No disrespect

The "Every man remembered" sculpture, currently in George Square in Glasgow is striking. And the campaign by the Royal British Legion and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to commemorate everyone who died in the First World War is admirable. I cannot help reflecting on the women who will also be remembered - there are over 800 women in the CWGC records for the First World War - and the initiative was inspired by a young woman. And I wonder why, today, when women are as likely to serve in the armed forces as men, why "Every One Remembered" could not be the wording that adorns the sculpture. However, I fear that posing the question will be seen as a sign of disrespect alongside those who choose other ways to remember and reflect on war, those who wear white poppies and those who call for peace in our time.

In a world that is heaving with gender injustice, where misogyny is taking centre stage in US politics, it saddens me that the UK could not have been a little more sensitive.

I will remember the men and the women, military and civilian, of the past and the present whose service to their country has cost them and their loved ones dearly.

Every One Remembered.

For all the saints...

The deep conversations

The throw away remarks

The taken for granted wisdom

seldom, if ever, appreciated for its worth at the time

but now longed for and missed.

Just a few precious minutes more.

Questions we yearn to ask

Stories we long to share

Words of thanks we'd love to pass on

to those saints who have gone

whose lives affected ours

whose influence lives on.

Yet, still today, at every turn

there are those who inspire

those who teach

those whose example still helps us

reach higher

and be more than we ever dreamed.

Those saints are found

not often in the places we naturally look:

Not in those hallowed corridors

or sanctified buildings.

Not even in those set apart

or called to serve

although, if we look carefully

we might get lucky.

But today's saints surround us

in the morning commute

in the rush hour traffic

in the doctor's surgery

and in the hospital waiting room.

There, just at the moment we need

to glimpse the love of God

shining through the reality of life

that is ours this day.

This day

we give thanks

for the saints

of the past

and we look for

those saints who continue

to hold out God's love and light

in the world today.

This day,

we endeavour

to hold out

the light of Christ

for others.

For all the saints...

CEB Women's Bible - Review

Recently the publishers of the CEB Women's Bible approached RevGalBlogPals, suggesting that some of the women involved in this supportive community for women in ministry might review this new publication. 

I was delighted that they were prepared to ship a copy to Scotland so that I, too, could see what all the fuss was about.

Since it arrived, a couple of weeks ago, I have been drawn to this Bible time and again - checking out my favourite verses, looking for my favourite Biblical women and, generally, being both distracted and drawn in by the wealth of information and insight contained in this version of the text. Although the translation was prepared by both women and men, the reflections, portraits and articles that are scattered throughout the text were written by 80 women.

There are many women in the Bibile of whose stories we know so little. Some are named, others are referred to by insults - and others remain unnamed. How important it is to be named and, in the naming, to be recognised.

The CEB Women's Bible seeks to highlight those women who made all sorts of contributions to the story of God's people but who are rarely acknowledged for the difference they made. That feels just and appropriate.

Passages are interspersed with reflections on the text and with profiles of the women included in the stories as well as articles and portraits.

This is a great addition to the plethora of bibles I have - I like different versions for different tasks. This Women's Bible, as well as attempting to bridge those gaps of silence that surround the women in the text is excellent at drawing one in and stirring the urge to read on and find out more...and that has to be a good thing!

I am grateful for the endeavour and the vision behind this translation and thankful that I have been enabled to review it early in its publication.

I look forward to continuing to journey with this version of the word and to honouring those women whose names were not repeated, whose stories were overlooked and, without whom, the story of God's people through the ages would be sorely diminished.

Cultivating empowerment

For some time now, I've been pondering the difference between enabling and empowering. Often it seems as though these words are interchangeable.

This week, I may have discovered something of the fundamental difference between them.

In many ways it is easy to enable people, to make room for them to step into roles and be supported as they discover their particular gifts, even as they experiment to find their niche.

However, once that support is removed, for whatever reason, other forces come into play and, unless the one enabled has also been empowered, they will succumb to sabotage.

This is particularly pertinent in church settings, where there are often unhealthy behaviours at play. While ministers and/or leaders can mitigate the underlying sickness for a time, unless the root cause is addressed, once the leader moves on, people default to what they know best and, in a short space of time, good work can be demolished. Those enabled by a supportive leadership now feel disempowered and back down, deeming the struggle too much. And so the church loses out on those who have gifts to share but do not want to fight for their place in a corrupt system.

Ironically, those whose behaviour leads to division and strife are endlessly patient, largely content to wait in the wings until opportunities present themselves to assert (or re-assert) power and destroy any positive strides made. Often in the minority, they are nonetheless powerful in the tools they employ - undermining, disarming, spreading doubt and fear, insidious in their reach.

Empowering others involves addressing the systems and forces that seek to undermine. It involves setting in motion a cultural change that will withstand the temptation to default to previous unhealthy behaviours when a leader moves on, empowering folk to recognise and stand up to negative forces. Changing a culture takes time but empowering folk to recognise the signs and the forces at work will go some way to maintaining ground gained when leadership changes.

