Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago we celebrated one of the most important days in the calendar of the Christian year — Mothers Day. Yes, Mothers Day. In terms of attendance, and worship emphasis, Mothers Day ranks just behind Christmas Eve and Easter. Many of us grew up with our mothers and grandmothers taking us to church and teaching us in Sunday school among other things. This is why Mothers Day is so important in the life of the church, because it is a time when we can honor the great women of our past, and empower the great women that are among us today. Because of the nature of that day, I felt compelled to preach a message that would accomplish both of those tasks.
For those of you reading this article that weren’t in worship that day and have not listened to the sermon online, I preached about a “controversial” topic — the Apostle Paul and his view on women. I highlighted a few passages within 1st Corinthians, specifically chapter 11, verses 2-16, and chapter 14, verses 34-40. In these passages, Paul makes some pretty harsh statements regarding the women in the Corinthian church end their role within that church. While I cannot and will not defend Paul for what he wrote, we must remember that these passages were written for a particular group of Christians, a group that existed a little less than 2000 years ago! The fact of the matter is that these passages do not pertain to the modern church in the same way that they did to the church in Corinth, yet they are within our Sacred Text. So we have to ask ourselves, what do we do with them?
I believe that we need to look at these texts through a “lens of love.” Jesus taught his disciples that the greatest commandment was to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to love their neighbor like they love themselves. When you are studying’ scripture, and you encounter a passage that seems “controversial,” ask yourself a few questions. Will living out this command allow me to show love to God and to my neighbor? Will it inhibit someone’s ability to experience a flourishing life, one that encourages them to grow closer to the Divine? If the answer is yes to any of those questions then you ought not to follow through on what the text directs you to do.
As Christians we are called to be servant leaders to the world, and in order to be a great leader you have to love those whom you would like to lead. Love is the cornerstone of our faith, and when we use the Bible to limit God’s love to a particular group of people, we are hurting God and our neighbor. I have witnessed too many men limit God’s love when it comes to women’s roles within the Church. This is a practice that needs to stop, and what better way to stop it than to empower the women within our congregation to better understand this text. That was my goal, and I pray that I accomplished it.
Peace and Blessings, Christopher Carter
