In the Spirit of Lilith

A good friend is leaving for seminary next week. We had our last beer together at Tapwerks today. She's off to BTSR, that's the Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia. She wants to be a pastor. Fortunately, she's gotten hooked up with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a group that to some degree practices egalitarian ministry. She's also been in a church situation where she's seen some of the worst of what church politics has to offer: money, power politics, backbiting, slanderous accusations, misrepresentation, othering, etc. She's not going into this with her eyes closed. She's also no wilting flower; she played college basketball, and how can you not love that?

I am hopeful that when she finishes her M.Div. a few years from now, a small church will be open to a woman leading them, shepherding them, and speaking on behalf of God for them. Why small? I think some of the best lessons in ministry are learned in a small church setting. It's in that setting that you have to be a pastor, not a youth leader, or a singles pastor, or an entertainment coordinator, but a minister who marries, buries, sits with, talks to, encourages, admonishes, and loves people whose first name you know. Then, if she wants, I hope she will be entrusted with a medium-sized church. She'll work through the particular issues of that size: enough money to do some things well but very little really well, a constant comparison with the large church down the street, being almost large enough to offer more programs but only at the cost of wearing out a staff, wondering if she can get to the "next level." Then, if she wants to, I hope she gets to pastor a large church. She'll preach to people she doesn't know, entrust their care to staff members who don't really trust her because she's the boss, and she'll struggle to make genuine friends. And then, when all is said and done, I hope she loves the small church most of all. I hope she decides that pastoring is what ministry is, and that knowing people is of greater value than budgets and programs and accolades. She's talented, she's smart, she's strong-willed, she's loving, gracious, compassionate, honest, prone to justice, and loyal. In short, she has character strengths that some people view as liabilities on a church staff (who really wants honesty?), but they are the things that make people effective ministers. God bless you, Tiff. I love you. Do well and be blessed; learn to love the Scriptures, trust Jesus, and remember to love the small gatherings.

Comments

[Shai Gar]

lilith is the name of adams first wife, and a demon.

so yeah, in the spirit of lilith the demon of sex and violence indeed

[greg]

Lilith was indeed Adam's first wife according to some stories. In one of those stories she refuses to submit and goes her own way. The demon stuff came later, and was obviously a male retelling of the story that literally demonized Lilith for not submitting to Adam. So, yeah, in the spirit of independence and egalitarianism indeed.

[Tim Sean]

Subjugation was a consequence of disobedience, not the orgionally intened paradigm ogr the relationship.

[Nicole]

My Mother In Law, when my husband and I were discussing our friend Erika, who has her M.A. in Theology.

"So, what does a woman with a Master's in theology do?"

Me: "Uh, teach, preach, whatever she wants to do."

Her: "Oh."

How did she raise my husband?