Radical Womanhood

An Appeal: Don't Waste Your Vote

I'll admit it: I'm not terribly enthusiastic about our presidential candidates this year. It's been an extremely long campaign with lots of reasons to become cynical about our political process. Though I'm not jazzed about our candidates (for myriad reasons), I have already determined that I must be very proactive about this year's election. My activity will not be centered around get-out-the-vote volunteerism or other political efforts. Instead, I feel a tremendous burden to intercede in prayer. In fact, I will be fasting many meals and praying from today through election day and I am appealing that you join me. God's people need to stand in the gap and ask for His mercy upon our nation and its global influence.

If you've been a longtime reader of this blog, you know I'm not given to political commentary. I try not to make the same mistakes as many of the original followers of Jesus -- those who thought His kingdom was only to be an earthly, political kingdom. In fact, Jesus does reign over all the kingdoms of this world. But I am careful not to give the impression that I think the Kingdom of God and the United States of America are interchangeable. I'm not part of the Religious Right politically, even though I would fit nearly every aspect of that profile -- I'm evangelical, pro-life, highly involved in church, an active financial supporter of my church and many other Christian causes, and I'm a social conservative. But as a student of the gospel and the doctrine of sin, I do not think any political party is our salvation.

That said, I do think it's very important to vote. And I think we must think very carefully about how we vote and how those values align with Scripture. I do not find that we must vote our pocketbook in the Bible. I do not find we must vote national security in the Bible. But I do find that we must vote to uphold what Scripture tells us is the role of government: to be "an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." What is wrongdoing? It is the violation of God's commandments--murder, theft, and so on. The governing authorities are designed to be God's gracious gift to people in order to prevent lawlessness and anarchy. (Even though there are evil rulers, history shows us they are eventually overthrown. God will not be mocked.) This design is what Romans 13 impresses upon us. And in this chapter, we are also given our responsibility in response:

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:6-10 NIV)

Love does no harm to its neighbor. This is why we must lovingly not grow weary of the abortion topic. I imagine there were many who grew weary of the debates about abolition or civil rights or the eugenics concepts of the Holocaust or even the Rwandan genocide: "What can we do? It is what it is. This is not going to change in our lifetime." We can't watch millions being slaughtered and shrug our shoulders, voting for our wallets or our retirement plans. How would we be any different then from those we judge who did the same in previous horrific times?

If you don't know what Barack Obama's dangerous position on abortion is, then I URGE you to educate yourself. Justin Taylor has blogged about this extensively, but has also provided this helpful summary of Obama's confused thinking. Justin also linked to a report from the Guttmacher Institute that showed nearly half of all African-American pregnancies end in abortion. Incredible! And yet the nation's first African-American president (yes, he's biracial, but the emphasis is on being black) has said the first thing he would do as president would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would overturn every local, state, and federal abortion law passed in the past 35 years. When pressed on the topic by Rick Warren, Obama has famously said that it's "above my paygrade" to determine when a baby is entitled to human rights.

"Above my paygrade"? That's EXACTLY what is demanded of a president -- to be a leader in the area of human rights, to protect the innocent, to be God's instrument of justice on this earth.

At the beginning of this post, I said I was not enthusiastic about our presidential candidates. However, I am quite passionate about the issues at stake. Therefore, I will not waste my vote on issues not clearly articulated in Scripture. And I encourage you, if you are uncertain or not moved on some of these issues, to listen to an important sermon titled "Don't Waste Your Vote."

Finally, please join me in praying and fasting for our nation. Even if Obama is elected, the Bible says the heart of the king is in God's hands and He can direct it as He wills (Proverbs 21:1). Many are the plans of a man, but it's the Lord's purposes that stand (Proverbs 19:21). No matter which candidate wins, we need to pray for our leaders and for true righteousness in our nation's laws.

Do not grow weary of doing good (Galatians 6:9).

