Secret Women's Business

Just thought I'd share this reflection from Aubrey Sampson , which is part of a women in ministry series. As well as enjoying her article, I'll admit I rather liked her self-description: "Aubrey Sampson is a pastor’s wife and stay-at-home mom to three boys—which is to say she spends most days in her pajamas drinking a lot of coffee. On the days she manages to get dressed, she writes and speaks about shameless living, women’s issues, and God’s love." Ah, living with young preschoolers. For those of you still inhabiting this exhausting stage of life, I promise you it does get better. For those of you who live in this zone but manage to be showered, dressed, blow waved and made up by 8.00 am, please share how you do this. Or possibly not: it might make the rest of us feel worse. :-) Janet

Once upon a time those who opposed women exercising any leadership in the church, the family, or the workplace, spoke of women’s “inferiority” to men. In the post-sexual revolution world, the “inferiority” term became socially unacceptable, so in the 70’s those of a theological bent coined the term “complementarianism”. Women were not inferior to men, but complementary… the role of men is to lead, and the role of women in the church and in the family is to support and submit. Humans have been designed for this and are happiest this way, apparently. (They had to backtrack too on women not exercising leadership in “secular” spheres, as this also became utterly socially unacceptable.) In the teaching of Jesus, the one who serves is great, and Jesus modelled exemplary servant leadership. However, there is a world of difference in having personal power and using this to serve and empower others, from being powerless. The former leads to shalom, the latter so often leads to exploitation. ...