Evening the Playing Field?

Over the past couple of weeks, I've had about three instances where someone has brought up Eve and her knack for being "easily deceived." In two of the cases, it was brought up in a way that made the people conclude that women shouldn't lead - because of this "genetic" deceivability. In the other case, it also had to do with why women shouldn't wear gold or pearls and will be saved via childbearing (okay, so one of these people was St. Paul).

But anyway, all this talk about Eve got me thinking:

What exactly do people mean when they talk about Eve being so easily deceived? When we say it's "no wonder" that Satan chose Eve (as someone recently commented on a post here), what exactly does that "no wonder" imply? Are we right to assume that Satan chose Eve to slither up to (or hang down toward) because she - not Adam - reflected the gullible, easily duped side of God? That just doesn't seem right. Does it?

Now, I have to warn you: What I'm about to write could be complete heresy. So please keep your grace handy - ready to toss at me as you feel led. But I write this in a genuine attempt to understand how God created women to be and how he longs for us to live. So here goes:

My first stop in working through some of these musings was to revisit the story of the Fall. I read this passage (Genesis 3:1-6) over and over:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

I need to credit Carolyn Custis James and her book Lost Women of the Bible for being the first to introduce me to a couple important little nuggets often left out of this story in Sunday School: 1. That the thing Satan tempted Eve with was being like God - which would've been her heart's biggest longing (and should be ours). And - the one most glaringly omitted - 2. That Adam was with Eve during the whole conversation! Adam was standing right there the whole time!

So with these fresh ideas twirling around in my brain as I read (and reread) this passage, something else jumped out at me: Eve's leadership.

While it took all sorts of back and forth with the Master Deceiver to convince Eve to take a bite, all it took for Adam was to be handed the apple. He munched right in. Did as he was told, you might say. Gen 3:6 says, "She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

He didn't question. He didn't hem and haw. And most notably: He didn't put down his foot and say, "Now, look here, woman!!!" as one might imagine the Perfect God-Ordained Husband doing. No. He ate it. Crrrunch.

I don't mean to put down Adam (any more than he deserves), and I'm not letting Eve off the hook! But I do wonder, could the reason Satan chose Eve to "go after" be less about her gullibility and more about her leadership? More about her place of influence in the Garden of Eden? Have we ever considered that?

And if so, what does this say about all the rules that God set in place after the Fall regarding men's ruling over women? Could they be less about keeping women down and more about raising men up to something that's not necessarily "natural"--even in perfected form?

I don't know. I'm just asking. Just wondering. And I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Women's Ministry: Time to Get Back to Basics?

With every opportunity to speak at women's ministry events, invariably the women of these churches never fail to surprise me with the many gifts and talents they have contributed to the preparations. Women's ministry teams seem to know almost innately how to pull everything together: food, décor, worship, organization and all of the other fine details that go into making a brunch, lunch or similar gathering quite memorable.

But the reality is, most church women's ministries only have the energy and "manpower" to offer these gatherings a few of times a year, In a calendar year, one can expect to plan for some sort of spring event, a Mother's day gathering--often mother/daughter affair - and a Christmas tea. This would be in addition to the small groups and Bible studies. Of course, some ministries may do more because the size of their church allows for more women to be involved. But because the average church size in the U.S. is around 200 with many far fewer, the ability to plan for these three events can become quite burdensome. I do not believe any of these events should be eliminated from the master plan of any women's ministry simply because they are laborious, because I also understand they have utility--glorifying God and ministry to women. This is worthy work toward the advancement of the Kingdom.

However, the flip side of the coin is the belief that every significant gathering must include ornate centerpieces, petit fours and elegant programs.

Sometimes this is based on a sincere desire to appeal to the femininity of those who attend, a way to achieve common ground through elegance and beauty. But sometimes it is based on the notion that if it is not done a certain way, the women simply will not attend or it goes against the way things have always been done. A commitment to these details should never be an impediment to gathering women for educating and equipping them to live out their faith, but when the fanfare becomes a requirement for doing any women's ministry activity, the ministry becomes event-driven, not person-driven.

