I love exceptions because there are always exceptions.  To every rule we create there is always some situation that stretches the bounds of our thinking, and makes us wonder. (with the exception of love). And of course this week I came across a wonderful exception to rule of women in ministry.

Ed Stetzer, noted researcher on church life, calls out a distinct exception on women in ministry in his Monday is for missiology post. Ed profiles the work of Ruth Tucker, author of Guardians of the Great Commission which explores the role of women in missions. It turns out that most of the missionaries in the world are women, which is in itself so great on so many levels.  Why are we okay with women as missionaries (over there) yet not okay with women as pastors (over here).

I’m just going to quote Ed’s content because it’s so rich with tension on the exception.

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From Ed’s Post:

Every mission board I know says most of its missionaries are women, yet I see less writing and teaching on the unique role and situation that women have faced in the mission endeavor.

Elizabeth Elliot Leitch wrote:

What is the place of women in world mission? Jesus said, “You [and the word means all of you, male and female] are my witnesses. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” And there have been countless thousands who, without reference to where they came from or what they knew or who they were, have believed that Jesus meant exactly what he said and have set themselves to follow.

Today strident female voices are raised, shrilly and ad nauseam, to remind us that women are equal with men. But such a question has never even arisen in connection with the history of Christian missions. In fact, for many years, far from being excluded, women constituted the majority of foreign missionaries.

She explains her own story later in the article:

When my husband was killed by Indians, I found myself in some indefinable positions. There wasn’t one missionary man left in Ecuador who spoke the jungle Quichua language. There was no one to teach the young Quichua believers, no one to lead the church, no one but women to carry on where five missionary men had left off.

The door to the Auca tribe had slammed shut for those men and was, to our astonishment, opened to two women. It didn’t look to me like a woman’s job. But God’s categories are not always ours. I had to shuffle my categories many times during my last eight years of missionary work. Since coming back to the States I’ve done it again. I’ve had a career of sorts, I’ve been a wife and housewife once more, and again I’m a widow.

But it is the same faithful Lord who calls me by name and never loses track of my goings and reminds me in a still, small voice, “Ye are my witnesses, that ye might know and believe me, and understand that I am he.” (Is. 43:10). There is our primary responsibility: to know him. I can’t be a witness unless I’ve seen something, unless I know what it is I am to testify to. And it is the Lord of the Universe who calls you – you women, you men – and offers you today a place in his program. Your education or lack of it, your tastes and prejudices and fears and status or ambitions, your age or sex or color or height or marital status or income bracket are all things which may be offered to God, after you have presented your bodies as a living sacrifice. And God knows exactly what to do with them. They are not obstacles if you hand them over.

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Reality has a way of slapping us in the face. If Elizabeth Elliot had listened to the basic rule of women in ministry, she would have been precluded from presenting the Gospel. Yet in that moment, who could argue that women were the only one’s possible with presenting the Gospel.  And she chose to do so.

I for one think that one of the most significant shifts we will see in the next 20-50 years is the full inclusion of women in true leadership roles in the church.  When we exclude women’s voices we exclude half of God’s voice from our midst.

Ed ends with a rather ironic question.  He asks, “So, here is my question again: why are there so few evangelical women missiologists (while most missionaries are women) and what is the best way to address that?”

How would you answer him?

Social justice is in fashion right now.  I get that.  We all want to see a better world out there.  So my question for you is, What is the most productive way to change the world? What say you?

Some of you might think this is a rant.

I just don’t get why men are so afraid of women in ministry.  I grew up in a fairly traditional evangelical church.  Women were never allowed to preach, although they were allowed to give testimonies or share stories, which now seems like a strange dichotomy.  But just below the surface women secretly ran the show.  They were the organizers, servants, and administrators making everything happen.  I know because my mom was the Director of Women’s ministries on several occasions.  If you wanted something done, you called a woman.  And my mom was one of the those women.

Even though this was the prevailing culture in my church, it was never the culture in my home.  My mom (see image above of Lydia McCullough, probably 1976) always began with the idea that a woman could essentially do anything a man could do, and often better.  I grew up being told that a woman is just as empowered as any man. My mom kicked butt and took names with the best of them.  She was the best friend anyone had.  And she loved God.  But God never became a stumbling block to preaching the Gospel.

The traditional response is Paul’s admonition in 1 Cor 1 Corinthians 14:34 – “…women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.”  The key thing that I’m noticing is Paul’s response of “As the law says.”  I’ve never noticed that before, that he actually clarifies himself by appealing to the law.  In other words, is Paul suggesting that there is a cultural law in place.  Because we treat it as the our law.

