Cindy K

Cheryl,

My cats think it’s two hours later than it really is and started the morning routine, and now I find myself awake in the middle of the night. So only heaven knows what my demeanor is like at this odd hour. (The internet is a nice and quite occupation now…) And I’m glad you’re catching up and specifically said so, as I had a tiny twinge of concern that I might have shut down the discussion, (even though I found that unlikely).

In the event that I didn’t state it succinctly, my goal here is to see the Word clearly and discern the truth. I take more of an Augustinian approach to things, tending to be less presumptive about God. That has its pitfalls, because one can lean more towards the idea that God is holy other and too mysterious to know. On the other hand, I am very disturbed at the practice of some who put God in a tiny, human box, presuming to have God’s perspective. Aware of the pitfalls of my natural bend, I try to find balance, but it is always a very dynamic process for me.

My other concern is that at certain impressionable times in my life, I drew from the Word of Faith teachers and was taught by my parents that I never had any right to question the teaching of anyone who called themselves an anointed pastor. Sometimes those influences are those things to which we are most blind because they form our first views of things and are the foundation for what we add to them. I have Copeland’s voice printed on my brain in association with very good memories, and I can hear the tenor of his voice saying “Adam committed high treason….” and other such things. And I loved the poetic and delicate beauty of some of the things I learned from the Jews I’ve studied with over the years (some Christians and some not). So as much as I am trying to bring up ideas here, I am also trying to make sure that I am letting the Word and the Spirit wipe the scales of flesh from my sight.

That said, my reasons for posting here at all are probably more selfish than anything else. If I come across as hard or pushy, I think that would be more a sign of my own discomfort in trying to sort out right thinking from wrong thinking in myself. It is terrifying to consider that I have a Right Brained tendency to be more intuitive, and that can be a terrible trap. I do not want to be a mystical Christian, save when it is appropriate for the discussion of what is truly mysterious. For example, the other morning when discussing this subject with my husband, checking with him about my comment about the distributive fallacy (if that was fitting or not), we discussed the mystery of marriage and why God chose to do things the way he did or to not be more bookish in the Genesis account so that we could have a “clear formula” with analytical exactness. And both of us came to tears, talking of Jesus’ great love for us, and how significant that is as seen in Adam’s statement of “flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone.” That is mystery.

So if I do come across as some kind of bully at any point, I apologize. But it is always pretty terrifying when I look back at some of these things, wondering if I’m clinging to things I like as opposed to truth because they are easy and familiar. But that consideration has its benefits in this discussion, as this is exactly what we hope that the complementarian will do — consider whether their presuppositions have tainted their reading and understanding of the Word. It is a threatening process to consider that you’ve chosen a foundation stone that needs to be hewn out and replaced. God have mercy on us all as we look at the foundations we’ve chosen with the best of intent.