I believe that this is something we can take from the account of Mary and Martha in Luke chapter 10. Martha had invited Jesus into her home, but for what purpose? Scripture does not provide all the facts of the situation, but it is safe to assume that having Jesus in her home was not primarily so that she could entertain. But at a very significant moment, she did lose her vision for the person and was overtaken by the preparations. In women's ministry today, there is no "are you a Mary or a Martha?" because Martha did not remain focused on the event, she learned to focus on the person.

As you and your women's ministry teams think and plan this summer about your 2009-2010 schedule, know that it's okay to have larger gatherings that require little more than a beverage and a Bible and maybe a discussion topic. Time is precious when it comes to discipleship, and the large-scale events have the potential to suck the life right out of those who make them happen.

We live in a culture where it's becoming increasingly difficult to discern the church from the world around us, so discipleship has got to be a core element of all that we do as women's ministry leaders. Women's ministry is strategically positioned to impact lives - women, husbands, and entire families - for the sake of the Gospel. But only if we're not too buried in the details.

Secrets of Success

Last month during a meeting of the Chicagoland Christian Writers Group, a member spoke about fear of success coming from the sneaky suspicion that our writing is not as good as it ought to be. Maybe we suffer from a Moses complex, you know, "Surely God has made a mistake - shouldn't someone else carry this message?" She spoke about giving ourselves over to the belief that God is the author of our talents and has made no mistake.

As I listened, I realized that I don't suffer from a Moses complex. Yes, I fear success, but for an entirely different reason. My fear is wrapped up in pride.

Pride has been an on-going sin-problem for me. It seems that most everything I've undertaken to do reaped praise, and I've not been quick to give God the glory. Rather, I tend to exhibit a peacock complex: preening rather than praising. I wonder, "If I attain success, will I lose all humility and suffer the displeasure of God?" I wonder, "Is all pride sin?"

Galatians 6:4 tells me, "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Not all pride is sin, but there are qualifiers to this sanctified pride.

The key is to test our actions, but against what? Other Scriptures instruct us to test "the spirit" to be sure the message is from God. (I John 4:1) For me, I ask, "From where does this desire to write (substitute your own call) originate? Is this a summons from God, or do I simply believe I have some personal wisdom to impart?"

Then there is the warning against comparisons. It would be easy for any of us to fall in one of two directions. If I compare my work against yours, and find it lacking, I may lose hope and my call could be silenced. Or, I may think my work is better than yours and presto! Pride pops up to spoil the call.

For me it all comes down to this: Did God give me this desire? If so, my success is not dependent on me, or how my call stacks up against another's. My success is totally dependent on my obedience to follow the call.

Unintended Consequences

One thing I've been discovering is the role of unintended consequences in my life. My husband, Leif, and I talk about this a lot. He tends to look at people and think that if someone chooses something, then it's their responsibility to live with the consequences. While I think there's some real truth in that idea, I also see many people who if they knew the full breadth of the consequences would have made a different decision. These are the unintended consequences of our decisions - and they happen in my life and everyone I know.

I have to make dozens of decision every day and while I can predict a percentage of the outcomes with certainty, the reality is there are all kinds of outcomes that are simply unintended.

Some good. Some bad.

A while back, I realized that I desperately needed a prescription filled 20 minutes before the pharmacy closed. Since the drive took about that long, I knew I didn't have a minute to spare. I raced to the pharmacy and called in the refill on the way. Pulling into a spot, I foolishly miscalculated the distance between my vehicle and the one next to me and dented the bumper. Afraid to move the vehicle and cause greater damage, I jumped out and ran to the pharmacy - the much needed prescription still on my mind. After paying for the prescription, I ran back outside where I discovered a less-than-happy driver of the other vehicle examining the damage.

