Lately, Rachel has talked a lot about some recent comments of  John Piper about the masculinity of Christianity, as well as some things Mark Driscoll has previously said about the subject. I have read John Piper’s original statements and was not phased by them. I believe I, even as an unmarried woman, will benefit by the strengthening of the men in my church. When they grow in faith, we all grow.

If I understand Rachel correctly (and I’m open for correction), she and many of her blog followers feels like statements like these are evidence that women are being silenced in the evangelical church.

I’d like to go on the record as saying, as a woman, that in no way do I feel silenced in the church.

Yes, my church and I believe that God only calls men to the pastorate. I believe that both the home and the church are rightfully led by men. Not because they are better or smarter than women, but because this is the order that God has set up.

I don’t think I, as a woman, have a lesser status if I choose to submit to authority. Jesus submitted to the Father’s authority, and I don’t think that makes him inferior to the Father.

I don’t claim to be speaking for all evangelical churches. But in this post, I will gladly talk about my own.

If I will never speak from the pulpit, in what ways do I have a voice in my church?

1. In my small group. Public teaching is great, but it’s in this small group time that the real sussing out of our faith happens. It’s where we work on applying the sound teaching we’ve heard and work out what it means in our daily lives.

2. Through access to the pastors. Any concern I have I can take to the leadership of my church and they will listen. I know this, because they have listened previously. They don’t treat me like a child who needs correcting, but as a sister in Christ with valid opinions and concerns.

3. I’m encouraged to not stick to soft topics in my studies. My church supported me while I was receiving my Master of Divinity, not a “soft” degree. I studied theology and biblical languages, among other subjects that interested me. I’m not using this degree professionally today by choice, not by force.

4. My church believes that being a woman is not an excuse for poor or weak theology.

5. I’m a vital part of my church. If I did not do my part, my church would suffer for it. This is as God designed the body of Christ. Most of us aren’t the flashy parts of the body, but we are all necessary for a well-functioning body.

6. My church leaders know my strengths and will seek my help and even advice when they see that they could benefit from it. They don’t seem to think arrogantly that women have nothing to contribute.

7. My church invests in me, providing me the training and support I need to take a more active role in our church’s counseling ministry.

These are just a few points that came to me easily…I’m sure I’d come up with a more complete set of points if I spent even more time on it. But I do want to be clear that I am not silenced.

Because, really, being single is just the absence of a marriage…kinda a default setting.

There have been points in my life when singleness was a big deal. In my college years and the few years thereafter, especially. Since then, I go through seasons of discontent with my marital status. I’m not in one now though.

In fact, I’m probably the most content with my current situation than I have ever been. I still have my moments of longing, but those often catch me by surprise because they are fairly rare.

I can honestly say that I could see living as a single, content spinster for the rest of my days. The thought doesn’t scare me.

Others, however, don’t seem so content to let me be. I do have some super-supportive family and friends, so I’m definitely not talking about them. But in a few casual conversations, it seems like my marital status seems to have many people tripping over their words. Like they don’t know what they could possibly talk about with an almost-30-year-old single woman.

I promise, it’s really not that much different than talking to another almost-30-year-old woman.

No, I don’t have a husband, but you can still talk about yours. No, I don’t have children of my own, but I enjoy them and don’t feel awkward at all if you talk about yours.

I have a job, interests, and hobbies like most people. Nothing wrong with asking about any of those.

In these casual conversations, it seems like these people desire marriage for me because they see it as my fairy tale ending, as if I’m not quite complete without it. Don’t worry: I’m no longer have any disillusion that marriage is a necessarily happier state than singleness.

And I know that I’m a whole person; I don’t need a man to complete me.

Scratch that. I need Christ to complete me.

That said, here are books I have or will try to use to entice non-readers into exercising their brain:

1. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I actually know non-readers who have picked this up and enjoyed it. It’s quite palatable to people who are used to the fast-pace of most television shows and movies.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I think this is just a fun series for people of all ages but also has some depth.

3. Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

I’d recommend this to teens and college-aged as an introduction to Christian non-fiction.

4. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Nothing like a good mystery/puzzle.

5. The 39 Clues series

While I’m not sure what I think about Scholastic turning this into an opportunity to promote good ole American consumerism
(and deeping their wallets), but I find the stories interesting yet educational. Definitely got two little girls hooked on the audiobooks.

6. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Perhaps just because I love this world so much. But really, I think that anyone who likes science fiction movies could enjoy these books. Better than fan fiction about their favorite science fiction universe.

7. Tomorrow, When the World Began by John Marsden

For teens, but especially for teen girls who aren’t necessarily into the typical teen girl all-about-shopping-and-clothes scene.

8. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

An easy introduction to Christian biographies. Will stick with you.

9. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

I think this would be an easy introduction for an adult Christian who was wanting to start reading to bolster their faith and think through the day-to-day implications.

10. The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker

I think these are pretty easy to get into…the fast pace helps.

Check out Broke and Bookish for more Top Ten lists

I know that it has been way too long since I’ve posted a book review here but nothing I’ve been reading lately has provoked me to blog about it. Perhaps Die Young will break the ice for me.

Die Young is all about the importance, difficulty, and benefits of dying to self. Thus the title: Die Young is written to young adults.

I definitely appreciate the message of Die Young as it really doesn’t take a light and fluffy approach to the Gospel. I think we are doing our youth a disservice when we act like becoming a Christian is easy. In one sense it is (we aren’t doing the work), but in another, we ‘re giving everything we have and are back to God. So before we encourage a youth–or anyone–to take the first steps to follow Christ, we need to encourage them to count the costs.

Will this keep people from coming to Christ? Yes and no. We’ll definitely get less numbers to report: less people “walking the aisle.” Yet the ones who do make a decision are more likely to be sincere.

There were a few nit-picky things that I didn’t like about Die Young. The biggest thing was that I thought that their picture of true contentment was short-sighted. The reason why a Christian can be content with little/nothing (Philippians 4:11-13) is because they’re content in God not in what they have or where they are. When we put our eyes on God, everything else truly does grow dim.

I appreciate books like Die Young for going deeper than traditional youth group material. However, I do think that there is a better book out there on the topic, and I’d recommend Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris first.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy of Die Young in exchange for this review.

I didn’t finish any more goals this month, but I did make progress to some.

1. Read the Bible twice through. 946/2378 chapters = 40%

5. Publish The Journal. Completed 12/26/2011

6. __________. (find a new job) Completed 12/28/2011

9. Read 160 books. 49/160 = 31%

10. Read 5 classics. 4/5 = 80%

I really thought this would be harder, but I forgot to consider audiobooks. I’m not sure I’ll ever read a classic with my eyeballs again.

12. Work a polling place during an election. Completed 10/11/2011

13. Sell 100 copies of The Journal. 9/100 = 9%

I really doubt I’ll sell 100 copies, unless you all make a run on them. That’s okay…I’ve enjoyed the process and have given away a lot of copies.

16. Make an author website. Completed 12/20/2011

17. Fast 16 days. 1/16 = 6%

Need to stop putting this off.

19. Spend time on Yom Kippur fasting, praying, and thinking. Completed 10/7/2011

20. Decorate my apartment for Christmas. Completed 11/25/2011

21. Meet my niece. Completed 12/27/2011

22. Write in my journal 100 times. 80/100 = 80%

I’ve been journaling every day this year, so this will be done next month.

23. Make a baby blanket for Bean. Completed 11/9/2011

29. Walk 4 miles on the treadmill.

I’m up to 2 miles right now. I’ve been getting on the treadmill about 2-3 times a week this month, but hoping to double that.

View the full 30 Before 30 list here

Sorry for the horrible quality…I really need to start whipping out my “real” camera. I made this blanket for myself to match my apartment so I can leave it out all winter. Matches a little better than my pink Snuggie.

