I almost swerved off the road today. But don’t worry, no one was hurt. Plus, on these back country roads I ride on everyday in good ‘ol Sussex County, Delaware the only thing to hit are farm fields.
Anyhow, the reason my steering wheel was given a jerk was because of something I heard on NPR (Yes, I listen to NPR news sometimes on the classical radio station… and yes, sometimes I listen to classical music… alongside, Led Zeppelin of course). In Ohio, after many years of battling, they finally passed approval for casinos to be built. Now I disagree with gambing and do not think casinos bring any good to community, but I don’t have time to get into all that. What I was struck by was the comment by a pastor interviewed on NPR. Basically, he said that he was against the casinos for awhile but changed his mind when he saw that it would help in creating jobs for their struggling job market! Pragmatism at its finest. If this is the way he thinks, why don’t we just allow drug dealers to sell crack. After all, won’t it help create jobs. I’m being sarcastic, of course.
So this is another fine example of convictions that were never really convictions. Of course, this example of someome trashing their convictions led me to think of another one that has been perplexing me recently… women pastors. I don’t agree with it and I’m seeing more and more of them lately. I love my wife and greatly appreciate the women in our church who serve faithfully and sacrificially. But I also know that Scripture designates the role of a pastor or elder to the male. This is not a superiority complex, but one of a different role. A role held by a male who is to lay his life down for the best of others. To serve. But more so than that, we are all called to be faithful to God’s word. So my question to those who think it’s okay for a woman to pastor… Do you honestly let Scripture be the central pillar and steering wheel to all you say and do? Will you follow Scripture even if you don’t see it being useful or beneficial to whatever you’re facing at the moment? Or will you be a “cut-and-paster”, meaning, you “cut” out things in the Bible you don’t agree with, or you “paste” in things you want the Bible to say?
Your answers to the questions, I’m sure will be revealing. Then you can find out if the convictions you have are really yours… or God’s.
