Kiss me with your mouth

[st_martin_a]

I was going to play 'Kiss me' by Stephen Tintin Duffy in church this morning because I was delivering my sermon on King Solomon's Proverbs and he also wrote those words in The Song of Songs (recorded in the Bible). I thought it might get complaints though, and while that wouldn't have bothered me too much - it would have been easy to explain that the words were taken from the Bible, and I like pushing traditional boundaries in church; it would have made, what was all ready a controversial subject, even more controversial. Most of you here on lj wouldn't consider it controversial but I knew a few old people in my church would. And unfortunately a few of them still have positions of authority.

The sermon itself went well. I'm definitely getting more confident at delivering. I left a gap in the middle where I gave everyone 5 minutes to discuss whether the passage that I was speaking on was just for women, or whether it applied to us all. There's one guy in our congregation who is from the more right-wing end of politics and he was engrossed in a debate with this other guy. The other guy was a visitor to our church. He was dressed in his Sunday best, which is unusual in our church, and that made me think that he might have had a traditional understanding of the role of women too...? Possibly. Possibly not...? Anyway, when I drew the discussion to a close, these two carried on debating at quite a loud volume and it took another minute or so for them to stop before I could continue. Apparently the right-wing guy was actually arguing that the passage applied to us all. If he was, that's a step in the right direction for him...

Anyway, I followed up with a few examples from the Bible of women involved in roles that are not traditionally women's roles and then prayed for wisdom for us all.

I think it may have been the most feminist sermon that's been preached at my church.

I'll leave you with Solomon's song, revamped into 1980s synth-pop:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vfgjZHSPvyw

The King lives!
; )

Comments

[october_rain]

I can't say my dad has always enjoyed being a pastor. He didn't want to do it either. More wanted to be the traveling type if anything. It's been hard on him over the years. Pastors can often be under-appreciated. You really stay with one group of people and really get to know them, so things like, if they leave or get offended can hit hard. My dad's focus has always been on sharing the "uncompromising truth of the bible over people-pleasing" though.

Counseling people can be tough too, as that's another role of a pastor, at least in the non-denominational part of the Church. I'm not at all familiar with the more traditional churches.

[st_martin_a]

Yeah, that's what I've seen with church leaders too - not being appreciated.
The problem with the 'uncompromising truth of the Bible' is that it's not always clear, or people have simplistic understandings of what it is. Things like the role of women. What amazes me is how some people get so irate about issues that don't directly affect them. They have a direct impact on others and yet they still have 'strong' opinions about them.
From my perspective, if it's not loving, it's not of God.
Other people don't always go with that though.
:\

[october_rain]

I had so many one-sided arguments with my dad, via writing notes with scripture to support my stances, as he would preach against certain lifestyles and such. I also have never understood the fixation over having to get involved in other people's private lives that don't harm others or effect them at all. Such a waste of energy. And never works to draw folks in, rather it leaves so many wanting to run away and never, ever look back.