Weekly Word 1.4.11
Dearest Fellowship,
The dust has settled, the Christmas tree is thrown out, burned, or dripping dry needles
on your floor. . .and 2012 is here. I don't think it's possible that time goes faster some
years than others (and I'm no Einstein) but 2011 seemed particularly fast. . .
I wonder how many people will try to "live it up" or "seize the day" out of a hidden fear
that the Mayans are correct and the world ends this year?
Francis of Assisi was supposedly working in his garden once and was approached by a
young follower who asked him "If you knew the Lord was coming back today, what
would you do?" St. Francis' response is classic and profound:
"I would probably finish hoeing this garden"
Last Sunday we did a sweeping overview of the concept of
community/fellowship/relationship in the Bible. . .we will continue that sermon this week
and really begin to flesh out the details of what a biblical community is and isn't and
what it realistically could and should look like. . .
Until then,
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 12.14.11
Christmas Thinkers (as opposed to Shoppers),
"Bueller? Bueller?"
All you children of the 80s will recognize that quote. . .in fact, you "heard" it in Ben
Stein's famously academic and nasally voice. It comes from the movie Ferris
Bueller's Day Off where a high school student has the most amazing day ever (or at
least we thought so growing up) skipping school. His teacher, played by Ben Stein, is
doing roll call and says the name multiple times into the air. The scene is famous
because of the absolute apathy being demonstrated by the classroom and even the
teacher to some degree. . .
"Bueller? Bueller?" become a funny inside joke to mean "Is anyone listening to me?
Does anyone care?"
Why do I bring this up?
2 reasons: Our annual Christmassy Sermon will answer (to some degree) the
questions Is anyone listening and Does anyone care?
The 2nd reason is a little ironic:
Are we still reading these Church emails anymore? (A question that can only be
answered by reading this email. Ha.)
There are SO MANY ways to be involved, get plugged in, to use your gifts, to find a
place to belong here at BRCC. . .
Last week I counted about a dozen ways just in that one email!! Gone are the days
when the only way to find a connecting point was if you were a young male who
loved football. . .there are meals, ways to serve, ways to pray, ways to celebrate
births and engagements, and multiple ways to share in community with others. . .
If you don't read these emails (and the CDH interns are doing a GREAT job with this
email!) you are missing the best way to get details about the Body Life here at BRCC.
. .and if you come late to the service, then you miss the announcements as well
which are the verbalization of these bits of info on ways to get involved. Yes, I just
went there :)
Bueller? Bueller?
The opportunities are there. . .it is up to you to make the steps to participate.
(and for those of you reading this and saying "I AM READING and PARTICIPATING!",
I salute you! But I also ask that you encourage those who communicate that they feel
disconnected by asking them these questions: Were you there for the
announcements at the service this week? Did you read the weekly email? Have you
eaten a meal with a BRCC member this month? Thanks for your help ;) )
SOME REMINDERS ABOUT OUR COMING WEEKS:
We will NOT be having a service on December 25th. . .not because we don't know
the "reason for the season", but because we know it so well :) It is a time of
gatherings and celebrations and traveling and remembrances. . .it is also a time
when most everyone who runs the service (and sets it up) is not around or available.
SO, enjoy your Christmas Sunday by enjoying the presence of your close
relationships. . .I think it is a beautiful and fitting way to worship Immanuel.
On January 1st, New Year's Day, I will be doing a (or at least beginning, knowing my
tendency to wordiness on said topic) a sermon on Community. Why is that word in
our church name? Why do you hear it talked about here? How do I get me some of
that community? Why does everybody else have it and not me?
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 12.7.11
Holiday Pilgrims,
I hope that you've been reading the Advent Reflections that our Body has written (found
at http://broadrivercc.wordpress.com/2011/) and you're beginning to think about the
coming of Immanuel (the Advent), God with us. . .
This week we wrap up the Sermon on the Mount. . .the sermon within the overall
"sermon" of the gospel of Matthew. The themes and principles that we learned together
will not be forgotten as we move forward but instead will give us a foundation,
framework, and filter for all the rest of the book. The launching point for applying the
Sermon on the Mount is this last passage. . .
We will look at the wisdom of building our lives on the rock versus building our lives on
the sand. This will be a "compare and contrast" sermon looking at 2 different ways to
live (and bringing a nice return and cycle to the "2 paths/roads" concept as well). I
always find it interesting that as you compare the Rock people with the Sand people
you find they have A LOT more in common than you would think. . .
The passage ends with two "A" words: Amazement & Authority. . .I hope you will
experience both of those this Sunday too :)
SOME REMINDERS ABOUT OUR COMING WEEKS:
We will NOT be having a service on December 25th. . .not because we don't know the
"reason for the season", but because we know it so well :) It is a time of gatherings and
celebrations and traveling and remembrances. . .it is also a time when most everyone
who runs the service (and sets it up) is not around or available. SO, enjoy your
Christmas Sunday by enjoying the presence of your close relationships. . .I think it is a
beautiful and fitting way to worship Immanuel.
On January 1st, New Year's Day, I will be doing a (or at least beginning, knowing my
tendency to wordiness on said topic) a sermon on Community. Why is that word in our
church name? Why do you hear it talked about here? How do I get me some of that
community? Why does everybody else have it and not me?
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 11.30.11
Children of Immanuel,
I hope that you've been reading the Advent Reflections that our Body has written (found
at http://broadrivercc.wordpress.com/2011/) and you're beginning to think about the
coming of Immanuel, God with us. . .
This week and the 18th we will have sermons that center around this Advent season
and the thoughts and Scriptures that surround it. On December 11th, we will do the last
teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. . .(sigh)
We will NOT be having a service on December 25th. . .not because we don't know the
"reason for the season", but because we know it so well :) It is a time of gatherings and
celebrations and traveling and remembrances. . .it is also a time when most everyone
who runs the service (and sets it up) is not around or available. SO, enjoy your
Christmas Sunday by enjoying the presence of your close relationships. . .I think it is a
beautiful and fitting way to worship Immanuel.
On January 1st, New Year's Day, I will be doing a (or at least beginning, knowing my
tendency to wordiness on said topic) a sermon on Community. Why is that word in our
church name? Why do you hear it talked about here? How do I get me some of that
community? Why does everybody else have it and not me?
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 11. 23.11
Sheepy Sheep,
I am thankful this week for the words of Jesus in John 10:6-14 (from the Message) as I think
about both Thanksgiving and our sermon/passage from this past week:
Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again.
"I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good--sheep
stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who
goes through me will be cared for--will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only
there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and
better life than they ever dreamed of.
"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices
himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He
sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf.
He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him.
"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me"
I am thankful for a Good Shepherd, one who cares about my life. . .One who laid down His life
so that I can find mine. . .
A Shepherd who, even when correcting me, has my best interests in mind. . .who never wants
my life to be stolen, killed, corrupted or destroyed.
I am thankful that all who come to Him can find life, no matter how broken they've been up to
that point. . .
Yes, I am thankful for the Good Shepherd. May we find Him through the narrow gate and
never ever be satisfied or fooled by those who come in the sheep pen by any other way (10:15).
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill" (geek!)
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 11.16.11
Gate-Finders,
Perhaps we should make a motion to change our name from Broad River Community
Church to Narrow River Community Church? But then we wouldn't identify to our
geographical region very well. . .hmmm. . .and we'd have to change websites, etc. Ah,
well. . .
The path of the Cross is an exclusive path. . .not because it is a path of favoritism and
clique-ishness but because it requires us to lay aside the worldly ways and take up the
way of Christ, of self-giving love. . .
May we commit to the process of following this non-worldly narrow way together (and
thus finding life) and refuse to accept the cheap rocketship alternative the world offers
us (Thanks again, Sarah.) May our Body communicate the Gospel in its life-changing
fullness!
