Thursday, September 22, 2011

A dream.


I see something more.  
So different, invaluable.  
So incompatible it's a necessity.
Why does a house benefit best with a Father and Mother? What is out of balance when one is gone?  
Why are we so scared of needing each other?  
We want to change the system but instead we're only editing the binary.  Perhaps "when the two shall become one," that one wasn't ever meant to divide from 9 to 5?  So much of marriage is the eternal commitment not to go through life alone.  What God has brought together let none other put asunder, not even the vocation of ministry?
In Jewish culture women cover their hair as submission to their husbands but it is also a symbol of the Spirit of God resting on them.  The "helper" holds the symbol in the house of the Helper Spirit of God.
What if that word"`ezer"  
Strong's H5828
עֵזֶר,
--what if it wasn't used as some sort of accident for woman?  If we're all made in the image of God--made in a way that shows some sort of characteristic of our creator.  Could this mean more for the "humble helper" on earth?


What if it really wasn't good for Adam to subdue the earth alone?
                   What if together they were actually better at what they did
together?


Because they're different,
            They are so, so different,
                        and yet there are two of them.
                                    Why wasn't the best of both worlds created?

But maybe they're halves of a whole, 
or whole but combined even more,
maybe that's the mystery.
1+1=1

Because they're great a lone,
and together they raise up a bunch of little mini-people.
--and God saw that it was Good.


Then we have this church,
and the two who are one become half.
One remains silent while the other speaks,
one serves and the other is glorified.


5 For this reason I left you in aCrete, that you would set in order what remains and bappoint celders in every city as I directed you,
 6 namely, aif any man is above reproach, the bhusband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of cdissipation ordrebellion.
 7 For the 1aoverseer must be above reproach as bGod’s steward, notcself-willed, not quick-tempered, not daddicted to wine, not pugnacious, enot fond of sordid gain,
 8 but ahospitable, bloving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,
 9 aholding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in bsound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

So often we write this verse off.  Or we go down right crazy, forcing families to be perfect for their leader so he looks good to his leaders.  Madness. But what about the eyes of love?  What are the eyes for this passage of a leader of sound doctrine?  Ephesians 5:33b “each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”  What about this marriage?  Why is Paul so concerned with this house being in order?  This is the house of love, can we chose to see it as the ideal Paul sets before his people, and for his leaders in their search for other trustworthy leaders?  What if he is looking for a house at peace, running with both man and woman working together to do their first and for most priority of their family?

Why are we asking people to split in two for a job in the church? 
What if we’ve just gotten so used to half a person in the pulpit we don’t know what to do with one? 
Because it’s apples and oranges. 
Equally incomparable,
better at one thing or another maybe,
but each so valuable. 
Valuable in and of themselves,
but not good to be alone. 

When have we seen really them together in action?


2 comments:

  1. You owned it. If i gave your first one a 10 i would give this one like a 9 or 9.5. Well done very thought provoking.

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  2. You know the best part was how you phrased it....even extreme fundys would have difficulties disagreeing.

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