I explained the situation, begged for her forgiveness, and promised to pay all damages. The middle-aged woman was slightly aghast at what had happened and for good reason: She had just purchased the vehicle, her first brand new car, the day before.

I could not grovel enough. When the repair bill arrived, I quickly delivered the check and a copy of my latest book to her with a sincere letter of apology.

To my surprise, I received a thank-you note that said, "If anyone could have hit my car, I'm glad it was you."

What do you do with that? When I think the back over the events, I find myself second guessing where I went wrong and where I went right. If I had paid more attention to the prescription bottle's contents, I would not have had to rush to the pharmacy which led to the miscalculation in parking which resulted in the accident which led to a difficult day for someone else which miraculously turned around into being a somewhat good or at least not terrible experience for someone else. The experience of filling a prescription is laced with all kinds of unintended consequences. Then again, most of our experiences are filled with them.

We plan for A and get B or D or Z.

We hope for A and get C or F or lots of Y's.

We pray for A and wonder if our prayers were heard at all.

Even in our sharpest plans, our solid hopes and our steady prayers, we face the reality of unintended consequences. So how do we deal?

By embracing grace and remembering that despite unintended consequences, God can redeem it all. By expressing grace to others, and reminding them that sometimes things just happen as a result of unintended consequences. And in the process of embracing and expressing grace, we need to remember to laugh, giggle, and remember that this too, will pass.

What God Can Do with Your Whole Life

The boy hesitated as Andrew pushed him toward Jesus. "Sir, I have only a small lunch, five loaves and two fish, but if this could help feed some of the people, you can have it." I'm sure Jesus smiled and said, "Thank you. I think this is exactly what I need."

The boy watched in awe as, with that small lunch, Jesus fed more than 5,000, with lots of leftovers.

"Wow," the boy responded. "If he can do that with my lunch, I wonder what he could do with my whole life!"

Each of us could wonder the same thing: What if I give him my whole life?!?

What if I give him my time? Would my day look different? Would I get the priority things done? Would he multiply my time to enable me to accomplish more of his work?

What if I give him my talents? He gave them to me to begin with - would he develop them more fully, more beautifully. Would he fill me up and pour me out to touch every life I encounter? Would he surprise me with the good works he created me to do?

And what if I give him my treasure? Do I really need so much of it? It's just loaned to me anyway. He tells me not to invest in things that don't last, but to invest in heavenly endeavors, where the return on investment multiplies many times - for eternity.

So what if I don't stop at time, talents and treasure? What if I give him my hopes and my dreams? It happened to me. I had dreams: to be a writer and editor, to marry a great guy, to make my life count. I gave them to him - and the vastness of the betterness has been staggering. I would have settled for so much less - God had so much more.

But wait. What happens if I give him those negative things in my life--my shame, my guilt, my fears? Certainly he won't multiply those; maybe he will halve them. No, not halves. He erases them, forgives them, buries them, sets me free from them.

So Lord, I give you everything I am and have - puny as it all is - to do what you desire with all you made me to be. The song says, "I can only imagine!" And that is true - I can only imagine. But his Word promises that he will do far more with what we give him - even our whole lives - than we can ask or even imagine!

Avoiding Injury in the Race

While running on a treadmill one morning, I found myself focusing on the red-lettered warning on the display panel. It cautioned: To Avoid Injury: "Read Owner's Manual first; Stop if you feel faint, dizzy, or short of breath." At first they seemed unnecessary; but then it struck me: While the instructions held obvious application to my physical condition, they also held subtle application to my spiritual condition. As we run the "race marked out for us," here's how we might protect against spiritual injury.

Read Owner's Manual first. Each one of us has been wonderfully made, specially designed, and set apart for specific purposes. To best understand who we are, how we operate, and how we're to serve in the Body, we need to carefully examine the Scriptures and understand our Maker's intentions. His thoughts on us are the ones that matter in this race. If we jump into running without a clear understanding of him and his will, we risk injury to ourselves, and to those we serve.