But I’ll be honest in saying that although I think it’s a cultural issue, I don’t think it’s the best reason for allowing women to speak in church.  I think in keeping women quiet, we miss half of God’s voice in our midst.  I got to see the lives of the people my mom touched, men included, and I can only imagine what it would have been like had women been allowed to participate in the larger theological dialog on a more proactive basis.  I was reminded of this when I read this from Melody Hanson.

“It frightens me that so much of (most or all) biblical interpretation throughout history was done by men. “

Could it be that so many of our denominational problems, doctrinal issues, and theological debates actually feed the ego of men.  I’ve worked with so many men over the last fifteen years in spiritual formation and we’re just bent toward the logical.  We like thinking.  We like debating and arguing.  We like to be right.  Women are different.  They predominantly feel first.  They get to the heart of the matter because their bent towards relationship. And isn’t that what the Gospel is ultimately trying to get to, a restoration of relationship?

What would it look like if us men actually took the risk to include the other, perhaps stronger, side into that conversation.  I think it would be epic.

This post is part of a Synchroblog on Immigration Reform.  You can find a list of participants at the end of the post.

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When do you say no to those seeking help?

In the last Synchroblog I participated in, I explored what it meant to let go of power.  As a follower of the Way of Jesus I can’t help but see love as the defining act of my own humanity.  So when it comes to immigration reform I choose to begin with love as the defining act.  What would it mean to love those seeking help?

The primary concern with immigration reform seems to be those from poorer countries seeking to participate in a way of life that exists in America.  And in order to protect that way of life, we’re seeking to keep those same people out.  It’s a strange situation to say the least. And much like “Letting Go of Power” I have to begin with the reality that I am the one in power.  I am the one who enjoys the blessing of a country that has so much.

But I just finished listening to a story of a friend wrestling with the command to give a second coat to the one in need. And I am reminded of the command to remember the alien. I’m not a legalist in the sense that I believe this is a strict command that gains us favor.  As with any command Jesus gives, I believe there is something deeper in the command to live out and discover as a way of life.  To give is to receive.  So by stepping into the command with our hearts we discover a deeper way of living that has a reward all of its own.

I also believe that there is something to be found in the moments someone actually asks for help.  These are the divine moments when a request is staring us in the face.  And it is our opportunity to step into it in order to discover the deeper meaning.

When I look into the face of someone who lives across a nationalist border, I am learning to see what God sees.  I am learning to see my brother and sister, not some alien.  And in that I am learning to see a larger world that is inclusive of the other, not exclusive.  And that is the reform I am really looking for.

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Mike Victorino at Still A Night Owl – Being the Flag

Liz Dyer at Grace Rules – Together We Can Make Dreams Come True

Sonnie Swentson-Forbes at Hey Sonnie – Immigration Stories

Matt Stone at Glocal Christianity – Is Xenophobia Ever Christlike?

Kathy Escobar at the carnival in my head – it’s a lot easier to be against immigration when you have papers

Steve Hayes at Khanya – Christians and the Immigration Issue

Ellen Haroutunian - Give Me Your Tired

Bethany Stedman – Choosing Love Instead of Fear

Pete Houston at Peter’s Progress – Of Rape and Refuge and  Eyes Wide Shut

Joshua Seek – Loving Our Immigrant Brother

Amanda MacInnis at Cheese Wearing Theology – Christians and Immigration

Sonja Andrews at Calacirian – You’re Absolutely Right

Peter Walker – Synchroblog – Immigration Reform

Steven Calascione at Eirenikos – The Jealousy of Migration

George Elerick at The Love Revolution – We’re Not Kings or Gods

Beth Patterson at Virtual Tea House – What we resist not only persists but will eventually become our landlord

K. W. Leslie at The Evening of Kent - On American Immigration

Jeff Goins at Pilgrimage Of The Heart – When The Immigration Issue Gets Personal

Kathy Baldock at CanyonWalker Connections – My Visit To A Mosque, Now What?

Christine Sine – Immigration Reform – Yes, No, Don’t Care

My friend Cynthia LaGrou contacted me about writing a short piece for a collection on this very topic.  The project is now out and available through Samizdat Creative.  The price is ridiculously cheap for such a great collection of voices.  Some of the authors are my friends and include:

Reimagining a Woman’s Role in the Church by Frank Viola

Coloring Outside the Christian Circle By Becky Garrison

Why We Need Mothers & Fathers & Sisters & Brothers & Daughters & Sons By Kathy Escobar

Leadership Lenses, Jungian Archetypes and Gender By Leonard Hjalmarson

Shoulders to Stand On: The role of men in restoring the woman’s voice By Jeff McQuilkin

My piece is an expanded version of my original post called The Courageous Imagination – A Call to Men

Abstract: Deep within the heart of a man is the desire to fight for something. Yet also embedded within a man is the destructive bent to rule over the woman. History is littered with the undeniable evidence of oppression towards women. What would happen if men took up the courageous call to address one of the deepest needs of the heart by restoring one of our deepest bents, to literally change the course of history and fight for women.

