Carolyn's Reflections

"Dude, Where's my lifeboat?"

2012-01-21T12:59:00.001-05:00

If you've been following news reports surrounding the capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy and have ever been (or contemplated going) on a cruise, it's hard to keep from thinking you could easily have been one of those terror-stricken passengers.

As divers resume their search for missing passengers, more details are surfacing to fill in the blanks of what actually happened. One of the many shocking accounts came in Rich Lowry's National Review Online article, "Dude, Where's my lifeboat?", where he reports of women and children "being pushed aside by hysterical men as they tried to board lifeboats.”

Coincidentally, the book I'm reading is The Myth of Male Power in which author Warren Farrell is speaking up in defense of men. Not that he would approve those men who were pushing and shoving on the sinking cruise ship. But Farrell does assert (with some rather impressive endorsements) that cultural expectations of men as protectors, providers, and rescuers produce powerlessness, not power. He defines power as "having control over one's life," which he believes men forfeit with the obligation to protect women and society by going to war or giving up their seat in the lifeboat. He turns the current discussion of gender on its head when he observes that when it comes to power, "men are not at the tip of the pyramid, but at its base."

Consider some of Farrell's statements:

"Today, violence against women is rightly abhorred. But we call violence against men entertainment."

"The message of religion for boys is that there really is no choice but to save."

"We don't call 'male-killing' sexism; we call it 'glory.' We don't call the one million men who were killed or maimed in one battle in World War I (the Battle of the Somme) a holocaust, we call it 'serving the country.' We don't call those who selected only men to die 'murderers.' We call them 'voters.' Our slogan for women is 'A Woman's Body, A Woman's Choice': our slogan for men is 'A Man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do.'"

Is chivalry another sinking ship and should it sink? Are unreasonable and even unjust burdens placed on male shoulders when they're expected to rescue, protect, and provide simply because they are male?

On the flip side, are these callings only for men except in unusual circumstances or do women also share these responsibilities? After reading Lowry's article, a friend reflected on what happened on the Titanic, "I suspect there were women who would have given their place in the lifeboats to another if they had been allowed to do so." How does the Blessed Alliance factor into this discussion? Don't we have heroic stories of ezers like Esther and Deborah, Chai Ling and the Freedom Climbers who were willing to risk their lives for others? Are these women rare exceptions or role models for the rest of us?

So is it part of the job description for ezer-warriors to be looking out for others versus expecting others to take care of us?

Preparing to Summit

2012-01-14T16:36:00.002-05:00

In a matter of hours, the Freedom Climbers will reach the summit. I only wish we could watch it as it happens.

This from Day 4 Report:

"Uhuru Peak is the climber’s final destination and the highest point. The climbers will begin the summit in the dark, at midnight on Kilimanjaro, with flashlights on their heads. They will climb far above the sunrise. After they summit, they will hike many miles back down to about 7,200 ft. This will help them breathe easier and start feeling better, but it is about a 12 hour hike tomorrow."

At 6 pm/ET this evening, their final 12-hour climb begins that will take them to the summit and then start their descent.

There's a lot more on their website—photos, reports from the climbers, and more information on what they've accomplished and what they're facing now.

http://thefreedomclimb.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/day-4-of-the-climb/

Nearing the Summit of Mt Kilimanjaro

2012-01-13T23:05:00.010-05:00

“I’m feeling kind of excellent…
I think everyone is acclimating really well…just one step at a time, everybody is just moving, moving, moving.”

–Madison (the youngest climber)

The Freedom Climbers have finished Day 3 and are resting up for Day 4. They'll summit Sunday (Saturday evening State-side).

They're heading into the toughest part of their climb, although the first three days haven't been easy.

Visit their blog to see pictures, reports of how they're doing, and prayer requests. What a remarkable group of ezers!

http://thefreedomclimb.wordpress.com/

Follow The Freedom Climb!

2012-01-12T16:14:00.001-05:00

Day 2 of the Freedom Climb is over! Their blog contains photos and daily reports from the bold ezer-warriors on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

To follow their progress and pray for this effort, go to:

http://thefreedomclimb.wordpress.com/

Something to ponder ...

2012-01-11T12:14:00.005-05:00

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" —Isaiah 58:6

Freedom Climbers

2012-01-11T11:21:00.001-05:00

Ready to go!
photo © The Freedom Climb: Justice for Women
& Kibo Slopes Safaris Ltd on FaceBook

Freedom Climb Countdown!

2012-01-10T16:51:00.004-05:00

This just in! The Freedom Climbers arrived safely in Kenya. Tuesday they traveled to Tanzania. And on Wednesday, January 11, U.S. National Trafficking Day, the climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro begins! They'll be well on their way by the time most of us are waking up.

They need prayer for their safety and endurance as they climb. They're excited, resting up, and firmly committed to the climb!

To learn more about this incredible effort to raise awareness and funding to combat sex trafficking, read yesterday's post: The Freedom Climb.

The Freedom Climb

2012-01-09T00:27:00.003-05:00

Skeptics reacted negatively to the CitiBank commercial where a young woman (accompanied by her boyfriend) climbs to the top of Ancient Art—a rock formation in Utah that spikes into the sky like an upside-down icicle.

The commercial ends with the female climber perched triumphantly on a frighteningly narrow surface where a sudden gust of wind or slight loss of balance would send her plummeting to her death.

Makes my hands sweat just thinking about it.

Comments on the Internet read, "No way that's real!" and "Total green screen." So many people raised doubts, CNN's Jeanne Moos decided to investigate.

The girl, it turns out, is Katie Brown—one of the world's top female rock climbers. She's been climbing since she was twelve. Her "boyfriend" is real-life Spiderman, Alex Honnold, featured by 60 Minutes for his daring free-solo rock climbing (meaning without ropes). When asked, Brown confirmed, "Yeah, it's real." She really did make that climb. She really did pose for cameras "up there."

The lesson? Never underestimate what ezers are capable of doing. Never!

That lesson was reinforced for me by a mind-boggling email from Cathey Anderson of Operation Mobilisation.

Cathey, like growing numbers of us, is outraged over human trafficking. But she is doing more than fume. Her outrage turned into action—a bold out-of-the-box vision that exceeded anything I would have imagined. Her vision? For Christian women across the globe to raise awareness and funding to combat modern day trafficking of women and children by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain!

Cathey held onto that vision for months. She was emailing to tell me reading Half the Church spurred her into action.

Her hope of twenty women climbers quickly mushroomed into forty-six. The climbers range in age from 18 to 73! Half the Sky, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn has fueled their passion and determination.

As I write, The Freedom Climb is moving forward. Right now, the climbers are gathering in Nairobi from around the world. You can read their stories here.

On Wednesday, January 11, National Anti-Trafficking Awareness Day, they'll begin their climb. It takes 4½ days to reach the summit and 1½ days to come back down. They've been training and will be accompanied by professional guides.

It needs to be said, the choice of their initiative isn't just random. These women are physically making a statement. Mt. Kilimanjaro's summit is Uhuru Peak. Uhuru is Swahili for freedom. By climbing the mountain, this team of ezers are symbolizing the huge climb to freedom millions of enslaved women and children worldwide face daily.

What I love about this initiative is that, not only is this a powerful and creative way to engage the fight against the evils of human trafficking (and I'm praying the outcome will exceed their hopes), it raises the bar for the rest of us. Every day new reports surface about global atrocities against women and girls. God is moving more and more of us to get involved. We're all asking, "What can I do?" The Freedom Climbers are opening the door for us to get creative and reminding us never to underestimate what ezers are capable of doing!

Check out the Freedom Climb website to learn more.

Amazon Kindle Sale!

2012-01-01T20:50:00.001-05:00

Kindle versions of Half the Church and The Gospel of Ruth are on sale now for $1.99! Don't know how long these prices will last, so act now if you want to download a copy!

More good news: Half the Church is listed on Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed Books of the Year!

Synergy—2012 & Beyond!

2011-12-31T14:17:00.001-05:00

Synergy is a game changer!

And after 7 powerful national conferences and a growing network of gifted women and men leaders—we're only getting started.

Never before have more ezer-warriors (women and girls) felt the stirrings of God's call to action. Never before have we been more aware of the desperate needs of our world. Never before have we possessed more resources and powerful technologies to do the job God is calling us to do. Never before has there been a greater urgency for God's sons and daughters work together for the sake of God's kingdom.
Before us stands a breathtaking window of unprecedented opportunity. Synergy wants to make the most of it.

To read more about Synergy and what we're planning for Synergy's Phase 2, go here. Then join us in this strategic kingdom effort!

To make a secure tax-deductible donation online, go here.

Or mail your check (postmarked December 31 for year-end giving) to:

          Synergy Women's Network
          c/o Missionwell Service Center
          466 E. Foothill Blvd., #358
          La Canada, CA 91011

Trusting God for a game-changing future together!

Carolyn,
Synergy President

Conversations with Haddon & Alice

2011-12-30T12:03:00.001-05:00

Brian Hettinga, Haddon Robinson, Alice Mathews, Mart De Haan

Some of the most intriguing conversations I've had recently have been with Alice Mathews over lunch or with Haddon Robinson at a Gordon-Conwell faculty gathering.

All this week on Discover the Word, I am in conversation with them both at once. We're discussing Half the Church and exploring the significance of this book for women and for men.

Here's what Alice wrote after reading Half the Church:

"With the care of an experienced scout, Carolyn James has lined the fire pit with stones, then assembled the kindling and logs, and in the final chapters of this remarkable book has struck the match to ignite a blaze for God and his kingdom. No thoughtful Christian woman can walk away from this book unchallenged or unmoved, as she senses the glory of her ezer-warrior calling. Nor can any thoughtful Christian man remain unmoved by the vision of the Blessed Alliance so skillfully sketched in these pages. The challenge of Half the Church is to the whole church to fulfill God's purpose in creating all of us as iconoclastic bearers of the divine image in a broken world."

If you miss the radio broadcast of any of these five conversations, the full MP3 recordings are available online:

Finding Treasure in India

2011-12-14T12:00:00.003-05:00

If there's one lesson to be learned from all the people who suffer poverty, abuse, and injustice, it is this: the world is impoverished so long as they remain captive and enriched when they're set free and empowered to cultivate and use their God-given gifts.

That's the not-so-subtle message of the Chinese saying, "Women hold up half the sky." So guess what is falling and who else pays a price when women are trafficked, raped, denied an education, and marginalized?

That's a sobering question to ponder!

It's a message I read in Scripture. Who would believe a powerless trafficked Egyptian girl named Hagar would become the prophetic voice to reveal the intimate side of the Creator God as the one "who sees me."

Would anyone expect a trafficked Israelite slave being held unjustly in an Egyptian prison to catapult overnight to become Pharaoh's second in command or of developing a strategy to preserve the entire nation during a prolonged famine?

Who would believe God would summon a young barren Jordanian widow and her bereft Jewish mother-in-law out of the margins to fight for the next generation and ultimately rescue the line of Christ? Only think what the world would be missing, if any of them had been forgotten and left to languish in the margins!

That same message keeps sounding through the stories of the people I meet.

Several months ago, I encountered a bright young twenty-something woman from Ivory Coast. She was born to a vegetable vendor who had five sons and no use for a daughter. So her mother gave her to an American family. How differently her story is playing out. Instead of remaining illiterate, being married off (or trafficked) at an early age, suffering an early pregnancy and possibly fistula, my young friend is a Wellesley graduate, now with a masters degree from Harvard. I shudder to think of the treasures the world has thrown away by failing to see and empower the undeveloped human potential that God has implanted in his image bearers.

This past week in India, I saw it again. Yes, I saw overwhelming poverty. I heard disturbing stories of injustice that have left me aching. I doubt I'll ever shake the appalling images of the unbearable mistreatment of the Dalit people. One pays a terrible price for being born into the lowest caste.

But I also witnessed the flip side—where poverty and oppression are rendered powerless against the strength of the gospel to release the human treasure that God intends should flourish.

We visited the Good Shepherd School—one of Operation Mobilization's network of schools in India that is currently educating 25,000 Dalit children. 600 children are enrolled at this particular school.

At these schools, no one is willing for little ezers to get left behind. If a family sends their son to school, leaving his sisters behind, the school won't take him until his sisters come too.

The students welcomed us with garlands, sang and danced, made speeches, celebrated birthdays, and shared their birthday candy with us. Their joy was infectious.

Students who will graduate this year and move on to college told us their goals—to be a teacher, an engineer, a scientist, a policemen. These aspirations wouldn't have occurred to them apart from the education and affirmation they're getting here. OM stays with them to ensure they reach their goals.