(Update: Thanks, everyone, for participating in the discussion but this comment thread is now closed, post-election.)

Augusta Dean

Years ago, I discovered the family journal that has come down through my father's side of the family. It traces my ancestors through three generations of missionaries to India in the 19th century and on back to some Puritans who founded towns in Massachusetts. It's a fascinating journal and one that impressed upon me the spiritual heritage that I have received.

One of the main characters, if you will, of this journal is Augusta Dean. She's my triple great-grandmother. I wrote a bit about her story in the concluding chapter of Radical Womanhood. But just a few weeks ago, I discovered we have a photograph of her. This was a priceless discovery to me, which I'm sharing with you. Here's my tribute to her from my book:

I would like to take you back to those heady moments in the 19th century when women were being included in church life and social reform was a pressing matter. As the first wave of feminism was gaining momentum, there were small bands of Christians who looked at injustice, inequity, and poverty and decided to meet these problems head on with the gospel. They were Christians who went out as part of the first American missionary wave to other nations—sent by the fledgling organization, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM).

My ancestors were among them. At age 22, Amos Abbott and Anstice Wilson were married in Wilton, New Hampshire. He was a graduate of Andover Theological Seminary with an assignment to teach at a mission school in Amednugger, India. Eleven days after their wedding, they sailed for India. Their journey from Boston to Bombay required about four months of ocean travel through rough waters. A civil war was in progress when the Abbotts reached India, but they persevered.

For the next twenty years, the Abbotts ministered in India and raised six children. Anstice Abbott started a school for her children and the children of other missionaries, too. Eventually the family returned to America in order to provide their children with a good education and allow Amos to get a medical degree. While they were back home in the United States, Augusta met one of the students her father was tutoring in the Marathi Indian dialect—Samuel Dean. After a brief courtship, Samuel asked Augusta to join him in India to continue the family’s work. Just like her mother, Augusta was married and put out to sea in a matter of days. In those days, families said a final goodbye to each other, not knowing when or if they would see each other again. So her parents wished Augusta goodbye and sent their daughter back to India.

Samuel proved to be an effective preacher and church-planter. In addition to conducting regular preaching services and organizing new churches near his own home, Samuel often journeyed into the remote sections of India where people had never heard the name of Christ—and Augusta often went with him. Sometimes they camped for days, with snakes and bubonic plague an ever-present danger. Eventually this hard work wore down Samuel, and the family returned to America in 1867 so Samuel could recover his health. He went on to be a church-planter in Nebraska for the next dozen or so years before he died.

So in 1889, Augusta found herself a widow in a changing world. Many controversies were shaking the nation and the church, but Augusta decided to go back to India. She wanted to work with her sister, Annie, who ran a home for young widows. Because the girls would marry very young in India, many of the widows were practically children. Since the widows were considered disgraceful in India culture, these young girls were shunned by society and their own families. The home that Annie ran protected these widows, gave them a basic education, and schooled them in a marketable craft. The older widows who attained sufficient proficiency in reading were known as the “Bible Women”—a point of controversy in the Hindu culture.

The Dean and Abbott influence was felt in this section of India. When Augusta returned a second time to India, she was greeted shortly thereafter by an Indian man who had searched for her, hearing that the widow of the great preacher, Samuel Dean, was nearby. He wanted to tell her how fruitful Samuel’s preaching was that day, for now there were several churches in the region that sprung from his preaching. And he wanted to pay his respects to the widow of the great Samuel Dean.

August spent nearly five years working with the “Bible Women” there, before she returned home. In an age when transoceanic travel was hard work, she made the trip to India twice to face down Hindu intimidation and teach important life skills to abandoned widows.

Augusta was a very fruitful woman, spiritually. All of her children became Christians, and she left a rich spiritual heritage to them. She was a fearless helpmate to her husband, working with him to found churches in two nations. She ran her own home, educated many children (including her own), and still served women from another culture who were wrongfully discarded within their own society. Augusta’s letters indicate a bright, headstrong, and outspoken woman. She could have pushed through many things for herself, but she deferred to her husband’s gifting and helped him be as successful as possible.

