Chuck Locklear
fascinating characters, impactful books and messages
Superman and Lois
“What? Chuck is running. Do I really need to go chasing after him again?” Yes, it is true. I have often found myself running from God. I often forget what happened the last time. Thankfully, my Heavenly Father, like Superman, chases me down and brings me back to him—the only place where I am truly happy and truly safe.
Phone Booth?
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine… and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
Luke 15:4
This verse provides for me the image of God as a superhero, like Superman. He quickly goes into a phone booth. (Who even knows what those are today?) He puts on his Superman cape and comes to rescue us.
Yes, Jesus is like Superman. He puts on his Superman cape and goes after the lost sheep, the heroine in trouble, and against incredible odds, saves her. If you are running from God, you need to know that God is chasing after you. Turn around. Run back to his arms. Like Superman, he will catch you.
Reasons for Running
- Busyness — Busyness seems to be the way of life today. We need to stop running and ask God for a way back. Thankfully, God put a desire in my heart to please him. If you will focus on that desire, he will make a way back to him.
- Not Good enough – None of us are “good enough.” “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He did not wait until we were “good enough” to love us.
- Hurt by people – Christians sometimes say hurtful things. This is my message to the church: Being “right” is less important than being righteous. We don’t need to be “right” all the time.
- Angry at God – Bad things happen in this life and this world. These bad things don’t happen because of God.
I know from experience that running from God produces a lot of guilt. In his arms, doing what pleases him, is the only place where you can be truly happy and truly safe.
Also, see Want Victory.
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Fresh Insight
What makes you say that (WMYST) is a thinking routine which encourages fresh insight. This routine, from Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, helps students describe what they see or know, using evidence. It asks them to build explanations, to dig deeper. It promotes evidential reasoning and encourages learners to understand alternatives and multiple perspectives.
“Science explains much about our world, but there’s a lot that takes faith.”
The routine starts by asking learners to respond to a statement (e.g. “I have faith that…). Next, learners share the answer with a learning partner. (It really does work better with two people.) Then, the partners ask the question WMYST.
Try It
Ask a child or grandchild to respond to the statement: I have faith that… Then, follow up with WMYST. Their answers may surprise you.
I tried it recently at a Bible study on the topic of “faith.” The answers were awesome. The class expressed passionate beliefs about God. For example, Donna said, “I have faith that God cares about us.” When asked WMYST, she listed many examples of God’s amazing interventions in her life. It was for sure fresh insight.
Faith
Faith is central to understanding the Biblical. Using Hebrews 11, the class studied the highlights of God’s story through lives of the protagonists or heroes, the good guys. Faith describes the relationship between God and these heroes of faith. In verse 3, we are reminded that we cannot even understand our world without faith. To explore this idea, I tried the thinking routine again. I asked the class to respond to the statement: Something I know because of faith is…
I was somewhat apprehensive as I listened for the answers. Today, we have a much greater understanding of our world than they did in Bible times. The answers, however, were amazing. Steve said, “I understand the stars in heaven by faith.” I questioned, even with all that science has taught us about stars? Astronomers even know of what material stars are made. In response to WMYST, Steve acknowledged that we know a lot about stars, but the concepts are abstract. He wondered, with all the billions of stars, could it really be true that ours is the only one with a planet that supports “intelligent” life? He said it requires some faith to understand that the stars are there and the purpose for it all. Science explains much about our world, but there’s a lot that takes faith.
Faithfulness
Our study also brought a deeper understanding about faithfulness. By studying the heroes of faith, we learned that faithfulness requires action. In verse 8, we learned that Abraham obeyed. Like the Nike commercial, he chose to “Just do it.” Abraham persevered because he put his trust in God.
The thinking routine, WMYST, caused the class to discover fresh insight about faith and faithfulness. We learned that we are called to walk each day in faithfulness or obedience. Try one more example, ask your child to respond to the statement, I am most faithful with… Of course, then, follow up with WMYST.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Thinking Routines.
Learning To Trust
How do you learn to trust that they will be okay? The only good answer is that “You just have to.” The opposite is a splitting headache.