This week we get to talk about animals and fruit. I see many analogies on the horizon
for us on Sunday. . .and probably a sheep joke or 2. . .
Before I close with the usual signature, when is the last time you were INTENTIONAL
and pro-active to make the little slogan below a reality? Do not wait for others to be
intentional, you be intentional! Every Sunday after-the-service meal is an opportunity to
build relationships. . .and relationships are the water that LOVE swims in ;)
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 11.9.11
Awake Ones,
You cannot be the Good Samaritan to everyone, but you can be. . .and have to be the
Good Samaritan to SOMEone. . .
Part of the battle is simply being willing to look, to keep your head up and your Kingdom
Goggles on. . .and to Ask, Seek, Knock.
And remember, our time in the Word on Sunday and the things that were shared were
not meant to make you feel guilty or to prompt an automated christian-y response for
you to go witness to somebody. . .our Hope at BRCC is that we truly recognize,
receive, and walk in the FirstLove of God as demonstrated to us in Christ. . .and from
that and because of that take up our Cross and follow Jesus as we FirstLove those
around us with the same love that we received. . .
That Love often manifests itself in a committed process of messiness and ups and
downs, successes and failures, mountains and deserts. . .but God has been faithful to
us in that process, can we reflect that ditch-dwelling faithfulness to others?
When we love like He loved us. . .we will begin to truly experience in new and deeper
ways the Eternal Life we have been given: our knowledge relationship with Him
becomes more real and intimate and less theoretical and "one day out there". . .we lose
our life but we truly find it as well. . .
John RW Stott passed away this year and he was one of the brightest luminaries in
Christendom over the past 50 years, his words and thinking have permeated so much
of the healthy thinking that the Church of today follows. . .I came across an article he
wrote on being salt and light and I thought it was a great and timely read for our BRCC
Body as we travel through the Sermon on the Mount:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/october/saltlight.html
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 11.2.11
Finders, Seekers,
Imagine being so hungry you can hardly stand it. . .but there's no food in the house, just
an old piece of paper that says "Hungry? Read Instructions." You've looked at the
paper a million times, but you've just never read it. . .you've just sat in the chair with
your head back and your mouth gaping open hoping an amazing chef would walk by
and put something nourishing in your mouth. . .
But now the hunger is so strong that you finally decide that you'll make the effort to get
out of that chair and read the instructions on the paper. . .You don't really like what it
says. . .It mentions that there are fields and orchards outside your door that the Great
Farmer has planted for you to explore, to enjoy, to work. . .there is abundant food of all
types and flavors, but you have to grab a shovel and dig for it or climb a ladder and
learn to pick. . .
It's all yours. . .all of it. . .anytime there's a hunger, there's a vegetable or fruit or grain
out there that can satisfy. . .and you've been given a blank check of permission to eat
of the Farmer's gifts. . .in fact, the Farmer signed the note telling you that He gave you
all those gifts because He loves you. . .and He didn't design you to just be hungry, He
also made you to be satisfied. . .by Him and his gifts. . .
The question is: Do you go back to your comfortable chair and open your mouth and
complain of hunger? Or do you grab a shovel and run out into those golden fields to
see what the Farmer left you in love?
How much more. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
(don't judge me!)
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 10.26.11
Seekers,
Do we have a "seeker sensitive" church? Well, this week we will for sure :) We'll be
studying Matthew 7:7-12 and the intimate prayer relationship we can have with the
Father as we live as Kingdom people. . .
But to use that term, "seeker-sensitive", people usually mean something else. . .it's a
term that is used for churches that design their entire Sunday morning worship service
around making the unchurched feel welcome and "a part" of the service. I'm not trying
to pick on that model or elevate ours, or anything like that. . .but I would hope that all
people feel welcomed in our service simply because they can sense the love of Christ
present amongst our people. Songs, sermons, smiles, etc. all should point to Him. .
.and His people should be worshipping Him as they gather. . .and when that truly
happens, fruit that matters can be seen by all. . .
I came across a long but valuable article this week on the role of doubt in our Christian
journey. . .I pass it along to those of you wanting to mature in your walk with Christ but
who are finding that maturing process a bit tougher than expected. . .
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2011/10/why-it%e2%80%99s-good-to-doubtgod/
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
(don't judge me!)
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 10.5.11
Free Folks,
October is awesome.
In other news, I wanted to follow up Sunday's sermon with a footnote that I added when
we taught through Philippians 4 two years ago but did not on Sunday. . .
In the midst of "prescribing" Scriptural principles for dealing with anxiousness and
worry, and handling texts where Jesus and Paul communicate so strongly against
them. . .I think we need to be realistic about the facts of actual mental and physical
conditions which may cause people to be trapped in patterns of anxiety or worry. . .
I don't think that anyone who has worry/anxiety at all in their lives is automatically
selfish and distrustful and rejecting of God. . .I think there are people who have
anxiety/worry stemming from a source(s) that require professional help and/or possible
medication and are caught in patterns they are helpless to fight on their own. I am no
doctor, psychiatrist, or counselor, so I will leave it at that. . .
Our hope is that we will all walk in the freedom of God's Kingdom and our lives would
not be marked by the paralyzing self-focused gaze caused by the lordship of this fallen
world. . .
Paul, in the midst of being called to glorious gospel ministry, wrote these words in 2
Timothy chapter 1:
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I
am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed,
and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
Our dear brother Scott Pitts will be sharing the Word the next 2 weeks, I am taking my
annual fall beach vacation this week to Emerald Isle (which was slightly delayed due to.
. .oh. . .a new baby!). Pray that my time with the Lord at the shore is meaningful again
this year :)
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
Weekly Word 9.28.11
Seekers,
If "seek first" really means "make it your priority to find". . .then what we talked about this
past Sunday means "make it your priority to find" Jesus in all things. He RULES over all, His
Kingdom can be found and discovered in any and every situation. . .because He lives and
rules in you. These thoughts can be overwhelming, hard to apply, and difficult to grasp. .
.however, the instructions given to us are not "Perfectly Find Him Now!". . .but to Seek 1st
His Kingdom and His righteousness (which insinuates we have let go of our own versions
of what it means to be righteous) With the same passion and dedication we sought after
the "lesser things" of the world, we should now focus on the Kingdom we have entered. . .
God's Sovereignty and Grace are such that He will guide us in the perfect timing of the
"when and where" of how we find Him and understand His Kingdom. Our responsibility in
view of His mercy is to offer ourselves up to Him and that process (Romans 12:1-2). . .we
WILL be transformed, and we will begin to be pleased by His perfect and good will.
This week we will cap off this section of the Sermon on the Mount with Matthew 6:34 and
examine our tendency to be anxious about the future. . .
Until then. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 9.21.11
Treasure Seekers,
At BRCC, we've tried to communicate and demonstrate from the very beginning that genuine
relationship with God and genuine relationships with others is what this life is all about. .
.understanding that LOVE the Lord your God and loving neighbor is wrapped up in that statement,
as well as such phrases as "living to the glory of God". . .
As we've journeyed together, and continue to do so, sometimes we can get caught up in patterns of
false expectations for oursleves (being perfect, not allowing ourselves to be "human") or we can
get caught up in worrying about what other people think of us. . .
Our hope and prayer is that we all find our contentment in Christ first, in what HE thinks of us
(what the Word tells us), and then concerning others, we all learn to walk in grace and humility
with each other. I was reminded of some of these relational "tendencies" we can have when I read
this honest, relatable, and somewhat humorous article of a busy mom dealing with imperfections:
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/09/the_sin_behind_my_swearing.html
I hope you enjoy it, and I'll see you Sunday. . .
Until then. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 9.13.11
Pilgrims,
There is a story of Jesus in Matthew chapter 9 where a paralytic is brought to Jesus for healing. . .I
imagine how hopeless and helpless he looked lying there on the ground, no control of his own
body and completely reliant on his friends to bring into the presence of Jesus. But instead of
receiving compassionate healing, the One True King looked at him and told him that his sins were
forgiven. . .
