It is rather cold today, in contrast to the unusually warm November we've had of late. I'm sitting here in Barth House, the Episcopal student ministry on the University of Memphis campus. Presbyterian Place participates in a joint worship service with the Episcopalians here, and so my preaching engagement this morning was in the midst of an Episcopal worship service. Now, I must say that while I've been in an Episcopalian wedding, I've never been to a worship service. I didn't follow the prayer book closely enough, unfortunately, and forgot to kneel during the confesison until halfway through-- not a big deal, unless you're sitting next to the pulpit in full view of the congregation. At least when I went to Catholic Mass in Massachusetts last fall, they assigned a good Catholic to sit next to me and keep me in line ;).

I've found that the debate here at University of Memphis about women's roles in the church is much more spirited than in other regions of the country, where gender roles tend to be challenged in more subtle ways. I actually appreciate the openness, though-- it is nice to actually have students come out and ask me about the women and silence passages in the Bible after I go on and on about women's leadership in the church.

One student last night particularly had a bee in her bonnet about what I'd said. Now, keep in mind that my presentation was based on Scripture and church teaching. I had stated both United Methodist and Presbyterian denominational policy on the role of women in the church and society, followed by a study on Acts 16:11-15 and Romans 16:1-16. Both passages have compelling stuff when you're considering what the role of women in the church should be-- Acts presents a woman convert who volunteers her house as a missionary center for Paul's ministry, while Romans 16 lists nine women who were active in all levels of the early church (including Deacon Phoebe, who it is believed delivered the letter). Anyway, I'm guessing this student had only heard the passages in the Bible about women being silent, because she was asking me all sorts of questions about it after the presentation.

And you know what? While I can give you lots of explanations for those passages, ultimately you have to come to your own conclusions about them. The best I can do is give students information about our foremothers in the faith, the women who held early churches in their homes and worked as missionaries, and then let them struggle with the Bible as they will. We all have to go through that. I just hope that the process brings each of us, women and men, to a faith that empowers us to serve God in the way we've been called rather than be stifled by flawed human institutions. And only the Holy Spirit can decide what that will look like.

I have to go now... Ken is waiting to show me around the University of Memphis, and I have to go to Graceland today!!!

Kelsey