Respect and common courtesy should be the dialect of the church.
Are we listening? Are we, white, male, aged leaders of the church, listening? Are we heeding the message of our sisters in Christ? Over the weekend, derisive comments were made about women in ministry (such as Beth Moore) that grieved my heart.
Really? Dare we be dismissive? The message of #MeToo is a sobering one. Theirs is not an appeal for power or position, it is a request to be taken seriously; for all of us to recognize their unique calling. Respect and common courtesy should be the dialect of the church. Yet, our soprano chorus continues to decry its absence.
Are we listening?
Listening to our astute and capable female Bible teachers? Listening to their longing to minister from a feminine perspective? Listening to their willingness to lend their intellect, energy and passion to the cause of Christ? What wealth of wisdom they bring!
Tone matters. It matters in a nation. It matters in a home. And, it matters in the church. When we don’t agree, we must do so in love. Words can wound. Comments have consequences.
The bride of Christ is sighing.
Pew Research documented an unprecedented decline in the number of Christians in America. While the cause of the decline is complex, shouldn’t one solution be an all-hands-on-deck appeal?
My one-word invitation to Beth, as well as all capable messengers both male and female, young and old, rich and poor? Welcome.
This article originally appeared on MaxLucado.com and is reposted here by permission.
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