The Worship of Self

And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."" (Mark 1:11, NRSV)

I went to the Women’s Ordination celebration tonight–excited about learning about the history and celebrating this important event in the life of the chuch. However, I was hit over the head with twisted scripture and propaganda that was inappropriate at such an event.

They used several times this verse in Mark 1:11 (excepted restated it something along the lines we us, or these women, you are well pleased). Yikes! Twisting the words of the Father to the Son at The Baptism to make it somehow refer to us. Take about idol worship. They are some in our denomination that worship the SELF. And this theology of the self plays out in our social justice policies, our polity, the PUP report, the standards of ordination, the theology of the trinity, and abortion issues. The underline ethos is the we are the chief end. It is all about us.

The Truth is just the opposite it is all about God–always has been and always will be.

In addition there were several references in the drama-liturgy about how we ordain women and how one day we will fully incorporate more people to be ordained (a not so subtle hint for the hope of homosexual ordination).

So disappointed that I could no longer celebrate in this women’s ordination celebration as I was sick of the propaganda and twisting of scripture--I walked out.

As I was walking out I ran into my former pastor and another friend--we walked out at the same time for the same reasons. When we got back to the convention center I got to see on the big screen the climax of a baptism celebration that looked horrible like a pagan ritual. If I didn’t know any better it looked like they were worship the baptism font or the water. (And I am a person that is willing to do some pretty funky things in worship).

So here is my celebration of women’s ordinations–in my own little part of the world–I want to thank God for my wife. For providing me a partner that completes me, that helps me grow, that pushes me closer to Jesus. I want to thank Jessi for loving me, loving our children, and really just for tolerating my brokeness. I want to celebrate her as she will be ordained as an elder this coming Sunday.