I often wonder about her, my ancestor and sister in the Lord. She could have been influenced by first-wave feminism, but she chose another path. She saw inequity and injustice in India, and chose to meet that need through the gospel. She could have enjoyed her retirement in relative ease in the U.S., but she chose to give away her life to those who desperately needed it. And when she returned to India, she received the good news of the fruit of her co-labors with her husband. Together, they accomplished much—and by all accounts, stayed true to the glorious gospel.

It’s my joy to honor her memory. Augusta was truly a radical woman, whose feminine expression of faith stood the test of time in a feminist world.

Funniest Kid Stories

So it's Monday. And it's the last week of daylight savings time. As we descend into the dark of winter (at least here in the northern hemisphere), I think we need some humor to kick off the week. 

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a blog written by Angie Smith, wife of Todd Smith of the music group, Selah. It was a hilarious story about how her daughters "helped" her to decorate their new house just before a dinner party. I was hiccupping with laughter after I read it. I won't spoil the story -- you'll have to check it out. But after that post, Angie decided to run another funny kid story contest from her readers. This was one of my favorites:

My cousin, who was 3 at the time, came home from church one Sunday and proudly announced to the family: "I figured out why we drink grape juice at church." (You know, for communion.) My aunt, ready for a beautifully spiritual answer from her sweet, little blonde daughter, retorts, "Why, honey?" And my cousin, fully convinced that she was now in-the-know, replied "Because Jesus was the King of the Juice!" This is a classic story in my family that we still laugh about 20 years later!

Thank God for the gift of humor!

Quote of the Day: Abortion Changing as a Key Political Issue?

Yesterday on the Albert Mohler radio show, I was asked my opinion about Sarah Palin's candidacy. It's a much longer and more nuanced answer than these short radio show slots can handle, but I did my best to give a credible overview in a concise manner. But honestly, the best--and most unexpected--impact I've seen seen was summed in a quote in today's Washington Post article about Palin's candidacy:

The unexpected recognition of a conservative as a role model for women has forced some traditional feminists to reconsider the movement's mission. "It's going to take us a while to find our bearings," said Sarah Stoesz, who runs the Planned Parenthood office that oversees Minnesota and the Dakotas. "As feminists, we've always thought that a core aspect of women's equality is about being in control of our reproductive lives. But Sarah Palin is throwing the calculus out the window and demonstrating a view that some people would call feminism: I can be governor, I can have five children, I can shoot and field-dress a moose, and I don't need access to abortion.

"There's a big debate inside the leadership of the women's movement about how much abortion should be a key political issue."

Wow. I never thought I'd see the day when abortion would begin to be delinked from the women's movement. It's a very encouraging sign that doors to new discussions could be swinging open.

(Photo by Ricky Carioti, courtesy of The Washington Post.)

Jesus, Devotions, and the Local Church

This past Sunday, the women in my discipleship group discussed two topics: personal devotions and the local church. We began the meeting with a bit of show-and-tell. Two of us outlined how we have our devotions and what materials we use--and then we passed around some of those books. Over the years, I've collected a number of commentaries, but I was quite proud to show off my new ESV Study Bible, which had just arrived a few days before. (Should I be rebuked for being proud to show off a Bible?!)

Though I make great use of these commentaries, the ESV Study Bible is a fantastic tool for daily personal devotions because its an extensive commentary of its own. I can't wait to read all that it contains. There are some tremendous items in there. For example, this article by Justin Taylor about the temple in Jesus' time--"Behold the Temple"--features some of the illustrations and recreations that can be found in this Bible.

Just for the record, the reference materials I highlighted in this meeting were:

-The New Bible Commentary, edited by D.A. Carson, R. T. France, J.A. Motyer, and Gordon J. Wenham. It's a concise commentary on every book of the Bible.

