Eastland eBulletin 1.14.07
Reminders
Area Meetings
- Winter Studies — At Hebron Lane and Manslick Road. See the bulletin board for details.
- Eastland’s Meeting — March 8-11 with Ralph Walker. Topics will be announced soon.
- Remember the kid’s bulletin in the foyer.
- Today’s speaker is Reggie Robarts.
- Have you checked the preacher support letters lately?
- There are some orphaned dishes in the Resource Room. Please adopt them.
- Transportation: Norris, Scot B
- Lord’s Supper: Barbara B, Leigh & Sarah P
- Meals: Pam B, Julia R, Mabel L
- Deacon: Tim P (Rick W)
- Usher: David B
- AV: John N, Nate S, Alan W
- Snow Removal: Rick W, Chuck B, Joel G
Women On Top
By Cloyce Sutton II
As I was waiting for an eye exam, I overheard one of the office assistants conversing with two young children. She said that she had two children just about their age, and she did not see them much at all, only a few minutes at night.
The woman went on to explain that not only did she spend all day at work, but that she also owned a horse that required daily care. She had to leave the house before the children were awake, then tend to the horse, then go to work, then go check on the horse again. By the time she got home, the kids were usually in bed. So, this woman was not exaggerating when she said that she hardly ever got to see her children.
While this demanding lifestyle did seem to bother this woman at least a little, a new breed of women in the workplace seems not to be bothered at all. A recent Wall Street Journal panel discussion (“Forget Balance, Female Execs Say,” The Courier-Journal, 12-4-06, p D1-2) revealed that successful female executives are now openly encouraging young women to make whatever sacrifices are necessary, because life at the top is worth whatever effort they expend.
The women interviewed consistently say that trying to balance work and home is pointless and winds up with the women feeling guilty, which creates stress and limits them in the pursuit of their goals. Contrariwise, these women are celebrating their success and say they have no reason to apologize.
That includes the woman who admitted to missing a number of her children’s school events and several wedding anniversaries. It includes the women who reason that “people can be lonely, get divorced or have troubled kids without having a great career, so why torpedo your chances of success?”
The obvious emphasis with all of these executives is self-fulfillment. Said one, “If you’re comfortable with your choices, that’s the definition of peace.” And another, “We have to let go of external expectations of what it means to be a successful mother, wife and business person, and each determine that for ourselves.”
These attitudes are neither new nor noble. Long ago, John warned against “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:15-17). Unbridled materialism and ambition blind their owners to the lopsided priorities that follow. These are ultimately dead-end pursuits: They are worldly, temporal, and keep us from finding fulfillment in God.
The kind of choices that put horses above children, business trips above anniversaries, and self-fulfillment above relationships are bad choices. They are bad choices because they are driven by distorted priorities and a false view of life.
Love of the world is a problem for both men and women — executives or not. But in the specific case of women, there is the special problem of priorities. For Christian women, the Bible emphasizes the home as the target of their concerns (Titus 3:ff). It also speaks to the fulfillment and joy of having a godly home (Psalms 127 & 128). No amount of money or power can buy a home built and blessed by God.
The most disturbing feature of the modern mindset is the idea that being a godly wife and mother is unfulfilling, unrewarding, and even demeaning. This has little, if anything, to do with whether the wife works outside the home — it has to do with where she finds her ultimate sense of self-worth and self-definition.
I am blessed with a wife, and know many godly women, who understand the value of their roles. I am gratified to see younger Christians who have placed their homes above their careers.
It seems to me that these are the women who have reached the top.
Novelty in Youth Ministry
By Cloyce Sutton II
Sixty-one percent of adults age 20-29 who participated in church activities as teens are now “spiritually disengaged”. How does that number grab you? While most people tend to “drop out” of church in their 20s, the trend seems to be increasing in most denominations (“In Touch With Jesus”, TIME, November 6, 2006; and “How To Get Teens Excited About God”, by the same author on the TIME website).
Additionally, only 1/3 of parents in their 20s take their children to church regularly. This compares to 40% of parents in their 30s and 1/2 of parents age 40 and older. Perhaps this reflects the spiritual concern that comes with maturity. It also seems to reflect how religious bodies have approached the task of teaching youth.
Across the board, there has been a steady decline in the past decade in teen religious activity and commitment. Finally, everyone is asking why. The conclusion is that for too long, youth Bible studies have been replaced by fun and frolic. And when the teens who were fed this paltry diet became spiritually hungry, they had no nourishment to draw from. So, they have decided to look elsewhere.
Christian Smith, a Notre Dame sociologist who has studied religion among teens notes, “The vast majority of teens who call themselves Christians haven’t been well educated in religious doctrine and therefore don’t really know what they believe. With all the competing demands on their time, religion becomes a low priority, and so they practice their faith in shallow ways.”
The trend now is to emphasize Bible teaching, doctrine, and the everyday impact of the Bible. One religious leader advised, “This… should serve as an exhortation for everyone to be about the business of discipleship, missions and a higher calling than popcorn-and-peanuts youth culture.”
God’s people have always had a healthy concern for how to properly teach their youth about God. The answer has always been simple. David said, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word” (Psalm 119:6).
So, the next time you have to teach the teens, try something novel — even radical. Try using your Bible.
