Not by Right
No one has the right to be a minister.
It's an idea that has been brought to my mind repeatedly this week, first by my roommate and then by my Women in Ministry class. Being called to the ministry is a selective process, God calls everyone to minister where they are, but only selects some to do it as a vocation. Those clergy who are not called to vocational ministry will struggle with it more than those who are. This issue is especially getting sticky with women who are called to ministry. Some denominations do not affirm that women can be in positions of leadership in ministry, and with the rise in Women's rights in America, this sense of entitlement bleeds over into the church.
I hate to break it to people but there is no Bill of Rights in the Bible. Actually the reverse is more true, a Christian is expected and invited to give up their rights completely to God. Talk about counter-cultural.
Being called to ministry is a call to self-sacrifice and surrender for God's glory and the benefit of those people you are called to serve. It is a privilege and a responsibility, and should be treated with the humility that such a blessing and show of trust deserves.
posted by Danielle Knapp | 1:56 PM
3 Comments:
Very true.
Nice post.
Glad you're back!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Actually, after thinking about this idea for a while, I'm wondering if I may offer a thought. I agree with you that any egalitarian approach to ministry should not be motivated or propelled by a sense of one's rights. A call to ministry is about service to God and His people. However, when someone receives a calling from God to the ministry as a vocation, who are people to deny God! It's not about women's rights, but God's right to use whomever He chooses.
As far as there being no Bill of Rights in the Bible, I agree that we have no ground on which to make claims on God. But what about the fact that we are ALL created in the image of God? What about the inheritance in Christ we ALL share regardless of race, gender, or any other category (Galatians 3:26 - 29). I am not trying to make an egalitarian argument with these passages, but simply the point that the emphasis on "equality" is by no means merely a child of the Enlightenment, but is in fact rooted in Scripture. Again, the issue is not women's rights, but God's right to use whomever He wills.
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