- Promises Made: The Message of the Old Testament by Mark Dever. This book provides a great overview of each book of the Old Testament.

- Promises Kept: The Message of the New Testament by Mark Dever. This is the companion book, providing an overview of each book of the New Testament.

- Commentaries from the Reformed Expositional Commentary series such as Daniel or Esther & Ruth (these two are written by Iain Duguid). Eminently readable and very helpful for supplementing the study of these individual books of the Bible.

- IVP Bible Background commentaries for both the New and Old Testaments, edited by various authors. These books provide an understanding of the people groups immediately addressed by Scripture and their surrounding neighbors.

That said, after we discussed some methods and tools for personal devotions, we then turned our attention to discussing the reason for and importance of the local church. (All of our homework for this session can be downloaded for free if you'd like to listen to these messages, too.) Our homework for this session was C.J. Mahaney's message about the origins of Covenant Life Church, Josh Harris' message about being committed to the local church, Mark Dever's message on the priority of the local church, and Ken Sande's message on church discipline. And guess what message is my favorite? Though I always love the personal stories, it's not C.J.'s semi-autobiographical message about my home church. My favorite was Ken Sande's message--precisely because I've seen the restorative and redemptive purpose of church discipline. This message helps listeners to understand why church membership is so important and why Scripture commands us to help each other graciously see our sin and repent. In keeping with our theme, our memory verse was Ephesians 3:8-10.

I hope you are enjoying tagging along with our d-group online!

Masculine Mentoring

Sometimes when I speak to women about the issues surrounding feminism and biblical femininity, I receive questions about who is teaching men their corresponding roles. Who is teaching men how to be servant-leaders? I am happy to point to the teaching of men like my own boss, C.J. Mahaney, my pastor, Josh Harris, or other leaders such as John Piper, Wayne Grudem, Dennis Rainey, Bob Lepine, Al Mohler and many more. But recently I read an example of how this masculine mentoring happens on a more personal level.

One of the bloggers I follow, Justin Buzzard, wrote about the advice he received from an older man in his congregation upon the birth of his second son, Hudson:  

...I am adding a prayer for your marriage. Clearly more stress and pressure will be applied with two young 'uns and all the great stuff you are involved in.

We talk about being "intentional" all the time. Over the next year you are really going to have to be intentional in putting Taylor's needs ahead of your own. She will be 24/7 putting the needs of two boys ahead of her wants, desires and needs...that's the just the way it is in this stage with multiple kids....so she is going to desperately need someone to pamper her and put her first...prioritize her.

Guess what? That is YOU. :) I know this sounds kind of like a raw deal (I mean, who is going to be pampering Justin?). But this is the Biblical model. Christ laid down his life so that He could present the church (bride) blameless. I think as men we have that same challenge. We need to be building into our wives by serving them, meeting their needs, putting them first in all things...that's how we lead them to a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Fight the very human desire to want something for yourself. When those thoughts come, try and transfer it to, "How can I take something off of Taylor's plate today?"

I know this may sound a bit brutal in lieu of all you have going on....but God made you strong for a purpose. He gave you an abundance of gifts for a purpose. And He has provided many friends to pray for you all for a purpose...

We may not always hear this kind of counsel, but it is out there. I share this with you today to encourage you that as we focus on the contributions and roles God has called us to do, He is also doing the same for our brothers in Christ.

(Photo: Justin and Taylor Buzzard with their sons Cru and Hudson.)

Prayer and Fasting

Fasting is one of those spiritual disciplines that can so easily get lost in a busy life. I know that it never crosses my mind to make myself intentionally weak, confused, and chilled when I have lots of deadlines. However, a few weeks ago in discipleship group, we were talking about the spiritual disciplines and I realized I have been lax in fasting over the past year. I put it on a mental checklist, but didn't make any serious plans. Then I watched a friend fast through a very stressful and busy time and I saw the grace upon her life to honor God in this way--and I realized I was being a lazy wimp about my deadlines. God's grace is more than sufficient for fasting in these seasons!