If a student is not able to go to college, they have other options. We visited silk screen printing and sewing classes to get a sample of the training OM offers. All those smart looking uniforms are handmade by seamstresses trained on site. Microfinance loans are helping these graduates and others in the community launch new businesses.

There's more good news, for as these young people learn and flourish, escape poverty and become the promise of India's future, they are also hearing the Gospel and God is changing hearts.

Before I left for India, I was told my heart would get broken again. It did. You can't listen to the stories of injustice I heard and not have it break your heart. But what surprised me most of all was the undercurrent of hope that permeated the Justice Forum to defy these grim realities. The trip to India was an unexpected reminder that God is on the move. His people are at work. Lives are changing. Buried treasure is being unearthed. Darkness is no match for the light.

For further information: Dalit Freedom Network

On the Ground in India

2011-12-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

Traveling and spending time with Dr. Ana Steele in the heart of India, means it is inevitable that I will learn about one of the most severe and deep-seated humanitarian crises—the plight of the Dalit people. The movie Slumdog Millionaire offered a glimpse into the degrading injustice of that world.

At Lausanne 2010 in Capetown, Dr. Joseph D'Souza, President of International Dalit Freedom Network, addressed the plenary session about this horrific and widespread crisis. We had dinner with him last night, with his son, Josh D'Souza, and Scott and Jill Bollinder (Scott is President of Biblica).

Joseph is hosting this Forum with Biblica and will be speaking this morning. Already what I've heard about him from others and from Ana, about how incredible it is to work with him (they are a Blessed Alliance), enough to make me curious to learn more about him and his passion for justice in India.

Below are two videos that hopefully will interest you: the first is Dr. D'Souza's message from Capetown and the second video I found online is of research some skeptical young Indian students conducted on the Dalit population in India and the shocking reality they discovered.

The Justice Bible Forum begins officially this morning. Dr. D'Souza will bring devotions. We'll hear about the vision of this project and the plan for the Forum, then we'll listen as each participant tells their story, wrap up by talking about the potential audience of the Justice Bible. We're going to watch the 58: The Film on global poverty after dinner. See the trailer below:

58: THE FILM Trailer from LIVE58NOW on Vimeo.

I am actually posting this on Monday 6:00 AM Hyderabad time, but it comes up Sunday ET. At the moment, your day is winding down, while mine is just beginning—earlier than I wanted (I've been awake since 4am), but that's the price of jet lag.

Waking Up in Hyderabad

2011-12-04T01:07:00.001-05:00

L to R: Dr. Ana Aspras Steele, President, Dalit Freedom Network,

Dr. Sagar Kamarthi, Assoc. Prof., Northeastern University, CCJ,

LaReau Anderson, Biblica

How ironic to travel half way around the world and end up meeting someone who lives in Boston. That's what happened en route to India. Sandwiched in between Ana and me on the flight from London to Hyderabad was an interesting young professor from Northeastern University in Boston. Conversations with him were a cultural education worth the trip!

He was equally interested what we do, in the purpose of our trip, and in justice issues relating to women. The firstborn in his family, he has been a strong advocate for his three younger sisters to get education, even at personal sacrifice. It was heartening to hear his story.

During the flight that we discovered LaReau Anderson was on board—part of the Biblica team with a heart for children and youth.

So much for my fears of traveling to India alone. I was in great company!

Haven't done much since my arrival but sleep. I think I broke the record for sleep duration on Saturday. I'm not telling how many hours.

Conversations have already begun—informally—about the Justice Bible. The passion everyone I've met so far for this project is pretty intense. I'm convinced this project is vital. How will the church sustain a heart for justice and our current focus on the suffering around the world become something more than a passing trend if we don't see clearly and plainly from scripture that God's heart beats for justice and that, as his image bearers, our heartbeat should echo his?

Looking out my hotel window this morning, I saw a hazy view of Hyderabad, a cemetery just below, and people going out to get water.

When you turn on the faucet at home today, give thanks for God's blessings!

Countdown to Hyderabad

2011-11-28T21:00:00.127-05:00

Today I read yet another disturbing article online about atrocities against women happening at this very moment. This one reported on "Why eastern DR Congo is 'rape capital of the world'."

Africa isn't where I'm going next, but this article underscores why this next trip is so important.

Thursday I depart for Hyderabad, India. The sole purpose of this trip is to participate in a forum with 15-20 people from different countries to discuss a Justice Bible that Biblica (publisher of the NIV) is planning to publish.

I was enthusiastic the first time I heard about this Justice Bible project. It is an incredible honor to be part of this forum, and I'm looking forward to meeting the other people in the group. I'll have a head-start on that part, since I'll be traveling with a new friend, Dr. Ana Aspras Steele, President of the Dalit Freedom Network. I've already had an amazing phone conversation with her—enough to know she is a kindred spirit. I'm looking forward to making the long(!) trip with her.

At the same time, reading the article about the ongoing brutality and systematic raping of women in the DRC underscores the weighty responsibility of participating in this significant project. I know how easy it is to read the Bible and gloss over atrocities and injustices recorded there. I know because I've done it countless times myself. It wasn't until I started hearing news reports, like the one I just read, or reading books like Half the Sky (have you read it yet?) that I linked the word "trafficking" to Hagar (a slave girl) and Joseph (trafficked by his brothers) and Esther (rounded up without her consent for the king's pleasure)? Only then did I begin to notice how large a part God's passion for the poor and oppressed and his strong heart for justice occupies in the Bible's message.

This Justice Bible could be an eye-opening read for many—spurring them on to live out their calling as God's image bearers who share God's passion for the poor and oppressed and his strong heart for justice.

Please pray for this important venture—for the leadership of Biblica, for those who participate in the Forum, for me as I try to do my part, and for the actual project as it gets under way.

Why I am thankful for Boston!

2011-11-26T21:00:00.003-05:00

“Wear that cap anywhere in this city, and you’ll be safe.”

Having just moved to Massachusetts from Florida, I was surrounded by boxes. The person speaking was the Verizon installer who, seeing the Boston Red Sox cap my husband bought me, felt compelled to inform me of the protection it afforded. As a baseball fan, I found the mention of Fenway Park enough to outweigh fearful remarks I heard about New England winters before moving here. It gave me fresh incentive to brave the move north to Boston. This new information about my cap was double good news.

I’ve been here two years now—hardly long enough to begin shedding my “outsider” status or for Boston to feel like home to me. I’m years away from weaning myself of GPS dependence. Still, even as a relative newcomer, it’s hard not to love a place like Boston. Boston is the epicenter of American history and an international hub of many of America’s finest higher educational and medical institutions. Today, the city bustles with activity, traffic jams, crazy sports fans, a rising generation of gifted students and researchers, and native Bostonians who take liberties by adding and subtracting the letta’ “R” in words.

But the promise of safety inherent in a Red Sox baseball cap reminds me that there are two sides to Boston. Alongside reasons for great pride and deep gratitude for this remarkable city, there are also and always have been reasons to need protection here.

Early Puritan settlers in Boston breathed in the fresh air of religious freedom back in 1630. But local cemeteries contain the bones of early Bostonians whose beliefs fell outside the circle of accepted doctrine and were persecuted—some of them to their graves. In 1773, the Boston Tea Party (anything but a party) was a dangerous act of resistance against the Crown and a harbinger of a royal crack-down to come. It did come. In 1775, Boston acquired the unenviable reputation of being the site where the first shot of the Revolutionary War was fired and both American and English blood was spilled. Boston speaks of sanctuary for some fleeing religious persecution and of unbearable persecution—literal witch hunts—for others; a place of peace and a place of bloodshed.

Old ironies live on in this New England city. Here, even beloved baseball players can land on the wrong side of their fans. But danger of a more sinister nature has held the advantage over many in Boston until this week when state legislators finally passed an anti-sex trafficking law for the governor to sign. Despite a long-established history of taking the lead when it comes to social change, Massachusetts lagged shamefully behind with two others states that still do not have a law empowering local law enforcement to go after traffickers, pimps, and johns and to treat prostitutes as victims instead of criminals.

What I love most about Boston are the people here who love Boston too. They haven’t waited for the government to act. Just since moving here, I’ve witnessed the formation of two unstoppable gatherings of Christian women who are fired up to bring hope to the hopeless and freedom to the captives. Last week people gathered to support a safe house for women recovering from trafficking. Darkness and danger may be strong, but these light-bearing ezer-warriors are filled with hope and determination. Boston will feel the impact of their efforts and many will find freedom because of their advocacy. And that makes me truly thankful to live here.

So if you’re in Boston and happen to see a GPS dependent woman driving around sporting a Boston Red Sox cap, she could be me—growing to love Boston and staying safe.

—This article was originally published by Christianity Today's This is Our City. Follow the link to read articles about what's happening in other cities.

Half the Church Audio

2011-11-24T18:15:00.001-05:00

The audio version of Half the Church is on sale—$7.49 reduced from $13.99 (or Amazon's $16.95) at ChristianAudio.com.

The sale ends December 9.

Might make a great stocking stuffer for yourself and a great way to "read" the book while you commute!

All Girls Allowed!

2011-11-23T00:44:00.007-05:00

L-R: Chai Ling, Nick Smith, Brynn Harrington, Kirby Francis,
Kristin Warren, David Sweet, Carolyn James, Sharon Denney

Synergy's first EzerWatch with Chai Ling was an absolute pleasure. She is, of course, delightfully warm and ready to talk—an interviewer's dream. Her staff couldn't have been more welcoming. And of course, the Synergy production team (Kirby, David, Nick, Brynn, and Kristin) were simply amazing—perfectly calm, professional, and generous with their talents. I love working with them!

If you haven't yet gotten your hands on a copy of Ling's book, A Heart for Freedom, here are just a few reasons why I think this is such an important book to read:

First, it is a rare and gripping student leader's on-the-ground account of events as they unfolded at the Tiananmen Square in the 1989 student protest. With multiple protests in the news today, what could be more timely than to get an insider's perspective on this early student movement for freedom and democracy in China.

Second, it is the powerful story of an ezer stepping out and finding her voice, along with the courage to use it for the good of others. It is nothing short of miraculous that the bold young leader at Tiananmen Square is the same girl who grew up watching her grandmother hobble around on bound feet and who knew her birth was a disappointment to her father who had hoped his firstborn would be a son. Even the Chinese culture put leadership out of reach for her. Ling writes,

"In the culture I grew up in, a woman must obey her father, and then her husband when she marries, and then her son if her husband dies. A woman is never given the chance to be her own person."

Reading Ling's story—seeing how, against the odds, she grows and flourishes as a person and a leader and how good that is for so many—will surely help readers (both female and male) see that God can and does work in mighty ways through his daughters to bless the lives of others.

Third, it puts before us the unvarnished truth about the unspeakable loss of life and the suffering of so many mothers in China. Here is just a sampling of the statistics:

37,000,000 girls have lost their lives
every 2.5 seconds a baby in China is aborted
86% of Chinese women have had abortions
more than 52% have had at least 2 abortions
500 women per day commit suicide

Based on these statistics, 540 abortions and 16 suicides occurred during our 45 minute EzerWatch. Hard to fathom!

The courageous leadership Ling displayed at Tinanamen Square continues to this day. Her heart still beats strongly for China and her people. Her passion as a follower of Jesus has only intensified her commitment to address the resulting gendercide and deepened her compassion for the millions of mothers who grieve the loss of their children. I also wonder if Ling's eye-opening discussion of abortion might bring to the forefront a much needed gospel message of healing and grace (versus condemnation) to women with abortions in their past. That alone is reason enough to read this book.

Check out www.AllGirlsAllowed.org and find out how you can help!

[The Chai Ling EzerWatch will be available for viewing on the Synergy website in a couple of weeks. Watch for the announcement and for news of January's EzerWatch with Andy Crouch!]

EzerWatch with Chai Ling

2011-11-16T16:00:00.001-05:00

In case you haven't already heard, this Monday, November 21, Synergy is launching EzerWatch!—a series of webcast interviews with today's thought leaders.

Our first guest is Chai Ling, whose book, A Heart for Freedom, I reviewed back in October when it was first released. You will not want to miss this opportunity to hear from her!

Ling was the commander-in-chief of the student protest at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Her involvement placed her on China's "most wanted" list and forced her to flee to the West. Remarkably, none of that has stopped her.

She went on to earn degrees from Princeton and Harvard, started Jenzabar, a educational software company, and more recently has launched AllGirlsAllowed, a strategic human rights organization to fight girls and mothers in China whose lives are being lost or shattered under China's One-Child Policy.

