Kingdom of God is real and is accessible to all who will enter. King Jesus is showing me great and wondrous things that I would have never seen if I had stayed stuck in my fear. This word from Jeremiah resonates with my experience through this journey: "This is God's Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God. Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own." (Jeremiah 33:2, MSG) Praise the Lord of heaven and earth for such great things He has done for all of us.


     

Day 30 No voice. No more. November

I have intentionally saved the best stuff for last. Here is a great post by Rev. Laura Hunt, PhD. She makes me laugh and cry simultaneously and I love that. Please read and share. There is so much truth in this post.

Tomorrow, I will reflect on my own "black slopes" and what it has been like for me to re-engage in advocating for full access and participation of women in church leadership. 

For those of you who have been tracking with this 30 day adventure, I want to challenge you to keep on learning about the challenges that we face, our unique "black slopes." In order to give you some help and some incentives, I am doing a book give-away. Tomorrow, the first 20 people who "share" my post "Pastor Roberta Breaks the Instagram" will be entered, receiving a chance to win one of these books: 

Keener, Craig. Paul, Women & Wives, Baker Academic, 1992.

James, Carolyn Custis. Malestrom: Manhood Swept into the Current of a Changing World, Zondervan, 2015.

Johnson, Alan, editor. How I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals, Zondervan, 2010.

(fine print of the book give-away: if you are not a facebook, twitter, etc...user and have been following this 30 day adventure on blogger, you can enter the drawing by e-mailing tomorrows post to 10 people and cc'ing me on it. The post will appear at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. I will announce the winners and send you the book in the mail. It will probably arrive before Christmas so you can enjoy reading and sharing your reading with family and friends gathering around with egg nog or fruitcake or chestnuts roasting on an open fire.)

Skiing the Black Slopes

In the early 1990s, my husband and I joined my dad, family, and friends skiing in Switzerland. On day three, Dad decided he wanted to show us the mountain he had learned to ski on, one that held special memories for him. There was just one problem. That day, the only open slopes were the black ones, those usually reserved for the very best skiers. Even though Doug and I were novices, Dad was sure he could get us down.

  From the beginning, it was an exercise in terror. Every turn presented me with another sheer, icy drop as I made my way down, skiing and falling, and skiing and falling, and falling some more. Finally, after yet another panicked stretch of uncontrolled speed ended with me and my gear splayed out across the slope, I gratefully testing my still-working arms and legs and quit. I tore off my remaining ski and yelled through my tears, “I am walking down this stupid mountain!”

  On the way down, Dad suggested that at some point we would have a good laugh over this day. My stony silence prompted him to recognize that it was still too soon. Unfortunately, he passed away before we ever got that chance. Dad said something else though, as he carried my skis and I alternately walked and slid on my butt down the rest of that mountain, something that I never forgot. “I am getting older. I live a comfortable life with lots of good eating, good drinking, relaxing with friends. It’s good for me, once a year, to go somewhere and challenge myself to do something really difficult.”

  I have remembered that. While I still feel that he was foolish to put me in such a dangerous situation by taking me onto slopes that were far beyond my competencies, I can see that he did it because he believed I was up to the challenge. He valued the sense of accomplishing something difficult more than he valued safety and certainty.

  Skiing, certainly, is not the appropriate challenge for me. I have never learned to do it well, never been particularly interested in becoming expert at it. I went to Switzerland that year mostly to spend time with my dad. But this year I got to do something else that challenged me in a way, perhaps, similar to the way my dad felt facing Alpine slopes. I went to India by myself.

  Honestly, I am a pretty fearful person. I think about car crashes when we drive, wars and famines when we listen to the news, and medical emergencies when I’m in India, specifically my own. As a woman, I feel particularly vulnerable. And I don’t think that taking every risk that presents itself is the way to go. I do not, for example, belong on ski slopes anymore.

  But someone pointed out to me that every time people in the Bible give into fear, they do the wrong thing. Abram called Sarai his sister because he was afraid for his life and thereby put both her and his future posterity in jeopardy (Gen 12, 20). On the other hand, obeying God often requires bravery. Peter stepped out of the boat, not unafraid but with the will to put one foot in front of the other and to move forward across the water, at least initially, despite the fear (Matt 14:27–31). That’s what going to India was like for me—lots of deep breaths and focused breathing; lots of putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that moving forward, even in the Lord’s will, does not guarantee outcomes, either happy, successful, or pain-free.

  In doing that, here’s what I found. I found love. God’s love met me in India at every corner. I don’t know if the love I felt was God’s love for God’s people there, somehow poured through my heart, or God’s love for me to sustain me as I pushed past my fears, or some combination of the two. All I know is that my heart feels knit together with the hearts of so many of the people I met, dear friends now, who allowed me to experience in person the trans-national, trans-ethnic reality of God’s people.