It was only after the negative reaction to that statement by the religious leaders that Jesus heals
the man as well. . .establishing His Kingdom Authority for all to see. . .
It is a strong statement by Jesus that the thing of most importance to us may not be the most
important in reality. . .His compassion for His kids in adverse circumstances is deep, but not as
deep as His heart for us to be set free from the death and decay of sin. . .
The story is a reminder to me that the great things that God wants to do in my life right now may
be more about restoring me and redeeming from sin than it is doing the "miraculous" in my
circumstances. . .
I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday in our service and at our annual fall picnic at
CDH. . .
Until then. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
Weekly Word 9.8.11
Fasters,
Pastoral command and edict today: Enjoy the early Fall weather! That is all. Thank you.
And another thought/definition on Fasting as a follow-up to our Sunday morning service:
Fasting is purposefully embracing weakness that we might be strengthened by His grace.
Looking forward to sharing Matthew 6:19-24 with you this weekend. The "topic" in this passage
is one that I think would be helped by preparation on our part as we gather together to hear the
Word. Preparation in general for the Sunday gathering is a crucial discipline for healthy church
life. . .that we take time often to examine the WHY of what we do: are gathering to GET or to
GIVE? are our hearts open to the Lord's leading or just hearing what we want to hear? are we
coming in monotonous habit or in anticipation of what the Lord might do? This week's passage
will address what do we as people really value. . .what are our hearts set on and where is our
"true" treasure. I encourage you to read ahead and pray through the Scripture before Sunday
in order to prepare the spiritual soil of your heart. . .I will do that as well :)
Until then. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 8.31.11
Dearly Forgiven,
I don't often quote Bill Gaither, but when I do, I quote Bill on babies: "How sweet to hold a
newborn baby. . .and feel the pride and joy she gives". There is no other feeling that compares to
holding your own newborn. . .and I learn more about the heart of God when I think about how He
refers to us as His children, and that our "adoption" into the Kingdom family begins with us being
"born again". May we always think about our salvation through the lens of God's personal
involvment with us in relationship through the Immanuel work of Jesus on the Cross and in the
Tomb. . .
Thank you for all the celebratory texts, visits, meals and facebook messages. . .It has been a joy to
truly share joy with this community.
As we've discussed and taught on prayer the past few weeks, I've thought about a "prayer
practice" that has helped me in my spiritual formation and made prayer more "personal" and
"powerful" for me (even though those weren't necessarily the "goals"). . .
I like to write out prayers by putting together Scriptures I find that "resonate" with me. . .I write
them on a note card or print them off and tape them in my Bible. Maybe they are a "start of the
day" prayer, a nighttime prayer, a prayer for growth or a prayer for others. . .it's up to you and
how you and your prayer closet "operate". . .
I think that having a "go to" Scripturally based prayer(s) that you repeat and spend time
"dwelling" in is a time-honored and cherished practice of the Church. Our fear can be that it will
become "robotic" or "formulaic", but I come to know those prayers as "touchstones", that become
familiar and spiritually comforting like well-worn slippers that speak of peace and home. . .I also
find that praying Scriptures that we resonate with often develops from "religious words" that we
like the sound of to phrases that we come to understand internally, they become "our own". . .
But Matt, where would I find some good verses for that? Well, I encourage people to dig and root
around on your own BUT I will point you towards some "Easter eggs" that I particularly like :)
Psalm 84, 139
John 17:20-26
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21
Philippians 1:9-11, 2:3-11, 3:7-14
Colossians 1:9-14, 3:5-17
2 Peter 1:3-9
Stay holy my friends.
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 8.24.11
United Strangers,
It's the end of August. . .schools are starting up and our little town is filling up once again. Our
Sunday morning congregation will move to a Sunday morning crowd for the next few weeks. . .are
you ready? Hopefully you are. . .it's a healthy practice to pray on the way to the YMCA about
coming to worship God, to GIVE rather than to GET. . .to be a PARTICIPANT rather than a
SPECTATOR. . .and that type of prayer can get our spiritual hearts and minds ready whether we're
worshipping with a dozen or worshipping with a multitude. . .
My prayer for you personally as we head into our "new year" together, is that the beauty and the
power of the "Lord's prayer" would enter into your thought life. That through the Spirit's work
through prayer, you will see and sense in new ways the Presence of God in your home and
workplace. . .His Will (pleasure and desire) and Rule (the Kingdom) would be truly amongst you
(and us) here on earth as it is in heaven. . .
I'm not sure what we're preaching on this Sunday. And I'm not sure who's preaching yet. Why? Oh
I don't know, maybe somebody's going to have a new baby very soon. . .(pray for us).
Until then. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 8.17.11
Pray-ers,
I hope you've been enjoying the brief respite from the on-slaught of humidity that has been August
so far. . .perhaps sit outside for a bit and enjoy the dusk or drive with the windows down for the
1st time in months or walk around the nearly deserted campus of GWU after supper. . .
How have we been with "creating space" this week for a "prayer closet"? Both a literal space/place
in your home and time in your schedule. . .not to mention the beginning of gaining some elbow
room mentally to converse with the Lord in prayer. . .Remember that He loves you and knows you,
and there's no need to try and impress Him or engage Him for a business transaction :)
I've been meditating and strolling through Eugene Peterson's memoir called "The Pastor" these
past 2 weeks. . .it's a very stimulating and affirming read about the intersection of "pastor" and
"congregation". . .and it's a bit of fresh air in the midst of an "atmosphere" of stifling, consumercharged speech about what it means to be a worshipping community. He creatively describes the
local church in many impactful phrases but here is one of my favorites:
"church: a colony of heaven in the country of death, a strategy of the Holy Spirit for giving witness
to the already-inaugurated Kingdom of God."
And speaking of the Kingdom of God. . .we will be teaching on what is traditionally known as the
"Lord's Prayer" this Sunday (unless our new baby is making an arrival!). I sincerely hope to see
you there. . .until then. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 8.10.11
Worshipers of the True King,
Follow up question right away: Have you taken the time yet to spend some quality time with
someone from BRCC you don't really know well? Last week's email encouraged us to do so. . .take
advantage of the "low numbers" in early August to meet some people that you see across the rows
of chairs :)
This Monday August 15th, the 6th year of CDH begins as the new "CDHers" arrive. . .
What is CDH? (Don't stop reading those who know what CDH is. . .there's some stuff for you in
here as well!)
It is a ministry of Crossroads Worldwide (where I and many BRCCers work full time) that stands
for Community Discipleship Home. It is a year long program where participants live in a home
learning about what it means to follow Jesus, how to walk in spiritual community with others
(belonging!), getting prepared to live a Kingdon-minded life, and serving each other and the
community. They learn how to cook, run a household, keep a budget and keep a schedule. They
read books from the CDH library, serve internships at BRCC and Crossroads, do independent study
projects, learn about hospitality by hosting people, and they learn to live faithfully in church
community.
BRCC and CDH have had a wonderful relationship over the years. . .which has been full of literal
relationships with CDHers and folks from the BRCC community. The church has been blessed by
CDH and CDH has been blessed by our church. On Sunday August 21st, (their first Sunday with us)
we will introduce them to the church and pray for their year among us. . .but I would like you to
begin praying for them now if you would. . .
Pray not only for them, but for your personal relationship with them: Can you invite them over to
eat with you? Share a cup of coffee with you? Be your next go-to babysitter? Would you consider
mentoring one of them? Invite them to what you're doing? Just be available on a Sunday postservice to hear their "story"?
They are only with us for 1 year and part of that year is them working summer camp and part of it
they are gone for trips/breaks. . .we have found their year "goes better" and "hits the ground
running" when they make significant relationships with our community early on. Will you pray for
the Spirit to lead you in your intentionality with them? No pressure, just practice what "we're
about" as you feel led. . .
