Rogue Reverend

Finally, Reconciling Choices

1 Corinthians 13:8-12

“For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, Yes.” ~Dag Hammarskjöld

Carol Flinders writes in At the Root of This Longing: Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a Feminist Thirst that there are certain precepts that seem to be constants in religious practice: 1) Be silent. 2) Put yourself last. 3) Resist and re-channel your desires, especially your sexual desires, and 4) Enclose yourself. Cut yourself off from the external world.

Flinders maintains that feminism, and I would add that post-modernity, tells us the opposite: 1) Find your voice, tell your story, 2) Know who you are, establish your identity, 3) Reclaim your body and your desires, and 4) Move about freely and fearlessly. Take back the streets.

We have to reconcile the two stances.

I’ve been considering two definitions of reconciliation. The first, most used in an accounting or auditing context, is what we talk about when we reconcile our checkbooks. We compare two numbers to demonstrate the basis for the difference between them, or we balance debits, credits, and totals between two systems. The second definition, used mostly in a theological or relational sense is the reestablishing of friendly relations, either between two individuals or between God and humanity.

We mostly understand reconciliation to mean, “reestablishing friendly relations.”

What if, instead, we think about reconciliation the way that is more like reconciling our checkbooks, looking at two very different totals, demonstrating the basis for the difference between them, and being okay with it?

If we consider Flinders’ options, whether we will be silent or tell our story, whether we will put ourselves last or establish our identity, whether we will re-channel or reclaim our desires and sexuality, or whether we will enclose ourselves or move about freely, we see the hinge here, right? We must reconcile between the two of them, and it hinges on choice.

We cannot and should not be made to be silent or forced to be loud.
We cannot and should not be made to serve or forced to be served.
We cannot and should not be made to be chaste or forced to be sexual.
We cannot and should not be made to cloister or forced to roam. More »

Money and Calling

My mom always wonders at the fact that calling is imminently connected with money. Preachers always seem to be “called” at the church that pays the most. And they’re always “called” again when someone offers them a job for more money.

I’m not sure that this is always true, although it is true in some situations.

I know more people who have felt “called” to something that definitely won’t pay. Jobs, that should they be taken on, have no promise of making bank. So most of my friends are busy creating other jobs to go along with their “calling” to pay the bills.

One of the best cases in point is my friend Suzanah Raffield. Suzanah is working on a project called birthing hope. Her supporters come together to have a baby shower. Instead of showering one baby, they shower 65, building birthing kits for trained birthing attendants to use in the developing world. You can find out more here. But what’s really cool is the ‘day’ job she’s created to finance her dreams at birthing hope. She will handwrite thank you notes and letters for you. Busy bride? Contact ahandwrittennote. Busy new mom? Contact ahandwrittennote.

And the amazing thing is, you can really change the world WHILE getting one of those guilt-ridden, things-to-do items off your list.