Regretfully, enabling is not enough without the work of empowerment.

A lesson learned the hard way.

Looking for one more sign?

Judges 6:39

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me, let me speak one more time; let me, please, make trial with the fleece just once more; let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.”

Sometimes...

Often...

We need one more sign

One more word of reassurance

One more affirmation

One more marker by which to gauge 

the evidence of God at work

It's not so much

that we are unconvinced

by the evidence all around.

Its not that we doubt the presence

and the leading of God.

But we question our own preparedness

our own competence

our own suitability

for the task that lies ahead.

We know that God is faithful.

The question is: are we?

Are we up to the task

of stepping into the unknown

ill-equipped

under-resourced

inexperienced?

And if, by some amazing quirk

others should journey with us,

can we keep our nerve,

remain resolute along the way?

Are we able 

to keep on discerning

and to follow the prompts revealed?

Are we able to bear the burden

of those who will grumble

when we cannot chart the territory

or the fear of those

who see no need to change direction

or the scorn of those for whom

the old ways are working just fine?

Do we have the resilience it will take

to weather the saboteurs

not least the doubts and fears within us

that whisper that we're not fit for the journey?

May the God of infinite wisdom and patience

give us one more sign

against all the odds

that we are called to this journey now

in faith

in hope

and in love.

We are called 

to step out

with the God of mission

who maps out a new path

and call us

to journey alongside

and who grounds and resources us

from the depths

showing us in ancient stories

the way

to God's promised future

one step, one sign at a time.

Telling a different story

A Reflection on a Conference of Women in Ministry:

I'm always struck when women who minister in the church get together, how quickly stories of being discounted, discriminated against and other such appalling stories emerge. Alongside our personal stories, there are also legions of stories told on behalf of others. Stories that tell of the love of God being withheld and the call of God being denied. There is, undoubtedly, a place for such stories, such vulnerability, such sharing.

But I am concerned that by continually sharing these painful narratives, psrticularly long after we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves down and, dare I say it, triumphed in spite of such experiences, that we perpetuate the culture of strife and division.

I want to see women in ministry claiming their rightful place in the Kingdom of God, even if that erodes and destroys the institution that the church has become. Displaying their femininity, owning their power as bringers of life, harbingers of light, beloved children of God, called, commissioned, sent.

As long as we accentuate the stories of our oppression and injustice, we overlook the subversive stories of the positive effects of our ministry ordained and enabled by God. I suppose I'm subscribing to the notion of "by their fruits shall Ye know them." 

Two of my Biblical heroes are Shiprah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives who defied the orders of the Pharaoh and spared the lives of Hebrew males whom he had ordered to be killed at birth - one of whom was Moses. And my modus operandi in the church has been to find a way to work around whatever obstacles are put in the way of ministry.

The stories of difficulty and trial should not be denied or suppressed but we can be - and are - engaged in writing a new story. A story of love and strength and of making a difference where it matters because God enables us so to do. That is the story I want to be shared, that is the perception that I want to overtake all the negativity that is there in abundance. That is the record that I want to overtake the history of women in ministry. Called, commissioned, sent - servants of God making a difference in the Kingdom of God.

What happens in the church stays in the church?

For the past few years, I've met up with women clergy colleagues early in the year on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. They are part of RevGalBlogPals, a supportive network of women clergy who initially connected virtually through blogging. We invite a facilitator on the cruise and hire the cruise ship's conference facilities and embark on 20 hours CPD while cruising the high seas. Just some of the things we've done together are: studied the Enneagram, written new liturgical material, critiqued books and considered how to be a Missional church in a changing culture.

Of course, in addition to the time we spend studying together, there is also plenty of fun time - we call it Galship - where, just like all the other passengers on board, we enjoy the facilities that the cruise ship has to offer.

The onboard Cruise Director, when announcing the day's choice of activities, always reminds folk: "What happens on the ship stays on the ship." - an encouragement to loosen inhibitions in the knowledge that no one who wasn't involved will find out.

For quite some time now, it appears that many of us have treated Sunday worship in a similar manner, preferring to keep the activities we undertake in worship week by week within the confines of the church building. Not that we ever loosen our inhibitions in worship anyway. But we participate in worship, perhaps enjoy some fellowship, and then head home to get on with the rest of the week, neatly tucking away our church involvement until the next Sunday. And, whether we have been moved to tears, joy or whatever else, we put everything away safely and tidily until our next opportunity to get together to worship again.

And so those who are not involved don't see any need to be, far less pick up on any lasting effect or difference that worship makes to our lives or the life of the world.

We might as well be on a cruise ship in the Caribbean if we do not allow what we do within the walls of the church to make a difference to how we live and serve every other day of the week.

Discipleship 101 - take it outside!