tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078130.post4300112748532560266..comments2024-01-04T03:48:46.920-08:00Comments on Reinventing the Adventist Wheel: "God's people. Amen."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078130.post-16637016013762247932008-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:002008-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00LOL! "God's people are men." Thanks for this most...LOL! "God's people are men." Thanks for this most insightful post, Nathan. I have to confess that as an SDA woman I often have been forced to wonder whether I belong to a church or an Old Boy's Club. I also long for a return to the early days, when Adventists were truly convicted, in practice as well as in preaching, that in the last days God would pour out his Spirit on ALL flesh! I can't resist quoting a line from The Vicar of Dibley (British Comedy) here. Reflecting on how Dibley was the first parish to accept her, Geraldine, the lady vicar says:<BR/>"The first parish wanted a man. The second parish wanted a man with a beard and a mustache just to be sure it was a man. The third parish wanted a man with a full physical just to make sure a woman with a fake beard and mustache didn't slip through. The fourth parish wanted a Rabbi, but I think that was just a mix-up with the paperwork" What a pity that too often this joke applies equally well to Adventists, ministry and message of EGW notwithstanding!<BR/><BR/>I love your conclusion:<BR/>"As we write new chapters of the story of our church, we need to focus on the unifying and inclusive reality of “God’s people” and stop misreading, mis-hearing and mis-stating the “Amen,”"<BR/><BR/>Let ALL God's people say Amen!Moniquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12149056899138153770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078130.post-63782367049591844052008-01-30T15:12:00.000-08:002008-01-30T15:12:00.000-08:00Hi Nathan,Thank you for this great post! It is in...Hi Nathan,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for this great post! <BR/><BR/>It is interesting that we have followed the path of fundamentalism in our reading of the scriptures. It is a far cry from where we began as a church. <BR/><BR/>It makes you wonder what it will take for the collective whole to embrace the example of Jesus in his inclusion of women in his public ministry. Mary Magdalene was "the apostle to the apostles". Jesus chose to give the resurrection message to a woman. <BR/><BR/>Paul's most powerful statement, as you point out, is that under the new covenant there is neither male nor female, but we are one in Christ. Its interesting that we choose to focus on the exclusive message in 1 Timothy, but ignore the inclusive statement in Galations. I hope we will start making different choices as a body of believers.Julie Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13265253748028155240noreply@blogger.com