This is an ezer story we need to hear!

If you're subscribed to the WhitbyForum newsletter—The Ezer Report—you'll be receiving an announcement and an invitation. Click on {Newsletter} above to subscribe.

But above all join us on Monday, November 21, at 1:00pm/ET!

For more information about how to register for and view this FREE webcast, go here.

This Is Our City!

2011-11-07T21:58:00.004-05:00

If you haven't done this already, check out This Is Our City—a brand-new multimedia project from Christianity Today magazine that was launched last week while I was in Zurich. This series includes "in-depth reports, documentaries, and interviews about sex trafficking in Portland, Oregon, and beyond."

I'm especially eager to promote this project because the trafficking issue has gripped my heart. My book, Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women, sets forth a vision for women that is the antithesis of sex trafficking and calls God's image bearers—both women and men—to fulfill their God-given calling to "Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows" (Isaiah 1:17).

This particular CT project comes close to home for me because I grew up in Portland. Also, I am a fan of Nate Clarke, the project's videographer. Nate produced the Synergy video shown last year at Lausanne in CapeTown, which also targets this issue: http://youtu.be/d2QqPJHVbfc

Christianity Today has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the modern abolitionist movement, (see two previous cover stories, “The Hidden Slavery” (2003) and “Red-Light Rescue ” (2007.) The city project highlights ways Christians are increasingly going “in the trenches” to prevent trafficking before it starts. I'm excited to see that happening in Portland.

Hopefully, it will spur some of the rest of us to action.

Hope is Alive!

2011-11-06T20:51:00.002-05:00

The past couple of weeks have left me with a terrible ache inside. I've heard stories and witnessed scenes of oppression and suffering both here at home and overseas. I doubt I'll ever recover from seeing trafficked women on the streets of Zurich that have deeply impacted me. But along with those disturbing realities has been a steady stream of reminders that God is at work, mobilizing his sons and daughters to bring the double good news of Jesus' salvation and justice to those who are suffering at the hands of others.

L to R: Abey George, Marney & Tracy Danz, CCJ,
Tammy Friesen, Soni, (Pastor) Rob, & Kristin Peterson

The International Justice Conference at Thornapple Evangelical Covenant Church in Grand Rapids revealed a growing passion among church members for justice issues and their corporate determination to turn passion into action. It's hard not to hope when people are on their knees for the world and wrestling with what God wants them to do.

In Zurich, 165 women gathered for the first of six one-day seminars conducted by Lifesprings School of Ministry. Dr. Nate Feldmeth, Fuller Theological Seminary Church History Prof, and I were the two presenters. As part of this eighteen month program, each woman will read through The Gospel of Ruth and will develop and initiate a project based on needs in her area. This school isn't just about taking in. These women will also be giving out, and I love to imagine how much good 165 ezers can do!

Lifesprings School of Ministry in Zurich

I was deeply impressed and encouraged by the ezers I met in Geneva (below) at a gathering that included women in the U.N., the World Health Organization, church ministries, and Lifesprings alumni engaged in initiatives in Africa. Some are addressing global health issues—advising nations on which medicines to purchase and which drugs are most effective against major diseases, improving sanitation issues to address one of the leading causes of disease and deaths. Others are focused on raising funds to improve education for children in poverty. These ezers are on fire for God's kingdom, and what I've described is only the tip of the iceberg. God's ezers are everywhere!

Bishop Thad Barnum

This past weekend, I was with Church of the Apostles and Living Hope Church in Connecticut, to speak on The Gospel of Ruth. I wish you could have heard the prayers of these people—asking God to show them what to do in response to the suffering around them—and Bishop Thad Barnum's impassioned urgings to become people and givers of God's hesed.

I'm still slightly jet-lagged. And that ache hasn't gone away. But I have seen strong reasons to hope. Yes, the Enemy is powerful, and the darkness is deep. But God is at work. He's raising up his people, and the light we carry cannot be extinguished!

See more photos on FaceBook! https://www.facebook.com/carolynezer

Next Stop, Connecticut!

2011-11-03T18:00:00.002-05:00

Just back in town from Zurich with so much to process and I'm already heading out the door again. No time for jet-lag for me!

My next stop is Connecticut where I'll be speaking on The Gospel of Ruth at a Saturday seminar hosted by the Church of the Apostles (Fairfax) at Living Hope Church in Shelton.

In the video below, Anglican Mission in America's Bishop Thad Barnum issues an invitation to this seminar, along with other Church of the Apostles events this weekend. Over the past several weeks, he has been shepherding his congregation through the Book of Ruth and leading them become hesed-givers in their community. If you're wondering what hesed means, read The Gospel of Ruth.

If you're in the area, I hope to see you there!

From Zurich

2011-10-28T13:28:00.003-05:00

You won't find more beautiful cities anywhere in the world than Zurich, Switzerland.

I walked my legs off today trying to absorb the beauty—along the Limmet River, down the narrow cobblestone streets, into the historic churches, and all over the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum). What topped the day off for me was when in two out of three Protestant churches I visited, the organist was practicing. As a former pipe organ student, I have to say that was a special pleasure for me.

But like any 21st century city, Zurich has an ugly underbelly. Today was filled with sobering evidence. Memorials of martyrs executed because of tensions between Catholics and Protestants and between Protestants and Protestants. A major section of the museum displayed all sorts of lethal weapons—guns and sharp instruments soldiers use on one another. Pornography abounds, not in an isolated area, but mingled in with the cafes and shops. The day ended with a drive through a red light district that left us all desperate to know even how to pray, much less what to do.

Tomorrow, I have the privilege of teaching Half the Church to a gathering of 125 Christian women who are coming from around Europe and North America. These women are hungry to go deeper and will, as part of this program, become involved in ministries to those who are suffering. I am reminded once again of the enormous potential that resides in half the Church. Those of us who are here are praying that God will awaken and mobilize his daughters to be blazing lights in a very dark world and bearers of good news to the oppressed and forsaken.

As one woman told me recently, "I don't feel guilty that I haven't acted in the past. I didn't know what was happening to women and girls. Now I know, and I'll feel guilty if I don't do anything now."

On to Grand Rapids!

2011-10-20T20:30:00.020-05:00

In the morning, I'll be back at Boston-Logan, heading out to Grand Rapids, Michigan for the International Justice Conference at Thornapple Covenant Church.

In addition to speaking Saturday night, I'm leading a conference "Prayer Room" both evenings to focus on justice issues in the United States. That should bring the whole crisis closer to home. I'm also very interested in hearing from the other main speaker, IJM's Abraham "Abbey" George.

Grand Rapids also gives me the opportunity to spend time with other people who mean a lot to me: Custis relatives who migrated from Oregon to Michigan and friends from Biblica who have invited me to participate in their Justice Bible Forum in Hyderabad, India this December. (I'll have more to say about that later.) And of course, it wouldn't feel like I'd been to Grand Rapids if I didn't stop by Zondervan to see what my editor Katya Covrett and company are up to.

If you live in the Grand Rapids area, I hope I'll see you at the conference this weekend. If you don't live in the area, at least visit Thornapple's website to see how one church is responding to this horrific global crisis. Might give you some ideas for your own church. Personally, I find it deeply heartening for Thornapple to be focusing on justice issues. It would be a welcome sign if these kinds of conferences started multiplying to other churches.

“Justice is the calling of all who follow Jesus—no matter who you are or where you live. It is fundamental to the heartbeat of God's passion for the world.”
—Bethany Hoang, IJM

Synergy Ramps Up!

2011-10-05T22:57:00.001-05:00

If you think Synergy is in a holding pattern, think again!

The very name "Synergy" implies activity. Even when we "pause" to assess where we've been and gear up for where we're going, Synergy momentum can’t be stopped!

So let me catch you up on what is happening as we ramp up from Phase I to Phase II.

First, many thanks for your strong response to our board’s decision to press the “pause” button temporarily after Synergy2011 to seek God’s guidance and build a strong foundation for what comes next. Your enthusiastic support for this decision and for Synergy's next phase is a reminder of the importance of our network and just how much we need each other.

Here’s what’s been happening since our June announcement.

1) We’re currently in the middle of moving forward with the four major strategies we defined:

Synergy Board: Our new board chair, Susie Lipps, is doing an excellent job of leading the charge for board expansion and development.

Fund Raising: We have our work cut out for us, but Sharon Denney and I, along with our board, are focused on fund raising and leaving no stone unturned. The photo above was taken recently when Sharon was in Boston from NYC for some face-to-face fund raising planning with me and strategic meetings in the Lexington area. The location of our meeting and Sharon's insatiable desire to explore during gaps in the schedule (people who know her will understand) explain why we happen to be at the Minute Man National Park.

Regionals: Even though we’ve temporary postponed booking regionals, initial conversations are already taking place for regional conferences in Los Angeles, Portland, and Boston.

Phase II Infrastructure: We’ve taken a major step towards building an appropriate infrastructure by outsourcing our accounting and business operations to Mission Well in California.

2) Small groups are piloting new ideas and developing strategies and resources that we believe Synergy can multiply nationally as we build a stronger more active network, facilitate strategic new initiatives, and mobilize more women for the Kingdom.

In Massachusetts, the Gathering for Hope was launched a year ago by Brooke Sulahian for women to educate themselves about justice issues and organizations and wrestle with the question: What can I do? This past Monday, a second Gathering for Hope was formed.

Across several states, a cohort of women in similar ministry situations are fleshing out how to build bridges and move toward a Blessed Alliance in their churches.

3) We are shortly to announce a new national initiative to engage the Synergy Network in stimulating conversations with significant thought leaders, such as Chai Ling, Andy Crouch, and others.

We can't do any of this without God's help and without your support. Please keep us in your prayers. Consider becoming a regular Synergy supporter. And definitely stay tuned for more details! (That’s one more reason to “LIKE” the Synergy FaceBook Page!)

Moving forward together,
Carolyn

Just out! A Heart for Freedom

2011-10-04T14:30:00.001-05:00

Prospective readers of A Heart for Freedom (Synergy's Book of the Month) should probably be forewarned that reading Chai Ling’s story runs the risk of being swept up in her passion for freedom and unable to sidestep your own responsibility to do something about what is wrong in our world. It’s amazing what one person can do, once she makes up her mind to act. I hope her book has that impact on all of us.

Chai Ling offers a rare intimate behind-the-scenes look at the Tiananmen Square student protest and the tragic aftermath as Ling recounts those history changing days—not as a journalist, but as a key leader of the student movement. With the growing significance of China in today’s world, her remarkable story gives us vital insight into this significant moment in China’s history and to the suffering, courage, and sheer determination that characterized the students in that movement.

I loved observing how Ling, herself, evolves and grows from start to end of this book and how her story bridges the old world of her foot-bound grandmother and the twenty-first century high tech world of Jenzabar. Born in China, Ling is a disappointment to her father for not being a son. Conditioned to defer to the men in her life (and her father heads the list) and to derive her meaning and value from their approval, Ling awakens to her own deep sense of calling in the Tiananmen Square protests and to her responsibility to do something about the suffering and injustice in the world—a responsibility that is reinforced and galvanized years later when she embraces faith in Christ.

She doesn’t airbrush her story, but is unflinchingly truthful about her own flaws and failings. Every situations she faces pushes her outside of her comfort zone—Tiananmen Square, life on the run, starting over on her own in a foreign country, launching a business, and her efforts today on behalf of China’s daughters under the government’s One-Child Policy. Ling doesn’t hold back. The results are seen, not only her achievements and the benefits that come to others, but also in her flourishing as a human being. I’d like to think her story will awaken that same sense of calling and urgency, the same refusal to hold back, in every woman who reads Ling’s story.

But perhaps the most unexpected message of this book centers on the subject of the One-Child Policy and abortion in particular. The statistics for China are not only alarming, but difficult to absorb—not just that every 2.5 seconds a baby is aborted, that 86% of Chinese women have had abortions (multiple abortions for 52% of women ages 20-35), or that abortions exceed live births 101 to 100, but that in the wake of all those government mandated abortions, every day 500 women in China commit suicide.

China is losing her daughters—both the little ones and the grown ones—at appalling rates. When you realize how much good one of China’s daughters is accomplishing, the loss of all the others is incalculable. Ling’s poignant discussion of the complex subject of abortion points us all (especially Evangelical Christians, of which she is one) to a more compassionately thoughtful and redemptive approach to this complex subject. For that, we owe her a great debt.

So read her story, if you dare!

"What she is really trying to say ..."

2011-09-25T10:19:00.004-05:00

Pierre-Édouard Frère (1819-1886)

As one who often struggles with prayer—fighting for words, for focus, confused and heartsick over many things—I took comfort this morning in the words of Patrick Gray.

