Sarah's name for Abraham
A couple we were friends with, began to have marriage problems. Separately they both consulted one of us. Doreen told me that her husband Donald had apparently stopped loving her. He complained to her, and had recently begun complaining about her to other people. His complaints suggested that she was his enemy and the enemy of the work he was doing for God. Donald told David about his wife’s refusal to live by every word of the Bible and her disobedience to the ‘commands’ of Paul the apostle. Donald had great ambitions for the ministry he was doing and he had begun to wonder if his work was being hindered by his wife’s lack of obedience to scripture.
His complaint appeared ridiculous. Doreen had been Donald’s friend as well as wife, she believed in the work he was doing and in his leadership of his branch of the organization. In order to help him dedicate his life to the organization she had sacrificed daily, living with insufficient money to run the home, suffering from their social isolation, and especially his pre-occupation with his work. All this they both did, because serving the organization was their way of serving God.
The problem was identified when Donald threw the remark in his wife’s direction that Sarah was ‘subject to her husband and called him Lord.’ A statement made by the Apostle Paul. You will remember that he also cautioned elders and pastors against anything that placed them in superior status to other people, and stressed that we are all the same in relation to God, neither male nor female, neither master nor slave.
Did Dennis truly want Doreen to call him ‘Lord’ in the house and in public? Yes, that was what Scripture said, and scripture ‘Cannot be broken.’
On the staff of Donald’s organization was a gentle amiable girl: old enough to have been married some years ago, but not married, because, she had, “Given her life to the Lord.” All her energies had been poured into the particular ministry that Donald was engaged in. Gradually she had become more and more useful to Donald; she never criticicized, never questioned, never had any suggestions of her own, and was careful to call him ‘The Director’ whenever she talked about him to the staff. On the contrary Donald’s wife had suggestions in plenty: was not afraid to say what could be improved and even said what needed improving.
In a long, angry battle during which Doreen talked through her tears and sobs Donald finally said that he wanted Doreen to become like the gentle amiable girl who almost worshipped him.
My sons often are disappointed in me because I tend to see the weaknesses of people besides their strengths. They think this shows an un-Christian, judgmental attitude and would like me to become uncritical. Helping Donald and Doreen is one reason why I consider it pastoral to look for the weaknesses in people besides their strengths. On this occasion we were so convinced of the commitment of this married couple to the service of God that we didn’t think about weaknesses. Instead we struggled with Donald’s interpretation of Paul’s words, against Doreen’s interpretation that to call a man master was to grant him the leadership of the venture he had taken responsibility for.
The couple struggled on; Doreen showing less and less interest in the organization her husband ran, until left too much to his own judgment, Donald made an administrative error which blighted the organization.
The unconscious seduction of the girl who never questioned, together with Donald’s exhaustion after years of running an organization and trying to support a family suddenly became apparent. The mercy of God was that Donald recognized that his struggle was not against his wife but against temptation. It was not until several years had passed that we all four understood that Donald’s too literal interpretation of the Bible was really been a masculine cry for help.
We visited them, living on a salary which did not have to be raised from donations. Donald was taking a rest from preaching, working somewhere where the success or failure of a venture would not become his responsibility. Doreen showed me her pretty home and the items that she had actually bought instead of receiving them from donations of unwanted furniture.
The organization they worked for has cast them off. Having sucked their youth and energy to breaking point, they now consider them failures because of Donald’s administrative error. In God’s organization which is called, the Church, we understand that we have all failed and fallen short of what God requires. Thank God for the Church.
I wish that Jewish religious people talked more frequently with Christian religious people, I would like to know what Paul read that taught him something I didn’t see in the Old Testament, and I would like to discuss with female rabbis how they understand Paul’s reference to Sarah’s name for Abraham.
His complaint appeared ridiculous. Doreen had been Donald’s friend as well as wife, she believed in the work he was doing and in his leadership of his branch of the organization. In order to help him dedicate his life to the organization she had sacrificed daily, living with insufficient money to run the home, suffering from their social isolation, and especially his pre-occupation with his work. All this they both did, because serving the organization was their way of serving God.
The problem was identified when Donald threw the remark in his wife’s direction that Sarah was ‘subject to her husband and called him Lord.’ A statement made by the Apostle Paul. You will remember that he also cautioned elders and pastors against anything that placed them in superior status to other people, and stressed that we are all the same in relation to God, neither male nor female, neither master nor slave.
Did Dennis truly want Doreen to call him ‘Lord’ in the house and in public? Yes, that was what Scripture said, and scripture ‘Cannot be broken.’
On the staff of Donald’s organization was a gentle amiable girl: old enough to have been married some years ago, but not married, because, she had, “Given her life to the Lord.” All her energies had been poured into the particular ministry that Donald was engaged in. Gradually she had become more and more useful to Donald; she never criticicized, never questioned, never had any suggestions of her own, and was careful to call him ‘The Director’ whenever she talked about him to the staff. On the contrary Donald’s wife had suggestions in plenty: was not afraid to say what could be improved and even said what needed improving.
In a long, angry battle during which Doreen talked through her tears and sobs Donald finally said that he wanted Doreen to become like the gentle amiable girl who almost worshipped him.
My sons often are disappointed in me because I tend to see the weaknesses of people besides their strengths. They think this shows an un-Christian, judgmental attitude and would like me to become uncritical. Helping Donald and Doreen is one reason why I consider it pastoral to look for the weaknesses in people besides their strengths. On this occasion we were so convinced of the commitment of this married couple to the service of God that we didn’t think about weaknesses. Instead we struggled with Donald’s interpretation of Paul’s words, against Doreen’s interpretation that to call a man master was to grant him the leadership of the venture he had taken responsibility for.
The couple struggled on; Doreen showing less and less interest in the organization her husband ran, until left too much to his own judgment, Donald made an administrative error which blighted the organization.
The unconscious seduction of the girl who never questioned, together with Donald’s exhaustion after years of running an organization and trying to support a family suddenly became apparent. The mercy of God was that Donald recognized that his struggle was not against his wife but against temptation. It was not until several years had passed that we all four understood that Donald’s too literal interpretation of the Bible was really been a masculine cry for help.
We visited them, living on a salary which did not have to be raised from donations. Donald was taking a rest from preaching, working somewhere where the success or failure of a venture would not become his responsibility. Doreen showed me her pretty home and the items that she had actually bought instead of receiving them from donations of unwanted furniture.
The organization they worked for has cast them off. Having sucked their youth and energy to breaking point, they now consider them failures because of Donald’s administrative error. In God’s organization which is called, the Church, we understand that we have all failed and fallen short of what God requires. Thank God for the Church.
I wish that Jewish religious people talked more frequently with Christian religious people, I would like to know what Paul read that taught him something I didn’t see in the Old Testament, and I would like to discuss with female rabbis how they understand Paul’s reference to Sarah’s name for Abraham.
posted by Jessie Coates at 12:04 PM
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