Talks to women need to conclude with a touching story about someone who has lived out the application point. Don't ask me why. It's just the genre.
I'm writing a talk about Mary and Martha (Luke 10) for a women's craft day next weekend. I've basically finished it but I'm all out of touching stories. I got nothing. The cupboards are bare.
Maybe you have one to spare?
Here's what I'm after: a story about a woman who is a modern day Mary - someone who puts listening to Jesus as her number one priority. Even better if she has to defy social norms to do it.
Ideas?
Is listening to a celebrity preacher via podcast the same as listening to Jesus?
ReplyDeleteIf I were a celebrity preacher, I'd consider using myself as an example.
ReplyDeleteAndy Stevenson has a story about a 92 yr old woman who still teaches Scripture (and does it well) - will that work, and do you know him in order to get the details? (email me if you need a middle man) It's certainly valuing listening to Jesus, even if it's valuing it for others too...
ReplyDeleteWhy not buck the trend? I'd probably talk about the pressure women to have perfect homes... women still do most of the housework even if they work outside the home... There has been a huge shift back within secular society to the notion of homemaking, with zillions of blogs and books glorifying a perfectly designed home and gourmet cooking. I think women keep needing to hear that it's ok to leave your house messy so you can read a thoughtful theological book, go to bible study or have a quiet time. The emphasis here is not on leaving your house messy so you can DO more ' ministry' (which is why I wouldn't use the scripture teaching example) - that just adds to our burdens and Martha-ness. The emphasis is on the value of sitting at Jesus feet - (just like the men!) - rather than doing all the stuff that culture or our competitive inner Martha tells us we should do.
ReplyDeleteExcuse my crappy grammar, btw, my phone is not plating nicely with blogspot so corrections take me forever!
ReplyDeleteBuck the trend. Those anecdotes often feel contrived. I often wonder why women get touchy feely talks while men seem to get more robust theology. I think Joanne's points about the cultural pressure women experience is very real.
ReplyDeleteI'm with robd - buck the trend and just give them 'robust theology' to chew on - they aren't wilting violets who need to be molly-coddled...are they?
ReplyDeleteWhat Joanna said. I think anyone who really is like a modern day Mary wouldn't want to be used as a talk illustration anyway. I read a great book on Mary and Martha and women/ theology not long ago too, a lady from our church who is doing the Women's ministry course at QTC said she'd read it as part of the required reading for that. It was called When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James, and in it the author was making many similar points to what Jo has said above....
ReplyDeleteLike you I had trouble thinking of an illustration. I think this is because as women we really like to serve, and we are good at it. Look at any church group - there are always women in the kichen, cooking, cleaning, running soup kitchen, visiting others, organising this and that etc etc. Serving feels good and it seems right. But knowing Christ - that is much harder. We can serve, yet not really know Christ. I don't have an illustration, but I do have a poem I heard a speaker say once, and it has stuck with me:
ReplyDeleteI crawled across the barreness to you with my empty cup
Uncertain of asking for one small drop
If only I had known you better
I would have come running - with a bucket