Preaching a series on the prayer the Lord taught his disciples to pray, Patrick reminded us that when we pray to "Our Father who art in heaven ..." there are two listeners in heaven who hear us and that Jesus, who knows all we experience, interprets our prayers. That even when we feel we have just prayed the worst prayer ever, heaven doesn't drop our call. Instead, Jesus leans over to the Father and says, "What she is really trying to say is ..."

Something to ponder . . .

2011-09-10T19:37:00.003-05:00

"On 9/11 I thought, For the most powerful, militarized nation in the world also to think of itself as an innocent victim is deadly. It was a rare prophetic moment for me, considering Presidents Bush and Obama have spent billions asking the military to rectify the crime of a small band of lawless individuals, destroying a couple of nations who had little to do with it, in the costliest, longest series of wars in the history of the United States.

The silence of most Christians and the giddy enthusiasm of a few, as well as the ubiquity of flags and patriotic extravaganzas in allegedly evangelical churches, says to me that American Christians may look back upon our response to 9/11 as our greatest Christological defeat. It was shattering to admit that we had lost the theological means to distinguish between the United States and the kingdom of God. The criminals who perpetrated 9/11 and the flag-waving boosters of our almost exclusively martial response were of one mind: that the nonviolent way of Jesus is stupid. All of us preachers share the shame; when our people felt very vulnerable, they reached for the flag, not the Cross.

September 11 has changed me. I'm going to preach as never before about Christ crucified as the answer to the question of what's wrong with the world. I have also resolved to relentlessly reiterate from the pulpit that the worst day in history was not a Tuesday in New York, but a Friday in Jerusalem when a consortium of clergy and politicians colluded to run the world on our own terms by crucifying God's own Son."

—Will Willimon, Christianity Today forum,

How Evangelical Leaders Have Changed Since 9/11

Gordon College

2011-09-06T20:18:00.001-05:00

This past summer, for the second time, I was the speaker for a week at InterVarsity's Cedar Campus in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for their Leadership Institute. A whole week interacting with college students who are tomorrow's Christian leaders. And just like the last time I was there, this year I walked away with renewed hope having glimpsed what God is doing in the hearts and minds of this rising generation. They are on fire for the Lord, and that fire is spreading.

Which makes me look forward all the more to the opportunity I have Wednesday, September 7, to speak in chapel at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. Nice to have a speaking opportunity that doesn't require a trip to the Boston-Logan Airport. Even better to be able to interact with more students about the message of Half the Church.

I'm bracing for another hope-filled experience.

Still Jealous?

2011-09-02T16:17:00.003-05:00

Several days ago, I sat across the table from Alice Mathews in a nearby restaurant. I had her all to myself for a leisurely (!) lunch. We were there for several hours. Afterwards I posted on Twitter and FaceBook,

"Enjoyed a 4-hour face-to-face w/Alice Mathews. If you're not jealous of me, you should be. What a wealth of wisdom!"

Right away, a bunch of FB friend admitted feelings of jealousy. Anyone who's heard her speak at one of our Synergy conferences surely felt at least a twinge.

Well, I have just the cure. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (one of Synergy's seminary sponsors) is again offering a D.Min. track in Effective Ministry to Women with Alice Mathews at the helm. Women in this program are guaranteed quality time with Alice. Doesn't get better than that!

Having Alice as a mentor is reason enough to enroll, although the program speaks for itself, not to mention the other professors participating. This link explains everything you need to get started: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/doctor-ministry/Effective-Ministry-to-Women.cfm

Who knows? Maybe while you're in the neighborhood, we can get together for coffee, and I can have a face-to-face with you!

The Little Ezer Effect!

2011-08-14T15:00:00.002-05:00

This little ezer's story is shaking things up on the airwaves and proving once again that we dare not underestimate what God might do through one ezer—even a little one. Her story also brings to light a larger issue that needs to shake up our views of little ezers in other ways.

Rachel Beckwith heard from her church about the need for clean water in Africa. So when her 9th birthday approached, she opted to forgo the party and presents and instead set out to raise $300 to bring clean water to those who desperately need it. She came within $80 of reaching her goal.

Tragically, soon after her birthday, Rachel was killed in an auto accident. Her story was picked up by the press and is spreading. The impact of this precious little life is stirring others around the world to give. Her starter fund has exceeded $1,000,000. Go to Rachel's 9th Birthday Wish if you want to join this effort. Nicholas Kristoff's article, "Rachel's Last Fund-Raiser," shows Rachel's campaign for water is only part of the giving she did in her brief life.

Rachel's story should leave us all wondering what this little ezer might have done if she had enjoyed a normal life span? Who's to say where haircut donations to Locks of Love and $220 for clean water might have taken her had she lived to carry on as an adult what she started as a child?

I'm hearing from women who have been reading Half the Sky and Half the Church and who are moving forward to do something (and mobilize others) to address the suffering of women and girls in the world. Rachel's story is a reminder that all of us can help. A little creativity goes a long way. The fullness of Jesus' gospel calls us to this.

Rachel's story also reveals something that can be easy for grown-ups to overlook: the enormous potential of little girls to make a difference for others if only given a chance. What would the world be like if more little girls were encouraged to think about raising $220 to help others?

Beyond this, Rachel's story puts in perspective just how monstrous it is that in today's world 200 million girls are missing because they've been aborted, abandoned, or neglected. (See "It's a girl!") The horror of these deaths is bad enough. But look at one little ezer's life and ask yourself how much the world has lost when 200 million little ezers are gone. And what else goes missing when girls are denied an education or not cheered on to discover and employ the gifts God has given them?

People are looking for ideas. What are other little ezers doing to make a difference?

"It's a girl!"

2011-08-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

I woke up Tuesday morning wondering, "What will the Stock Market do today?" and fearing the worst. Instead, my attention was diverted by a link I received from a friend to the video above. It's a trailer for the documentary, "It's a girl!"

Amazing how quickly a 3-minute video can put things in perspective.

Who knew that words spoken when I was born or the joyous announcement at my daughter's birth are, in some places, "the three most deadly words in the world." I'm still trying to absorb the fact that each year China and India eliminate more girls (for no other reason than they are girls) than girls born in the U.S. The loss of these precious lives and the trauma to their mothers is beyond appalling. But there are other serious consequences, for the resulting gender imbalance has a destabilizing effect on a culture leading to such things as an increase in violence and sex trafficking.

Last week I met with Chai Ling, founder of All Girls Allowed, to learn more about what's happening and her tireless efforts to get governments to act and to reach out to women who have suffered or are facing forced abortions or have courageously managed to keep their daughters. If you're asking what you can do, Ling's website is the place to go for information and ideas. The least we can do is to sign the petition asking President Obama and Congress to put pressure on the Chinese government to end the One Child Policy that is responsible for the deaths of millions of little girls. I hope you will do that.

Fort Collins

2011-07-22T21:33:00.001-05:00

Time to pack again!

This time I'm going to Ft. Collins, Colorado for the Campus Crusade for Christ 2011 U.S. National Staff Conference on the Colorado State University campus. It's a breathtakingly beautiful part of the country.

Monday morning, I'll be part of a line-up of four speakers, including Dan Allender, Amena Brown, and Blair Burns. In the afternoon, we'll all be conducting some of the 2-hour Super Seminars. I'm excited to be doing mine on the Blessed Alliance, but am also going to wish I could attend theirs.

Afterwards, I am really looking forward to spending time with old friends and hope to make some new ones. Lots of Synergy friends will be there, which is a plus for me!

For those who haven't yet heard, CCCI just announced a name change of their USA ministries to CRU—a name already used on many campuses. To read their announcement, go here. For the Huffington Post's report on the name change, go here.

Here's hoping the weather is cooler in Colorado than it is here in Boston. After days of incredibly pleasant summer weather, the heat wave has finally come to us.

An Ezer Moment?

2011-07-21T11:30:00.003-05:00

CNN reported it as "the slap ... heard around the world: Wendi Deng Murdoch putting herself between her husband Rupert Murdoch and a protester armed with a shaving cream pie."

In a nanosecond the Internet was abuzz over Murdoch's third wife—a championship volleyball player—whose latest spike was timed perfectly to protect her husband from a heckler. Previously criticized as a gold-digger for her marriage to the media mogul, Wendi's recent actions have cast her in a new light, as a woman who loves her husband, takes responsibility for what's happening, and moves instinctively (faster than the police) to defend him against an assailant.

And while all the world is talking, unless I missed something (and please correct me if I'm wrong), Christian blogs are strangely silent. We're not talking about a woman who protects her man—especially in such a public and physically combative way. But we need to talk about this because the issue is important and the stakes go much higher than a humiliating face full of shaving cream.

I wrote about this issue in Half the Church after telling the stories of twelve-year-old Reem Al Numery of Yemen and an Indian Muslim girl, Meena, whose story appears in Half the Sky.

Reem literally fought her way out of the marriage her father arranged with a thirty-year-old cousin who beat and raped her to consummate the "marriage." Not only did Reem secure a divorce, her actions resulted in an international outcry that is changing things for other child brides in Yemen.

At the age of eight or nine and five months before her first period, Meena was sold to traffickers. But Meena was a fighter too. "Her distinguishing characteristic is obstinacy. She can be dogged and mulish.... She breaches the pattern of femininity in rural India by talking back—and fighting back" (HTS, 7). Her mulishness resulted in her freedom and ultimately the freedom of the children she bore during her captivity who were also being trafficked.

Here's what I wrote in HTC:

"Are Reem and Meena allowable exceptions given their extreme circumstances, but for the rest of us, their kind of behavior is out of line? Are we definining a 'wartime ethic' for women where, in certain situations (life and death, for example, or in the event the men are absent) heavy lifting, strong leadership, and assertiveness are permissible, but are otherwise unnecessary, unnatural, and unacceptable? If Reem and Meena became Christians, would they be in for a major overhaul to eliminate their stubborn tendencies, or would we celebrate them as exemplary ezers, hold them up to our daughters for inspiration, and talk about them to our sons as the kind of courageous woman they should seek for a wife?"

—Half the Church, pp,122-123

So ... will we remain silent, treat the Deng episode as an "allowable exception," or can we find it in ourselves to praise a woman's bold actions to protect a man as a courageous ezer-warrior moment?

Let Freedom Ring!

2011-07-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."

—Luke 4:18-19

Maybe a good way to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy this July 4th holiday is to get behind our Christian sisters and brothers who are making freedom possible for others. See the list of Strategic Resources to the right, and feel free to suggest more in your comments.

Going Camping!

2011-07-02T11:49:00.003-05:00

Lucky me! Sunday morning I'm bound for Michigan's Upper Peninsula and InterVarsity's beautiful Cedar Campus . . . for a week!

That's not even the best part.

I'm going for InterVarsity's Leadership Institute, where I'll be speaking every evening to a gathering of young future leaders about their callings as God's Image Bearers, ezer-warriors, and members of the Blessed Alliance, how these callings come to life in the lives of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, and what are the implications for us today. I expect this will lead to some interesting discussions.

And while "camp" is not usually my cup of tea, if this week goes anything like the last time I went (in 2009), I'll come home more encouraged than ever because of what God is doing in the lives of today's young people and filled with fresh hope for the future!

Casa Roca Children's Homes

2011-07-02T10:00:00.005-05:00

Can't say they didn't warn us. Still, we were not prepared for what we experienced when we visited two of Casa Roca's 11 Children's Homes in Colombia. Esther Lucia de Silva-Silva, wife of Pastor Dario Silva-Silva, is the visionary and driving force behind these homes.

Little did we know we were about to enter a sacred place, where the gospel is being lavishly lived and young lives are being nourished with all that love can give and rising up to give back in many ways.

Esther told us "Our children are extraordinary," that "We are family, and this is home—not an orphanage."

The children come from rough backgrounds. Some were born to women who have been trafficked. Here they find the love of family and advocates who prize them and believe they are children of promise. Home parents are committed for the duration, and "The children can stay as long as they want."

Esther was emphatic. "We don't give second best to our children. We give them the best!" New clothes. New toys, and whatever they need to put their young lives on solid footing. Beyond the four walls of an orthodontist's office, I've never seen so many teeth in braces ("brackets") all in one place. The children receive the best education and, come summer, a fun vacation at the beach!

First stop was the girls home.The facilities were charming! The children were loving and friendly. You couldn't walk far without a small hand slipping into yours, defying any language barrier.

Frank & CCJ with the girls' parents.

Sarah (our translator) often volunteers at the
girls' home, and they adore her!

