Friday, September 12, 2008

Feminist Pastor

I just read this piece from Fidelia's Sisters. I greatly appreciate when people can put pain and joy and hope and need and expectation into words... and then publish them for the world to read and critique. Because you know that a majority of readers would critique this "Feminist Pastor Top Ten" if it were in any general circulation (outside a women's clergy publication, I mean).

As I was reading it I realized that I had to stop my own critique - of "most churches". I've been able actually to speak some of this challenge in front of my congregation. Very tentatively, in April of 1995, I wrote this sermon on God's name as metaphor. 

More recently (this past summer), I was able to express my deep sadness around several domestic violence-related murders that happened in our community, and state the ways that I believe sexism and God-talk feeds such actions. There were a number of fathers crying by the end of this sermon.

I know that I'm very blessed in having a congregation able to hear some of these words sometimes. I wish there were other avenues to reach people of faith with similar discussions.


2 comments:

Molly Vetter said...

Two weeks ago, a vibrant young woman came by the church for a completely different reason, but was amazed to find a woman clergyperson. Because she didn't know we actually existed, and has felt called to ministry so intensely.

She said something like, "I'd always thought denominational churches were so backwards--here you are way ahead of us!"

We still have a LONG way to go...

jamie said...

Just read that latest sermon again...amazing.