There are troubles all around us. Trusting God is not always at the top of our list of priorities. Instead, we are trying to avoid struggles. Living in this world is full of struggle, but also joy, if you look for it.
Sometimes, we miss it, because we are looking the other way.”
Riding a Bike
I remember teaching our oldest to ride a bike. Yes, there was joy when she finally got it, but a lot of struggle in getting to that point. We suited her up with all the possible safety equipment: wrist guards, helmet, and knee pads. I removed the training wheels and then ran behind her, endlessly, holding on to the seat of her bike. She was ready to keep going, but lacked the confidence. “Dad, don’t let go.” So, I didn’t.
Her mother and I prayed for her to master bike-riding, a huge deal in a young girl’s life. I’d like to say that immediately after praying, she pushed off and rode successfully down the sidewalk, but we struggled on, with me sprinting up and down the sidewalk, balancing and encouraging her from driveway to driveway.
“God, does it get much harder than this?” Of course, it does.
Challenges and Heartbreak
How do you learn to trust that they will be okay? This is a question that I have asked Lizzy many times. We trust, because the more you trust, the easier it gets. I didn’t say easy, just easier. I’ve learned that the challenges only get larger and the opportunities for heartbreak only become greater. Going away to school, boyfriend or girlfriend breakups, loss of a job, illness, none of these struggles are easy. However, we must trust. There isn’t a good alternate plan. Pray and trust God; he is trustworthy.
Life isn’t like a Hallmark movie. We are not assured of “happily ever after” in this life. Things are not certain to work out in the end. When my heart feels torn and I want nothing more than to hold on tight, Lord, help me to trust that you are in control.
Trust Is Better
No doubt God is good, but, sometimes, we miss it, because we are looking the other way. We are looking at other people. We are envying those at the top who seem to have it made. Even the wicked seem to have nothing to worry about, not a care in the world.
How do we learn to trust? We retreat to the sanctuary of the Lord. Oh, how refreshing it is to make the Lord your refuge. In his presence there is fullness of joy. Stability returns. The Lord is here and I am blessed. I have new perspective for the days ahead.
“Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache . . . Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then, I saw the whole picture…”
Psalm 73:16-17, MSG
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Don’t Fast-forward Through Life.
Checklists Make Me Crabby
Checklists can make me crabby, just ask Lizzy.
Having goals means having a checklist. If not on paper, at least mentally. This is true for most of us, even if we don’t know it. Just stop and think a moment. Do you start each day with a list of priorities that you want or NEED to accomplish. These lists can provide us direction, but also produce busyness and create pressure.
Is Everyone Busy?
One thing that I have learned since retiring: our busyness expands to fill the amount of time we have available. So, if you are blessed with a free half day, your mind goes to work filling it with all of the things you want or need to get done. It seems this is how we are wired. We have goals, which means we will have checklists.
This is not just true for retired people. No one is off the hook. Young mothers have checklists, and the checklist grows with the number of kids. Number one on their list is keeping the kids alive. If you have grandkids, you have a checklist. If you are a student, you have a checklist. Medical condition. . . checklist. If you have a job, you have a checklist for your working hours, and one for after work. And, don’t get me started about weekends. There is the grass around the house, catching up on housework, repairing the car, the boat, bike riding around the park, playing basketball, watching basketball, walking the dog… Wow, I’m getting tired just thinking about it.
Thorns
In Mark, chapter four, Jesus is teaching by the lake and he gives The Parable of the Sower. Our focus today is on the seed which fell among the thorns. After teaching the parable to the crowd, Jesus’ disciples asked the meaning the parable, and he explained that the farmer sows the Word of God.
Are You Wealthy?
The “worries of life” that is what our “busyness” is about. You may not believe it, but we are wealthy, compared to our forefathers. You might remember the story of me asking my dad what the work day was like growing up on the farm. “Dad, what were the work hours on the farm when you were a kid?” “From can until cain’t.” “What does that mean?” “From when you can see until you cain’t see.” In other words, everyone on the farm worked all the time just to survive.
So, what does the deceitfulness of wealth mean? It means the more you have, the more you have to worry about: houses, cars, boats, nice clothes, free-time activities, vacations, disposable income, etc. These are all good things, but they create busyness; busyness that can choke out the word, making it unfruitful.
