Thursday, September 30, 2010

a short random personal observation

So today, as I sit down to finalize prep for a class at Calvary on Sunday on religion & science perspectives on the creation narrative, I realize once again the complete absurdity of my personal situation. Here I am, about to prep for an adult forum as a completely normal and routine part of my workday, because I was invited to teach a class on a subject I've spent years now acquiring a certain level of expertise on--after spending days in the rabbit-hole of arguing for the possibility, the ability and privilege of my doing such things. Sometimes--most of the time--it's really healthy for me to inhabit this whole other world where this debate doesn't exist. But today, stepping from one to the other is jarring.

4 comments:

Keith Brenton said...

Jar it right back, sis!

Quiara said...

I empathize with this. In having left the c's of C to pursue ordination in the DoC, I'm often a bit boggled. The debate just doesn't exist in my current church: the pastor is female, there are male and female deacons and everyone -- from the oldest to the youngest -- has a part in the service and a place in the body of Christ.

I can't articulate it very well at the moment having just returned from lunch with a dear (complementarian) friend and discussing this (again) at length. But I step from that into a congregation where I'm encouraged on my path to ordination and have room and permission to exercise my gifts and impart the knowledge that years of study have collected.

It *is* jarring.

JJT said...

It's almost paralyzing. I didn't make much progress on my Sunday morning class today.

Unknown said...

Those of us in traditions that affirm the ministry of all the baptized, including our sisters, still need you to come and speak God's often rude truth to us. :-)