Wednesday Nights With Ruth
I started going to a Wednesday night class at my church a few weeks ago. I was never a huge fan of Sunday School as a kid, but I thought I'd give the adult version a try. I must say that I've really enjoyed it. The topics are different each week. Some of the topics have been: "The Church and Sexuality", "Homosexuals in the Church", "The Female Side of God", "Feminism", "Teenagers". I wasn't particulary drawn to some of these topics, but attended anyway. It's pretty amazing how much I took away from these discussions. The class is made up of a very diverse group of people: black, white, straight, gay, elderly, "young", democrats, republicans, widows, couples and single people. Yet, we tackled these subjects and gave our points of view and no one got upset. No one belittled each other. No one discarded anyones viewpoint.
The overwhelming revelation I have is how far society has come in the past 20-50 years. A black man tonight was talking about his childhood and relating stories of the black/white restrooms, water fountains, etc. Although I grew up in the South, I never witnessed anything like that. It's amazing to me that it wasn't all that long ago and the world was so different. An older white lady talked about her life- when most women did not work outside of the home. The ones that did were basically limited to being nurses, secretarys or teachers. The lady speaking is in her 70's-- she's an associate priest. I'm sure growing up that she couldn't even fathom the idea of a female being a member of the clergy, yet here she sits with that title today. In my own life, I can say that I'm at ease with being openly gay, and working for a company that is owned by an openly gay female. I don't believe that would've been possible 20 years ago. I'm happy to be living in this time when things are changing so quickly. I know there are still people living in supression, by it's gotten so much better in a short time and it can only keep getting better. I feel blessed that I've been welcomed into this church and that I get my mind challenged by the discussions. Walking a mile in someone else's shoes is the only way to ever understand where they are coming from. Hopefully others enjoy walking in my shoes once in a while, too.
posted by Brian at 8:58 PM
2 Comments:
You know I can't walk in those high heels!!!
4:11 PM
i know all about ruth, what she was up to. now i have to admit, the woman knew how to work a girl. and poor naomi never had a chance. i mean, if some sharp as a tack young widow looking smart in the latest sea-of galilee fashions sidled up to me and whispered that "the love of one woman is worth more than the love of seven sons", i might be moved to follow her around, here and there and letting her people be mine, her god my god and all that nonesuch.
but all that is so old testament, anyway.
still, gotta love that old-time religion. i mean, the laws were so much clearer then: killing a back talking child was encouraged. (and let me tell you that every now and then when i run into little becky lou armbruster i wish for the god given right to bring her to the pearly gates myself. lord! what a mouth that child has!)
and touching the skin of a pig was forbidden. and don't i wish it was today. then i could get tommie lee lee (my now 5th husband) out from in front of that boob tube whenever a football game is on. of course, i'd still have to find a biblical admonishment against nascar. whew. the seat of that barcalounger gets more action than i do.
i miss all the rules and regulations. they were so clear. it took jesus and his feminist ideas to muddy the water. and any gal worth her salt (just ask lot's wife)a woman's place is opening the beer can and warming up the hungry man meal when the king of the castle drags in from his unspectacular career down at the amoco/bait shop and video rental place. there is a balance and harmony to it all that some femi-nazi son of god should not tamper with.
i cannot tell you how disappointed i was when jesus interrupted the stoning of that adultering whore. "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." too bad i wasn't there. i woulda beaned her good. knocked some sense into that triple process head of hers. instead, you got the son of god himslef stopping all the action and then kneeling in the dirt and writing some nonsense about "where is the man?" i'll tell you where the man is! he has his no good behind parked in a trailer somewhere with a two-bit triple process hussy and he ain't a coming home, girls, until she's run out of town or stoned to death by a well-intentioned crowd of pharisees and saddecees.let the crowd take her so earl and ray and jimmy and tommie lee lee can get their worthles asses back home in the barcalounger where they belong!
and pray to god there's a football game on!
because you can still guilt a man these days.
it's stoning hussies that is out of the question.
thanks, jesus. there went all the fun in being self-righteous.
i gotta go.
tommie lee lee needs a beer.
7:53 PM
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