Above is a pic of my youngest daughter and me.
My Husband, My brother in Christ
Wednesday Womanhood: Women's Ministry Pt. 2
Here is Part 1.
The book, Women's Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt begins with:
The Subject of this book is not women; it is the Church of the Lord Jesus. Though the focus of this book is one specific area of the church's ministry, a Biblical understanding of the church acknowledges that no part stands alone. A women's ministry is one component of the total life and work of a local church. The authors of this book have had seperate journeys to a shared commitment to women's ministry in the local church, but for both of us this commitment is one part of a larger commitment to and love for the household of God. As Dr. Edmund Clowney wrote, "If we lack interest in the church we lack what for Jesus was a consuming passion. Jesus loved the church and gave Himself up for it (Eph. 5:25)."
Who is teaching the women of your church about the principles of womanhood? Your church or the world? Ligon Duncan calls the gender issues a wedge of a worldview megashift. His hardworking and very capable grandmother ably served the Lord and his people. He wrote about her, she had not the slightest desire to preach or hold the office of pastor and would have told any woman who did she was "plumb crazy." In regards to his mother who thinks theologically and deeply, writes beautifully, is a gifted public speaker, works harder than anyone [he] knows, and has poured her whole life into the service of Christ and His people, he writes that she never aspired to the eldership, nor resented male leadership... she gloried in it... delighted to support them... all the while embracing the Biblical teaching male-female role relationships.
The more we understand God's sovereign love, the more we gratefully submit to HIS authority. It is sovereign grace that empowers and compels us to be women who live under the authority of God's Word.If you haven't already, you really need to get this book!!!
***Now consider reading ...recovering the sufficiency and authority of Sola Scriptura by Campi. He writes, We need to get back to doing ministry His way, according to His Word, empowered by His Spirit, and doing all things for His glory alone.
Comments
Thanks for directing our attention to what matters in God's sight! We need to constantly be reminded of God's plan--as long as we're in this world we'll continue to be bombarded with the world's view at EVERY turn.
Posted by: connie | October 25, 2006 08:25 AM
I liked the sound of this book the first time I heard it mentioned. And I think it was you from whom I first heard about it.
Posted by: Kim in ON | October 25, 2006 09:28 AM
Kim,
It is one of the books I recommended in THIS post when asked what I would recommend instead of resorting to Beth Moore. It is, by far, the best book out there on how to understand what it means to have an effective, biblical women’s ministry in the church .
Connie,
We all need to be reminded to direct our attention to what matters to God. Yes, we are constantly bombarded by the things of this world. I can shake my head at those Israelites when they were led out of slavery and into the desert... having witnessed firsthand the workings of God, and yet they so quickly forgot. "How could they?"... "How dare they?" ... but then, how quickly do I? God truly is longsuffering. His mercies ARE new every morning.
I pray we continue to encourage one another in the things that matter to our Lord...
(God-willing)... Abundant Grace and Uncompromised Truth for HIS glory alone,
Lisa
Posted by: lisa4given | October 25, 2006 10:04 AM
"instead of resorting to Beth Moore" --hahahaha--Sorry, that just struck me funny...
Yes, thankfully, there are alternatives to this new age thinking guised as biblical teaching!
And thanks for pointing us to some.
Posted by: joythruChrist | November 1, 2006 07:34 PM