  That place at the intersection of our hesitations and God’s call is, I believe, the sweet spot. Please, church, I beg you, do not, in some misguided attempt to keep women safe, close us off from this experience, from finding God’s love, from knowing God’s love in the midst of our fear.  Some of us experience it on the slopes of Switzerland, others in India, and still others in preaching our first sermon, leading a church, or planting one. We answer the call of God, expressed through the gifts and abilities given to each of us. We step forward despite the fear, as we say “Yes,” by the skin of our teeth, into the Holy of Holies, the Love, the very presence of God. Do not bar our way.

Day 29 No voice. No more. November

When I first watched this video, I wept. The stories were so familiar. What caused me to weep was that these male pastors were appalled at the horrible things that people had said to their female colleagues in ministry. It made me happy that there were male pastors who were shocked and horrified by words that we, female pastors, hear all the time.

The North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church is taking some bold steps in seeing that lived experience of their female pastors is different ten years from now. I'm going to post a fuller story on Saturday, December 1 with a charge and a chance for you to win a prize (a book about women in church leadership, of course) for simply sharing that post. Please watch this and consider sharing it because this is real. Notice that I have copied the Litany of Confession and Commitment here that was taken directly from NC synod's page on women in ministry.

Litany of Confession and Commitment

All (A): We confess that we are captive to our brokenness. Forgive us for the times we were silent. Forgive us for the times we were careless with our words. Forgive us for not paying attention. Forgive us for our surprise that hurtful words were being flung at our sisters in ministry. Guide us and make us new. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Leader (L): Listen, children to the truth. God has chosen to be merciful to all creation. You are no exception. Your sins are forgiven; your heart is made clean in the name of the triune God. Amen.

Read Acts 2:17-18

L: We remember Esther, who spoke truth to power to free her people.
A: Inspire us to lead as she did.

L: We remember Ruth, who made Naomi's people her people.
A: Teach us to value family as she did.

L: We remember Deborah, who was both prophetess and judge.
A: Help us be bold in our proclamation of truth.

L: We remember Mary, mother of our Lord, who bore Christ into the world.
A: Incite a movement to give voice to those who share Christ in the world.

L: We remember Mary Magdalene, who wept at the tomb and yet still proclaimed.
A: Surround us with the witnesses who, through tears, proclaim Christ to us.

L: We remember Elizabeth Platz, the first woman ordained by any Lutheran denomination.
A: Direct us to shape a different church for the next generation of women pastors.

L: We remember Earlene Miller, the first African-American woman ordained by any Lutheran denomination in North America.
A: Make us a welcoming people, open to all.

L: We remember that you created women in your image.
A: Encourage us to speak well of each other.

L: We remember.
A: Help us remember well and commit to do better.

L: God of Surprises, you call us
from narrowness of our traditions to new ways of being church
from the captivities of our culture to create witness for justice
from the smallness of our horizons to the bigness of your vision.

L: Clear the way in us, your people, that we might call others to freedom and renewed faith and that all might know the beauty and power and danger of the gospel, especially through the ministerial witness of women, who with their many gifts, can bring healing to a suffering church and people. Amen.
#novoicenomorenovember

Day 28 No voice. No more. November

Excellent untangling of 1 Timothy 2:12 here by Greg Boyd and Nikole Mitchell

#novoicenomorenovember

Day 27 No voice. No more. November

Discussion Questions to Accompany Lived Experience

(see Study Commission on Doctrine's Conversations page, link at the bottom of this post)

(image of flat BT and Rosemary removed because I think that it was the photo that broke the Instagram...just a theory) 

For Everyone
Have you ever been told, "I just don't get you" or "you are not really the person we are looking for" by a co-workers, potential employers, or bosses? How did it make you feel?

Discuss how you felt when a person in authority over you made a joke or used humor to insult or shame you.

Discuss which Bible translation you prefer. What criteria do you use in making this decision? Have you ever considered how others respond to things such as exclusive language used in Bible translations or exclusively masculine language used for church leaders? Now that you have considered this,k are you willing to change your behavior?

For male pastors
Share about a time when you asked a female peer in ministry to share her story. Did you listen without interrupting and becoming defensive?

Consider praying for fresh ears to humbly hear things such as exclusive language and human that insults for what it is (hurtful) and share with others your awareness and steps you are taking in order to be more loving toward your female colleagues.

Are there women for whom you need to become an advocate? Are there broken relationships that need healing?

For those in authority over women
Consider who the women are in your charge that need support, mentoring, and resourcing. Are there gifted women you could ask to lead in your church or conference? Who are the women you need to invite to speak at your next conference training day, retreat, camp, workshop, or class?

What are ways you can use your influence and access to champion gifted women into positions that they are qualified for and called to?

For women in ministry
Tell those around you your story. If it feels impossible or like there is no one who will listen, pray for boldness and strength and for direction about how and with whom to share.

Who are the people who can support you and mentor you? What are steps you can take to cultivate a strong and broad network of support?

