Thoughs on women from a Christmas perspective . . .

Over Christmas we read some of Luke 1 as a family and I was struck by the fact that the first person to hear about Jesus's birth into the world was the young Mary. Which got me thinking . . .

God made man, and then said that man needed a counterpart, a help, a friend, a mate . . . and God created woman. Man needed Woman. Gen 1:27 seems to indicate that:

'God created man (mankind/humanity) in his own image, in the image of God he created him (mankind/humanity); male and female he created them.' (Gen 1:27)

The first person to hear from God that the promised Messiah was about to arrive in the world, and how, was the young lady Mary, as we've already mentioned. A young girl, promised to be married to Joseph, received an ordained visit from an angel who was commanded to tell her that she had been chosen to bring God's Son into the world. Now you could say that's only normal, as she was the one to give birth. Fair enough, but in just the previous verses God had sent the same angel to Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth, to inform him that his wife would give birth to a child who would become the prophet John the Baptist. But God informed the husband, we don't read of him informing the wife in this instance. (Obviously the situation is a bit different as John the Baptist was conceived by natural methods.) But continuing with this though, what about Joseph, the intended husband of Mary? Why did God not inform him first of all of his plans concerning his future wife? Because it seems, according to Matthew 1v18-25, that he only discovered that Mary was pregnant when 'she was found to be with child' . . . and then God speaks to him via a dream, because he's about to mess up God's plans by ending their 'engagement'. Can we assume that God spoke first to Mary because he chose to, and because that was enough. He trusted her with the information and the 'task'. (Maybe Joseph should have had more trust/faith in his young fiancée?)

After Jesus' death, the first person we read of that meets the risen Lord is Mary. She is weeping because she doesn't know where his body has been taken, so still believing him dead, and Jesus appears to comfort her, giving her also the task of communicating his words and news of his resurrection to his 'brothers' (John 20:17). Even in the other Gospels it is a group of women who arrive at the empty tomb who are first to receive the news that Jesus has risen, from the mouth of angels yet again, and who instruct them to relay this information to his disciples. And then on their way to accomplish their task Jesus himself appears to them. (Matt 28:1-10)

Then consider that at various places in the New Testament the church is compared to or called the bride of Christ. And it is via this bride that Christ communicates his love, and demonstrates his care and desire for reconciliation, etc. In various verses the church is likened to the bride of Christ, for example Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7-9, 21:1-2. And this bride is the evidence of the love of Jesus, who remains here on earth to accomplish his will, until he returns for the marriage feast, in a sense. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say Jesus needs his bride to accomplish his plans, but he certainly chooses to act through her, and to trust her to communicate his love and desire for reconciliation.

And after looking at these thoughts, it seems to me that the Bible presents a God who values women as much as men. I'm presented with what seems to me to be a balanced view of men and women together being used by God, serving God, hearing from God. Not according to gender, but according to whom God chose. And I find it hard to believe that this is not still God's will, to use men and women in his service, who are available to him. God speaks to men, God speaks to women. God trusts men and God trusts women: to listen to him, to hear from him, to understand him, to comprehend his will. And God specifically chose women on several occasions to communicate his words, his message, to their brothers. It would seem that the male half of the church needs the female half of the church to hear clearly the voice and will of God. Men on their own are not a true representation of God, neither are women. Men and women together are the 'image of God', according to Genesis, and perhaps maybe the whole of Scripture?

An invitation to worship - and the importance of planning

While reading Exodus chapters 35 & 36 today I was struck by the opportunity that God gave to the Israelites to participate in the construction and preaparation of the tabernacle. In verse 4 of chapter 35 we read that 'The Lord has commanded' but then in v5 'Everyone is invited to bring these offerings to the Lord . . .'

Then we read in v20-22 : 'So all the people left Moses and went to their tents to prepare their gifts. If their hearts were stirred and they desired to do so, they brought to the Lord their offerings . . . Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing.' The passage then goes on to say how people not only brought material but also offered their abilities and skills.

As I'm still preaching on the subject of finances and giving, I'd considered this episode in Israel's history. But reading it today, I was struck by the idea that everyone had the opportunity to contribute to the place where God would meet his people, and where they would meet with him. The meeting place with God . . . the place of worship.

It ties in with the book I'm reading too, 'The Prodigal Project' which suggests different ways of worshipping which encourage people to be participative, and this in a 'whole' way. It's amazing to think that God invited people to contribute to this 'building' and it's interesting to see how important the setting was, the choice of colours, the size of the place, the organisation of the place. 'The Prodigal Project' makes the point that often we think of the place of worship as being neutral. This was certainly not the case for the Tabernacle.

I wonder whether the invitation to contribute can also be seen as a desire on the part of God that each of his people bring something to worship, to the relationship with himself and with others. None of us are passengers, we all have something to bring to the party, we all have a contribution that's important. But it must be given with a willing heart. The text doesn't say that everyone gave, only those with a willing heart, those that desired to do so. Perhaps it was everyone, but the important thing is that they were giving freely, not through a sense of constraint. And chapter 36 verses 6-7 tells us that there giving was so generous that Moses had to tell them to stop! Wow! In a physical sense, that's pretty amazing.

I was also struck by the detail for the Tabernacle, and the fact that it needed relatively minute planing! This reminds me of the work I've been doing with regards to my own life, in terms of setting short and long term goals. It looks like here they were micro-managing their project! The details are amazing. And I wonder if the fact that everything was planned, allowed everyone to know what was needed. And giving for a clearly stated need, is much easier than giving vaguely.

The passage also demonstrates the importance of planning, even down to details. And perhaps also that good planning is a way of enable others to contribute with a willing heart and generously.
Often people wonder what they can bring to a project, questioning their abilities and means. But if a 'project' is well planned and the details are well presented, does that make it easier to see where one can contribute?