Manage Your Checklist
To be fruitful, God must be at the top of our checklist daily. Until we do this, we will be always searching, but never satisfied. You see God made us with a hole. He put a void inside us that can only be filled with him. We will never be complete without him. Nothing else will work, none of our busyness. Until God is at the top of your priorities, you will never be satisfied. You will not be happy.
“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
Mark 4:18-19
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Victorious Living.
Doug Funny
The Nickelodeon show, “Doug” (i.e. Doug Funny), which ran from 1991 to 1994, is a great case study. Many of the episodes take place in Doug’s school. However, in the final episode, after four years of middle school, Doug realizes he’s never met the school principal. This is true of the audience as well. We never meet Principal Buttsavitch. We do meet assistant/vice-principal Lamar Bone, who is the stereotypical “mean principal,” and one of Doug’s antagonists. Mr. Bone is generally uptight and serious about his job, and commonly threatens to put even the smallest mistakes on the “permanent record.”
Gather and Verify
As an assistant principal, Mr. Bone usually forgets one of the key steps in good decision-making. When doing an investigation of some wrong doing at Doug’s school, he often forgets to gather and verify all the facts. Instead, he jumps to an uniformed decision, blaming Doug Funny for something he didn’t do.
It is important to gather and verify all the facts.
As a principal or anyone in a leadership role, you need to have something we now call “emotional-intelligence,” aka “wisdom.” Actually, emotional-intelligence is a great descriptive phrase for wisdom, because it recognizes something that we now know from brain research, that you really do have two brains. Not literally, but you do have a right and left hemisphere. The right side is responsible for the emotions, feelings, and artistic ability, the people side of the brain. The left is the logical, reasoning side of the brain. Most people are characterized by having one side more dominant than the other. Yes, in my family the sexual stereotype holds true; Liz is the right brained, people-smart half of our partnership and I’m the logical, get to the bottom-line half.
Hard vs. Soft Facts
However, I’ve learned that I need to try harder when it comes to the softer, people side. This brings me to an important principle, when it comes to things; let your head rule over your heart. The facts you need to focus on gathering and verifying are the “cold, hard facts.” We just leased a new car, which provided an opportunity for me to be logical and gather the facts. “How much will this option cost over the life of the three-year lease?” “Which bank requires a termination fee?” This is my comfort zone.
The reverse of this principle is equally true. When it comes to people; let your heart rule over your head. Now, I have been a leader for many years and I need to brag a little here. I’ve gotten much better with this principle. It may be true that Bobby used profane and abusive words when referring to Johnny. But, why? What were the emotions and feelings that triggered him to lash out in this way? “Oh, Johnny told others in the class that Bobby is a thief, which was not true.” With people, you need to dig deeper and gather and verify the “soft facts,” or feelings and emotions.
It is easy to jump to the wrong conclusion. Let’s learn a lesson from Doug Funny and Assistant Principal Bone about gathering and verifying all the facts.
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
James 1:19-20
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Brain Development.
Dirty Jobs
I had many dirty jobs in my life. I had good bosses, bad bosses, and drunken bosses.These experience taught me an important lesson about life.
When I met my wife, Liz, I was a shoe salesperson, which meant that I had to work with a lot of stinky feet, all day long. Sorry ladies, but I hated trying to squeeze a size 9 foot into a size 7 shoe. Next, I took a job at a gas station pumping gas. Yes, in the olden days, you would pull your car up to the pump and someone from the station would run out and pump the gas for you. . . rain or shine; hot or freezing weather. I worked for several gas stations. Then, my dad got me a job in a car factory. . . hard work.
One time while working at a gas station, my boss was an alcoholic. His wife would come up to the station and take care of things when he was drunk. She would balance the books, clean up, and lock the doors, often while he slept it off with his head resting on his desk. One night, I left the station with him in that position. Apparently, she decided not to come that night. I came back the next morning and his truck was running parked next to the building and he was still at his desk sound asleep.
