How Not to Be a Woman in a 21st Century American Church
I have a confession to make. I don't like Bible study books targeted at women. I want to delve into the Word and see what it has to say about God, not about me as a 21st century woman. Finding personal application is fine, but I want to know and love my Savior more. I also can't stand the study guides filled with questions like "Read I John 1:9. What does it say God will do if we confess our sins?" Must these questions be so narrow in scope? What about real, heartfelt discussion? What about sharing our own insights from the Bible?
While I'm at it, I may as well admit that I don't care for Christian fiction. Sure, there are some good authors out there. You probably have your favorites, and that's fine. But for me, they're just too sappy. The good characters are oh, so good. The bad guys are oh, so bad. And then, of course, there's the one who comes around in the end. The books are predictable and unrealistic.
And seeing as how these confessions have probably made me ineligible for any church women's group, I'll continue to dig my hole. I don't scrapbook or do crafts. I really, truly have no desire to go to the Ladies Craft Night. Perhaps if they were making something worthwhile - blankets for the crisis pregnancy center, care packages for our troops, costumes for the Christmas pageant - I'd be willing to give it a shot. But I don't want a potpourri holder, and I won't have any fun making one. Craft nights are fine, because I know some women really enjoy them. But why not try other things as well - a game night, mini golf, or an evening at a soup kitchen?
Sometimes I feel like I have so little in common with the other ladies at church.
*If you, blog friend, enjoy the things listed above, please don't be offended. I wasn't trying to attack you. This is just my opinion, and if you have a differing viewpoint, that's great!
Labels: my soapbox, whining
posted by hobbitsister @ 9:19 PM
7 Comments
7 Comments:
What?! You don't like to scrapbook! The horror!!
KIDDING! :)
I don't think you're alone at all. I find a LOT of Bible studies WAY too simple. As a matter of fact, we did one last year with our small group and it was awful. Our church mandated the curriculum, and it was the most simple, pointless thing ever. (No, I do not have strong feelings about this.) :) We picked our own study this time!
As for Christian fiction, I agree that a lot of it is sappy and boring and blech. But in recent years, more and more authors who write realistic yet redeeming stories are getting published. So there's hope.
And I don't want a potpourri holder either. Although you won't find me turning down a scrapbooking night!
i'm a horrible Christian woman, too. i agree with you on all these things. i was so jealous when i heard the men's group was going to the batting cage. we got to make stepping stones for our gardens. 'but i don't have a garden.' 'you can give it to someone who does.' 'but i don't want to make one.' 'but it would be so fun.' 'um...i have to babysit that night.'
that's annoying, too. that you aren't allowed to say, 'no, i don't want to do that.' you have to have a reason to not do it. better to lie and say you have to babysit than to be honest and say you have no interest in their girlie touchy-feely activity.
and i'm not saying we can't have craft nights, i just think it would nice to throw in a scattegories night, too. and why can't the girls go to a twins game? i mean, honestly, do non-Christian women sit around doing this junk all the time?
no, they don't, but we don't want to be like them, do we?
how much fun would it be for a bunch of women to go to a twins game? or like yesterday, when scout and i went to package food for starving children - that was a blast! i'd love to do that with women from church.
and no, mary, i'm sorry. i don't like to scrapbook. but erma's in 10th grade now, and i'm caught up to about 6th grade, so i'd say i'm doing fairly well.
and i'll admit i've liked the francine rivers books that i've read, especially 'lineage of grace' and 'sons of encouragement'. but i'd still pick a john grisham (gasp!) over her other fiction.
Oh man! I hear you!
I keep finding excuses to not go to crafting/scrapbooking nights- when do women with preschoolers find time for that anyway?- or... the dreaded buying party- tupperware, partylite etc, etc ETC!
Save me now!
It's nice to know that there are others out there too in the darkness!
And yes, I'm totally with you on the Bible Study point as well. Please no "Jesus" answers (as in the answer is terribly obvious and 90% of the time is answerable with "Jesus.") Thankfully our church does well on this point, but I'm avoiding a certain woman's Bible Study that is starting up in a few weeks!
oh, kim, i'm with you on the buying parties, too!
We should hang out more. :)
Last night we had some friends over for dinner. The husband is in seminary, and we had a great conversation about how the wife just doesn't fit in with the other seminar wives. I have a feeling they make a lot of potpurri holders and garden stones over there. :)
And then we played a highly competitive game of Trivial Pursuit.
Hobsis - I can't believe you DO scrapbook if you don't like it! That's crazy!! :)
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