Additionally, some of you in the past have given anonymous financial gifts to the participants to
help out the CDHers as they try to "make ends meet" in a community where part time jobs lead
to VERY part time paychecks :) If you are interested in blessing CDHers that way, you can contact
Aubree or Micah Martin at aubreermartin@yahoo.com or micahtmartin@yahoo.com
This program is sending out (sometimes in our own community) young adults who have their
priorities straight and who love Jesus and His ways, it's literally changing the world in ways that
really matter. And YOU (collectively and individually) are a huge huge part of that process. . .
The CDH girls this year:
Holly Campbell
Rachel Glenn
Lynette Granacher
Sierra Martin
Jessica McCoy
The CDH guys this year:
Ben Brown
Brad Brown (not brothers)
James Hobson
This week we look at another "act of righteousness". . .PRAYER. . .and examine Jesus' words in
Matthew 6 about how we should and shouldn't pray. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 8.3.11
Pilgrims & Rebels,
The smoke has cleared, and the fields are again empty of chaos, I emerge from the summer
experience known as Camp ready to start a new "year" with our congregation. Our anniversary is
in November, and the calendar year obviously starts in January, but our church "year". . .our
rhythm and cycle, if you will. . .begins each year in August. . .
It's not just about the students returning. . .our family visits and vacations are ending, and our
young and slightly transient community begins to re-establish or re-visit our roots each August. .
.We collectively get an excitement like kids going back to a school that they love which coincides
with the GWU academic calendar. Has the "vibe" of the University setting seeped into our identity?
Perhaps. . .but I think that's a good thing. . .
As August crescendos into the return of the "crowds" (both friends and visitors), I want to
encourage you to show initiative in meeting at least one new family or person. I don't care if they
have always gone here, if they're a student, or if it's a family that just came for the 1st time. And by
"meet", I don't mean say hello to. . .I mean "eat" with them. I would say "meat" them, but that has
obvious problems. . .But I do want you to share the breaking of bread and fellowship with
someone you don't know in the coming weeks. . .
It will take effort and perhaps a swallowing of some insecurity, but I think this simple act of love
will be meaningful to you, and to this Body. Come out this Sunday as we dive into Matthew 6 and
examine the act of giving. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 6.30.11
Salt & Light,
Thanks for praying for us on Crossroads staff, the Lord is blessing the work with many Kingdom
blessings (including strength and patience). . .We are wrapping up week 2 today and tomorrow
and then will have 3 weeks left. Feel free to come out on a Monday-Thursday night at the LYCC
(big gym) at Gardner-Webb at 7 pm and join us for the worship service. . .
Well, the last time I wrote on the "women in ministry" topic, I talked about Jesus and His
interaction with women. . .and that there were definitely "seeds" and "signs" planted by Jesus that
in His Kingdom the treatment of women would be different. . .He never said specifically anything
like "the office of elder is open to women", but I do think He laid a stronger foundational case FOR
that priniciple rather than AGAINST it. . .
I think Jesus is a good stopping point for this "series". . .it is time to conclude. . .
In summary:
I think there will always be some debate (to some degree) about the role of women in the church,
but I believe if one comes to the "issue" with an open mind (not an empty one) you can find a
pretty strong case that women were not to be excluded from church leadership roles for all time
and in all places. You can read those "arguments" or points in the previous emails in the Pastor's
Weekly Word section of our website. . .I do not want to revisit them now. . .
But I will share one more quote with you. . .from FF Bruce, who was/is widely respected as a
scholar (particularly on Paul) and as a strong conservative, who once said about difficult Pauline
passages: "In general, where there are divided opinions about the interpretation of a Pauline
passage, that interpretation that runs long the line of liberty is much more likely to be true to
Paul's intention than one which smacks of bondage or legalism." I think FF Bruce's words carry
much of the heart of how I interpret the Word in regard to women in ministry.
SO, is BRCC saying we're going to have women elders!?
BRCC's elders are saying they think there is a compelling case in the Word that women can be
elders and a compelling case in our personal hearts that was Spirit-led and Spirit-unified that now
was the time to come to a consensus on this theologically. . .and to present it to our Body.
We believe that the "normal" qualifications for Elder are still in play however. . .there is a "calling"
involved, there are "moral" standards and depth of knowledge of the Word criteria that we see. .
.we will never disregard those for male or female Elder candidates. . .
Are we saying that BRCC will have women Elders next month? We're in no rush or hurry, we don't
have an agenda. . .we simply are communicating our theological and practical comfort with the
Scriptures in allowing for women Elders. . .as for when and who, etc. We simply can not answer
that now. Our role is to shepherd this Body the best way we know how in the Jesus Way of love
and obedience. We will walk together through that process. . .nothing is going to be forced or
conjured up for the sake of a "cause" or soapbox. . .
With that being said, I personally would like to say that I do think this issue is more important on a
global scale than we realize. I believe that the largest "social ill" plaguing our world today is the
worldwide mistreatment of women (which I have shared earlier this year). . .it affects so many
things from cyclical poverty, to AIDS, to infant mortality, to prostitution and sex trafficking. . .
I believe that the worldwide treatment of women is an issue that the church at large must begin to
engage more seriously. . .in a way akin to the abolitionist movement of the 19th century. However,
in good integrity. . .for me, it seems severely hypocritical to enter the "women's rights" (as
humans) issue when we still in many ways treat our own women in the "advanced" culture of the
West as 2nd class citizens. From job salaries to the objectifying of women, our treatment of
women is not great. . .and I believe the church in interpreting the Bible in a way that forever
excludes women from church leadership is a part of the problem. You can say "equal status,
different roles" but when you only allow the "top" roles to men, it says something about the status
of women. . .
I think the Word of God should be read more redemptively than it is, that we should understand
more the grand narrative and where it is always pointing. . .I do not want to be a part of a
Churchianity that treats over 50% of its participants as "less than" because of their gender. . .and I
do not want to be looked at 100 years from now as the "church" that treated women poorly and
thus be lumped in with the dogamtic church folk who over the years swore the earth was flat,
committed near genocides, started wars for power and land, and who kept people of different skin
color as slaves. . .
I promised you resources. I will list them below. . .the first one is the best one by far, and will point
you to the others. Don't be mislead by the title though. . .my mind was already changed before I
read it. . .but it did put some great logs on the fire :)
"How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership" edited by Alan Johnson (compelling
personal stories from prominent and respected evangelicals)
"Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says About Woman's Place in Church and Family" Gilbert
Bilezikian
"Paul, Women, and Wives" by Craig Keener
"Slaves, Women, & Homosexuals" by William Webb (just so you know, this book does NOT
condone homosexuality, it still affirms it as sexual sin)
"Finally Feminist: A Pragmatic Christian Understanding of Gender" by John G Stackhouse Jr.
"Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy" Pierce, Groothius, Fee,
editors
There are a few copies of the top book floating around the church community if you are
interested. . .
Thanks for reading and thinking. . .you are loved.
I will not be writing any more Pastor's Words until camp is over. ..keep praying for me :)
Until then,
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 6.15.11
Blessed Persecuted,
Sorry for the delay in the weekly email, our summer camps with Crossroads at GWU are about to
start and I was busy greeting and training our 50+ staff members who just came in to town! (and
who will be worshipping with us the next 4 weeks!)
Please continue to pray for us as we try to create the best environment possible for teenagers to
experience the living King! And come visit us! Every Monday to Thursday night (starting this
Monday) at 7 pm in the LYCC at GWU (the big gym) we will be having evening worship services
with Carl Cartee leading music and Clayton King and myself preaching. . .
And now, my last "thought/point" on the women in ministry leadership series before we wrap up
with conclusions and resources. . .
I will come right out and say what. . .or WHO my final point is:
It's Jesus.