So I decided this week to set aside a day to fast and pray. As I did that, the prayer needs really began to flood in. My initial reason for fasting was simply to discipline my flesh. Then one of the women in my caregroup sent out an email request, asking us to fast and pray for another woman in our caregroup who is going through a significant health trial. Our group's concerted prayer and fasting on her behalf is not only an example of caring for her in this difficult time, it is also a way of building our fellowship within the group.

Then I received more serious health news from one family member and then two more friends--the kind of news that perplexes even the doctors and drives you to your knees in prayer.

Finally, I received a note from a ministry friend based in India who wrote about the severe persecution of Christians in the Indian state of Orissa. There are signs that this conflict could spread to other parts of India, even in this coming week.

It was becoming obvious that there were many serious issues to pray over. Though my fasting does not force God's hand on anything, it does empower prayer in a particular way. As John Loftness wrote in Disciplines for Life, "Fasting adds muscle to our spiritual warfare. When Jesus sought spiritual power to withstand the devil and accomplish God's purpose, he fasted. The Bible describes countless individuals and even entire nations who gave up their food to change the course of history by fervent intercession."

I don't write about fasting to promote anything about myself or my efforts. In fact, I need to grow in mortifying my flesh and interceding in prayer. I am far from experienced in these matters. I do write, however, to encourage you to also fast and pray for our brothers and sisters in numerous nations around the world who are suffering persecution for the name of Christ. If fasting is a topic that raises a lot of questions, I recommend the chapter on fasting from Disciplines for Life. You can download it for free from the Sovereign Grace web store.

Planting in Ethiopia

When I returned from my first visit to Ethiopia this spring, I immediately began to plot how I could get back. Ethiopia is a nation with many needs, but also great hope. When I was there, one of the pastors suggested the idea of a medical team. I really had a vision for that, especially in my role as an internet physician--the Nation's Foremost Practicing Hypochondriac. (Motto: "If you mention a symptom, I'll be sure to diagnose it and send you the links all about it.") So when I got back, I sent my great idea to my pastors and began to pepper them with emails about it. Fortunately, one of the outreach team members of my church is now seriously researching the idea. I hope it works out--and I hope I get to use my medical skills there. ;)

If you've never been to Ethiopia, I'd like to introduce you via the Sovereign Grace Mission Presentation film, "Planting in Ethiopia." It is the story of two young men, born and raised in Ethiopia, who came to the U.S. for education and job opportunities. They were pursuing citizenship and the American dream when the Lord called them to return to their home nation to start a church.

You can watch it online in English (the Amharic is subtitled in English) or with Spanish subtitles.

With thanks to my colleagues: Andrew Gallo (Director of Photography/Editor, Brainbox Productions); Drew Painter (camera operator/gaffer, from Brainbox); David Altrogge (camera operator, Vinegar Hill Picture Works); John David Maresco (assistant camera/grip); Roger Hooper (original score, Roger Hooper Music) with vocals from Renee Kinsinger; Dallas Taylor (sound design and audio mix, DeFacto Sound); Ezana & Leah Mengistab and Ted Seifu (Amharic translation); and Silvia Fajardo Gross (Spanish subtitles).

Reflections on TW08

I wasn't much of a live-blogger at True Woman '08, after all. I had a collision of duties about halfway through the conference, but I did enjoy what I was able to do. In fact, my respect for Tim Challies and his live-blogging skills increased immeasurably after sitting next to him and trying to live-blog the same event. Of course, my debut with was with a John Piper message--and Dr. Piper's famous multi-phrase definitions are quite challenging to note accurately. I would only get the first half, but Tim inevitably had it all. Amazing! On Saturday night, after being missing in action all day, Tim leaned over and jokingly said I was the worst live blogger ever. Very true. I happily acknowledge my superior!

