Below, is an outline/transript of the lesson from 2/4/15. Each figure number is linked to its appropriate graphic. They come from the survey you took, so the question numbers will appear out of order. Questions? Thoughts? Email Robert at robert.lee@norfolkcoc.org.


Introduction

  • I want to start with a letter from a member (read with her permission).
    • It reads: I am looking forward to this study. It is better to be prepared than to play catch up. I have heard this topic for many years. It will go well if we are there to learn. You are a good teacher. Sometimes a little more liberal than me. LOL. I wish you well in the class and i know you will be prepared. In Christian Love, _________
      • What I love about this email is it sets the tone so well.
      • It’s a relief to find curiosity rather than fear and openness instead of suspicion.
      • These days I value trust so much more than I value agreement.
    • A church that is healthy will have high amounts of mutual trust, regardless of level of agreement.
  • Here’s an Outline of our study
    • Tonight—Survey and get an overview of where we’re headed
    • Next week—Discussion of women in the 1st Century Mediterranean world
    • After that: Survey of the pertinent passages.
    • After that: closer look at individual passages.
    • After that: we discuss possible conclusions.
  • Format
    • I will do most of the talking early on, more than I ever do.
      • Just to give you an introduction to the information.
      • Even later though, I’m probably going to control the discussion a little more than I usually do.
      • Especially since the goal is not debate, but education.
        • Doesn’t mean you can’t talk, give input, ask questions
        • I just want to make sure it continues to be informative.
        • And it doesn’t devolve into back and forth.
    • This may be frustrating
    • I might change my mind.
    • I certainly hope you’ll find other ways of communicating.
  • Survey Results
    • Disclaimer
      • Surveys are only as good as the one writing the questions, tabulating data, interpreting data. (Me in all cases)
      • I’m not a sociologist. I’m certainly not a statistician.
      • I know some of the questions could have been clearer, hope to make it better for the end of class survey.
    • I have a printed copy for anyone who wants to see the whole thing.
    • Also putting it on the website.
      • Plan is to put a recording of each class.
      • Along with notes
      • And other things.
      • It’s in the Member section
      • Here is the username/password
    • Won’t be talking about everything in the survey
      • More about hitting the highlights
      • And thinking in terms of groupings
    • Previous experience with women who are ministers
      • As would be expected we have very little experience being in a church where women are in visible/vocal leadership roles.
        • Women are already leading in our congregation
        • Just not vocally or visibly
      • Survey Respondents had some experience as members of a church where there was a female minister on staff (probably as a children’s or youth minister.) (Figure 1)
      • But respondents have very little experience with women as preachers or elders. (Figure 2)
      • So what?
        • In addition to the concern about whether or not it's biblical.
        • I think there will be an element of discomfort even thinking about women in leadership roles.
        • Because it’s simply been out of the realm of possibility for many of us.
    • Our understanding regarding gender roles at church and home. (Figure 3)
      • More of us feel the Bible is clear regarding roles in the home.
      • Fewer of us feel the Bible is clear regarding roles at church.
      • I’ll talk a lot more about this next week, when we talk about women in the Mediterranean world.
    • Responses regarding specific ministry roles (Figure 4)
      • A majority of us don’t seem to believe that all speaking roles should be off limits to women. 
        • Making an announcement
        • Teaching a class
        • Baptizing someone?
        • Even leading a prayer and serving at the Lord’s Supper is approved by close to 50% (Figure 5)
      • There is less resistance to certain ministerial roles as well. (Figure 6)
        • Deacon
        • Youth Minister
      • But most of you feel there are still roles that should be restricted to men. (Figure 7)
        • Preacher
        • Elder
        • Observations
          • More are ok with women serving as elders than preachers (a little unexpected)
          • Still, 30% approval for both female elders and preachers is a significant number.
          • One I would not have expected 10 years ago.
    • Finally a couple of other things I want to show you that didn’t come out just from looking at individual questions.
      • I looked more closely at responses regarding female elders.
        • I chose that question because, for most, female elders would represent full inclusion.
        • So it creates the clearest distinction.
      • I looked at opinions regarding female elders by gender (Figure 8), and there was no significant difference between male and female respondents.
      • However, I detect an age gap in approval of female elders.
        • With the respondents under 40 more in favor.
        • And respondents over 40 more opposed (Figure 9).
  • So what does all this mean?
    • We are not all together on this. There is no clear agreement.
    • This is not simply a matter of voting and deciding.
    • A reminder of the goal for our class: Understanding.
      • To get to the point where you can say what you believe
      • And understand why others believe what they believe.
    • Why this is important?
      • We must be generous.
      • Instead, What we tend to do
        • Believe the worst of those who disagree with us.
        • You see it a lot on the 24 hour news channels.
    • There are two regrettable natural tendencies when confronted with disagreement.
      • Assume motive/Reduce them to a villain (No moustache twirling villains here)
      • Where complementarians are judged to be Chauvinists
      • And egalitarians are judged as not valuing scripture.
    • The idea being, if you can present the worst of what they believe so you can dismiss it.
    • You’ll know you get it when you can state another person’s view in a way that they say, “Yes. That’s what I think.”
  • Reading 1 Corinthians 13
    • In 1 Corinthians Paul mentions the gifts that he would love the church in Corinth to exhibit.
      • Speaking in tongues
      • Wisdom
      • Faith
      • Giving
    • But he says none of those is any good if love does not accompany them.
    • He would say the same of Women’s roles.
      • If I’ve freed everyone to serve in ministry regardless of their gender but I don’t have love…
      • If I’ve preserved the authority of the church as God always intended, but have not love…
  • Finally, a reading of the “Prayer of St. Francis” to remind us of our goal for the class:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is discord, harmony;

Where there is error, truth;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

 

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