1. They Thought They Were Free by Milton Mayer

This book was absolutely worth the trouble it took for me to get my hands on it (I had to use inter-library loan). A good book to talk about what it would have been like to have been an average citizen in Hitler’s Germany and how he rose to power, leading to discussion of how we can avoid a Hitler to arise in our own culture.

2. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Still one of my favorite autobiographies, one that I think about regularly.

3. Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I think dystopian books can make for great discussion.

4. Sister of My Heart by Chitra Divakaruni

I actually did read this for a book club, and we really enjoyed reading and discussing it.

5. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

While perhaps this is a little a-few-years-ago, it is a great discussion starter!

6. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Okay, I probably wouldn’t want to discuss this with any book club that really wanted to discuss this (I’d rather not discuss it with people that have totally bought into Rand’s philosophy). Still, I think that Rand brings up some excellent critiques of America and some interesting (although unrealistic) solutions.

7. The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

What an interesting, illustrative tale.

8. Animal Farm by George Orwell

1984 might be my favorite, but Animal Farm would possibly make for a better discussion.

9. “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” by Beverly Daniel Tatum

This really helped me to think about race issues in a new light.

10. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

An under-appreciated dystopian book that I think is a creative take on the genre.

For more Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit Broke and Bookish

A few observations:

• Working for a tech company kinda feels like coming home. I’m definitely not the nerdiest person in my department. I’m not sure I’ve ever worked with fellow nerds before. I mean, our printer’s name is “Alderaan.” I didn’t even know that was how it was spelled…

• Speaking of coworkers: they make the job. They’ve all been incredibly helpful and proactive in helping me to understand everything (or everything I’ve been able to absorb so far!).

• There’s a lot to have to learn (the software and all its functions as well as the solutions to a lot of the more common errors), but the learning is going well. Already know WAY more than I would have thought possible to learn in a week.

• I’m thankful to be trained alongside another newbie. It’s nice to have someone else to bounce questions off of. And we aren’t the only newbies…two more people will be starting in a week, so soon I won’t even be the least experienced!

• So yeah, we’re growing. So much that our department is moving to an office across the street today to a more permanent temporary location until they find a place large enough to bring the whole company back together. I only had my desk for a week, but I’m going to miss it.

• Or not…I was right next to the kitchen with free snacks, drinks (Diet Dr Pepper!), and where people frequently congregate. Probably not the best place to be long-term. My new desk is farther from the action, I think.

• Pretty much everyone I work with is in the same age bracket as me, which leads to interesting conversations. When asked what snacks and drinks we’d want at the new place, one of the guys said, “Surge!” Hadn’t thought about Surge in a long time…

• I love my new schedule. I’ll actually be working an hour earlier (7 AM!) when I’m fully trained, but I’m going to like it. Getting up before the sun is weird for me, but I’m getting used to getting up and exercising in the dark and then getting into work before everyone else. (Yes, I used “getting” 3 times in that sentence, but I’m too lazy to fix it.)

All that to say, I’m very thankful for my job. It’s amazing how much more you appreciate something when you did without for a while. But even if it wasn’t for that, this is a great place to work and I think I’m going to enjoy what I’m going to be doing.

One day a week or two ago I may have been frustrated to the point of tears at the local post office.

The details aren’t particularly important. I think we could all tell tales about how illogical and unhelpful post offices can be. That’s not what this post is about.

It’s about me…or more specifically, my sinful heart. For really, when I say I was “frustrated,” I’m just painting my sinful anger in a socially-acceptable light. I wouldn’t say that I’m a person characterized by anger, but this situation brought out what was in the dregs of my heart. If it wasn’t there in the first place, how could it have come out?

What surprised me about this incident was not what came up (I’ve long since realized my own sinfulness) but how easily it came out. I’d like to think that I’m much more holy than that.

Umm, yeah.

I’m thankful for the postal service and the God who used it to remind me that He’s not done refining me yet.