Saturday, February 21, 1998

Scripture, reason, experience support women's ministry

By JO GAY / Guest Columnist

I had no intention of responding to the attacks on women in ministry. I spend more time doing ministry than defending why I am here. Just as God has more to do than prove He exists.

Yet in case the letters to the editor are your only mode of information, let me tell you I treasure God's Holy word and know it well. God has told me to do ministry through Scripture, reason and experience.

Scripture:

1. Joel foresaw a time the Spirit would be poured out and not limited, and at Pentecost Peter said that time has come. (Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17) "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.'

Like it or not, believe it or not, this is clearly the word of God. Someone said, "Satan must be thrilled at all the conversation of trying to silence over half the world's population from proclaiming the gospel of Christ.'

2. Before Paul said women should be silent he tells women what to wear when they pray and prophesy in church. It is impossible to be silent while you prophesy in church. (1 Corinthians 11:5)

3. Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' (Galatians 3:28)

4. Jesus gave one of the longest discourses on the faith to a woman who became an evangelist. First of all, no one questioned this. (The disciples marveled and yet no one said, "What do you seek? or Why are you talking with her? And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman...now we believe, not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him.' (John 4:27, 39 and 42)

5. On Jesus and women's traditional roles: A woman shouted, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and breasts that nursed you.' But he said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word and do it.' (Luke 11:27-28)

7. On songs rewriting Scripture: you may be familiar with the song, "Lord you are more precious than silver, Lord you are more costly than gold. Lord you are more beautiful than diamonds. And nothing I desire compares with you.'

Now read what the actual words in the Bible are in Proverbs 3:13-15 (any version will do.) "Rewrite' God's word if you want, but you cannot deny what it clearly says.

Reason:

No one in his or her right mind would support slavery today, but support for it can be found in Scriptures. Paul and Peter tell how slaves are to act, but that does not mean it is God's will. We have learned the abomination of God's holy law of love that slavery was and is.

I went to hear a group of Muslims tell about Islam. One Christian said, "Why is it a man's religion?' (Women are not allowed in the mosques.)

An African-American Muslim said, "Oh, during the Persian Gulf War Americans found how well women are treated. They are precious because they have their own hospital.'

My Christian friend replied, "So, during segregation, African-Americans were precious because they had their own school, their own water fountain?'

'Separate but precious' is not sound reasoning.

Experience: When I was in seminary I was walking around the campus praying, "God, what will I tell people who ask me why I, being a woman, am doing this?'

And as I was praying those words, I opened the door to the church where a conference ordination worship service was going on. As soon as I entered the church I heard the bishop say, "You did not choose me, I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.' (John 15:16)

Come to see me, and I will tell you about my experience of freedom in Christ and God's demand on my life.

(The Rev. Jo Gay is minister of Epworth United Methodist Church.)