Here's a link to a sermon from one of our sister congregations' website which sets out their attempt to explain their current stance and policy on this hot topic. It is included in a two-pronged statement of "Core Beliefs" and "Heritage Commitments", listed here. If the audio link above doesn't work for you, try this.
(For the completely opposite effect, check out this public "lynching" conducted by Church of Christ icon Guy N. Woods. The link is included on a tribute website, honoring his life and work!)
Wade Hodges' sermon is a valiant attempt at encouraging dialogue; at declaring the truth of the gospel, the freedom in Christ we all hold so dear, and applying it to our USAmerican church culture. I love that he ended the sermon with the Galatians 3 passage! Its our history and tradition of the "church as organization" that causes such difficulties, it seems to me. We get so wrapped up in "our comfort zones" and how we "do church", that the grand mission of the Kingdom of God gets left behind. If Jesus were here, it strikes me that I would want to be "sitting at his feet" with Mary, and I would not be concerned that she was there beside me or leading me, as long as we were getting closer to Jesus! How should we balance the appreciation for our heritage and our love for each other with the need of the church for the use of the God-given gifts of ALL of its members? Perhaps we should search for ways like this to be relevant to our egalitarian society, recognizing the equality of men and women as one of the basic tenets of the gospel, the "mystery of the gospel" for our age! The world is watching!
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