#flatBT
#novoicenomorenovember
http://new.fmcusa.org/conversations/lived-experience-of-female-free-methodist-pastors/

Day 26 No voice. No more. November

Women in Ministry

by David M. Scholer

"Jesus's inclusion of and ministry to and through women within his own life and teaching were a powerful witness to the early church of the partnership of women and within its membership and ministry."

Several short videos by experts such as Dr. Joel Green are posted on the page as well. This is a wonderful reservoir of material.
#novoicenomorenovember
Access the entire Women in Ministry article on Fuller Seminary website:
https://www.fuller.edu/womeninministry/?fbclid=IwAR1pgA7YBFnhB7aXF9HAQF8Zb_FZ3n6_3YSThdfj-Yly6N6qcvj0Megcan4

Day 25 No voice. No more. November

A PRAYER OF LAMENT FOR OUR SISTERS

by Daryl L. Smith

[from EMBRACE ALL, A Free Methodist event, Indianapolis, IN]

September 27, 2018

Eternal God...
Some of us prefer to identify you as “Father”
Others of us warm to calling you “Mother”
Because we need some human, some gender identity with you.
Yet we know that you are all that a mother or father could encompass
And infinitely more.
Yet our gender issues are not somehow foreign to you.
Our gender is at the heart of who you created us to be.
You created us in your image as women and men...
Yet from those early days when the first man stole the name “adam” for himself,
the name you meant for both man and woman together…
objectifying his partner to her function of nursing and birthing…
...we humans have attempted to lord it over one another ever since.
And across the centuries that abuse of power, has most frequently been imposed on women
by men.
So when you wanted us to understand you best, you came to earth as a human...a gendered
person, as Jesus. Teaching us how to live together in deep respect for one another—and
declared the end to the functional use of women.
But as we gather here this weekend, we must grieve that all these centuries later, most times
we are still doing badly.
Whether in the White House, in the Congress, or the Supreme Court;
in our locker rooms, in our churches, or in our homes, we nearly daily excuse sexual violence
against women as “boys will be boys”…
The truth is, no excuse works to make right the sin that we men have done against our sisters
—and against YOU—against your creation plan for how we are to live in partnership with one
another.
So TODAY we join together to repent, to confess our sin…
We confess that we too long have allowed, and even endorsed leaders who use and abuse
women.
We confess that we have allowed degrading language to be spoken, yes, in our locker rooms,
but also at our water coolers, in our churches, and in our homes.
For this we confess our sin.
We confess that we have used our male (usually white) privilege to build social systems that
disadvantage women—to our status gain, to higher wages, and we have not aggressively
made way for women to work at equal pay.
We confess, as men and women—we have too long allowed slave holders of all sorts to use
women for profit.
We confess that we have not mentored and modeled healthy ways for our daughters, to
become all that YOU have called them to be.
We confess, as men and women—that we and our denominational leaders have refused to
open doors for women into ministry leadership.
We confess that in our homes we men have attempted to be king of the castle, often using
perverted scriptural interpretation to beat our spouses into submission.
We confess, we have turned our eyes away when abuse is happening, right in front of us.
As men, we confess that we have refused to listen—to acknowledge, and even mocked our
sisters’ cries for help…when they took the chance to speak up.
So God...For all of this…and so much more…we repent for our sin!
We ask your forgiveness…
We ask you to break our hardened male hearts,…
then through your Spirit, remake our hearts and minds,
into the image of Jesus in whose name we pray.
Amen.
#novoicenomorenovember

Day 24 No voice. No more. November

Learning from My Mistakes

by Charles Metcalf

Here are some nuggets from this great article. It is a must read, so access it through the link below.

"I learned the hard way that it is not enough for pastors to simple mention the church's position on female leadership once during a yearly sermon. Pastors must be intentional about continually keeping the message of equality at the forefront."
Five practical steps to do better:

1. Make a Strategic Preaching Plan
2. Repeat Yourself
3. Clearly Communicate your Core Values on your Website
4. Use a Gender-Accurate Version of the Bible
5. Take Advantage of Newcomer's Classes
6. Share Your Own Journey

#novoicenomorenovember #CBEInternational
https://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/article/mutuality/learning-my-mistakes

Day 23 No voice. No more. November

What You Get When You Call a Clergywoman

I'm going to summarize what you get when you call a woman to be your pastor. The link at the end will connect with the full post which is excellent. It also will link you with the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and the article about how congregations can better support female pastors.

We love Jesus.

We know our Scripture.

We have been vetted, then vetted some more.

We have had our mettle tested.

We have a deep, DEEP sense of call.

We are endlessly creative.

We are backed by a fierce tribe, which provides its members with wisdom and support.

#novoicenomorenovember
https://laurastephensreed.com/2017/01/17/what-you-get-when-you-call-a-clergywoman/

Day 22 No voice. No more. November

Day 22 No voice. No more. November

Great work here by Dr. Ben Witherington (notice that his is part 1 so it means that you get two for one here). Happy Thanksgiving!

#novoicenomorenovember

#seedbed