Standing Up Against Domestic Violence

I was unaware that Sunday, November 25 was the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  It became the occasion for a strong and illuminating response by many Gospel-centered bloggers.  The Church, the Gospel, and Violence Against Women by Justin Taylor is a blog post worth reading carefully.  Justin is a favorite Gospel-centered blogger of mine.  His post includes excerpts and links to 12 others on the topic.  I would encourage people to read his blog, and then read his links.  This matter is too important for us to get wrong.  Click Here for his blog.

What is particularly encouraging for me is that most of these writers are men who hold a different basic view of the Bible’s teaching about the relationship of husband and wife.  They are “complementarian” and hold a gracious view of “male headship” in the marriage.  On this issue, I am what is called “egalitarian,” meaning that because in Christ men and women are equal before God, a marriage is the coming together of equals.  For whatever differences, all of us stand strongly against domestic violence.

Let me add as well that domestic violence is not just about the violence that produces physical bruises and spills blood.  In many ways, the more damaging violence is the psychological and relational manipulation that undermines a safe relationship and emotional connection.  Men are perfectly capable of bringing home a paycheck, and then using it as an emotional club or a justification for being distant relationally.  Prisoners of war carry wounds in their psyche long after their physical captivity is over.  Likewise, many women and children carry wounds deep within them long after a relationship is ended and physical safety is secured.

Here are five excerpts and links from Taylor’s blog to give you a bit of what is there for further investigation.

Reading With Gospel Eyes: Kathy Keller's Review of "A Year of Biblical Womanhood"

Let me highly recommend the review by Kathy Keller (yes, Tim’s wife) of a book called “A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband ‘Master.’”  Click Here for Kathy's review.

Kathy’s review is outstanding and insightful.  The book she reviews, less so.  

Women in Ministry: Redefining the Disagreements

I’ve been growing increasingly frustrated of late with the way conversations about the role of women in ministry seem to play out.  I often find myself closer to some of the people I disagree with than with some of the people I supposedly agree with.  What’s going on here?!?

Ordination of Women?

I've been preaching a series of sermons on issues and questions that people often ask me about as we sit together over coffee.  Those are often times that I speak to the uniqueness of the Gospel of Grace and how that plays out in the ministry of Christ Covenant as well as matters of real life.

This past Sunday - January 16, 2011 - I addressed the question of women in positions of ministry leadership, which for me as a Presbyterian means Elder or pastor.