This is a conference I wish I could go to.  Some friends of mine are hosting a conference called A Sustainable Faith, April 23rd-24th in St Petersburg, FL.  Its on “Justice in the real world.”  They’re asking how we can be  sustainably committed to justice over the long haul and not become overwhelmed or disenchanted.  I like it.

The conference main speakers include Shane Claiborne, Danielle Shroyer, and Spencer Burke.  There are also a ton of breakout workshops.  And the cost is a ridiculously low $65 before March 25th.  Get it while its cheap.

Yesterday the Healthcare bill passed 219 – 212.  Obama’s persistence paid off.

My first inclination was that this is a political victory for Obama. In 2 1/2 years Obama will have the trump card that will get him elected for four more years.  He’ll be able to stand in front of the American people with evidence of his tenacity, strategy and persistence. These are hard things to come by in American politics.  He’ll be able to stand in front of the Republican party and say, “I won.” (But I doubt he’d do that.)

But is this really a victory for Obama?

Some pundits on CNN were calling this the most important civil rights bill in the last 40 years.  It can only be compared to the sweeping changes made by Kennedy and Johnson because it directly affects the poor and working class.  For the first time in America’s history, the representatives essentially said that caring for all the people is a mandate.  Healthcare is a basic right of the people.

I feel this tension.  I pay for my own healthcare costs. I have the most basic plan available with a massive $7,500 deductible and I still pay about $8,000 a year for my family.  I don’t even know how some families make it.  It’s a huge cost.  And I haven’t been to the doctor in ten years. I’ve watched my basic plan get stripped down and the cost raised every single quarter for about six years.  Something is deeply broken.

I have a lot of friends who are concerned for the cost of the whole thing.  But I would suggest that the cost of not doing it is higher. When we exclude a category, we’re setting up the possibility of becoming one in that category. If the recession taught us anything it is that there are a lot of people closer to bankruptcy and the edge than we thought.  This bill is essentially saying, “We’re not going to leave you behind.”

(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty.)

My favorite line: “If I help the poor, what’s in it for me.”  Gotta love Colbert’s sense of satire.

What if the evidence suggest women are actually better at leading than men?

Many of you know I’m a huge proponent of women’s leadership.  I’ve led the Call To Men to lead the way in lifting up women.  I’ve called out injustice and oppression. My primary reason for lifting up women is based in the idea that humanity can only see the whole image of God in BOTH the man and the woman.  Adam was originally both expressions.  So in order to see the God image in ourselves (I’m speaking from a man’s perspective) we need women fully integrated into the decision making process, leading the way.

But recently I came across an interesting article that kind of caught my attention in a new way.  What if the historical evidence suggests women are just better leaders than men?  The Pew Forum study on religion revealed a startling piece of evidence.  Women just stay with God better and in more numbers than men.  It’s just a fact.  And as the study suggests, women have been doing this for long periods of time.

I have a Masters in Organization Leadership and I can tell you that the evidence of leadership is based in modeling the defined response, not just talking about it.  The capacity to influence is rooted in integrity to an idea, not just the capacity to speak about it.  This idea was deeply explored in Robert Greenleafs Servant Leadership.  A true leader is the servant of all.  Even Jesus suggested this with his own words.

Mark 9:35 – Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

And to press the evidence, women have been doing this even in the face of injustice and oppression towards women.  Women have remained faithful even in spite of the injustice. The article calls out the injustice.

Not a single major faith is led by members of its female flock, and the more deeply adherent a religious group becomes, the less freedom it offers its women, not to mention power. It’s hard not to compare women sticking with faith to wives confined to bad marriages: They’re so committed to the institution that they’ll willingly shrink under mistreatment just to maintain their own status quo.

In other words, history reveals that women just get it better than men. They reveal stronger faith. And if we’re going to be honest about who we’re really going to follow, wouldn’t it then be more honest to admit that women are better leaders?

What better way to explore the Adventurous Life than to begin being honest with ourselves.  The real winner is all of us.  To begin including women into the idea of leadership means we can begin to see the whole image of God in our midst.  We can begin to see the beautiful voice that has been missing in the conversation for so long.

The One Campaign has a new video out.  My favorite line is, “It’s not about charity.  It’s about justice.”  Amen to that.