Inevitably, when I’m at a forum where gender is being discussed this question comes up; “Should we still call God Father?” The question annoys me for various reasons but mainly because it is usually used as a barometer for where we stand in relation to feminism as Christians . If we answer “No” then we are seen a heretical feminists and liberals that have succumbed to our secular age, but if we reply “yes” then progressive Christians become irate because we are not fighting against the oppressive patriarchal system that we live in. It’s a thorny question to answer! Continue reading Should we still call God Father?
Tag: gender
How do you preach to women?

It seems to me that a current popular question in the circles that I move in, asked by male preachers sounds something like this ‘When preaching to women what are some things that need to be kept in mind?’ The first time that I heard this I baulked, rolled my eyes and refused to give an answer until the person properly explained to me exactly what they meant. Are women really some sort of strange species that cannot be understood and who cause that much confusion among the male population? However after a few men keep asking me the same question at various times after that, I wondered whether there is a real searching, genuineness and a desire to relate, coming from this question. It is still a question that bothers me and reminds me of the movie ‘What women Want’ with Mel Gibson as the protagonist who gets into the female mind and then receives all sorts of ‘revelations’ about this mysterious species. The movie is full of stereotypes but the discussions around the difference between men and women persist today. And they persist in the church as evidenced by these puzzled men wondering how to preach to women asking me and others for our opinion.
Gender is a kingdom of God issue

Why are we as the people of God not talking a whole lot more about gender?
Here are some comments I have heard recently and increasingly that might help to answer that question; Continue reading Gender is a kingdom of God issue