Women In The Church

I have had the pleasure in my short journey into ministry so far to be positively affirmed as a woman. Last year at the Woman's World Day of Prayer, two Roman Catholic nuns made a point of expressing their delight that the Church of Ireland ordained women and their regret that this avenue was not open to them. Today at the tea following the Ecumenical Harvest Service I was approached by another Roman Catholic nun who said that she would be praying for me and that she was delighted that I was approaching ordination as she felt regret that she could progress no further with her own vocation, a doctrinal glass ceiling. It is both humbling and daunting to realise that I am regarded as a representative of my gender as well as myself.

It was with this in mind that I was very disturbed to read in the Church Times over the weekend about the Curate, Rev Yvonne Hobson in Cornwall who has received another death threat in a continuing campaign against her. The postcard that the lastest threat was written on was found in a Bible in her stall in the church. She had just returned from leave of absence following a series of threats last year which included a hate letter campaign. How awful is that? A person called by God to further the work of the Kingdom threatened by backward looking individual, too cowardly to engage publicly with what they profess to believe.

I am unfamiliar with the direct challenge to my vocation on the basis of my gender but I am conscious that I do not have the acceptance I would wish from all around me. I am saddened by intolerance and have spent time this weekend thinking about my own intolerances with interesting results. It is the kind of self examination that takes a lifetime of checking into rather than a weekend. I find it hard to deal with intolerance as it speaks of feeling superior to another individual or group. What a dangerous concept. Jesus mixed with those who society dismissed, He didn't see the labels given by others, so why do we insist in doing so, and worse, applying some of our own?

Tomorrow I hope to attend a debate in Trinity College on the subject of the role of women in the church held by the Theological Society. Funny how things come together when you're are thinking about stuff.

Heavenly Father spare us from the idea that we are any better - or any more called -than anyone else. Amen

Back To School

The Summer is over, the chance to manage my own time has gone, the routine has kicked back in. I am at the end of my second Pre term Week. Last week we did a module on marriage issues. It was a really peculiar place to be as I fell between the two states, neither married nor truly single. I could relate to some of it and not to others. Ironically the week we discussed it was the week of what would have been my 21st wedding anniversary. I wonder how different life would be if Julian hadn't died.

Week 2 held the thrills of youth work. I am relieved to discover that I don't need to have the zany hyperactivity of a Saturday morning children's entertainer to have a chance to succeed and that there are lots of resources out there to help me cope that don't involve copious quantities of Valium! It has been one of those weeks that need time to inwardly digest but the more I heard the term "unchurched" the more uncomfortable I became with it in the youth work context at least. I prefer "unsupported by the church" as it has less of a them and us feel to it and seems to draw gentler boundaries. Unchurched almost suggests blame for the condition to me but I feel that more often people do not realise that they can gain support for this life through the Christian community if it fulfils its true purpose. Unspoken and unconditional support that does not necessarily require initial contact to be so conformist.

Jess is readjusting to life as a student and all that suddenly losing a full time job entails. Jonathan is mooching through life and playing hockey. We have just discovered that he can do one of his work experience modules with the Gardai in the West of Ireland, courtesy of my brother.
Mum is progressing well and leaves hospital on Monday after 3 and a half months. I hope and pray that things settle down well with the new care schedule and it allows her to remain at home in the long term.

Thats about all folks, the postings will be sporadic but I hope to continue them. Even if I'm the only one reading them!