Amelia, have you encountered people who use journalism to speak from a place of spiritual authority? Do people have a tendency to use journalism as that kind of outlet? Do you? Why do you compare the call of a journalist to that of an elder?
So I’d say that since elders/pastors have that special ordination from God as spiritual authorities, they have that rare right to tell their congregants what to do (not in a tyrannical way but with more force than ordinary).
A journalist is more like a deacon. He’s got to figure out how best to steward a community’s resources (in this case—their stories) in a way that justly serves that community.
What do you think? I know just from chatting that you’ve observed a lot of aspects of law school culture that you find ungodly.
Do you think some of that comes from lawyers and judges stepping out of their lanes to assume more authority, or try to fix things they shouldn’t be fixing?
I guess I agree with your observation that you have a natural disposition as a leader but that you shouldn't be leader-like in a God-dishonoring way, but I take issue with this sentence "this means that as a woman, I must be cautious and prayerful about assuming leadership positions," lol. I am snagging on your logic. Does being in a leadership position automatically tempt a person to assume spiritual authority and usurp the position of an elder? Further, if only a small group of men are called to be elders, then shouldn't men also be wary of assuming spiritual authority? The kind of Scriptural prohibition against women being elders is pretty specific, but the statement you make about being a woman in leadership is pretty broad -- perhaps unnecessarily so (I think).
I agree with the statement "just because I have certain talents doesn’t mean I have to apply them in ways that go against Scripture and put me in spiritual danger," either if it alludes to not contending to assume a position of spiritual authority in the church (i.e. women aren't called to be elders, which I agree with), or to not being an ungodly leader (i.e. puffed up, etc). But I don't agree with it insofar as it suggests that women, in contraposition to men, can uniquely put themselves in spiritual danger by being leaders in general (like in the journalistic or writing world).
Oh perhaps that sentence could have been more specific! I meant leadership positions in the context of ministry. So if it’s a position that involves spiritual authority of any kind, not just the eldership, I think a woman needs to discern how the commands in Timothy apply. And should pause and check her conscience. Some people will end up applying them more narrowly, and some more widely.
I’m pretty agnostic as to God’s reasons for the prohibition (whether it’s purely symbolic or something built into sexuality). Men clearly fail spiritually as leaders -all the time- so it can’t be that they’re less susceptible to temptation. Personally, I see myself in danger of disregarding or selectively interpreting the commands due to my pride. But I don’t necessarily see that as a universal female issue.
Amy Carmichael is an inspiration to me for her spiritual leadership in her missionary community in India. She made all the leadership female and interpreted Timothy’s commands as historically contextual. I think she’s wrong on that point, but she followed her conscience, and clearly God used her love for Him in great ways.
This is a clarifying conversation! You’re pushing back at all the right points haha
Allison, actually one of the most eye opening things about doing an intensive journalism course was how foreign the whole practice of journalistic objectivity was to me.
I’m so used to the news being blatantly biased, and even containing the reporter’s “I” pronouns, that I forgot it wasn’t originally supposed to be that way. Opinions should stay in the opinion section! They need to be labeled as such, or else the newspaper is deceiving the public.
Now that's what I call true journalism! I especially resonate with this part: "It’s important to be extra merciful towards the disadvantaged, even when they’ve made big mistakes or sinned egregiously. Their voices are stifled because, despite America’s lip service to cheering for the underdog, in practice, our society is often uncharitable." Thank you, Amelia!
Amelia, have you encountered people who use journalism to speak from a place of spiritual authority? Do people have a tendency to use journalism as that kind of outlet? Do you? Why do you compare the call of a journalist to that of an elder?
So I’d say that since elders/pastors have that special ordination from God as spiritual authorities, they have that rare right to tell their congregants what to do (not in a tyrannical way but with more force than ordinary).
A journalist is more like a deacon. He’s got to figure out how best to steward a community’s resources (in this case—their stories) in a way that justly serves that community.
What do you think? I know just from chatting that you’ve observed a lot of aspects of law school culture that you find ungodly.
Do you think some of that comes from lawyers and judges stepping out of their lanes to assume more authority, or try to fix things they shouldn’t be fixing?
I guess I agree with your observation that you have a natural disposition as a leader but that you shouldn't be leader-like in a God-dishonoring way, but I take issue with this sentence "this means that as a woman, I must be cautious and prayerful about assuming leadership positions," lol. I am snagging on your logic. Does being in a leadership position automatically tempt a person to assume spiritual authority and usurp the position of an elder? Further, if only a small group of men are called to be elders, then shouldn't men also be wary of assuming spiritual authority? The kind of Scriptural prohibition against women being elders is pretty specific, but the statement you make about being a woman in leadership is pretty broad -- perhaps unnecessarily so (I think).
I agree with the statement "just because I have certain talents doesn’t mean I have to apply them in ways that go against Scripture and put me in spiritual danger," either if it alludes to not contending to assume a position of spiritual authority in the church (i.e. women aren't called to be elders, which I agree with), or to not being an ungodly leader (i.e. puffed up, etc). But I don't agree with it insofar as it suggests that women, in contraposition to men, can uniquely put themselves in spiritual danger by being leaders in general (like in the journalistic or writing world).
Thanks for bantering with me 😘
Oh perhaps that sentence could have been more specific! I meant leadership positions in the context of ministry. So if it’s a position that involves spiritual authority of any kind, not just the eldership, I think a woman needs to discern how the commands in Timothy apply. And should pause and check her conscience. Some people will end up applying them more narrowly, and some more widely.
I’m pretty agnostic as to God’s reasons for the prohibition (whether it’s purely symbolic or something built into sexuality). Men clearly fail spiritually as leaders -all the time- so it can’t be that they’re less susceptible to temptation. Personally, I see myself in danger of disregarding or selectively interpreting the commands due to my pride. But I don’t necessarily see that as a universal female issue.
Amy Carmichael is an inspiration to me for her spiritual leadership in her missionary community in India. She made all the leadership female and interpreted Timothy’s commands as historically contextual. I think she’s wrong on that point, but she followed her conscience, and clearly God used her love for Him in great ways.
This is a clarifying conversation! You’re pushing back at all the right points haha
Oh and to clarify—I’m open to female deacons as I don’t consider that a position of spiritual authority
Allison, actually one of the most eye opening things about doing an intensive journalism course was how foreign the whole practice of journalistic objectivity was to me.
I’m so used to the news being blatantly biased, and even containing the reporter’s “I” pronouns, that I forgot it wasn’t originally supposed to be that way. Opinions should stay in the opinion section! They need to be labeled as such, or else the newspaper is deceiving the public.
Now that's what I call true journalism! I especially resonate with this part: "It’s important to be extra merciful towards the disadvantaged, even when they’ve made big mistakes or sinned egregiously. Their voices are stifled because, despite America’s lip service to cheering for the underdog, in practice, our society is often uncharitable." Thank you, Amelia!
preach! 🙌🏻
Haha an ironic comment given I was talking about how I try not to preach 😝