School House for the little girls.

The eye-opener for me was realizing that, just like any healthy family, the Casa Roca family is launching theit children. Loved and nurtured, they are flourishing spiritually, intellectually, professionally, and personally. They are becoming serious Christians and Colombia's future leaders. Which exposes the fact that to think of investing in the lives of forgotten, at risk children as rescue or charity completely misses the point. Completely! The potential that lies buried in these precious young lives—that can so easily be squandered by neglect and lack of opportunity—can bless the world. Instead of benefactors, those with resources are beneficiaries of the gifts and contributions these young people are capable of offering. We heard the stories of three great examples.

L to R: CCJ, Eli Johana Henao, Yesid David Bernal, Kelly Santamaria, FJ

Eli Johana Henao (also with Frank on the right) joined the family as a young girl after early years of terrible suffering. The stubborn love of family, Esther Lucia de Silva-Silva's relentless pursuit, and the power of the gospel softened her heart and changed her life. She is a glorious miracle. Having graduated from university, she has a career in media as a photographer and a producer of the Dario Silva-Silva's television ministry. Eli is soon to be married to a young pastor.

Yesid David Bernal is a rising star in the world of Colombia journalism. A university graduate with a degree in journalism, David writes for La República, Colombia's version of the Wall Street Journal. While we were there, Pastor Dario handed us a recent issue containing an article David wrote on a Microsoft Research Faculty Summit.

Kelly Santamaria, along with Eli, attended the women's conference where I spoke. This high schooler was drawn to teaching on the ezer, embraced it for herself, and spoke with incredible warmth of how Esther is an ezer for her and the other children in the homes.

The original plan was for us to visit the girls' home only and for the boys to come over to meet us and have cake and hot chocolate mixed with melted cheese, which they did. But the boys wanted us to see their house too. So before heading back to the hotel, we made a second stop at the boys' home where they gave us a tour of their home. I'll let Frank tell you about our visit there.

Hot Chocolate & Cheese?

Football anyone?

Barak Obama of Bogotá

2011-07-02T10:00:00.004-05:00

Carolyn and I did not think we were going to be able to visit the boy’s home. We spent so much time with the girls that it was getting dark and we thought we were headed back to the hotel.

We had already met a number of the young men at the dessert for the visitors, where the young journalist we met, Yesid David, spoke to the assembled group. After telling his story and expressing his appreciation for Casa Roca, he made a quiet plea to us—“Please come to see the boys home.”

So we decided to make one more stop and were glad we did.

Our guide was the son of the house parents, and his pride was very evident. In American parlance he was “house proud.” He took us to his family quarters, the study room they created from the garage, and then to the boy's bedrooms on the second and third floors. The third floor rooms had an exquisite view of the flickering lights of the town.

The boys are proud of their house and keep it spotless like this all the time. Amazing!

They wanted us to see the "happy room" containing
bicycles & anything else that puts a boy on wheels.

The parade continued outdoors to the back garden, where the boys were determined that we should see the “happy room.” Once we saw the contents of that room, no one need to explain to us why it was called the happy room. The room was stocked with bikes, athletic equipment, and toys.

But the best was saved for last. Our young guide took us to the great room where many of the boys were watching television. As we made our way to the great room, our guide turned to me and said: “I want you to meet Barak Obama.”

Initially I thought we were having a translation problem, but I turned the corner and there sat Barak Obama. Not Barak Obama, President of the United States, but Barak Obama of Bogotá. This Barak Obama was a 12-year-old boy from the Caribbean coast of Columbia who was sitting in a wheelchair. It was easy to see why—his legs were severely bent. But there he sat with a marvelous smile beaming from his dark face. He was always smiling we were told. His many brothers were clustered around as if forming a protective barrier. Our guide explained that Barak had undergone many surgeries, and that the latest would allow him to walk once he healed.

I was a bit perplexed. All the bedrooms were upstairs and there was no elevator. How did Barak get to his bedroom each night? Answer: his brothers carried him up and down the stairs on their backs. These young men, who had come from appallingly difficult circumstances, had learned how to love their neighbors as themselves. It is one thing to read this in the Bible; it is another to see it lived out in the lives of Barak Obama of Bogotá and the brothers of Casa Roca.

FJ

Raising the Roof in Bogotá!

2011-06-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

One of the highlights for me during our time in Colombia (and there were many) was hearing Frank preach on Psalm 146 in two services Sunday morning to a warmly receptive Casa Roca congregation.

This particular psalm became even more meaningful for Frank as he entered the difficult journey of grief after the death of his younger brother, Kelly James, in a mountain climbing tragedy on Mount Hood back in 2006.

My historian husband pointed out the connection between this psalm and Martin Luther's own struggles to trust God and the powerful hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is our God," that resulted from Luther's pondering the psalmist's words. Speaking as much to himself as to his Colombian hearers, Frank called us all to:

Remember what God has done in the past,
Remember who God is,
Remember God is with us in our troubles.

He later described that Sunday morning as "one of the most extraordinary preaching experiences of his life"—a remarkable statement given the fact that he was speaking through a translator. But, as you will see from the video, Diana Jalube is no ordinary translator. It was incredible to watch the two of them in action. They raised the roof!

And, of course, the amazing group of believers in the Casa Roca congregation were eager to extend greetings to their American brothers and sisters in Christ.

Colombian Ezers

2011-06-12T23:38:00.001-05:00

Frank and I had an unforgettable time in Bogotá, Colombia. You could call it perfect, except I got the flu the night before we came home, which meant staying an extra day and getting some rest we both needed anyway. But the memories of the people and of the way the gospel is taking hold in so many lives will stay with us for a long, long time.

I loved the women's retreat and meeting so many of the 1,200 women who gathered from all around Colombia on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Clearly the weather was powerless to stop the women from coming or to dampen their spirits that day.

Pastor Dario had the video I filmed (above) shown during the 4 worship services at church on Sunday.

Diana Jalube (left) interpreted my messages and also Frank's on Sunday. Watching her in action alone was worth the trip. It is gratifying when a translator pours herself heart and soul into the message like Diana does. Watching the two of them . . . well, you'll just have to see for yourself when I post the video.

When I returned home, I received this message from one of the women, which makes me thankful for the good news I have to offer women.

"Gracias..... tus palabras penetraron a los más profundo de mi corazón, de nuevo gracias por hacerme entender que soy una Gerrera Ezer para Dios."

In English:

"Thanks ..... Your words penetrated to the bottom of my heart, again thanks for making me understand that I am an ezer-warrior for God."

The next morning at church, I met a beaming little 7-year-old who had learned from her mother who attended the retreat that she is an ezer too.

Check out my FaceBook page for more photos.

Below is a hearty Colombian "hola!" to you from the ezers in Colombia.

Midday Finale

2011-06-07T15:30:00.000-05:00

Tune in Wednesday for the final segment of Midday Connection's 8-week series on Half the Church.

I have loved doing this series with Anita Lustrea and Melinda Schmidt and have been looking forward to this final broadcast. Anita and Melinda have done an amazing job of getting to the heart of my book, which isn't always the case in radio interviews. But instead of being in a plane today, heading home from Bogotá, I have been sick in a hotel bed all day with 24hr flu and praying Frank won't get sick too.

To wrap up the series, Anita will be playing interviews she conducted at Synergy2011 in Orlando this past March. Don't miss this opportunity to hear some of the great things Synergy women are doing to respond to what Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof describe as "the greatest moral challenge of our time." Anita and Melinda will also be taking calls from listeners to see how they are engaging in ministry and/or how the series on Half the Church has impacted them.

The final chapter of Half the Church—"Waking the Sleeping Giantess"—brings us to the unavoidable conclusion that we must act. I am personally heartened by growing numbers of women and girls who are stepping up to address this crisis. I pray their numbers will increase.

Midday Connection airs daily at 1:00 ET/noon CT. You can listen online or check their website for local listings. If you missed a previous broadcast, they're filed by date, and you can listen here to catch up.

April 6: Introduction—Seeing Beyond Ourselves
April 13: Chapter 1—Going Global (I was in the Moody Radio studio for this session and got caught on video, which Midday has posted on FaceBook.)
April 20: Chapter 2—Identity Theft
April 27: Chapter 3—Bearing God's Image in a Broken World
May 4: Chapter 4—The Shaping of a Leader's Soul
May 11: Chapter 5—The Ezer Unbound
May 18: Chapter 6—Here Comes the Bride!
May 25: Chapter 7—The Blessed Alliance
June 1: Chapter 8—The Great Debate
June 8: Conclusion—Waking the Sleeping Giantess

Casa Sobre la Roca

2011-06-06T12:35:00.002-05:00

Frank and I are wrapping up a mind-boggling time with the people of Casa Sobre la Roca in Bogotá, Colombia who have warmly welcomed and welcomed us as members of the Body of Christ in Colombia. We have been blessed by the friendship of our hosts, Ricardo and Diana Jalube, who lead Casa Sobre la Roca in South Florida. Diana is a gifted and energetic translator who invests herself in every word. She belongs to the Synergy Women's Network.

This Colombian network of 30 churches (so far), including several in the U.S., gives solid evidence of how the gospel is surging in the Global South.

The Casa Roca movement was founded by the former leading Colombian political television journalist, Darío Silva-Silva, with a Bible study group that met in his garage. That Bible study group has mushroomed into a congregation of 15,000 in Bogotá. Pastor Darío is a leading advocate for evangelicalism in Colombia and a deeply beloved pastor/father figure for the Colombian church. His wife Esther's heart beats for the poor and the homeless, and she is an unstoppable ezer-warrior for forgotten children.

Saturday, Frank addressed a men's retreat of 800 men and a gathering of academics, while I spoke to a throng of 1200 exuberant-shouting-joyous-clapping-jumping women who arrived from all over Colombia for a one-day women's retreat. (Those of you who know me will smile to learn that I was lovingly described as "muy stoica" compared to my Colombian sisters.) Despite my lack of rhythm, the ezer message has arrived in Colombia and been passionately received!

Sunday, both of us gave greetings at all four worship services (total of 14,000 people), and Frank preached at two of the standing room only worship services of more than 3500 people each. We were struck by the fact that the congregation was predominately young people and as many men as women.

Under the leadership of Esther Silva-Silva, Casa Roca now has an outstanding network of homes for children—11 homes to date—where children who were formerly homeless and without hope are receiving the best care, education, loads of love, and a bright future. Frank and I were blown away to see how they are flourishing and to hear them tell their stories of how the gospel is taking root in their hearts and they are becoming solid contributors to Colombian society as university educated professionals.

We have much to process, and I will be blogging more when we get home and I can hook my camera up to my computer. I have pictures to back up what I'm saying!

—CCJames from Bogotá

Bound for Bogotá

2011-06-01T20:23:00.003-05:00

Packing my suitcase again! This time Frank is packing too. We are going together to Bogotá, Colombia and the ministry of Casa Sobre la Roca—that is if the tornadoes roaring through Massachusetts this evening don't stop us.

I'm speaking for a women's conference of 1200 women on Saturday. Yes, the ezer message and El Evangelio de Rut are soon to be heard (and read) in Bogotá!

Also on Saturday, Frank is the speaker for a men's conference, then giving a vintage Frank James church history lecture on the Spanish reformer, Juan de Valdes. Bogotá is going to love this! Sunday he'll be preaching at two of their four services. I've been translating PowerPoint into Spanish with the help of Susie Lipps' dad, Dave Oltrogge. Muchas gracias, señor Dave!

This is our first venture to South America, and we are both excited about the privilege of participating in the incredible Gospel efforts going on in Colombia.

Coming Down the Home Stretch

2011-05-31T18:50:00.004-05:00

We're coming down the home stretch on the Midday Connection series about Half the Church—with only two more sessions to go. This week we've reached the chapter entitled "The Great Debate"—a major consideration for all of us, and yet ... Well you can either read the book and/or listen in to find out where this discussion will go. I hope you'll do both.

Midday Connection, hosted by Anita Lustrea (left) and Melinda Schmidt airs daily at 1:00 ET/noon CT. You can listen online or check their website for local listings. If you missed a previous broadcast, they're filed by date, and you can listen here to catch up.

April 6: Introduction—Seeing Beyond Ourselves
April 13: Chapter 1—Going Global (I was in the Moody Radio studio for this session and got caught on video, which Midday has posted on FaceBook.)
April 20: Chapter 2—Identity Theft
April 27: Chapter 3—Bearing God's Image in a Broken World
May 4: Chapter 4—The Shaping of a Leader's Soul
May 11: Chapter 5—The Ezer Unbound
May 18: Chapter 6—Here Comes the Bride!
May 25: Chapter 7—The Blessed Alliance
June 1: Chapter 8—The Great Debate

International Ezer Day!