If you didn't get to read the posts, check out the True Woman blog and Tim Challies' blog. Even better, download the MP3 files of the conference messages. So much meat in one weekend!

It's been a very full weekend, so I only have the energy and brain cells to post the briefest of summaries. I certainly enjoyed the first evening of the conference, when we were challenged to both a high view of God and His plan for womanhood in the messages that John Piper and Nancy Leigh DeMoss gave. These two messages set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Friday was another full day. I was honored by the women who crowded into my first breakout session--sitting on the floor and in the aisles--to hear me speak on radical womanhood. And I was grateful for the women who came for my singleness seminar and stayed for a book-signing. Throughout the afternoon, I kept thinking that there's another item for Tim Challies to note on his list of differences between men's and women's conferences: the request for a hug. Somehow, I don't think this is a common request at, say, pastors' conferences. ;) But there was definitely a lot of hugging going on throughout the event.

Saturday started very early for me. Those of us who were participating on the speakers panel had to be dressed and caffeinated for the pre-session prayer meeting by 7:45 am. The first phone call of the day was from my friend, Kimberly Wagner, who called to say, "This is the first day of True Woman movement." It hadn't dawned on me until that moment what this day would really accomplish. I knew what our agenda was, but the busyness of the conference kept me very task-oriented. I didn't have much time for reflection. Therefore, when a group of us assembled to line up on stage and read each point of the True Woman Manifesto, suddenly I was hit by the importance of the day. As I looked out at the 6200 women  assembled before me, I realized we were in an historic moment. I had a overwhelming urge to cry tears of joy, but I kept it together. I needed all my focus to make it up the stairs to the stage on heels and not do a face-plant before I reached the podium. What a privilege to be part of that day! And before it was over, women from around the world joined those of us in Chicago to sign the online version of the Manifesto. (For a detailed explanation of this document, please listen to Nancy's explanation and read it online.)

I know that I often encourage you all to read, watch, or support various items. Therefore, I frequently receive requests from other organizations to promote their goals or groups on this blog, but I won't do it. I feel strongly that I can only endorse or support a limited number of things that I am personally familiar with--or else I lose all credibility. So here I am, once again encouraging you to take action for a good cause. But this is very important. Mary Kassian gave us a detailed overview at the conference as to why God's definition of womanhood was challenged by the women's liberation movement. Then the rest of the speakers addressed various aspects of womanhood in light of God's glory. These are all important messages and worth your time to download (they're free) and hear. Then, if the Lord leads you, please join the rest of us in signing what John Piper called a "magnificent document."

Finally, if you attended or watched the live stream of this event, please leave a comment. I would enjoy hearing from you.

(Photos: Assembled for the Manifesto affirmations at True Woman '08; the speakers panel on Saturday morning with Mary Kassian, Holly Elliff, Bob Lepine, Karen Loritts, and Barbara Rainey; waiting to read my line from the Manifesto; Nancy with Kimberly Wagner in the background.)

P.S. The True Woman theme song, "Truly Yours," was written by my friends Steve and Vikki Cook. It's got a memorable chorus and heartfelt lyrics. I think it will be a great addition to any collection of worship songs you might have that reinforce truth to your soul.

Join Me in Chicago

Today I'm headed to Chicago for the True Woman conference. Lord willing, I'll be joining a team of live-bloggers there -- including the extraordinary Tim Challies. (Major kudos to a man who's willing to join 6200 women and blog about it! I told Tim it's a serious nod both to his women readers, who will no doubt appreciate reading his insightful summaries, and to the overall importance of women's ministries.) In between blogging duties, I'll be speaking at two workshops and joining a plenary session speakers panel. 

But you don't have to merely read about the event. You can also sign up to receive live video feeds from this conference, which starts tonight. So one way or another, you can join me for the True Woman event. I hope you will "be" there!