Dirty Jobs. . . Be Faithful
The lesson I learned from dirty jobs. . . be faithful over something. Good job or bad job, be faithful. Little or large, be faithful, big paycheck or small paycheck. Whatever we do, if we do it as unto the Lord, he will bless us. It is easy to get discouraged and see obstacles as impossible to overcome.
Faithfulness is a main theme throughout the Bible. King David is a great example. He was faithful to watch over his flock. Had he let his mind wander away from God as he was tending the sheep, he might not have been prepared for the role God planned for him. David chose instead to be faithful while being a shepherd, which prepared him for the role of king.
Moral Compass
Just after my son entered adulthood, we had an amazing conversation. He was telling me about plans he had made for what he believed would be a fun weekend. Of course, as the worried father, I reminded him of the potential dangers in his plans. He responded by telling me not to worry. “Mom is my moral compass. I always hear mom’s words in my head reminding me to do the right thing.” How reassuring that was for me.
Do the right thing. Easy to say, difficult to do. Obviously, as parents we had done something right. I only wish that it could have been my voice in my son’s head. Yes, even with dirty jobs, excellence is the goal.
Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!
Matthew 25:21
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see
What is Your Legacy?
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.” —Galatians 6:4, MSG
Presidents’ Day is an interesting day on the school calendar, particularly in first grade. It is quite a legacy.
George Washington
As Lizzy tells it, the first graders were always interested when she mentioned that Washington was our first president and considered the father of our country. The students always asked the question: what happened to him? She would say he lived a long time ago. They would keep pressing with questions until someone asked where does he live now? Of course, she would have to answer that he died and is no longer alive. This always resulted in a collective gasp and this question… “Does my mom know?” After that they did not hear anything else she said.
Legacy
So, the message, fathers and grandfathers, on this father’s day, be sure to make some good memories with your children and grandchildren before you end up like our first president. Actually, George Washington’s legacy changed the course of a nation. My question to you: What legacy will you leave?
I love the book of Acts of the Apostles! When I was young, I was on a quiz team and I memorized much of the book. I was good. I knew all of the answers. Acts is ongoing. . . a living story. In Acts, the Holy Spirit is poured out for the first time on the day of Pentecost. In Acts, we learn of where we were first called “Christians.” We learn of the stoning of Stephen, the conversion of Paul, ship wrecks, and miracles. The Acts of the Apostles is a story that has not ended. In Acts, the disciples tell us the life-changing message of Jesus. They call us to affirm what they believed and to do the kinds of miraculous things they did.
We are called to act like Acts! It is not enough for us to do well in this life. We are called to do “good.” My question for you, can you name a specific thing God wants you to do? For example, I know that God called me to serve my wife and children. I know this pleases the heart of God.
Trust!
The truth is we cannot please God in our own strength. We have to rely on His grace daily to meet situations of life we encounter. As I thumb through the Bible, I find that life has never been easy. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. They kept sinning. Babylon took the Israelites into captivity and only a remnant survived. God’s people have seen turmoil since the dawn of time, and this is promised to continue until the end of time. Life would be so much better without all the stress and troubles. However, God’s reply is direct and personal, “I got them through. I can get you through this too. Believe me. Trust me.”
Fathers, Grandfathers, it is time to start trusting! What has God put on your heart to do? You may not be on a path to become the father of a country, but God will put a big, bold vision in your heart… if you will only listen.
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Attitude Determines Altitude!
Focus On the Lovely
“Cherish one another.” This is good advice. Too often, we are critical of those we love… a really bad habit. If this is you, change your focus and look for the lovely.
I once counselled a young man. He was dating a girl, who seemed perfect for him. When I spoke with him, however, he would talk about the small traits he did not like, things that did not make her perfect. At one point, I had to stop him by asking what are the things you find attractive about her? As he listed these things, it became obvious that this was a much longer list. I encouraged him to focus on these things and not let her go. He did. They got married, started a family, and now, ten years later, he is still focusing on things that are lovely.
Look For the Lovely
In Matthew, Jesus gave this warning, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Do you use your words as a weapon? Words are more important to some than others. For example, I once counseled a newly married couple; she would use words that were critical and harmful, particularly during arguments. One bad thing about doing this is that once the words are said, you can’t take them back. The young man used words in his chosen profession. To him, words had meaning. They were lasting, permanent. Slowly, the young woman began to realize the impact of her words, and she became more careful. You can work at it and get better. It is better to use words of affirmation. These are words that look for the lovely.
