In Yoke

On 9/7/08, the Waco Tribune Herald posted a front page article regarding the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as the GOP nomination for VP, and sought to draw a parallel with our culture's acceptance of women being qualified for service to their country, at the highest level, and the current growing phenomenon of women serving as senior pastors in seemingly conservative, evangelical protestant churches. Will this move affect the SBC's stance against women pastors? Terri Jo Ryan interviewed DorisAnne Cooper, pastor of Waco's Lake Shore Baptist Church to obtain her views on the matter. I thought DorisAnne did an admirable job in vetting the issues. (Although I would not classify Lake Shore as conservative, or evangelical. :)) Several things have emerged from this ongoing discussion that I feel strongly about. I will begin by posing them as questions --to more effectively frame the discussion: 1 . Is there truly a parallel between the qualifications between (A)secul...

I think the apostle Paul, one of the key shapers of our traditions---western Christianity, was in fact a 'mystic'--and this is some of his thinking that I believe underscores this fact. He definitely was tapped into the eternal life source...the Spirit of Christ. Paul was a contemplative, folks. ... from I Corinthians 2:6-16 *We speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a m...