2011-05-30T08:49:00.001-05:00

I was born on Memorial Day. When I was old enough to understand, my father used to tell me people were flying flags on their houses because it was my birthday. To those whose loved ones have served in the military, this may sound like sacrilege, but for me it was better than Santa Claus. Seeing all those flags on my birthday always made me hold my head a little higher.

Then, in 1968 Congress passed a law that took effect in 1971 changing Washington's Birthday, Veteran's Day, and Memorial Day to Mondays to create 3-day holidays for everyone. Veterans were not pleased because the change seemed to elevate long weekends over remembrance of those who have served our country. I'm sure if Washington were alive, he'd have a thing or two to say about his birthday being moved. You can be sure I was disappointed when flags stopped waving on my birthday except for that rare year when my birthday lands on the last Monday in May.

Mother's Day is the one day on the calendar when the church is (so to speak) waving flags for women. Yet ironically, a day that brings enormous joy and much deserved gratitude and love to many women, is for many others a day of utter discomfort and grief. Maybe it's the way FaceBook is changing things, but this year I received an unusual number of messages from women who were dreading church that day because of infertility, singleness, the loss of a child, or heartache over a prodigal.

Those emails reminded me of a blog I wrote on Mother's Day in 2009 to wish everyone a Happy Ezer Day! Afterwards Caryn Rivadeneira suggested we declare an International Ezer Day. I loved the idea. But at the time, Frank and I were selling our house in Orlando and preparing to move north. So a great idea got lost somewhere between Florida and Massachusetts.

This year, Memorial Day falls on May 30, and Old Glory is flying on houses again. Seeing those flags and recalling what my father used to say has me thinking we do need a day to celebrate ezers we love. It's time we paid proper tribute to ezers who have impacted our lives and are moving the kingdom forward in great and small ways. It's time we started cheering on the rising generation of young ezers.

I'm ready to name the date and am open to your suggestions. Propose a date (or vote "like" for someone else's suggestion) on the Synergy Women's Network FaceBook page (if you haven't yet joined, it's time you did) and start making your "Ezers I want to honor" list. I've already started mine.

Stay tuned for details!

The Oprah Phenomenon

2011-05-28T23:48:00.001-05:00

Last week, Oprah took her final victory lap after 25 hugely successful years of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Friends and fans gave her a blow-out farewell party to celebrate her legacy and the global following she has acquired (a reach of 150 countries). They also put front and center strong evidence of the powerful impact she has had on women and girls that should not go unnoticed by us.

A cluster of young girls, calling themselves "Oprah Show babies" and describing her as "the sound track of our lives," offered up a litany of evidence that was quite moving to hear.

"Oprah, because of you, I love to read books." "I've learned to stick to my beliefs and not let anyone change who I am." "Your show taught me to take better care of myself. I'm thirteen and I've lost 20 pounds." "My mom and I watched your show every day together. I was only 14 when she died and I know she would want me to continue to learn from you." "Oprah you helped me lift the shame of being abused and taught me that it wasn't my fault. Thank you." "We've learned from the Oprah Show that we're enough, that we matter, that our lives have value." "Because if you every morning I look in the mirror and say, 'Good morning gorgeous!'" "Oprah, I learned from you that I can be anything I want. Like the president of the United States." "Because of you, we believe girls can run the world!"

Singer, actress, Beyoncé chimed in, "Because of you, women everywhere have graduated to a new level of understanding of what we are, of who we are, and most of all who we can be"—extraordinary praise of Oprah's impact on women, (although the provocative dance routine that followed made me wonder just how much of Oprah's message Beyoncé has actually grasped).

In her post, "Filling the Oprah Void," author Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira points out that one of the reasons for Oprah's significant contributions has been her fearless openness in discussing painful subjects of interest to women and raising those subjects to new levels of seriousness. Caryn writes,

"Oprah understood the power of speaking truth as a method of healing. And, for all the people who criticize us for being a talk-show culture, ever-keen on spilling our guts, there are many more entirely set free by knowing we are not alone in our troubles."

While I welcome Oprah's undeniably positive influence on many lives, at the same time I grieve the fact that instead of taking the lead in giving women and girls a bigger vision of who God created them to be (and, trust me, we do have such a message—even better than what Oprah has to offer), the Christian community is lagging woefully behind. And why is it that we are so often in catch-up-mode in addressing subjects that are painful realities in the lives of countless women and girls? Shouldn't we be first?

We can sit on the sidelines and criticize Oprah for what her message lacks or for the flaws in her theology. Or we can ask ourselves if girls (and for that matter, boys too) in the church are saying, "Because I am God's image bearer, I know my life counts, I have value, I can change the world." "You helped me lift the shame of being abused and taught me it wasn't my fault." "The church has graduated women to to a new level of understanding of what we are, of who we are, and most of all who we can be"?

Midday Connection Series Continues ...

2011-05-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Every week, I look forward to talking about Half the Church on Midday Connection with one or both of these two—Anita Lustrea (left) and Melinda Schmidt (right). We're coming down the home stretch, and I'm already dreading the day when this series will be over and I won't have my weekly Anita/Melinda shot. Both are solid thinkers and amazing interviewers who don't frustrate their guests with shallow discussions about their work. I'm grateful to have them as friends.

Next chapter on tap is The Blessed Alliance—the partnership between God's male and female image bearers—a central kingdom strategy God unveiled in the beginning, that the Enemy broke up in the fall, and that Jesus came to recover by making his followers one.

Midday Connection airs daily at 1:00 ET/noon CT. You can listen online or check their website for local listings. If you missed a previous broadcast, they're filed by date, and you can listen here to catch up.

April 6: Introduction—Seeing Beyond Ourselves
April 13: Chapter 1—Going Global (I was in the Moody Radio studio for this session and got caught on video, which Midday has posted on FaceBook.)
April 20: Chapter 2—Identity Theft
April 27: Chapter 3—Bearing God's Image in a Broken World
May 4: Chapter 4—The Shaping of a Leader's Soul
May 11: Chapter 5—The Ezer Unbound
May 18: Chapter 6—Here Comes the Bride!
May 25: Chapter 7—The Blessed Alliance

A Kingdom Vision

2011-05-23T11:40:00.007-05:00

"God's vision [for his daughters] doesn't just reassure us that we matter and that our lives do count for something. God's vision compels us to look beyond ourselves, to ponder a picture of how things were meant to be that leaves us aching for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and to look for ways to participate in moving the world toward that goal."

—Half the Church

Where do you start?

2011-05-21T09:06:00.002-05:00

One of the fundamental questions facing anyone attempting to unpack the Bible's message for women is "Where do you start?" Every view on women has biblical passages that don't fit easily within their system. So choices are made to give some texts more weight than others and to interpret those other texts within the framework of these starting point texts.

In Half the Church, my starting point is God's vision of his daughters (which he casts in Genesis 1 and 2) as image bearers, ezer-warriors, and half of the Blessed Alliance. I read everything else the Bible has to say about women through that grid.

In this video, Professor N.T. Wright answers the "Where do you start?" question from the New Testament as it applies to women's gifts and ministries in the church. His response is similar to what Scot McKnight asked of the Bible in his book, Blue Parakeet with the acronym WDWD—"What Did Women Do?" In the passages Dr. Wright selects, WDWD carries added weight because of the men who are in the picture.

Situating the passages Dr. Wright references within the ancient patriarchal culture has the effect of placing an exclamation point beside both narratives. The main actors in these texts are the two leading figures in the establishment of Christianity—Jesus and the Apostle Paul.

Paul, the writer of Romans 16, is a recovering Pharisee and a former religious terrorist who in his pre-Christian days posed a terrible threat to followers of Jesus. It was in his cultural DNA to keep his distance even from Jewish women, especially in public. Yet here he is singing the praises of Gentile women leaders and openly declaring his reliance upon their ministries with and to him. Go figure!

According to John 20, had Jesus timed things a little differently, he could have commissioned the great apostles Peter and John to be the first gospel proclaimers of his resurrection. Instead, he waited to give Mary Magdalene that privilege, in a culture where the testimony of a woman was not accepted in a court of law.

"Where do you start?" is a crucial question everyone must answer. What do you make of Dr. Wright's response?

Connecting Faith

2011-05-20T09:03:00.005-05:00

I'm looking forward to another great opportunity to discuss Half the Church today, this time with radio host Michelle Strombeck. The interview airs on Faith Radio's program Connecting Faith.

You can listen live online at 1:00 pm ET/noon CT here or dial in to KTIS-AM Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Traveling West To Portland!

2011-05-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Seems like I just got back from Dallas and I'm packing my bags again—this time for Portland, Oregon, my home town.

Call me biased, but I think Portland is one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. In the words of a familiar storybook character, Portland is "Not too big. Not too small. It's just right!"

If you've never made it to the Northwest, you are missing out on some spectacular scenery, a mild climate, and a great city. Did I mention lots of rain? Small price to pay for a lush green state.

Of course Portland holds other attractions for me. The beginning chapters of my story played out there, so Portland contains a lot of my personal history. Heading home stirs up lots of memories. Most of my family still live there, so it's a huge bonus that I'll be spending time with my parents and the rest of the Custis family.

But first, I have two speaking engagements that I'm really privileged to do.

7:30 pm, Friday, May 13, I will be Multnomah University's 2011 commencement speaker at:

Rolling Hills Community Church
3550 SW Borland Road
Tualatin, OR 97062
(Tickets not required.)

Feels like coming full circle for me since my family moved to Portland in the first place when my father joined the faculty at what was then Multnomah School of the Bible. I was three at the time, so my earliest memories are centered in the Multnomah community.

9-11:00 am, Saturday, May 14, the Women's Center for Ministry Conferences, led by Dr. Bev Hislop at Western Seminary is hosting a event where I'll be speaking about Half the Church. More information is here, including RSVP information.

If you're in the Portland area, I'd love to see you at one or both of these events.

Resurrection!

2011-04-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Broken Body Made Whole

2011-04-23T07:00:00.003-05:00

I never will forget the first Anglican service I attended, when someone looked me squarely in the eye, handed me the bread, and spoke these powerfully personal words: "This is the Body of Christ which was broken for you."

I thought my legs were going to buckle.

But a whole body, not a broken one, was the trajectory of Jesus' ministry. Even before he was broken, he envisioned his body restored, healthy, and whole, where his male and female image bearers—young and old, rich and poor, from every tongue and tribe and nation—coalesce into one healthy, vigorous, fully functioning, interdependent Body of Christ.

The brand of oneness Jesus restores among his male and female image bearers doesn't depend on sameness—which is what most of us in the Body of Christ keep thinking and why oneness seems perpetually beyond our reach.

"The oneness God envisions doesn’t erase individuality, but actually benefits from and is enriched by their differences. But the oneness for which they are created doesn’t leave God out; rather, it finds its center in him. What unleashes the kingdom potency and the enormous good of this male/female oneness is when, like an astronomical syzygy where gravity pulls three celestial bodies into a straight line, the two of them align with God.
—Half the Church

Jesus' body was broken to end hostility, division, estrangement, injustice, and violence within the human race. His body is not supposed to remain broken, but to be restored—interconnected into an other-worldly oneness that captures the world's attention leaves them marveling, "See how they love one another!"

Jesus' body was broken so that his body might be made whole and that the world might know he has come. That was his prayer for us—

"that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
—John 17:21

Is God Good for Women?

2011-04-21T23:42:00.002-05:00

Last week, in a well-known Christian college, a Bible professor stated unequivocally to his class that “Men are created in the image of God, but women are created in the image of man.” His assertion is a flat denial of what is stated plainly on page one of the Bible, but unfortunately has long roots that can be traced back to early church fathers, including the revered St. Augustine, and has done enormous damage. I remember the first time I heard anyone say, “God created both women and men in his image.” I was in my twenties, had grown up in the church, and this was news to me.

The comment made by former President Jimmy Carter (a Bible-believing Christian) linking religion to the global epidemic of discrimination against women (posted here), coupled with the boatload of criticisms former Christian Paula Kirby unloads against Christianity in her article “Religion lies about women” (posted here) confronts the church with questions that are neither unfair nor manufactured.

To the contrary, both are raising legitimate questions about biblical texts, traditional interpretations, and widespread practices, and they are not the only ones who are asking. Historically, and still today, the church’s teachings and practices have opened the door, if not directly contributed, to discrimination against women. We need to be honest about that. Countless women and men both outside and inside the church know this to be true, including many former Christians who, like Kirby, have vacated the church.

