OK, for Old Testament law #2 we will be talking about one of those more mature topics. It comes from Leviticus 15: 28-30.
When the woman’s menstrual discharge stops, she must count off a period of seven days. After that, she will be ceremonially clean. On the eighth day, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest will offer one for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement for her before the Lord for her menstrual discharge.
There are several verses before these three that are extremely interesting, but for today let’s just talk these three.
Can you imagine if every woman at every church had to make a special appearance eight days after her time of the month. Most women are extremely embarrassed to even talk about it, much less make a public declaration of it.
But here’s the thing that really had me thinking after reading this. In most churches of any size these days we have specialized ministers. There is the head pastor, the associate pastor, the youth pastor, the music minister, the children’s pastor, and whatever other pastoral specialties you can recall. This would require a pastor working full time just for this purpose. What title would we give this pastor?
1) Menstrual Minister?
2) Recleansing Pastor?
3) Pastor who knows way too much?
4) Pastor seriously hoping for a promotion?
I would love to hear any comments or titles you can come up with. I hope no one finds this too distasteful, but I promise I am using these things to make an eventual point.
May 21st, 2008 - 1:34 pm
Menstrual Minister is way too straighforward for today’s parishioners’ ears. We need something a bit more ambiguous, or at least more subtle. Recleansing Pastor comes a little closer to an acceptable title, although it’s still possible to read between the lines. Perhaps, one of these suggestions might work:
1) Associate Pastor of Atonement Ceremonies [Note: Only an Associate Pastor would be given such duties. It is definitely beneath the dignity of a Senior Minister. . . . I don't know what small congregations who can't afford multiple staff positions would do in this regard???]
2) Associate Pastor to Women [This title, perhaps, opens the door to having women on staff . . . no wait, we need a different title . . . women can't be called Pastor!]
3) Director of Women’s Ministries [That's more like it! Now we can have a woman do this work . . . it sounds far too time-consuming for us men. . . . Now that I think about it, some churches actually have a position titled something like this. I wonder if they are performing all of their "scriptural" duties?]
4) How about . . . Associate Pastor, SRU (Special Rituals Unit) . . . [OK, I guess I've been watching too much Law and Order. . . . On second thought, maybe I'm onto something here . . .]
5) Law and Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit) . . . donh, donh . . . That’s the perfect title!
May 21st, 2008 - 11:05 pm
I love #5. That is hilarious. Although I must say that sometimes I think we are all victims of this phenomena in one way or another. I think I may have put that delicately enough.
Bob, I have to say that it is comforting to see someone else whose mind looks at these things in much the same way mine does.