Our purpose is to explore and dialogue about the following:
1. Complementarianism vs. Egalitarianism (both theologically and practically)
2. The difference between purpose, calling, and role
3. Issues surrounding Hyper-Patriarchy and Patriocentrism as well as radical feminism
4. Exploring some of the theological issues surrounding Patriocentrism.
5. Feminism in the church, otherwise known as “whitewashed feminism” .
6. Exploring our own journey of faith and what we are learning.
We are working through our own positions on things and this is where we’re doing it. Its a journey and we’re not quite sure yet where is the destination. We desire to be Scriptural, logical, and pointed in our words and in our hearts. We want to think rightly- about God and our neighbor.
Hello,
My name is Mary, and am writing to test the waters with this site.
I am mainly writing for a dear friend of mine, who is currently walking down the same difficult path I and a few other friends have walked the past few years.
Just a little background.
My friends and I are from a conservitive Reformed background, homeschool moms, who loved and poured our lives into our homes and families.
One at a time, we came to the end of what we could spiritually, emotionally, and physically endure anymore.
Marriages ended, and we quickly found ourselves “out” in the world attempting to survive, and regain our spiritual balance.
It has been a long, difficult, yet incredible spiritual journey.
My friend however has just begun this journey, and it has taken a turn that neither I or any of my other friends have experienced.
She has been a stay at home (always had home-based businesses) mom and wife for 25 years. Home educated her children, had womens ministries, and attended to anyone who God providentially brought across her path.
She now has found herself in hiding, without her children, attempting to regain, or maybe learn for the first time, who she actually is in Christ.
Needless to say, there is more to this account than what you see here, but my main purpose in sending this out, is to see if any of you have come out of a similar background. We have ourselves, as we all crossed church paths throughout the years, but believe that there must be others who have experienced the same, male priviledge, authoritarian background as we have.
Please feel free to write me with any words of encouragement or help.
For time and eternity, a sister.
Mary,
Why is your friend in hidding?
Or did you mean she had been hidding who she was all this time?
I’d just like a little clarity on that particular part of your post.
Thanks.
Ladies, this may seem out of the blue, but I recall that some of the people here have been talking about different books they have read (can’t remember which post that is) and I think one person said they’re reading “The Shack”. Do any of you site-authors like it?? If so, Stacy Mcdonald said she’s heard bad things about it and gave a link to a long and detailed review from an Amazon author I’m not particularly fond of, who’s attacked several books because they’re not apparently “structured” enough in the Christian religion. I’m not asking you guys for a full-out rebuttal against Mcdonald or anyone else, but my mother loves “The Shack” and recommends it to anyone. If anyone here likes it and knows what it’s all about, I’d love a post here discussing it.
Thanks!
The Shack is a fictional metaphor of sorts. It can touch your spirit deeply in the conversations with Jesus. It can shake up your prejudices in the discussions with God. Because it is pure fiction it doesn’t need churchy structure. Besides churchy structure has all but wiped out the involvement of the Holy Spirit in our services these days.
In what way do you think “churchy structure” has “wiped out the involvement of the Holy Spirit in our services”? I was raised in the Episcopal Church and was also a practicing Catholic for a while and I found the liturgy of the church especially moving. I don’t think it’s for everyone, and I think it will mean less if you don’t understand it. But for me, there’s something truly special about sharing in that tradition with believers all over the world, and I have always felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 18:20 says “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”