Kirby’s article will (and should) make Christians squirm. But this is not a moment for dismissive remarks or clever counterattack. The offenses bundled up in the phrase “discrimination against women” are real and range from polite to sinister. Globally they encompass unspeakable suffering, violent atrocities, and deadly consequences for countless women and girls. If you want to put things in perspective, read Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s bestselling book, Half the Sky. In fact, Half the Sky challenged me to examine the relevance of the Bible’s message for women and girls in this century, and my findings resulted in Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women.

Kirby is raising important questions and deserves to be taken seriously. At a minimum, the church loses credibility in the world and squanders vital human resources God designed to bless the world when we embrace a weak, guarded, and small message for women within our ranks. This alone is reason enough to engage the issues Kirby is raising. Her article opens a window of opportunity the church has responsibility to engage. Her honest questions are not sidebars to the Christian faith, but central to the gospel we embrace. Nothing quite outrages God and his prophets like abuse of power and injustices against women, the poor, and the foreigner. Christians today should be on the forefront in addressing the slightest hint of oppression both inside and outside the church. Kirby’s questions challenge the church’s ability to speak into the lives of women in the twenty-first century with relevance and a message that empowers women to live fully and that promotes their flourishing in today’s world. It’s a fair question: Is the good news of the gospel truly good news for women too?

I have been asking these questions for years, not as an outsider, but as a committed Christian woman. This discussion isn’t academic for me. These issues touch down in my life and in the lives of women and girls globally in deeply personal, everyday practical ways. They shape our choices, limit or expand our horizons, and impact how we see ourselves and our place in God’s world. They have a profound effect on our marriages and on our interactions with men.

Difficult and debated texts in the Bible are not peripheral to this discussion. But the search for answers must also include examining the big picture of Scripture—God’s vision for us in the beginning that Jesus came to restore. Rather than build our understanding of God’s calling for his daughters solely on disputed Scripture passages, it is important to examine the lives of women in Scripture to see what God actually calls women to do and how they join their believing brothers in recovering God’s kingdom vision for the world and to consider how consistently Jesus went against the culture in his interactions with women.

Stories of women in the Bible must be viewed within their cultural context, for they occur within an ancient patriarchal culture—a world that is foreign to Western American culture, but has more in common with countries in today’s Middle East. In patriarchy, sons are prized and daughters don’t count. Kirby is correct in noting how few women appear on the pages of the Bible—in all, approximately ten percent of the characters in the Bible are female. Female names rarely appear in genealogies. Daughters are married off and leave to build another man’s house. But a man is nothing and his line is cut off if he is without sons. The Bible’s message is cast in sharp relief against that cultural backdrop, making the stories of women in the Bible leap off the pages with surprising twenty-first century relevance.

What follows here is just the tip of the iceberg. But these biblical texts are as authoritative as the disputed texts and need to be included in this discussion.

In the Genesis creation narrative, I read that God created “male and female in his image and likeness.” Every woman born is God’s image bearer—an identity that confers enormous dignity and purpose on every woman and girl and comes with heavy leadership responsibility to speak and act as God’s representatives in the world. In fact, there is no higher view of women possible than the call to be like God. We are called to embrace God’s heart for the world and to be active agents of justice, compassion, and good for others. This is indisputable.

From creation, I learn that when God created his male and female image bearers “he blessed them,” then spread before them the whole earth, commanding them to “be fruitful and multiply,” to “rule and subdue.” These commands point beyond merely populating the earth to live fruitful, productive lives, not to ruling and subduing each other, but to governing the whole earth together for their mutual flourishing. Male and female are God’s A-Team—called to forge a Blessed Alliance to reclaim territory and people the Enemy holds captive, to push back the darkness, and to build God’s kingdom together. Even Wall Street is seeing the wisdom of men and women working together, as they wonder if we’d be in the current financial crisis if Lehman Brothers had been Lehman Brothers and Sisters. God created male and female to cultivate, utilize, and steward earth’s vast resources for the good of all and to do it together. This is indisputable.

Naomi is a childless post-menopausal widow—a female Job figure who in the patriarchal culture lives at the bottom of the social ladder. Yet God recruits Naomi to become the wise mentor of the king’s grandfather. She draws deep wisdom about God from the school of suffering and teaches us that no matter what shape our lives are in or how little others may think of us, God never counts us out. Kingdom building is a lifelong occupation, and sometimes God is advancing his kingdom in big ways through the efforts of the least among us. This is indisputable.

Through Naomi’s gentile daughter-in-law Ruth, God call his daughters to take responsibility for the needs around us, to live boldly, take risks, fearlessly initiate solutions, and advocate for others even when it means moving out of our comfort zone to engage and challenge the thinking of those in positions of authority over us. This is indisputable.

God raises up Deborah, Hannah, Esther, and countless others as role models for all women, reminding us that he is accomplishing great things through his daughters—shaping nations, instructing kings, and enriching the church with the theology, wisdom, and strength of women both in the past and also today. These women also remind our brothers that they can’t build God’s kingdom without us. This is indisputable.

Add Jesus to these stories. A distinctive of Jesus’ ministry was a radical counter-cultural activism for women. As a rabbi, he violated the status quo that frowned on teaching women by publicly defending their right to learn, openly teaching them himself, and giving them strategic leadership responsibilities as his disciples. He was proactive on behalf of widows, gave top priority to daughters in a patriarchal culture that favored sons, turned the finger of blame away from a woman caught in adultery to confront her self-righteous male accusers, and entrusted women as witnesses and spokespersons for his gospel in a culture that refused to admit female testimony in a court of law. This is indisputable.

Jesus sobers me with his parable of the talents. It’s a serious matter to Jesus when we bury our gifts and talents in the ground instead of employing and investing them for his kingdom. This is indisputable.

Even the Apostle Paul corroborates Jesus’ message by employing the language of anatomy to underscore the fact that women are vital members of the body of Christ, that the whole body needs our gifts and ministries, and that it is hindered if we withhold them. This is indisputable.

Although none of this settles the questions posed by President Carter and Paula Kirby, I want to invite the conversation they provoke by adding more fodder to a discussion I welcome and am convinced the church needs to engage. Women make up half the church and in many places more than half. A lot is at stake in the issues being raised.

So let’s have that conversation.

Headin' for "Big D"

2011-04-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Just back from an amazing packed five days in Chicago and, next week, I'm back on the road again—this time in Dallas for another packed week of events.

See information and links below and learn about more freebies. If you live anywhere near Dallas, I hope you'll think seriously about coming to one or more of these events.

______________________________________________________________
Christian Leadership Alliance Conference
Tuesday-Thursday, April 26-28

FullFill is partnering with CLA to present this year's conference.

I'll be speaking 2 times, plus a workshop. You can learn more about the conference here.

Sign up with the code FFCLA11, and you'll receive FREE copies of Elisa Morgan's book, She Did What She Could and the study guide that goes with it.

And by the way, if you aren't already subscribed to FullFill's online magazine, you should. It's FREE too. It includes lots of thoughtful articles, including my column called { Think }.

Check out the latest issue (and subscribe) here.

______________________________________________________________
Life Today television interview with James Robison
Tuesday, April 26, 7:00 p.m.

If you're free Tuesday evening and you live in the Dallas area, I'd really love to see some friends in the audience. They're offering FREE tickets to attend. The following invitation is from LIFE Today:

"You're invited to be in the studio audience for the appearance of Carolyn Custis James on the LIFE Today show with James Robison, Tuesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. For your FREE tickets email audience@loi.org or call 817-354-3655."

Location: 1801 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040

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Half the Church Book Launch Hosted by Women's Ministries
Park Cities Presbyterian Church
Thursday, April 28, 7-8:00 p.m.

I'm looking forward to talking about my new book, Half the Church. This gathering is open to the public. No reservations are required.

For more information, go here, or contact Laurie Butterfield, 214-224-2722.

Location: 4124 Oak Lawn Avenue

Dallas, TX 75219

News Updates!

2011-04-06T17:23:00.064-05:00

The FREE download of The Gospel of Ruth, Kindle edition, is still on. If you don't have a Kindle, download the FREE version of Kindle PC and read books on your computer.

Also the Kindle editions of When Life and Beliefs Collide and Lost Women of the Bible are both still available at $3.99 each.

The Midday Connection interview series on Half the Church, hosted by Anita Lustrea and Melinda Schmidt, has been expanded from nine to ten weeks. Today, we only got through the introduction, "Seeing Beyond Ourselves." Anita and Melinda generate a lively discussion and really get into the subject matter. I love working with them!

I've added Wheaton College to my "Windy City" itinerary. On Tuesday, April 12, I'll be participating in a couple of classes and possibly a "Fireside Chat" with students.

9-Week Half the Church Series Starts Today!

2011-04-06T11:03:00.002-05:00

Today, Anita Lustrea, with co-host Melinda Schmidt, is launching a nine-week series about Half the Church on Midday Connection. We're going to discuss our way through the book, chapter-by-chapter.

Live broadcast is 1:00 ET/noon CT each week. Listen online or check their website for local listings. If you missed the first broadcast, you can listen here.

The Windy City

2011-04-05T12:26:00.003-05:00

This weekend, I'm heading to Chicago with a full agenda and the chance to catch up with a lot of friends.

Friday-Sunday, Mary Whelchel is hosting The Christian Working Woman's 23rd Annual Weekend Getaway where I'll be one of the speakers. Registration is still open if you're in the area and can come for all or part of the weekend.

Monday, I'm meeting twice with the women of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School—9-11am with students and 6-8pm with the TEDS Wives Fellowship.

Between those Monday meetings, is an in-studio taping at Moody Radio of the second in a nine-week Midday Connection series Anita Lustrea is hosting on Half the Church. Instead of the usual telephone interview, I'll be seeing Anita live and in action! Starting tomorrow (Wednesday, April 6), she and I will discussing our way through every chapter of Half the Church. If you've ever heard Anita's interviews, you'll understand why I'm looking forward to this nine-week series! Audios are posted online for those who can't catch the live broadcast.

Tuesday morning, I'm a guest on The Harvest Show in South Bend, Indiana. Once again, Half the Church will be the topic of discussion.

It's a packed schedule, and no doubt I will feel wind-blown by the time I head home. But I'm looking forward to conversations about Half the Church and to hearing from women in the Chicago area.

The Shepherd's Heart

2011-04-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

As little kids, most of us experienced at least once that horrible panicky feeling of being lost in the grocery store and the huge sense of relief that sweeps over you when mom or dad shows up to claim their missing child. When I recall my childhood, I associate that feeling with Sunday after church. As a P.K., I was often the last child to get picked up from the nursery.

Last October, when I was in Cape Town for Lausanne 2010, that panicky feeling returned. I was on a long-awaited field trip with the Reconciliation as the Mission of God group on the one free afternoon during the conference. I'd been looking forward to it all week long. But at the very first stop, I got separated from my group. By the time I realized my mistake, the whole group had moved on without me. I dashed out of the museum door to the street and looked in every direction. They were nowhere in sight. No one saw them leave or knew which way they had gone. I had a suspenseful several minutes until, to my great relief, I saw the leader of our group, Chris Rice, heading my way.

In today's Lenten reading, Jesus asks the disproving Pharisees and ultimately every one of us to move beyond merely contemplating lost sheep to contemplate the heart of the shepherd.

All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had a hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.
—Luke 15:1-7, CEB

The Pharisees were revolted by the company Jesus was keeping. Their attitudes mirror a young man in Khaleo Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns who "spoke quickly and with emphatic, arrogant confidence . . . the sort of quarrelsome young man who relished his authority, who saw offenses everywhere, thought it his birthright to pass judgment."

In jarring contrast, Jesus doesn’t show the slightest flicker of revulsion and is, in fact, patently unapologetic about hanging out with society’s outcasts. Much to the astonishment of the Pharisees, and no doubt to his disciples, Jesus reinforces his regard for the outcasts by telling a story of a shepherd’s relentless pursuit of that one lost sheep and his unconcealed joy at finding it. And there is dancing in the streets of heaven over just one repentant sinner Jesus restores to the fold.

So here’s the kicker both for the Pharisees and for us. Jesus isn’t merely explaining himself to his critics. He’s raising the bar for how his followers are to live. When God created male and female in his image and likeness, he wasn’t merely establishing our superiority to plants and animals. He was also defining our exalted mission as human beings, namely, to represent God in this world. To speak and act for him.

