Silent in the Background

The Making of Biblical Womanhood : How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth A deconstruction of complementarianism showing how it is not a recovery of a historical or scriptural understanding of the role of women in the church and family. Barr tells something of her own story of growing up and ministering, with her husband, in complementarian churches, and of suffering abuse as a result of this teaching, as well as her change of mind and walking away. Barr's approach as a historian is interesting as she focuses on historical material, especially her specialism of medieval history, to show that for much of church history women have preached, and have been accepted as so doing.  She identifies the Reformation as a downturn for the recognition of the calling of women to ministry, as well as the mid-20th century with world wars and the rise of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. This latter Barr links to the rise and hardening of the inerrancy movement in relation t...

  I wrote this two and a half years ago.  I don't know where all the Whacks pieces are now, but teeth brushing can still be an issue. A Ball of Whacks This morning one of our foster children is in a strop.  Nothing is right for him.  Last night there was a row about whether he should clean his teeth and he went to bed declaring that he would not go to school today.  Now he is keeping to his word; he did not get out of bed for an hour after our waking him, has not dressed, and sits in the lounge not engaging with any of his usual routine – no breakfast, no TV, no jokes. I go and sit next to him on the sofa to ask, again, if he wants his breakfast, and how he wants to get out of the situation.  Apparently it’s all my fault and I don’t know what I’m talking about – I’m too old.  He can’t explain why he’s feeling what he’s feeling, nor what might need to happen to resolve things. When he can’t speak any more he picks up the Ball of Whacks that is on the co...

I have never knowingly quoted Playboy magazine before, and I have no expectation that I shall do so again, but it turns out that, in my blog a couple of weeks ago , I did. I referenced a John Updike quotation and mentioned that I had asked Nigel Rees of Quote... Unquote for help in tracking it down. He included the query in his latest newsletter and from there it was picked up by the Quote Investigator website in USA, where it received further attention. It turns out that the Updike quote about creativity came from his contribution as one of 13 writers invited to contribute to a Playboy piece "On Creativity".  This appeared in the December 1968 edition (which had in excess of 300 pages so clearly a substantial publication), in which Updike wrote: "For one thing, creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity; the ditchdigger, dentist and artist go about their tasks in much the same way, and any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, ...

  At the end of Lent 2021, during which I have been encouraged by a friend to grow in creativity , I was preparing my talk for church on Easter Sunday.  Drawing from John 20 , I wanted to explore the narrative through the actions of Mary Magdalene.  So I thought I'd try writing a series of haiku to re-tell what Mary did (and didn't). What Mary Did (and Didn't)   In the darkest time Mary does not hide at home Goes to see the tomb Stone is rolled away! That’s not what we expected Mary runs to tell John, Peter – they run First is last and last is first Mary alongside See abandoned clothes! Peter, John believe and leave Mary stays and weeps Stooping in the tomb Mary encounters angels “Why are you weeping?” Turns around – a man! “Woman, why are you weeping?” “Where have you laid him?” “Mary.”  It’s that voice! “Rabbouni” (which means teacher) Yes! Christ is risen! "Mary, go at once" Apostle to apostles “I have seen the Lord!” (Picture used by permission - www.LumoPro...

Two childhood memories: One: "Our family is not creative!" I remember being told this in response to my frustration with my ineptitude with paints and pencils.*  I'm sure the intention was to encourage and let me know that I was not alone - that it was not important.  But the effect was that I grew up believing that I could produce nothing of any worth, even to myself, in the creative line.  To this day, I have a visceral pit-of-the-stomach reaction to any suggestion that I should express myself through any artistic medium. Two: "Write a story - it can be about anything at all, let your imagination run wild!" said my English teacher.  Imagination was something else I knew I didn't have, and any attempt to write a story led me into an inescapable paradox: For every idea in my head of a storyline or character, I knew its source in something else I'd seen or read.  This meant it had to be rejected as not a product of my imagination and thus unsuitable for i...

An inspiring book, leaving me with nagging questions. This is the third book I've come across which addresses the spirituality of a life in crisis, and the new and better perspective to be had on the other side of the crisis.  The first was Richard Rohr's Falling Upward ; I did not get through the introduction as Rohr's writing annoyed me too much.  The second was Nick Page's The Dark Night of the Shed  which I read all through, entertained by his light and humorous writing style, and appreciating the lessons he draws from a man's midlife crisis, especially the desire to build a shed. What Martin's book shares with these is the assertion that a significant life crisis (be it shed building, falling, or a shipwreck) can and does change one's perspective on life, God and the world around fundamentally, and for the better. He writes: ...it's useless to try to make ourselves or anyone else see the world with more empathy and compassion. That kind of seeing is...

For the past couple of months at Catford Community Church we've been thinking through prayer, in various different forms, based on Pete Grieg's How to Pray - P ause, R ejoice, A sk, Y ield. In the middle of exploring 'Asking-Prayer' I was interested to come across a new little book focussed on how we can revitalise our asking prayers by looking at the pattern of prayer in the Bible and in the church.  In To You All Hearts Are Open Scot McKnight identifies a particular pattern of prayer in prayers recorded in the Bible, which is reflected in the prayers of many churches known as 'Collects'. McKnight sees five elements that commonly appear in biblical prayers that ask something of God, so that the person praying: Addresses God - often in the Old Testament this was simply addressing God as 'Lord' or 'Lord Almighty'.  Jesus and the New Testament writers encourage ...