Chase the Setting Sun...

For the last month now I have been teaching a group of high school students in our Phao Student Ministries the book of Proverbs as part of our semester long series "WISE UP! Study of Proverbs" on Wednesday nights. If you've ever read Proverbs you know that the book is focused on searching for and gaining wisdom and knowledge of God.

I consistently have been hitting on how discipline in studying scripture and a focus on searching for wisdom and knowledge in many different areas of life can bring us closer to God. The writer of Proverbs is clear, wisdom can be found in many different places, not just church and Scripture, although Scripture should be our main focus.

As I am teaching the book of Proverbs to the high school students I am also leading a discussion with some young adults once a week on the book of Colossians. In Colossians, Paul is specifically writing to combat the Gnostics who believe that the only way to God is through knowledge. The body and flesh and anything created (actually including the incarnation of Jesus) is sinful and bad.

It's kind of a weird spot that I'm in. On one night I'm pounding home the need for wisdom and knowledge and a desire to study not only Scripture but study in school as well. On another night we are hearing about Paul's battle against the Gnostics in Colossae and their over emphasis on knowledge.

Obviously there has to be a middle ground or balance, right? So what do you think that is? Where is the balance between our desire to gain knowledge of God, and the wisdom of God, while not putting too much of an emphasis on those things, and still having a faith that goes beyond knowledge and isn't based on our limited ability to understand God?

Just something I'm thinking about. I would love to hear your thoughts!

I am now one month into my new job at Castleton UMC. It's been a fun and crazy month. Here's what's been going on for those of you that care.

Last night at our '20 Somethings' discussion group we discussed 1 Timothy chapter 2. In this chapter Paul gives Timothy his thoughts and instructions on worship. Paul discusses the importance of prayer for all people, kings and all those in authority in the first half of the chapter. The second half Paul deals with women in worship and teaching positions. Here's what he says,

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

~1 Timothy 2:9-15

Obviously there is a lot in this passage that could easily anger a lot of people in our society and culture, both women and men. Here are a few thoughts that I have gathered in preparation to lead our discussion last night. I'll break this up into a few parts because there is a lot of information here.

1. Culture

That was a different culture that Paul was speaking to in this passage. At that time men were the heads of the household, government, and churches. Women, in Jewish culture, were uneducated and not allowed to be educated. Therefore, it wouldn't make sense for an uneducated woman to be teaching anyone, let alone educated men.

Being that a man was the head of the household it would have limited his ability to lead his home if he was led by a woman in a ministry setting. Paul says in chapter three of 1 Timothy that a man must be able to lead his home first to be able to lead well in the Church. The two were interconnected. If a man couldn't lead one well, he wouldn't be able to lead the other well.

Also, if a man had been led by a woman at the church he would have been ineffective in his ability to be a role model to other non-Christian men outside the church and therefore not been able to lead them to Christ effectively.

Many women in Ephesus were likely very wealthy. They would have had money to buy fancy clothing and jewelry. They would attract attention to themselves (just like today) by wearing attractive clothing and jewelry that would draw attention to their bodies and sex appeal. Paul obviously thought this was out of place for the Church. A Christian woman's focus should be on Christ not on her own looks and body. This isn't to say Paul thought that a Christian woman should let herself go, but rather not dress in a way that distracts others and themselves from worship of the Lord.

2. Effective Ministry

As you read Paul's letters you easily can see that he felt an undeniable urgency for the Gospel. He knew that the clock was ticking and he needed to get the Gospel out to everyone he could while he still could. So, in line with that, the effectiveness of ministry would have been very important to him. If his ministry wasn't effective he would have been wasting valuable time.

At that time, because of a woman's place in society it would not have been the most effective way to present the Gospel if a woman was teaching it. Most would not have respected a woman's opinion on such matters and likely rejected her teaching. Also, if women were being a distraction in worship either by their dress, or speaking out of turn, that also would create an ineffective ministry.

Paul taught that women should learn in quietness and full submission. This did not mean they should shut up at all times and follow blindly. Paul consistently taught that all should be conscious of what is being taught to be sure that no one is adhering to false doctrines. The fact that Paul called them to learn at all showed a shift in thought from traditional Jewish culture. Women would just be a distraction if they had spoken up in worship due to the culture of that time.

3. Paul Had Great Respect for Women

While Paul was clear that woman should not be an elder, overseer, or deacon, he did believe that women had an important role in ministry and life. Here is a few examples...

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. ~2 Timothy 1:5

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much whine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ~Titus 2:3-5

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ~1 Peter 3:1-2

Obviously Paul had great respect for women and their role in teaching those around them. He gave great respect to the women that raised Timothy. He gave great responsibility to older women in the Church to teach the younger women. Along with that he showed women that the way they live could be transformational for their husbands and the men around them.