Are you taking the warning seriously? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the [wo]man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." How are you being equipped on a daily basis for the run ahead of you?

Stop if you feel faint. When I think of "faint" in light of my spiritual condition, I think of the strength of my heart; the ability to carry out what the Lord has called me to with courage and perseverance. When I'm faint in my faith, I might be far from the Lord and running out of my own strength. Or I might be focusing on my fears instead of taking courage in the truth of the Word, and getting very tired. This faintness or "fatigue" in the faith is a warning sign I can't afford to ignore as a leader; there's too much at stake.

Have you felt faint while running lately? Through Isaiah, we're told that those "who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (40:31). And through Jeremiah, we're told it is the Lord who will "refresh the weary and satisfy the faint" (31:25). How are you finding your hope and strength in him?

Stop if you feel dizzy. When I'm dizzy, I have little to no ability to see my surroundings correctly. Something is wrong with my sense of balance. And though my surroundings haven't changed, my balance issue makes it seem as though everything is spinning or moving. In this state, it's nearly impossible to stand, let alone try to continue running.

Have you ever experienced spiritual "dizziness"? Have you ever felt as though you were groping for more balance while everything seemed to be spinning out of your control? Lack of clarity and focus will pull us down and render us ineffective. The writer of Hebrews offered this encouragement for gaining proper focus while running: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (12:2). Things come into focus when we spend time with Jesus, and follow the example of his life. What are you seeing in him today?

Stop if you feel short of breath. When I think of spiritual breathing, I think Holy Spirit. And being short on the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit in my life is a sure sign that death is close at hand. Without his revival, I can count on my race coming to a quick close, whether or not I'm ready or I've finished well. Depending on the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit to propel and direct me in this race is a matter of life and death for me and those I serve.

Have you felt short of breath - short on the Holy Spirit's power? Ephesians 1:13-14 promises us that: "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory." As believers, we have the Holy Spirit; there's nothing else we need do to receive him. The work is in heeding him more fully, inhaling him more deeply through the Word, and running more obediently in the direction he points us.

Far from being rules that keep us out of the race, heeding these preventive warnings ensures that we'll continue running well until the very end. As we remember to read our Owner's Manual first, and pay attention to possible danger signs, we'll find ourselves victorious at the end. Run well!

Should Women Lead No Matter What?

In December of 1972 Helen Reddy's song "I Am Woman" grabbed the top spot on the Billboard charts. Fueled by the energy of the women's liberation movement, "I am woman, hear me roar," became a unifying slogan for a generation of women. Sometimes for good, sometimes for ill. Personally, I've been a devotee of Reddy's words for many years as I happen to be a self-confident, sometimes over-bearing sort of gal who believes God has gifted and called women to places of leadership in our culture. It also just so happens that I was also born in December of 1972.

Most women in ministry leadership will tell us that leading as a woman is an unspeakable blessing and phenomenally exhausting. Female leaders are held to both the traditional standards of job performance and to an unspoken second standard that involves gender. When people ask "can she lead," they often mean two things. First, "Is she qualified?" And second, "Should a woman lead here?" This skeptical second guess, based solely on gender, grates on the very fibers of my soul. It pushes up a voice from inside of me that wants to scream "injustice!" It makes me want to step in and roar.

This burgeoning sense of unfairness can lead me to minister from a place of spiteful anger rather than joy. "I am woman hear me roar" can become my subconscious philosophy of women in ministry if I do not guard my heart against this sort of overwhelming anger. Most female leaders that I know did not set out to create division when they answered their call to lead. They stepped forward when it appeared God clearly called them, only to discover their opinions were somehow less valuable than their male counterparts, their job titles were belittling, or they ended up either unpaid or underpaid when compared to men holding identical positions.

This, of course, can fuel an angry heart in even the most peaceable woman, and this is where we start let anger bubble up or begin to question our calling. "Maybe we heard God wrong?" "What do all these people know about my calling that I don't?" So how can women champion a peaceful partnership and also manage the understandable anger that wells up over the fact that both sides of the partnership do not always play fair.

