Preaching for my girl
My experience of preaching 2 weeks ago at mass has caused some backlash. Not to me really, but to the idea of women preaching. I've been reading a book, and if I like it I'll reference it in a future post, but she talks about how women preaching is in itself an experience of life changing prophetic message of Jesus; just as people rejected the message of Jesus' challenge and just as they were clinging to their 'tradition' and to the rules this is what happens when women preach. That makes me feel better.
It's also been a wonderful challenge to have some of the dynamics of preparation for preaching...things like intense prayer, examination of readings, figuring out my own response to the readings and the sinfulness and giftedness I'm invited to be more aware of, and the good news I am invited to live. All rich and wonderful stuff.
All in all though, my heart has been breaking for my girl. Whose femaleness is deemed inferior intentionally or otherwise. I ache for her rejection more than mine.
I have nothing substantive that I can say, but it makes my heart so heavy that people are so threatened in this way, friend. And I think about you and, honestly, Junia in my own work more than you know.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get down about this stuff, I reread this: http://www.cta-usa.org/reprint07-00/theologians.html
I always find some solidarity in it.
In this all with you, and sending you my love.