Quality Conversation
I learned to cherish Lizzy by focusing attention on her. This is done primarily through engaging in quality conversation, which is about listening and understanding. Listening is a skill. Do you often cut your spouse off as they are speaking? This could be detrimental to cherishing.
For couples with busy families, it may be difficult to focus attention on each other. Lizzy and I had to work hard at this one. We had to build activities into our busy lives to allow for focused attention. For example, after the kids were in bed, we would watch movies, but leaving lots of time for interrupting questions or ideas. The movie itself was less important than the time together. Even today, we have meals together. These provide the opportunity to engage with one another in conversation, to explore what is going on in each other’s lives.
Instead of cherishing one another, we are often critical. It is my guess that we all have longed to see our moms hold our dads’ hand and to hear her say things like, “How did I get so lucky to have found you?” To see her stroke his hair and hear her say, “And, how did we get such incredible children?” To see the two of them sit down for a meal together and hear these words, “Oh, we had such fun, didn’t we? You have given me a lovely life.”
“The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry.”
— Proverbs 25:11, MSG
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Unconditional Love.
Step Out in Faith
It is sometimes easy to be discouraged and, even, to lose faith. My hope to encourage you with a message of hope this Christmas. I want to stir the faith that is within you, so that you will understand that the promises of God are still true. So, that you know that with God, all things are possible.
How Powerful is Faith?
On one occasion, Jesus taught his disciples saying, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
I can hear you thinking, “Easy for him to say. He is the son of God.” “I’ve not seen any mountains moving in my life.” We all experience tragedies and hardships in life that can challenge our faith. The truth is, to some degree, we are all affected by a lack of faith. This reminds me of the story in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus healed a little body at the request of his father. The father pleaded with Jesus saying, “If you can, please heal my son.” Jesus’ response is amazing:
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. I can almost hear the sarcasm in Jesus’ voice. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 23-24)
A Father’s Prayer
This father’s prayer is my prayer today. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” This is such an honest response from the heart of this father and we know that Jesus honored this prayer. I believe he will honor this same prayer from us today. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
This was true of my father. He prayed and believed God for small things. Like the time we were on vacation, traveling in North Carolina. We had a minivan full of people stranded on the side of the road. He had me go outside and open the hood. Then, he prayed for the minivan’s engine. I shut the hood. We got back inside the vehicle and the engine started. It was such a small thing, and yes, we could have called for “roadside assistance,” and I have many times since then.
Thank God for roadside assistance. However, in this example, the direct application of faith gave everyone in that vehicle a chance to grow faith and praise God. It has been many years now and my daughter’s friend, Katie, who was in that minivan, still tells the story of how God healed the minivan.
In My Dad’s Case
God grew my dad’s faith so that he was used to accomplish miraculous healings, even bring a man back from the dead. If you don’t believe me, just ask my cousin Carol or the nurses, who were in the hospital room at the time. Yes, that was one man and one time. People still die, including my father, who died a few year ago at the age of 86. The Apostles of Jesus and other saints of God died as well. I don’t believe Jesus was saying we can recklessly go around moving mountains. He accomplishes mountain-moving miracles for his purpose. His message to us is With God all things are possible. This starts with faith for little things.
Yes, God can grow our faith. This starts with trusting God for the little things in our lives. Our faith grows when we praise God for the little things. “Lord, help me overcome my unbelief!” Now, take a risk and step out in faith, trusting God even for the little things. As a result, you will have experience that with God all things are possible. Christmas provides all of us the opportunity to grow our faith and to praise God for specific answers to prayer.
Also, see Faith of a Child.
Copyright © 2020 Chuck Locklear
We Don’t Have Equal Rights
Good thing Jesus wasn’t born a female. We don’t have equal rights.
I’m hoping this statement causes someone to respond arguing that the opposite is true. Like it or not, we are a patriarchal society, meaning male dominated.
Neither Male or Female
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians “. . . there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” This was a bold statement as those in Paul’s audience were members of a patriarchal culture. It is still a bold statement 2,000 years later.
