womanhood and drop dead diva

We have just started a study series looking at womanhood with the 16-21 year old women at church. We had a fantastic discussion in our first one, particularly about the conflicting messages society sends women - for instance that you should be loved for who you are (as long as you are underweight, under 30 and constantly well groomed). That motherhood is very important - but that you are a nobody without a flourishing career.

I found at the ancient age of 35 I could contribute a lot to the discussion of what it is like to be a woman. For instance, I know at that age I was full of self righteous assertions that I would grow old gracefully. Now, as the first wrinkles and grey hairs appear, I have started to understand the measures many women take to keep a semblance of youth.

Then last night I watched the new TV show Drop Dead Diva. Having read the promo material I expected to see a fat woman as the star - in fact she was an attractive woman in her early 30s who was somewhat overweight, and looked like many women do at her age (that's her in the picture above, Brooke Elliot) - except in TVland, of course. I enjoyed the show and think on the whole it might be good as a corrective on this sort of thing - well except that almost every other woman on the pilot show was skinny. Still Tvland...

Well, I better stop gazing anxiously in the mirror at the obviously Botox free forehead I am developing and go back to looking at my Bible, which declares me to be of a great worth not dependent on my outward appearance. Hang on, is that a grey hair in my eyebrow....

Bloggy Book club

Dear readers,
A blogger friend, the babies stole my brain, is committed to regaining said brain. In pursuit of which, she has just started a blog book club to help us to read and discuss.

I was on the verge of starting something similar, so i was thrilled to read her post on this - see here.

Who would like to join us? A variety of views and opinions are welcome as long as respect is shown. I haven't consulted her on this, but I assume that it is Ok to go in and out depending on your interest in the book under discussion at the time.

As initiating blogger, tbsmb has chosen our inaugural book - The book is called Women, Ministry and the Gospel: Exploring New Paradigms. It's a collection of essays presented at the 2005 Wheaton College Theology conference. As fas as I understand it, on my brief research on the net, this was a conference which tried to bridge the gap between those on opposing sides of the women in ministry debate. (see here for a view on the upshot of this by one egalitarian) - so this then, I think, is a book by people on both sides of the debate who have a desire for christian unity and reconciliation. We would read a chapter or 2 a week and discuss via our blogs on a set day. In the spirit of the book, I welcome those on both sides of the debate to come read it with us.

I have made a plea for fiction to be on the menu as well, so maybe next time!

If you are interested, please let either me or tbsmb know. See her post for online places to buy the book.

what is important

Last night I watched a DVD at church about the spread of christianity in a very large Asian country that is anti christian....it was very moving to see the hope people had in the midst of suffering.
A couple of things struck me:
I complain too much - my question for the week to myself when i get all whingy is 'are you in prison?'
the acceptance of women as teaching missionaries/ministers in this situation - i think when a situation is urgent, then it strips away all the non essentials, revealing what is important - surely it is most important that Christ is preached, whoever does it????? (imho)

the nursing pastors association?

Just gone back to work (which is why havent blogged recently) - as I start juggling 2 kids 2 and under with working as a pastor, there is the story about Julia Gillard being told by Bill Heffernan she can't be a leader because she has chosen not to have children, Yet if she did have she would be in trouble for neglecting them!!! We just can't win sometimes.

My baby is refusing to take the bottle (opposite of his older brother), so I am breastfeeding him at work on Sundays. A pastor breastfeeding at church... this is pioneering stuff hey??

individualistic culture v women

I'm going to make a grand sweeping historical statement here, but in general I believe, in most cultures at most times, women were not expected to be at home by themselves all day everyday looking after several children and the household by themselves. In our western post industrial, go it alone, nuclear family culture, we think the women who struggle with this are suffering with depression, rather than having an entirely appropriate reaction to their situation. But I think children are meant to be brought up by the extended family and the community. One thing that impresses me about chinese culture ( I work at a chinese church) is that the expectation is that grandparents will provide live in help for a few months after the birth of a baby. This comes with restrictions on the activities of the mother that we might chafe against, but recognises I think, that babies are a responsibility that requires support. My belief is that God intended this: a whole loving community to bring up children together, though with the main input from the parents. I think we are too affected by culture in how we do this as western christians. Part of the problem is us, the mums - we need to be less proud, and more willing to accept help.

Other women are awe inspiring and scary

another blog re kids - ok I intend to write about more cerebral things some time - anyway - now i am a 2 boy mum and I am now even more in awe of those women with more than 2 children. I know women with 3 or 4 children, who also manage to be fantastic cooks, cooking food for friends who have had babies or illnesses, who remember birthdays making homemade cards and presents, who volunteer in various capacities, who perhaps do some paid work, who do some form of creative outlet such as scrapbooking or needlework or writing, who are loving mothers and wives and really good friends to others. All this, and some of them have husbands who arent there much. My husband is around quite a bit, but the juggling act seems still a huge one to me, and I an happy to survive in a slapdash slovenly manner, as long as the food under the couch is younger than me, I feel I'm doing well.....