We must constantly remember that God's role for a female in leadership is less about helping her get what she deserves, via Helen Reddy, and more about bringing insight and wisdom to the Body of Christ, via Jesus. It is about offering the understated and uniquely female experience of God to the conversation of faith. But if we are not careful, sometimes it can feel a little bit like getting even.

I know I am not the only over-aggressive girlfriend out there. I constantly meet women who have faced such a painful and exhausting battle to simply exercise their gifts that they are understandably angry. They struggle to stop the momentum they've generated out of frustration, sort of like a workaholic forced into a two-week vacation. Being devalued and hurt becomes the expectation, reacting with self-indignant anger becomes the norm.

But God set men and women as equal partners from the very beginning. Both need one another to survive (woman from Adam's rib, and forever after, man from Eve's womb). God's best looks like men and women partnering with grace and wisdom and truth. But in many settings an awareness of this truth will nosedive into a volatile debate over a woman's call to lead. This argument is so potent that it threatens to alienate congregants, split churches, and cause outsiders to question the rationality of the Christian faith. Who wants to worship with people who have such thick tension you can barely wade through it? Just because God gave a leader her voice does not mean she should exercise it loudly regardless of the cost.

There was a time I would have suggested women should lead no matter what. "Move over and let me teach them about equality in Christ," I demanded. But along with all the hurt and angry female leaders I know, I have met other strong, wildly gifted women who know beyond a doubt they are leaders. But in submission to their situation and to the people they pastor, they sit on the sideline until God raises them from the bench. Not because their job as a woman is to submit to men, but because their job as a Christian is to submit to one another. I've discovered that ministry is less being heard and more about helping people hear the Word of God. Which sounds so blatantly obvious and simple, but the politics of humanity are never as simple as they seem. On occasion, ministering from the sidelines is often what it takes to win a few games that ultimately point to the equality we find in our Creator.

Standing in the Shallows

Editor's note: I read this passage in Rep. Marsha Blackburn's new book, Life Equity a few months back, on a gray, cold Chicago day. But these words brightened my mood right up. In fact, this passage fired me up, made me want to shoot off firecrackers and wave a flag. But because it was a gray, cold day (and I actually have no idea how to shoot off firecrackers), I stayed put in my cozy office and instead slapped a sticky note on the book's page with a scribble: "GFL. 4th of July." Hope you enjoy this passage too. - Caryn Rivadeneira

In a day in which we face unprecedented challenges - locally, nationally, and globally - far too many prospective women leaders are standing in the shallows. They look with half-longing, half-trepidation at the deeper waters.

They long to dive into the challenges and make a difference. But holding them back are questions…

"How do I break into, or get around, the good ol' boy network?"

"Where are the mentors that can show me the way?"

"Where do I start?"

I write today because we must dive in. It's not about demanding our rights. It's about deploying our gifts. It's not about glass ceilings, quotas, and symbolic progress. It's about successfully shouldering responsibilities because we're good at it and we're needed - whether others recognize it or not - and it is vitally important.

Why? Because our nation is being robbed.

We are living at a moment of unprecedented challenges in our nation's history. Some are social. Some are economic. Others are cultural. And in each case, our nation awaits the innovative and difference-making leadership of women.

That is why it is our responsibility to accept a changing role for ourselves as new doors open; to be fluid in moving from one arena to another, always taking with us the skills we have acquired; to welcome new opportunities as they are presented to us; to acknowledge with grace, rather than embarrassment, our accomplishments successes, and victories; and to serve as guides to others who would follow in our footsteps.

Here is exciting news: there is a key truth that will unlock all of these extraordinary possibilities for you - one that forms the central message of my life and of this book.

That simple but powerful truth is this: your accumulated skills go with you. The ordinary, everyday tasks you have been performing are actually the foundation for getting you where you want to go. In even the most unglamorous roles, you have built real leadership ability that has prepared you for bigger things.