Yesterday’s sermon was by a layman. Well, he bow works with the poor. But he spant a fair amount of time as a car dealer, despite in his younger years hating car dealers. (He bought what he thought was a clean Holden kingswood — without rust and found the painful truth — in the 1980s rust free holdens did not exist in New Zealand).

He commented that GOd works. He keeps things going. He is creative. But all work is valued, including the mundane… as there is a new birth in the congregation, he made the comment that changing nappies is valued by God.

There are many int he church who think that this is like some form of corporation. That the people in the pews are at the bottom of the heap, and as one gets more responsibility — becomes a pastor, a bisthop –you are being promoted.

As if the title matters. It does not.

Now women and men have always worked in the church. Paul know this,

Romans 16:1-16

1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, 2so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

3Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, 4and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. 6Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. 7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother – a mother to me also. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. 15Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you

Now, there are two points to this.

The first is that Paul taught that women should not lead. Full stop. And it was not because he was afraid of women or demeanded their contribution.. In fact, he later advised older women to teach the younger women how to love their husbands. I commend to women bloggers like Elspeth — who have twenty years of marraige behind them and have raised e few girls of their own. There are more of these people in my blogroll, and even more in Elspeth’s. Being a deacon was OK — an elder was not. So taking on a role that you have no biblical wualifications for is an error.

The second error is made by some hard traditionalists. And that is not to accept that women will lead and serve. They have always led and served. As members of a group, as workers, they do great things. So to reject all female leadership is also an error. (The Catholics have a few female doctors of the Church. It does nto matter what your genitals look like when one is talking theology. But the very saints who are doctors submitted to church discipline).

The problem is that people who make both errors speak quite loudly, and in this age loud foolish voices are listened to. The Biblical position is one of realism — about the strengths and weaknesses specific to each sex — and one of moderation. But moderation, in this age, is deeply counter-cultural.

On this issue, as for many, we must act apart from the world as a corporate body. And here, many groups are failing in an attempt to avoid criticism, not understanding that criticism of Christ allows witness for Christ.

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