It is true that most cultures today are patriarchal. However, it has not always been that way in North America. Several Native American tribes had matrilineal structures. The mighty Iroquois nation was a notable example, in which the women owned the land and managed the crops. Iroquois men moved into a longhouse with the wife’s family and their children became members of her clan.While Iroquois chiefs were men, women nominated them for these roles and held them accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities.
Equal Rights
In my family, I enjoy some privilege due to my role as the patriarch. Even though Lizzy and I have tried to equally distribute the leadership responsibilities in the family, she is stronger in some areas. She took time away from her career to nurture our children, which means my job has always held a certain necessity in our house. Actually, there were many days when our children were young that I knew it would be easier staying at work than going home to whining, needy little people. Even so, I am happy that I was able to share a major amount of the responsibility.
It is true that gender roles are important to providing stability in society. However, the American declaration of Independence states that “All men are created equal. . .” and this is an offense to some that argue women in the United States still do not have equal status to men. Women did not even gain the right to vote until 1920, and an equal rights amendment to the U.S. Constitution failed to gain the required 2/3rds approval of state legislatures to pass into law in 1977.
A Difficult Passage
“Wives, be submissive to your husbands. . .” (1 Peter 3:1-2,7). This passage in the Bible is difficult for people to understand. It is true that most Americans believe in the liberation of women and the equality of the sexes, to one degree or another. This makes Peter’s words controversial. It is also true that some religious leaders distort these words to discriminate against and abuse women. This creates enough of a problem that some women have left the church and made those that remain uneasy by the misinterpretation of Peter’s instructions.
For some, it is tempting to try to ignore these biblical passages, saying, “That was written a long time ago and it doesn’t apply to us today.” For me, discounting any scripture is a danger, as it is important to apply all the scriptures to our lives today. If we begin to eliminate passages we consider outdated, we may find ourselves choosing just those parts that happen to suit our own agendas. The Bible is profitable for correction and instruction in righteousness, thus bringing all believers closer to a person that is pleasing to God.
On the other hand, while it is true that all scripture was inspired by God, the Bible was written by fallible humans, who brought their own knowledge and the beliefs of their times to the work. For example, the science and astronomy of the Bible are inaccurate by today’s standards. We all know that the earth does not have four corners (Carter). In the New Testament, the believers were taught that slavery was a legitimate social institution. So, it is appropriate to consider the context of the times when interpreting the meaning of the Bible.
Challenging the Norms
During the first century, when Jesus and the Apostles lived, women were forbidden to play any leadership role. A single woman was the property of her father and a married woman the property of her husband. Women did not speak for themselves in public, including in places of worship. Women were required to walk several paces behind the men in their lives. Yet, Jesus challenged the prevailing norms regarding women. Many of his most faithful and prominent followers were women. Women were the first to proclaim the good news after Jesus had risen from the dead.
Even the viewpoint of the Apostle Paul, who said that women should not speak in religious services, was likely shocking to the people of the first century. In Romans, Paul lists 27 people who played a prominent role in the early church, of these 10 were women (Romans 16). Phoebe was a deacon. Junia was “outstanding among the apostles,” and Priscilla was a pastor, prominent for correcting the beliefs of Apollos, an early evangelist.
Shared Ministry Roles
I am blessed to share the ministry responsibilities at our church with my sister. I am the administrator and the teaching pastor, but she is the nurturing shepherd. She takes care of the needs of the flock. When a member is sick, they call her. If someone needs a ride to the grocery store, she knows about it. If someone is being evicted from their home, she is rallying the church to come to the rescue. Just this past Sunday, she instructed a deacon to take one of the young men to the emergency room. I only found out about it after the church service.
While we may not have equal rights, it is clear that Jesus intended women to play a major role in his church. Like many Christian leaders today, I believe that there are no positions within the body of Christ that should be withheld from women. We should accept the social order of the time and place in which God has placed us, while questioning and, even, challenging societal norms that violate the equal love and grace extended to all men. . . and women.
Copyright © 2019 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Jesus Was a Radical.
Carter, Jimmy. Sources of Strength. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1997. Print.