If we watch Jesus in the gospels and the way He regarded women, we can catch a pretty clear
glimpse of a Kingdom where women were valued in unprecedented ways. . .and elevated out of
their "less than" positions in a patriarchal society. A Kingdom where a Galatians 3:28 and an Acts
2:17-18 world was being born. . .
In general, Jesus spent A LOT of time and teaching flipping the paradigms of POWER on their
heads. . .He called servants the greatest and kids the greatest. . .He rejected positions and titles of
power and influence and very specifically denounced the way Gentiles "lord" their power over
others. . .
He downplayed wealth and possessions severely, and talked about FREEDOM and the idea of
people being set free. His ultimate ethic was that we love those around us how we would want to
be loved if we were in their shoes. . .
From this general perspective, and looking at all the other things we have examined, I find it hard
to justify in the life and work of Christ that He wanted women to be completely subordinate or
"under" men for all time. . .oppression and a sense of being "less than" were two things He
targeted to overthrow. . .They are threads running throughout His ministry.
More specifically, in regards to women:
He had women in His "entourage". A Rabbi had women traveling with Him and His fellows!
Scandalous! And they were helping bankroll His expenses! (Luke 8:1-2). He never shied away from
being publicly identified with women. . .
. . .even a woman with an "unclean" condition of "blood" who touched Him. . .(Matt. 9)
. . .Or when He blessed and affirmed a VERY disreputable woman who actually touched His feet
and washed them with her hair and tears in Luke 7. . .
. . .or the unbelievable social norms He crossed conversing with the Samaritan woman at the well
in John 4.
In Luke 10, we have the famous Mary and Martha passage, where Martha was "serving" and Mary
is just "sitting at the feet of Jesus".
Do you know what "sitting at the feet of a Rabbi" means? It means that He had accepted her as a
disciple. . .as a follower of His teachings. His affirmation of Mary here was worldview-shifting. .
.she had rejected her traditional "female role" and had adopted one that was NOT FOR HER, yet
Jesus not only permitted it, but greatly valued her choice publicly.
He honored women greatly when He moved the people's understanding of adultery to one that
included how we think of women in our minds. . .and when He moved the people's understanding
of divorce away from treating women as property or inconveniences but towards protecting
them as much as possible in covenant relationships. He was unraveling the patriarchal norms. . .
And in a world where a woman's witness was not accepted in Jewish courts as valid or meaningful.
. .He allowed the first witnesses of His resurrection to be women. . .
Jesus regarded women as equal to men in His actions and His words, and He categorically rejected
the gender bias against women that was rampant in His people and their culture. . .
True, He never specifically said that "women can be called to ministry leadership". . .but the rest of
His work and life in the gospel narratives should make us meditate on how He does view women
and if His "view" sets us up for some of the principles and conclusions that we have been
discussing these past few months. . .
. . .which I will be writing for us in one final email very soon :)
Until then,
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 6.8.11
Pure in Heart,
Summer approaches. . .yep, it's still Spring even though we've had quite the run of 90 degree
weather. . .I hope you're staying hydrated and making grandiose plans for how to spend your next
few months. . .
In our last few emails, I've been offering some "other views" and possible interpretations for the 2
passages (in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy) that seem to straightforwardly eliminate Christian
women from positions of spiritual leadership or teaching in the overall Body. In these emails,
which again are in abbreviated form, I've tried to build the case that maybe there are more
cultural elements influencing Paul's words than we realize and we should try to understand those.
. .but I've also tried to communicate that we need to interpret these verses in light of what else we
see in Scripture on these issues (which I've done in previous emails)
My thoughts on the Timothy and Corinthian passages were not made up from a pamphlet that I
read or me trying to force into the text something that I want to be true. . .the thoughts were a
combination of a myriad of thoughts and study done by people like NT Wright, Craig Keener,
William Webb, and Marva Dawn to name a few. (And that IS just a few. . .I will list more resources
for us at the end of this series which will include a LONG list of authors, thinkers, and writers). I
simply was trying to "merge" multiple streams into one concise "river". . .
And again, I know there are still questions and tensions within these 2 texts. . .but I am way more
comfortable with the tension existing in these 2 passages rather than creating a larger tension by
ignoring what I think (and MANY respectable others as well) are a large volume of Scriptural
themes and texts that point towards gender equality in spiritual leadership roles. . .
Moving to what I promised you last week. . .
A few thoughts on Church History. . .
There was a time in the history of God's people when. . .we did not believe that salvation was by
grace through faith in Christ but it was dependent upon our submission to the Church Authorities
and our very particular acts of obedience . . .and the Scriptures were passionately employed to
defend that position.
There was a time in the history of God's people when. . .we believed that the Earth was truly flat
and literally had 4 corners. . .and the Scriptures were passionately employed to defend that
position.
There was a time in the history of God's people when. . .every war and act of violence that we
committed against those that were different or had land or wealth that we wanted was "justified". .
.and the Scriptures were passionately employed to defend that position.
There was a time in the history of God's people when. . .we owned other people whose skin color
was different than ours as property and used them and abused them as slaves. . .and the Scriptures
were passionately employed to defend that position. . .
And here is where I pause, because I want to be very clear: the Holy Scriptures never literally say
that "slavery is wrong". They don't. IN FACT, they give TONS of instructions about the treatment of
slaves and handling of slaves, etc. BOTH in the Old and New Testaments. . .from which we can
insinuate that God approves of slavery because He gives us instructions on "how to do it". . .right?
NOW, I know we don't believe that slavery is right. . .but guess what? Less than 200 years ago we
did. . .many, many Christians did, and we were complicit in the abuse of other humans as "less
than property". There are still sermons available that preachers preached "straight from the
Word" during that time that passionately justified the practice of slavery. . .
. . .but why are those sermons so powerful back then disregarded today? Because our
understanding of the Word has changed. NOT the authority of the Word, but our interpretation of
the Word. We know the Earth is round! (Thanks Galileo, sorry about that excommunication thing.)
We know that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ (Shout out to Luther and the
Reformation Posse!) and we know that slavery is EVIL. . .even though there seems to be "evidence"
to the contrary in our very Scriptures.
WHY??
Because we have learned to look at the Word and interpret it in a way that handles it with
responsibility and can discern what are "timeless" truths to apply for all peoples for all times and
what were "bound for a time" to a specific culture or age. We also have gotten better at
understanding the HUGE themes of the overall narrative of the Word such as redemption, freedom
from oppression, God-designed dignity and equality for all. . .
As I have studied this issue, one of the scariest things in the heated debate about women in
ministry is that you can take sermons and debates from the 19th century from those intensely
defending the right to own slaves by using "clear" Scriptures, and you can take out the words
pertaining to "slavery" and replace them with "women in minstry" words and you will be eerily
disturbed by the similarities. I write this not as shock value or to compare folks doubting women's
leadership positions to plantation owners in the Civil War but to give us pause and think about the
reformational "shifts" of God through the history of His people. . .and make us at least ponder that
perhaps we are living in such a shift. . .
2 more weeks: 1 last "point" and closing thoughts and resources. . .
Until then,
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 6.2.11
Poor & Meek,
We are looking at 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and left last week's email with a possible
understanding of verses 11-12 that looked like this:
"I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man, she must be silent" could
be seen as Paul's instructions to Timothy in Ephesus as;
"I permit a woman to learn the law but be wary because she could easily be influenced by
these false teachers or imitate the domineering leadership and teaching of the women who
lead those popular cults. I possibly would consider not permitting women to teach at all in
order to avoid heresies and false models of what it means to lead God's people if that's
what it takes. However, if women DO teach, it should NOT be in the way that men in the
past have lorded their authority over women OR in the way of the female priests of the
Temple of Artemis. We're believers, and that model of leadership is OVER for both men
and women."
