God created man--and a woman to face him

"Uh-oh." Have you ever realized that your perspective is out-of-alignment with the truth, with reality? When you do, depending on the subject matter, you face a bit of a crisis. You have to realign your thinking and your beliefs with what really is. And it can hurt like...well, it hurts.

One night three or four months ago, I hit the culmination of my crisis point. To be honest, I was sobbing, inconsolable. The husband didn't know what to do with me. And this is why.

Although I was grappling hard with why God created women in the first place and what kind of role they are to play in ministry and otherwise, the husband doesn't have a problem with this at all. He sees women as equals and believes they can do anything. And that I can do anything God calls me to do.

So, you see, it was me with the problem. Should women be pastors or elders or deacons--and should they even minister to men at all? I mean, I was sometimes taught that the Bible keeps us in silence and subjection, to be honest. I was taught that we are subordinates. I also happened to be encouraged to do a lot of things in relationship to calling and career, but at the end of the day, I was not supposed to assume that I could spiritually speak to males as their equal. I even asked the question once to a pastor, and he shut me down fast. Put me in my place, so to speak.

So imagine my consternation when I started to discover the Bible doesn't really teach women to be silent or not to be pastors or teachers. Oh, dear. And here's the crux of my weeping: I was facing these two problem New Testament passages and wondering why in the world Paul would tell women to be quiet, then encourage them to prophesy correctly later on. Why, upon closer examination, were there so darn many women leaders in the OT and NT if Paul and God really wanted them to be silent and in subjection? I mean, none of it made sense, and it was tormenting me.

I found comfort in a book titled Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James. A book I'll be leading a Biblestudy with come February. Ms. James takes us back to the garden--to the creation of an ezer cegenedo--a woman. When correctly translating, and it is tricky to translate, it means a "strong helper" and a "warrior." Even a "rescuer."

Not exactly the same meaning as a "helpmeet," eh? What if you, my female friends, are supposed to rule over the earth with Adam, if you are supposed to make God's Kingdom come alongside him, "facing him," as his equal partner? What then? Well, that would mean a blessed alliance, that Ms. James' refers to. That would unleash the full power of who God has created us to be, in relationship to each other, and for his kingdom.

That would change a lot of things, wouldn't it?

What if??

Some of you will be tempted to rant and rave over this. You will be discombobulated, as I was. And that is OK. We are all on our own journey to discovering who we are, who God has created us to be. But before you reject what I've just shared, the deep ponderings of my heart, I urge you to think more deeply. Here's a link to an excellent online paper "Ezer Cenegdo: a Power Like Him, Facing Him as Equal" by Joseph Coleson, copyright 1996. Yes, it's from the Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy site. But no matter your denomination, don't let it dissuade you. Give it an honest read, and see if you don't come away having uncovered profound biblical truth that has been there all along, staring us in the face.

http://whwomenclergy.org/booklets/power_like_him.php

Yes, God created man, and a woman to face him, to join him. It's time to get on with the charge God gave to both women and men, both created in his image. Imagine if our church services and our teaching and our preaching were led by a blessed Alliance of men and women, and we started to hear from both genders, reflecting the totality of God's image? Imagine what if...