While women weren't allowed to teach, they had great responsibility in the advancement of the Gospel in their families and communities.

4. Final Thought

Obviously this is not an exhaustive scriptural study of women in ministry. This is just some thoughts and information I encountered in preparing for our short discussion last night. However, I think it does show that Paul not only respected women, he saw a great need for them in the advancement of the Gospel.

At the same time he had very certain thoughts on women in teaching and leadership roles within the Church. We can debate all day long whether we think these thoughts apply to our culture today or not. I would encourage you (as well as myself) to continue studying scripture, no matter what you believe. You may be right, you may be wrong.

We all have strong beliefs about certain things in our lives. What we need to do is be sure our beliefs are rooted firmly in scripture, not just in our own biases. Just because our culture has led us to believe something doesn't mean that it is Biblical.

I would also be curious to hear, as we're on the subject of women in ministry. What women in your life have had a positive effect on you and/or led a great ministry from a pastoral or teaching role? Leave a comment

My last post was on the Fear of God and what that might look like. Whether that be a simple reverence and respect for God or an actual fear, or terror, when in the presence of God. It is important to understand the fear of God. I'd like to talk about that a little more as I study through Proverbs for our Student Ministries WISE UP! study of Proverbs. There is a decision we have to make before we can be led into wisdom and an understanding of the fear of God.

"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." ~Proverbs 2:1-5

This passage clearly presents a specific choice that each of us has to make in life to determine whether we go the way of the wisdom of God and on to a relationship with Jesus Christ, or if we turn away from wisdom and lose our salvation and life completely.

This is where the Church comes in. When I say "Church" I mean the people of the Body of Christ and not just the individual churches in our community (though they are obviously a huge part of this). The Church has the responsibility to present all people, but specifically young people, with this decision.

The book of Proverbs is clear that ignorance is not an excuse for not making this decision. It says that "Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech." Wisdom is out there and in our face, screaming in our faces.

The Church is where Wisdom screams it's loudest (or should be). We are the mouthpiece, or bullhorn, for Wisdom. We are the ones that should be screaming wisdom into the streets and to all that we come in contact with.

If we fail to do this, specifically for young people before they have a chance to turn the wrong direction, we fail and they do not understand that they have a decision to make. We need to make this appeal to our young people so that there is no confusion about the choice they need to make; to follow the way of Wisdom to Jesus Christ, or as Proverbs basically puts it, dig their own grave. "For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them."

Granted, a lot of you might point out that I am still really a young person at the ripe age of 25. However, I feel this call strongest of all being one of the Student Ministries Directors here at Castleton UMC.

I love Proverbs, always lights a fire under me!

We've all heard a sermon in our lifetime that centered on, or at least passed by, the idea of the fear of God. A lot of times we hear the pastor say something like "Now, understand this is not fear in the sense of 'terror' but more like 'reverence' or respect."

Right now I'm reading through the Old Testament book of Proverbs in preparation for a study with our high schoolers this fall. Right off the bat I came across 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

That line had me thinking about a passage I read from Revelation a couple weeks ago for our Tuesday night '20 Somethings' discussion group. Revelation 1:9-17 has John explaining his vision of Christ in heaven, ending with his reaction to that sight. What did John do? He fell on his face as though DEAD.

That sounds more like a terrifying drop dead kind of fear than a reverence kind of fear. John wasn't just like "Whoa! God, I respect you!"

Isaiah 6 also comes to mind when I think of the fear of God. Isaiah is explaining his vision of God seated on the throne. He sees God on the throne and seraphs flying above him singing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory." I think it's important to note that they are covering their faces with two of their six wings as to not directly see the face of God.

Isaiah however, does see the face of God seated on His throne. Immediately at the sight, Isaiah says, "Woe to me! I am ruined!" Isaiah sees God and immediately recognizes his own sin and determines that he is dead. God is going to kill him for the sinful life he lives.

That sounds like honestly terrifying fear. Again, Isaiah wasn't just like, "Wow, I respect that dude." He feared for his very life!

Looking at these passages I have to believe that the fear of God is more than just respect or reverence, but an honest and terrifying kind of fear. God wants us to honestly fear him. It is only at that point that we can begin to gain his wisdom. It is through that fear that we can receive the wisdom and knowledge of God.

This week was my first week working full time in the office at Castleton UMC. It has been pretty busy. The first day was chuck full of meetings to get myself and Steph, the Director of Student Ministries, oriented to our new jobs.

So far we have done some planning and set some dates for events and programming for this coming fall for the youth and are pretty excited about it. I have had a chance to do a little organizing of some of my contemporary worship things and get that in order, which was long over due.

It's been a pretty good week. I'm looking forward to next week hoping things will really start to settle in and get into a routine.