(I did NOT just translate that from the Greek, but rather paraphrased the general thrust
and meaning of the text in its context. . .and then wove together the multiple thoughts and
input of countless scholars and evangelical luminaries. (including NT Wright and Marva
Dawn and many others.) I am not re-writing the passage but trying to show a very
plausible understanding of what Paul was saying.)
We put that reading in the context of all the thoughts that we have examined so far. . .and
thus could begin to see a picture that is NOT permanently removing women from spiritual
leadership for all time. . .
With that understanding, what of the rest of the passage? In particular, Paul using the
"creation order" to defend his previous statements, and his cryptic sentence about
"women being saved through childbirth"
Again, there are tons of arguments and counter-arguments on this passage, but I would list
the following as a possible redemptive interpretation of Paul's words:
The traditional rabbinic understanding of Adam and Eve's relationship/blame in the
garden is that Adam was created first and was given direct instructions from God, and was
then put in charge of conveying those instructions to Eve. . .she then received the
instructions "second hand" and was therefore more susceptible and vulnerable to
temptation. Paul was possibly drawing on his rabbinic teachings to make a point that
currently in Ephesus things were the same way: women in that culture were more
susceptible to deceptive teachings and/or distorted views of leadership. (ie Temple of
Artemis priests).
It is not uncommon for him to use historical stories from Israel's past to make analogies
and comparisons: He compares all of the church at Corinth (men and women) to Eve in 2
Corinthians 11:3. . .and compares all of the Church again to the nation of Israel itself in 1
Corinthians 10:1-22, and his opponents in Galatia to Ishmael in Galatians 4:24-25.
Also, Paul in his qualification for spiritual elders elsewhere indicates they should not be
recent converts because they would be more susceptible to pride and sin. . .He is wanting
to make sure his elders in general were solid and not prone to error or deception; which
isn't about gender per se but about wisdom.
As for the "saved through childbirth". . .whew, everybody is fairly confused by that (see
note 2 below for 1 thought) but there are some redemptive thoughts out there:
That saved is more of a "delivered safely" through a painful process, and that the act itself
is not about securing or losing favor with the "gods" or God Himself, but that women are
already included in God's Kingdom and are able to be participate just like everyone else in
the process of faith, love, and holiness with propriety, even though the painful part of the
curse still exists. . .Bearing children who can know God really is a beautiful thing. .
.(additionally: there are some thoughts that the teachers at the Temple of Artemis were
distorting the role of childbirth as well. . .and Paul was indicating that women were still
valuable and not looked down upon even though they had to go through the labor of
carrying a child and delivering it. . .)
A few other thoughts:
1. If "subordination" is determined by created order, (ie woman submits to man because
she was second), then shouldn't man and woman submit to the animals since they were
created 1st? And then shouldn't land animals submit to flying animals, etc.?
2. If women are only literally saved through childbirth, then that would mean all women
who have never had a child could not be saved. I think you see the faultiness in that literal
interpretation.
3. As for Paul dumping the blame of deception on Eve/women in this passage. . .he seems
to pin it on Adam in Romans 5:12, 17-19. . .so I think that helps the above stated case as
well.
Thanks for following along this several months. I have only a few more emails left to write:
I will appeal to the Church's history in the past next week, we will follow that up with a
look at Jesus' attitudes with women, and then I will write a summary email with my
conclusions and perhaps even some passionate and quasi-prophetic pleas. . .as well as
including a list of resources you can follow up with. . .
Until then,
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 5.26.11
Redeemed & Beloved,
I hope you've been reading the church emails in general, (and not just my stuff!), but you've been
staying in the "loop" with announcements and been checking out our website! Pay special
attention to the Snapshot 1040 event that is happening June 5th. . .it is going to be unique and
awesome!
And now we've come in our Women in Ministry study to the mother of all passages (terrible pun, I
know). . .The one that has created the divide, the controversy, and I would more constructively
and hopefully say, the tension. . .
1 Timothy 2:11-15
SO, let me start off by saying that there is still a great deal of debate amongst believers on this
passage, even amongst those who may hold the same general feeling about women in leadership. I
am not going to definitively break down this passage in a way that destroys all counter-arguments
and establishes a once-for-all argument.
The nuances and intricacies of this passage are beyond my pay-grade on many levels but I will do
my best to bring out multiple possible points that I think placed together within the overall
redemptive direction of the Scriptures as a whole will give us a "tense" understanding that can
give us peace about women in ministry.
To review that overall redemptive direction in Scripture as we've looked at it:
1. There around 100 passages that affirm women in leadership/ministry. And only about 6 that
seem to be negative towards it.
2. There are proven examples specifically of women who have lead God's people spiritually
(including men). These examples include both the New and Old Testaments.
3. There are also passages in the NT where the Spirit gives gifts and power to God's
people/priesthood and there is NO gender distinction/qualifications given.
4. There is no indication at all in pre-Fall Genesis that women were designed to be subordinate to
men or were designed by God to be "missing" the leadership gene (OR designed to be "unable" to
lead). In Christ, God is redeeming all of Creation from the effects of the Fall. . .
5. There is tension in many "areas" of Scripture, including but not limited to, faith and works and
Sovereignty and free will. The responsible believer tries to look at those passages in light of what
we already know and what the "grand narrative" of the Word seems to be about. . .
6. There are also passages in the Word that were not intended to be universal principles for all
peoples, for all time. They were written for a specific cultural context. We all use this concept
when discussing the Levitical laws but shouldn't limit those principles of interpretation just to
that: Last week we looked at some of the cultural angles to the passage in 1 Corinthians 11 which
shed some insight on a passage that is often used to disqualify women from ministry. . .
. . .which lead us to 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (NIV)
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or
to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And
Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But
women will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith, love and holiness with
propriety.
I think it is important to note that the context of the passage (vs. 8-10) give some instructions on
the worship services there in Ephesus. . .that included Paul encouraging men to lift up holy hands
in prayer without anger or disputing and for women not to braid their hair or wear "nice clothes".
Apparently the men in that context had been arguing together rather than praying together, so he
gave them corrective principles. And apparently the women were more concerned with others
noticing them and how "in style" they were rather than concerning themselves with serving the
Body of Christ so Paul gave them corrective principles.
These passages do not mean that men must raise their hands in the air every time they pray
publicly (though it may do some of us some good to do so) nor does it mean that all women for all
time must never braid their hair or wear clothes that are fashionable or have a gold wedding ring.
("Paul is attacking excess, not ruling against all adornment" Keener)
But wait, some folks do look at it that way. . .but our congregation does not, and most do not. In
fact, those denominations that do not let women cut or braid their hair and make them wear ankle
length denim skirts at all times are generally considered "fundamentalist" and a bit "backwards"
by the rest of the church family. . .and our society in general.
These culturally specific instructions (to the congregations in the region of Ephesus where
Timothy was ministering) were given to correct trends in their Church Body that were
detrimental to the message of the gospel and that hindered the maturing of the community. That is
our context as we start to look at verse 11:
We tend to look at the words "quietness and full submission" rather than the first part of the
statement: "A woman should learn".
Paul's statement at first looks like it is oppressing women but in reality it is a granting of a radical
privilege! He was saying they should learn like any other disciple! In a "receptive humility" to their
teacher and the word of God! The Jewish world did NOT encourage women to learn like men
under a rabbi, it was severely looked down upon.
Paul's words were actually counter-cultural rather than oppressive. . .
HOWEVER. . .
