teknomom

That’s the fundamental problem underlying the gender debate, Greg. People just don’t get it, and never have. The Assembly was never meant to be another religion of performance, but a relationship to the God who stooped down to become one of us. We have Jesus’ statement you quoted, plus “not so among you”, plus “neither here nor in Jerusalem but in spirit and truth”. We have the believers in Acts just sharing their lives, and Paul blowing away the old hierarchies and legalities. We have not one hint of the establishment of a corporate structure, liturgy, relics, etc.

And somehow, in spite of it all, for most of its history, Christianity has been nothing it should have been and everything it should not have been.

The gender debate is only part of this overall issue of authority and domination, this need to “be like all the others” as ancient Israel did in demanding a human king. How it must grieve God to see most of his children despising the free gift he bought at a great price and trading it for “a pot of stew”. And even in the “out of church” movement, people still exclude women from these wonderful blessings and freedom.

The comps must be confronted: is this a man-centered religion, or is it Christ-centered? Is it Masculinity or Christianity? An earthly kingdom or a heavenly/ spiritual kingdom?