In this, I was to be accompanied by a sister in Muscat for holding communion and prayer with that weekend. However, the night before we were to leave this same 8-year member of the church told me, "You will have to give the message, you know."-
"Giving a message"- means that I was to be seen as the preacher or leader or the meeting--e.g. in Acts we read that "wherever two or three our gathered in prayer"- the Lord will be there.
I was shocked by this request from my older and sister-in-Christ.
I couldn't believe that this very much more mature female Christian would metaphorically bow to me and ask me to "give the message"- the next day.
I quickly reminded her that I had just been baptized three days before. (By the way, the sister, whom we were visiting and who was working at a hospital deep in the desert of Oman, had also been in the church for about a decade. So, combined they had nearly two decades of experience as a bible-studying Christian than I had.)
It, therefore, seemed incredible that they would stand on church tradition and ask that I lead the service, i.e. in giving a communion message.
AFTERMATH In the aftermath of this experience in a small church community in Oman (which incidentally had more males than females in attendance), I feel called the rest of my days to ask the more conservative factions of my church to reconsider (1) what is practice and (2) what is really both biblical and functional.
I imagine that in some cases: one reason the church has not been able to grow at times is that the church does not often enough fully integrate the wife and women--and by extension the entire family--better into the whole process of church community.
By this, I mean empowerment is not complete and well-rounded education in church participation is not more fully practiced
I, myself, am committed to empower everyone in the more conservative evangelical and apostolic churches to become more well-rounded--just as I need to be more well-rounded.
Apostle Paul set examples for us by focusing on the roles of women in Romans 16 and elsewhere. Some women were married. Some were not.
Paul also demonstrated to us examples of his own life where he evolved and tried to become all things to all men--that is to be well-rounded in serving the communities of Christians wherever he went.
This is one reason I am encouraging our wonderful bilingual fellowship in Germany--and other conservative fellowships elsewhere to learn each others languages.
In March, others and I will begin to offer both English and German classes in our fellowship so that integration and a more well-rounded fellowships develops over the next decade
Austausch or cultural exchange is important for us.
We can be a light untO others if we work together more and more biculturally and bilingually--and spiritually.
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