False teaching was abounding in Ephesus, particularly through ignorant teachers (1 Timothy 1:47) and given that women were not as trained in the Scriptures, etc. as men (see last week's notes
on 1 Corinthians 14) AND there were prevelant "fertility cults" in Ephesus at the time that were
run by very domineering women (the greatest of which is the Temple of Artemis. All of the priests
were women who made sure everyone knew they were in charge), Paul needed to add further
instruction:
SO a possible understanding of the verse 12 "I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority
over a man, she must be silent" could be seen as Paul's instructions to Timothy in Ephesus as;
"I permit a woman to learn the law but be wary because she could easily be influenced by these
false teachers or imitate the domineering leadership and teaching of the women who lead those
popular cults. I possibly would consider not permitting women to teach at all in order to avoid
heresies and false models of what it means to lead God's people if that's what it takes. However, if
women DO teach, it should NOT be in the way that men in the past have lorded their authority
over women OR in the way of the female priests of the Temple of Artemis. We're believers, and
that model of leadership is OVER for both men and women."
I did NOT just translate that from the Greek, but rather paraphrased the general thrust and
meaning of the text in its context. . .and then wove together the multiple thoughts and input of
countless scholars and evangelical luminaries. (including NT Wright and Marva Dawn and many
others.) I am not re-writing the passage but trying to show a very plausible understanding of what
Paul was saying.
If we put that reading in the context of our preliminary thoughts that we have examined so far
(and started this email with). . .we can begin to see a picture that is NOT permanently removing
women from spiritual leadership for all time. BUT WAIT! There's more to the passage! There is. .
.but alas, I must cut it short once again, and meet with you next week :)
Until then,
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 5.20
Followers of the True King,
In our pursuit of understanding "God's heart for women in church", we have now come to the part
that fuels the debate in general if you will. . .the passages that seem to be "very clear" that a
woman's "role" in the church should never include teaching or having "authority" over a male. . .
Those 2 passages are 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.
Before we dive into them, I want to review a few key thoughts:
Scripture is very clear on many things: LOVE God and people for example :) but there are some
areas where there is tension: the relationship between faith and works, God's Sovereignty and
people's freewill, for examples. There are also things that happen in Scripture that weren't God's
"ideals" that he permitted for a time: polygamy and slavery are 2 great examples. . .with
monogamy and freedom for all peoples being the ideals for those examples that He was "directing"
us towards.
There are also many, many cultural and ethnic passages in the Word that spoke to very specific
situations and were not intended to be universal principles for all people in all times: for an
example I'll just throw out the word "circumcision" and leave it at that.
And as for women in leadership in the word of God, there are around 100 that affirm it. . .and only
about 6 that seem to discourage it, with these listed 2 passages being the "banners" of the position
that women are categorically denied pastoral leadership in the Body of Christ.
I will give my summarized conclusion about these troublesome passages before we dive into
them:
Although a passionate case can be made by those who oppose women in leadership from these 2
passages, I think a thorough study of these 2 passages in light of all the biblical study principles we
have (hermeneutics) as well as the overarching themes and story of God's plan leads us to
conclude that women can and are gifted to spiritually lead and even more so in a society that is
progressively becoming more aware of the equality of humans regardless of gender. (note: I did
not say that there are no "differences between the genders". That is not the debate here :) )
And the "authority" of these passages is not in question, but because we DO revere and honor the
authority of Scripture, we want to make sure we INTERPRET them correctly in their context of
God's redemptive story. Interpretation, not authority, is the issue :)
SO, how do we dance with these passages that honors God, His heart, and His Word? Because at
1st glance they seem pretty clear-cut. . .
We'll give a few brief/bulleted points about each, starting with the "clearer/easier" of the 2:
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
1. Paul has made it clear in 1 Corinthians 12-14 that the gifts of "prophesy" (and other gifts) have
been given to "everyone" and there are absolutely NO gender restrictions given in practicing them
as believers: male and female. He even says in 11:5 that women can prophesy if they "cover their
heads". . .All of the spiritual gifts instructions are being given to the church in Corinth because
their worship services were chaotic and confusing, and not Christ-honoring OR Body-edifying. .
.which lead us to. . .
2. Verses 34-35 then are not "gender restrictions on women for all time" but additional
instructions for a specific congregation in a specific culture who needed more order in their
services. So what was he saying? The vast majority of women at that time were uneducated and
separated from their husbands (possibly even in the "cheap seats") and so when things were being
said (often with multiple people at once and without amplification) women were calling to their
husbands to repeat stuff or explain it so they can understand it.
It's the equivalent of an annoying person in the movie theater who misses a line or misses a plot
point and loudly whispers from the back row to someone in the middle of the theater. . .He was
instructing the women to inquire of their husbands at home rather than disrupting to the service.
To draw from this passage that women are forbidden to speak in the church for all time is silly,
especially considering what he wrote in chapters 11-14. . .if you do feel that way, you have to be
consistent and say they need to be TRULY silent and not speak at ALL. . .in prayer, to kids, to youth,
etc. You also need to segregate yourself on Sunday mornings from the opposite sex, including your
spouse if you have one. Also, has your wife cut her hair lately? You might want to jump on that too
:) And how about your hair, gentlemen? Is it cut short enough? How short is short enough? I wish
Paul would have given us some specifics on that, in standard or metric, doesn't matter. . .just
something :)
You see how inconsistent we can be sometimes with our INTERPRETATION and practice? True,
we honor the Word as authoritative, but if we're not careful we'll hit a lot of things that ought not
be hit if we swing that authority without taking careful aim :)
And now, the lovely 1 Timothy 2 passage. . .oh wait, this email is long. . .only my mom and people
with the last name of Thomas are reading it at this point. . .let's hit pause until next week. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 5.11.11
Revolutionaries,
Are you sticking it to the man/woman? Exchanging the kingdom of this world for the life-giving
reign of the True king in your life?
Let's pick up our discussion of women & leadership, and my personal journey thinking through
various "issues". . .
Last week I ended the email with thoughts on the nature of male and female interactions and how
those were negatively affected by sin/the fall. But those effects were post-sin results, not pre-sin
intentions. . .and that in Jesus, the original designs of the Creator are being restored. . .and the
question I posed was:
How far do we take this idea of the "original blueprint" being completed in the work of Christ?
I've already shared about various examples in the Word of women in spiritual leadership
positions. . .but what about passages that seem to grant women in general "equal status" in
regards to their "roles" in the Kingdom?
These are some passages that began to jump out at me:
1. Acts 2:17-18. Peter is declaring in his sermon that the prophesy of Joel 2:28-32 is being fulfilled
before their very eyes. And that prophesy states that the Lord "will pour out His Spirit on all
people" and that sons AND daughters would prophesy, and that ALL his servants, men and women
would receive the Spirit. If leadership and teaching are gifts given by the Spirit. . .this passage
seems to indicate women will receive those gifts too. Again, there is no "gender footnote" on this
passage indicating that there are "exceptions" to the Spirit being poured out: that He is poured out
equally on all except for leadership gifts, those just go to men :)
2. 1 Peter 2:4-5 This passage to me indicates that ALL believers are a part of the priesthood of
believers. There is no gender distinction made here: that some priests because of their sex will be
eliminated from some roles of the priesthood. . .for all of time and history.
3. Paul's instructions on prophesying and sharing in the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Not
once does Paul indicate that females are exempt from sharing in a corporate gathering. . .
4. Galatians 3:28. I do not believe this passage is explicitly talking about women as elders, but I do
believe it is a stereotype smashing verse about the equality amongst diversity we have in Christ.
That salvation is for ALL, and that salvation means FREEDOM, not oppression (read the rest of
Galatians). . .and is it oppressive to 50% (or more) of the church if they are never given a role in
the leadership or direction of the church community? I would argue that yes it is. . .
These are just (again) a quick smattering of thoughts on the process I have been thinking through
as I go through the Scriptures. . ."but Matt, I've been with you all along to this point, but you're
ignoring 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy 2 which seem to be pretty clear about the issue. . ."
Next week we dive into those passages, dear friends. . .until then. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 5.4.11
More Than Conquerors,
I've been sharing with you my journey of study and thought through the issue of women and
leadership in the church. . .
