Refinery 29...always a disappointment

Refinery29 is a great fashion blog. I wish they would stick to that.

They claim to be pro-women, but only on their terms. They are unabashedly and radically liberal; Claiming to be so under the guise of being Pro-women. Really, they are anti-Christian and have no idea what it means to be pro-woman. They look for cause to take offense at even a hint of slight towards inequality, even it if it is to the detriment of their so-called "victims". It's frustrating to say the least, I use their trend research for work...and inevitably articles like "I Provide Abortions Because I'm a Christian" catch my eye. Most of the silly ones like complaining that Sports Illustrated had the audacity to point out that female Olympians had gotten married since their performances I can ignore. But, a woman, a Christian, claiming that her Christianity is why she provides abortion?! I had to read. I have to comment. (Refinery 29 is unashamed about their pro-abortion stance..once again, claiming to be pro-women despite the awful ramifications for society, women, and individual women that abortion brings)

As I suspected, she actually didn't manage to mention Christ once, or even provide an argument for 'why' abortion is a Christian action. She merely pleaded for people to stop judging her (or, more accurately, that they stop telling her to repent). She had a platform to reach a largely unchurched, unChristian populous on their turf...and she completely squandered it by not sharing her faith even a little bit. She doesn't talk about her love of Christ, about the comfort he brings in this broken world, only points a finger at her fellow Christians and accuses them of not loving her enough and judges them for not condoning her actions, which we (all of orthodox Christendom) consider murder. This article will inspire no one to visit a church. It won't inspire anyone to pick up a Bible. It only serves to make you feel sorry for the women that go to visit her and wonder how, we as a society can do better for them. Women deserve better than abortion.

Article:

http://www.refinery29.com/2016/08/118383/christian-woman-abortion-doctor-reasoning

Text below, my comments in bold. 

When I get home from Convention...

     I live streamed much of the LCMS Convention while I worked a few weeks ago. It was a fascinating learning experience, as I had never watched before. I was determined not to give the commentary that I wished to, the subject kept seeming come up and prick at my mind, especially some notes on careful distinctions that I read this morning.

Resolutions 5-14, reaffirming the Biblical Teaching of Man and Woman in the church was an important one. There is no doubt about this.

I got increasingly frustrated as I listened to the delegates in the 'con' line say again and again, "When I get home from convention, I would hate to tell the ladies at my church that they weren't appreciated", "When I get home from convention, I would hate to tell this couple that they can't serve together", "When I get home from convention, I would hate to tell my congregation that we can't serve communion because we don't have enough able bodied men to help serve" , and so on and so forth.

In the same way that closed communion is a practice of pastoral care and not one of discrimination, pride, or a veiled insult, reaffirming that men are to serve at the altar is a practice of love and protection for the women of our congregations.

Men are to serve women with their bodies. They are to protect and sacrifice their bodies in order to serve the gentle and maternal nature of their ladies. This is shown in many ways. Some days, it is bearing the burden of carrying heavy loads, back breaking work, and leaving the home in order to sustain it. Some days, that sacrifice is putting oneself in physical danger. Some days, that is leading and guiding the household. Men wear many hats in order to serve and preserve their other hats.

This distinction doesn't mean that women are incapable of the work that men are supposed to do. Of course it doesn't. Women are strong, flexible creatures. God made us to multitask and be versatile. This isn't about what women *can* do. This is about what men are supposed to do.

I love the passage in the book of Judges of Jael. Totally my type of story. What a story of woman's power! A prophetess! A strong woman that defended the Israelites through strength and cunning! However, if we boil it down to that portion..we miss the point.

Jael was not the person who was supposed to drive Sisera to his death. Barak, by doubting God's Word and putting Deborah in unnecessary danger, lost the battle he should have won. Barak, by not being strong enough to go alone, forfeited his honour. Of course a woman was capable of the task, but she only did it, because of the failure of Barak. Jael had to do the violent, dangerous, task because of doubt and insecurity.

Pastor Fiene wrote a beautiful piece that mentions how lucky the western church has been, to not suffer violent persecution in recent memory. However, this weeks tragedy in France must remind us what the church always has, and always will face. When the church gets attacked, the bold will go for the head of the church. They will go for the leaders of the church, for the visible who are serving the Body and Blood of Chritst, reading the Scriptures, and offering forgiveness.

One of my pastors talks about the mystery of communion. We have a specific recipe for the sacraments, he says. Any deviation from that specific recipe puts you into perilous and questionable territory. The Scriptures are clear about male leadership.

So, sure females *can* serve at the altar. However, at what cost?

So delegates, when you go back to your congregations...please do not stir up resentments against the synod and please don't tell your ladies that they are unappreciated by the rest of Lutherans. Don't tell that couple that they can not serve the church together. Rather, express to them that you do not want to be like Barak, that you don't want to be like Heber, that you want to protect and serve the women that you love so much that you don't want to enter into perilous territory, either physically or spiritually. Tell them that you would die for them, be imprisoned for them, that if it means waiting an extra 10 minutes to receive the body and blood of Christ, that you are willing to be patient for their sake.

Pastors, Elders, Gentlemen, when you go back to your congregation, serve the ladies the body and blood of Christ, not tent spikes.