Sexism

Yesterday I had the honor to go to the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church's annual women's day program. Each year the Sisters of the church get together and plan a time of reflection and worship. This year's theme was "Waiting on the Lord" and focused on ten key disciplines, struggles, and rewards of waiting on the Lord. These women did an awesome job. All in all, over 25 women had some part in the service that day, and it was beautiful to hear their perspective and to watch them preach, especially in this particular church.

But you could see the tension when each woman got up and thanked God for the opportunity to share His glory with others immediately followed by thanking the pastor for 1.) giving them permission to have the day and 2.) attending the service. Following the wonderful service that lasted about an hour and a half, he felt the need to get up and re-preach everything they said and give his own perspective on what it means to wait on the Lord.

Not only was I ready for him to be done, but I also realized that he was denying the women their authority. By thinking that he needed to repeat everything they said, and then some, he was effectively saying that their words did not have authority without his blessing. It is also flies in the face of asset-based development. Here were women, expressing their many many creative gifts and passions, yet they were not being affirmed in them. They were being told that someone in power let them use those gifts. This, my friends, is not Shalom. On top of that IAF would freak. Its a different form of sexism used to diminish women and keep them under the power of men instead of giving them the freedom to follow God and bless the community without needing permission.