Last week I stated some of the examples in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, where
women were in prominent leadership positions, which included leading other men. I was
beginning to think these were not "rare exceptions" to a "clearly defined rule" but women God had
gifted to lead. . .and at "worst", "allowed" to lead.
The questions I then began to ask concerned the nature of male and female as we see them being
created in Genesis. Were there God ordained gender roles that affected leadership abilities in
Genesis? Did God by design make women "unable to lead men"? Do women have something "in
them" which disqualifies them from having any spiritual leadership roles in the affairs of men?
The answer, in short, to all of these questions was NO. . .at least not in Genesis. . .
In Genesis 2, God makes a "helper" for Adam. . .does helper mean subordinate? servant? less than?
Most of us would yell "No, of course not!" but what does it mean? The Hebrew word "ezer" used
here means "partner-helper" which insinuates more of a "coming alongside" rather than a "coming
under". The same exact word in fact is used to describe God multiple times in His relationship with
us! Is God our subordinate? No way. . .
Also concerning Genesis:
1. The commands from the end of Genesis 1 which include the words "rule" and "subdue" are
given to the man AND the woman, which seem to indicate a partnership rather than a hierarchy.
(also interesting: Adam was WITH Eve when she was tempted. Interesting. Was Adam silent? And
why did the serpent target her? Because she was "weaker" or because he knew Adam would
follow her? Just some questions.)
2. Woman was made OUT OF man, so doesn't that mean she's "less than"? So, as the classic joke
goes, are you saying God used the "spare rib" instead of the "prime rib"? Are you saying God made
woman "out of the same stuff" as man but when He did it, he purposefully chose not to "import"
the "leadership genes"? I think that is a rather silly argument, especially considering that every
man since then has come "out of" a woman :)
3. What then of the argument that the "role of women" is clearly seen in the "curse" of Genesis 3
where it is stated the woman's "desire will be for her husband and he will rule over her"? I think it
is a great statement when made concerning the domination of females by males in the course of
human history: I think that the oppression of women IS a direct and ongoing result of the Fall. . .
Which then forces the redeemed and restored people of the Lord to ask: Aren't we supposed to be
showing God's true way for humanity? That in His work, Jesus is renewing us in the image of the
knowledge of the Creator (Colossians 3)? That we are a part of the new humanity now (Romans
5:14-21)? I think it is very important to note that the idea of the "man ruling over the woman" was
post-sin, not pre-sin. . .that it was a consequence of our choices, not the intended design of our
Maker. . .
How far do we take this idea of the "original blueprint" being completed in the work of Christ?
Tune in next week friends. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 4.27.11
Risen Ones,
This Sunday after the service is our annual SPRING PICNIC at the Community Discipleship Home,
make sure you read about the details below. . .don't want you to miss this time of fellowship!
And now back to our regularly scheduled discussion on Women and Leadership in the Bible. . .
We've mentioned the idea of "tension" in the Word and that it does exist. . .that some passages
seem to contradict each other or put forth a paradox of "conflicting" truths. Probably the most
famous of which is Paul's teaching on being saved by faith alone and not by works in Romans and
James' emphatic statements in James 2 that we are not saved by faith alone but by works as well. .
.This bothered the reformer Luther so much that he wished James wasn't in the New Testament
scriptures!!
We also brought up that there is tension in the Scriptures in regards to women in leadership roles,
and I pointed out the 2 big ones; 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 11, which seem to make a
definitive statement that no women should be in leadership. . .
But what about passages in the Bible where women had leadership roles? And not just over prayer
meetings and youth groups :) What about Miriam (Exodus), Deborah (Judges), Huldah (2 Kings, 2
Chronicles), Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4), and Phoebe/Priscilla/Junia (Romans 16:
Priscilla trained Apollos and Junia was referred to as an apostle!)
Some argue about these women trying to "academize" them away (using some sketchy
translation techniques as in changing Junia to Junias) or they say things like these are "exceptions
to the rule" or that God "permitted them because no men would step up". . .So Priscilla was an
exception in Paul's letter to Paul's own rule? Seems a bit contradictory of Paul. . .and is it really a
rule then if he breaks it himself? And Priscilla could only teach Apollos because no men were
willing to? Also, not true. . .because her HUSBAND was stepping up at the same time :) They were
teaching him together. . .
I don't want to get entangled in the nuances and arguments. . .but I want to share my journey with
you, and my journey in dealing with the tension was greatly spurred on by the examples in
the Bible of the Lord using women as leaders. . .and those examples didn't have footnotes that said
"God only did that because He was desparate" or because "He could find no other leader". Those
examples seemed to me to be exactly what they were: women leading God's people.
But I had so many more questions. . .like what about Genesis and the way we were created and
what happened to our roles in the Fall? Next week, my friends. . .
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 4.20.11
Pilgrims & Thinkers,
Last week I put forth that "tensions" can be awkward and messy, but also that they can be helpful
and valuable as well. . .and although we often spend a great deal of effort trying to avoid tension,
we can actually miss out on greater things by not "dealing" with tension (see also: romantic
relationships, forgiveness & redemption, etc.)
These "pastoral words" in the email and on the website are currently coming from the theme of
the "worldwide treatment of women". . .which was one of the recurring areas of meditation during
my sabbatical. I was fairly regularly being drawn into conversations about the treatment of
women, or brought to books, articles, or Scriptures dealing with women.
It was in the midst of that study, both about the worldwide oppression of women (see book; Half
the Sky) and how women are viewed in the Scriptures, that I began to revisit an old tension in the
Word that I had just not thought about in a while. . .does God allow women to be elders in the
church?
Some of you may be saying,
"Tension? What tension? It clearly states in 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 11 for women not be
leaders in the church or teaching any males. End of story."
I would respond by saying that those 2 passages are exactly WHY there is "tension" in the Word
concerning women in leadership. . .because there are numerous passages that affirm women in
prominent roles, including leadership. In fact, there are really only 6 passages that speak
negatively of women in leadership roles and approximately 100 passages that affirm women in
such positions. So, hence the tension. . .
I want to share with you in the coming weeks my journey through this tension, and also some of
my conclusions. . .please pray and read along, and feel free to converse with me :)
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!
Weekly Word 4.13.11
Messy Saints,
Does "tension" make you feel weird or awkward? The "tension" that occurs in a room with your
relatives and someone brings up a past hurt or tells the story that makes the one loud uncle look
like an idiot, and eyes begin to dart back and forth waiting for the retaliatory comment. . .
Or the "tension" that sometimes arises when co-workers gather in a meeting and blame and credit
must be claimed and dispersed. . .
Or that vibrant "tension" between a young man and woman trying to behave in a way
that simultaneously communicates emotions but doesn't communicate too many emotions. . .all
the while dancing that unspoken tango of romantic identity and intentions. (How many married
folks miss that "tension"? A show of hands please?)
Tension amongst people can make us feel awkward, and many of us flee from it if possible, or even
try to maneuver situations in such a way that tension is either absent or less likely to appear. . .but
yet, if we're honest. . .the strongest families are the ones who can laugh, cry, and talk through the
tense moments, and the best workplaces are the ones where people can not only speak freely in
trust, but also can share both the blame and the credit. . .
. . .and how many relationships have been undone by the inability to adequately deal with
"tension"? But correspondingly, how many great marriages now exist because of the
conversations born out of and through the tensions of the "unknown heart"?
I would put forth that "tensions" can be awkward and messy, but also that they can be helpful and
valuable as well. . .
So, where am I going with this? And, what on earth does this have to do with women? (which is
what I said I would write about this week. . .)
Stay tuned faithful BRCC readers! My meanderings will hopefully have a worthwhile destination :)
Do it together (sometimes) but always in Him.
Much love to you all, I am less without you,
Matt O.
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Thessalonians 3:5
BRCC: "kindling hearts in a world grown chill"
www.broadrivercc.com
matthewwendellorth@gmail.com
bs:trsh!