Half the Church

Kingdom building is a lifelong occupation,

Equality is a foundational truth that extends to every human being and is rooted firmly in our image-bearer identity. The Bible doesn’t nuance or debate equality, but sets it in stone.

When women bring less of themselves to the task at hand, men are overburdened and we squander our gifts.

How we develop and employ the gifts the Holy Spirit has entrusted to us and (especially for those of us in the prosperous West) what we do with the blessings, freedoms, and privileges we enjoy are matters of the gravest consequence to us. More importantly, they are serious matters to God.

And the debate itself must not be allowed to distract or deter us from investing ourselves wholly in the greater business of bringing God’s gracious, just kingdom to a suffering world.

As followers of Jesus, justice is our business, and we should be among the first to sound the alarm, to mobilize and be highly visible in bring justice to God’s world.

Is Jesus’ gospel merely a kinder, gentler version of the world’s way of doing things, or does the gospel take us to a completely different, long-forgotten way of relating to one another as male and female? When Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” did he include relationships between men and women?

In one world our contributions and expertise are welcomed and valued. In the church we are a subject of debate, and our gifts can be problematic, unwelcome, or allowed only limited use.

Matthew gives Joseph the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He is the lead story in Matthew’s gospel for recovering the true definition of “righteousness.” Joseph lives out Jesus’ gospel before Jesus is born.

Leadership is everywhere. It is, after all, every image bearer’s calling to accept responsibility and take action.