The only way we know how this is to be done is by making Jesus—God's perfect image bearer—our study and then by practicing what he preaches. For God’s image bearers, both male and female, Jesus is our role model. In his habit of dining with the outcasts of society and his story of a determined shepherd in pursuit of his lost sheep, Jesus is modeling what it means to live according to the image of God. If that doesn’t get through to us, then at the very least, when we pray “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we should ponder heaven’s thunderous endorsement of Jesus’ value system and actions and begin imitating what heaven joyously approves.

The question N.T. Wright raises about this parable reveals the fact that there is kingdom potency in how closely our relationships with others resemble the pattern Jesus established. “What would we have to do, in the visible public world, if we were to make people ask the questions today to which [this story is] the answer?”

Lent is for me, a sober reminder of the disturbing gap between who I am now and who God created me to be. We may feel better about ourselves in comparison to others. But honest comparisons with Jesus—who calls for a radically different gospel way of thinking and living—will bring us to our knees in broken heartfelt repentance. And when that happens, the celebrating begins in heaven.

* * * * * * *
This post is part of the Lenten Blog Tour, in which 41 bloggers offer reflections on Lent using the new Common English Bible. Check in each day from Ash Wednesday to Easter Monday for more.

Read more about image bearer living in Half the Church. There's more to this than we realize!

Identity Theft

2011-04-01T14:11:00.003-05:00

"Every 79 seconds, a thief steals someone’s identity …" — CBSnews.com

Identity theft is skyrocketing. Horror stories abound. Shredders are becoming as commonplace in households as toasters. Theft insurance is in demand. According to CBS news projections, “This year alone more than 500,000 Americans will be robbed of their identities… with more than $4 billion stolen in their names.” It can take years to recover.

An even bigger identity theft is happening today—targeting every woman and girl, robbing us of the labels that define us and give us meaning.

After years of being known as the wife of a successful businessman, my widowed grandmother was visibly shaken when someone addressed her on paper by her first name instead of his. Her identity had been stolen. Times do change. Three generations later, my daughter (seven at the time) thought it was hilarious when a letter arrived at our house addressed to “Mrs. Frank James.” She couldn’t believe anyone would address her Papa as “Mrs.” But Millennials have their own identity struggles.

A close friend who spent years building a strong career in church ministry was laid off, with no job prospect in sight. Another friend, after thirty years of raising kids, just entered the empty nest phase and feels lost. Their identities have been stolen.

Identity theft is a deeply personal issue for all of us. As leaders, we are not immune to the events that have us standing on solid ground one day and in quicksand the next. It only takes a phone call, a diagnosis, or a plummeting economy for our identities to be snatched away. Identity theft is also a leadership issue, for as leaders we must think through these issues for the women and girls who count on us to help them survive an identity crisis.

God has a thing or two to say about the subject of a woman’s identity. On page one of the Bible God issues a theft-proof identity card that travels with us—perfectly intact—from birth through the many seasons, demographic changes, and episodes of our stories.

When God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26) he moved a woman’s identity beyond the reach of thieves. Enormous benefits come to us from those few words. Here are a few I find life giving.

Being God’s image bearer means my highest calling as a woman is to know him. I may do a lot of other things, but this one tops the list. I can’t know who I am or why I’m here without knowing the God who created me to be like himself. My mission in life is to know the God who made me and to imitate what I see in him. Nothing can take this away from me.

Being God’s image bearer means I represent God in this world. I am
his eyes, his ears, his hands, his feet, his voice. Wherever I go, whatever I do—I speak and act on his behalf. People are supposed to get a sense of what God is like by rubbing shoulders with me. Everything I do matters. Nothing can take this away from me.

Being God’s image bearer means it is not possible for me to live an insignificant life. God’s image bearers are kingdom builders. He strategically stations each of us where we have kingdom work to do. Even a cup of water taken to a small child in the dead of night carries kingdom significance in God’s eyes. Nothing can take this away from me.

It may still be wise to buy a shredder and check my credit occasionally. But I never need to fear the loss of my identity, for I am God’s image bearer and my identity is grounded in him. And nothing can take that away from me.

[This article was originally published in FullFill ezine. Reprinted with permission.]

For more—much more (!)—about what God has to say about his daughters, read Half the Church This is an important global issue that impacts both women and men.

Asking Deeper Questions

2011-03-30T22:36:00.001-05:00

Publishers Weekly Starred Review

2011-03-29T15:54:00.003-05:00

When my publisher notified me that Publishers Weekly issued a starred review for Half the Church, I wasn't sure of the significance. All of the reviews on Amazon come with stars—even the negative ones are starred. So what's all the fuss about?

According to slate.com, Publishers Weekly "reviews . . . influence which books get noticed, bought, and promoted in the media" and are "read by everyone in publishing." So here's PW's review of Half the Church and a second review by the Library Journal.

Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women
Carolyn Custis James. Zondervan, $18.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-310-32556-7

Author (When Life and Beliefs Collide) and conference speaker James takes on the church's historical stance on women who enthusiastically embrace their God-given role as "ezer-warriors" (ezer is the Hebrew word for "helper"). James's previous works form the foundation for this important study, which could appropriately be thought of as the Christian companion to the groundbreaking Half the Sky, with its clarion call to activism. James challenges all women to step up and get busy doing the hard work of righting wrongs, influencing their communities, and laboring right alongside their male counterparts to effect powerful and positive change worldwide. James draws liberally from the Bible to underscore that God's plan is for men and women to work with each other as essential components of a "Blessed Alliance." The author's compelling message and passionate voice are amplified by the skill with which she presents this information in volatile, dangerous times. (Apr.)

Reviewed on: 03/14/2011

Permalink: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-310-32556-7 (978-0-310-32556-7)

James, Carolyn Custis. Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women. Zondervan. Apr. 2011. c.206p. ISBN 9780310325567. $18.99. REL

James (founder, Synergy Women’s Network; The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough To Break the Rules), a popular speaker in evangelical circles, tackles the thorny questions that surround women in evangelical Christianity and broadens her scope to include the fate and destiny of women around the world today. James sees men and women as potentially bound in a powerful partnership for good that does not oppress or belittle women—not easy positions for a woman to take in the heavily patriarchal world of conservative Protestantism.

VERDICT James’s potentially transformative work, a wake-up call for women in America’s Protestant churches, is ideally suited for church groups and pastors.

“Let them eat cake!"

2011-03-29T07:30:00.001-05:00

What sounds like an unimaginative idea for a birthday party or a standard option for a wedding reception is actually the appallingly insensitive remark historically attributed to Marie Antoinette on hearing that the poor in France were without bread.

The princess’ inability to think beyond her own lavish lifestyle and abundant resources to contemplate the realities of famine and the resultant suffering of her people boggle the mind. History has given us distance from the dire conditions plaguing France during her time, and we make light of her heartless remark without realizing we have detected a speck in someone else’s eye, when we are guilty of a similar blindness.

It wasn’t until 9/11 tore apart a curtain that comfortably sealed us off from the rest of the world and we began to see the images of women concealed by sky-blue burkas, that I began to realize our localized discussions (and sometimes heated debates) over God’s calling on the lives of his daughters is taking place in isolation from the rest of the world and depriving countless women and girls of meaning and purpose the gospel intends for them no matter where or how their lives are playing out. What is worse, our isolation is causing us to set in stone a theology of women that doesn’t hold up in the lives of many women here and is irrelevant elsewhere in the world where situations aren’t as favorable as those we enjoy.

The difference between prosperity and deprivation is one thing. The desperate plight of women and girls in the world opens up a whole new dimension of existence that is wholly is missing from this discussion. Read Half the Church, if you wonder what I mean. When we ask what is the Bible’s message for us, do we include the girl who has been trafficked, the widow who has been cast out by her family to beg for a living, or the woman who has been gang raped? Does the message we embrace offer them just as much hope, redemption, and purpose as we seek for ourselves? Or are they too broken, too damaged to enjoy the blessings we savor to answer the calling God places on the lives of all his daughters? Are we settling for a prosperity gospel for women, when the gospel offers all women so much more?

What may surprise is that by opening our discussion of the Bible’s message for women and girls to include every woman and girl, bar none, we will discover the Bible’s message for us is richer, stronger, and more empowering for all of us than what we’ve been willing to accept. No matter how well life is going for us at the moment, none of us can count on answers for ourselves that collapse under the weight of other women’s lives or of an unexpected change in our own circumstances.

We need a whole lot more than cake to live with hope in a fallen world.

To explore this discussion further, read Half the Church to see how this larger global conversation helps us recapture God's global vision for women and gives us an indestructible identity and purpose no matter how our stories play out.

FREEBIE for Kindle Users!

2011-03-28T15:22:00.004-05:00

If you're a Kindle lover & haven't yet read The Gospel of Ruth, you can download a free copy from Amazon! This opportunity won't last, so don't procrastinate if you want to get a free copy!

Also, both When Life & Beliefs Collide and Lost Women of the Bible are part of this special—available for download now for $3.99 each!

Bold Reading

2011-03-24T07:24:00.006-05:00

Last night, Frank and I went to the showing of a film on sex trafficking at Gordon-Conwell. My heart is heavy this morning with a fresh awareness of the serial horrors women and girls are suffering around the world as I write and with a renewed sense of urgency to raise awareness of this global crisis destroying the lives and the dignity of countless women and girls. Nice for the film to portray a rescue, but the ending of the film didn't give any of us the slightest sense of relief. No one is searching for most who are caught in the web of human trafficking and some have been sold there by those who should protect them.

Once again, I want to urge the reading of Half the Sky, by Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof. This book gives new meaning to the expression "must-read" and every Christian should read it.

Sheryl was at Synergy2011, and it was a privilege for us to hear her. Since then I've heard two different responses: first, a renewed and passionate desire on the part of those who attended to live out the fullness of the gospel in new ways and a willingness not only to explore how to get involved themselves but also to mobilize others. Second, I'm hearing a reluctance to read Sheryl's book because some don't want those images in their minds.

May God multiply the first group and help us never to let up so long as one person is held in the clutches of another. Learn about organizations in your area who are addressing sex trafficking locally and volunteer yourself and your resources to help.

If you are among those who are holding back, let me offer a word of encouragement. I do understand your reluctance. I don't want those images in my mind either. But I'm convinced (I've seen this in myself) that we will not care in the same way, much less act, if we hold at arms length the brutal realities women and girls are suffering and shield ourselves from the truth. By way of encouragement, you should know this is both a disturbing and a hopeful read. You will be heartened and inspired by the incredible stories of ezers-warriors who are fighting back, freeing themselves against hopeless odds, and then returning to free others. But they need lots of help that we have the power, the resources, and the divine mandate to give.

So brace yourself and get reading. And when you finish reading WuDunn's book, I hope you'll also read my book, Half the Church to find out why Christians belong on the forefront of this humanitarian crisis.

Smoking in Heaven

2011-02-24T11:58:00.007-05:00

You won't find any "No Smoking" signs in heaven. The book of Revelation envisions the prayers of God's people as "golden bowls full of incense." The beloved apostle John writes that "the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God."

I love to think that when I pray for God's Kingdom to come there's a little more smoke in heaven.

Today is a day of prayer for Synergy, as we are on the countdown to our 7th annual conference in Orlando.

This year's Synergy conference brings to a head a lot of thinking and wrestling over God's purposes for his daughters and his sons, the state of our world, the good news we possess, and the need not only to be God's representatives in this world as bearers of grace but also to be living examples of that grace by how we love one another and work together as the Body of Christ.

If you are unable to join us in Orlando, I still think you should reconsider. Both women and men are welcome! But at the very least, you can certainly join us this day by praying with and for us and adding to the smoke.

www.synergytoday.org/conferences.html
www.synergytoday.org/wudunn.html

Synergy Men

2011-02-18T14:43:00.005-05:00

"Synergy isn't like other women's conferences!"

That's what anyone will tell you who has been to a Synergy conference.

We've been called the "thinking woman's conference" because you can count on our speakers and workshops to stretch your mind and challenge your thinking. We're building bridges and forging deep friendships across all sorts of dividing lines that separate believers. We're all over the map on the women's issue and represent a wide variety of denominations and theological camps.

None of this is getting in the way of the mission God has given us because we know we can do more and do it better if we work together.

But the one distinctive that really sets Synergy apart from other women's conferences is the fact that men have started coming too.

From the start, men like Frank James, David Kirkendall, Steve Douglass, and Charles Gilmer believed in what we were doing, opened doors, and cheered us on. But in 2007, Jack Kuhatchek of Baker Books broke the gender barrier by registering as an attendee.

Men have been coming ever since.

Naturally, this changes the conversation we're having, and that can only be a good thing, for our pursuit of the Blessed Alliance of men and women and of a healthy Body of Christ cannot be attained unless and until our brothers join us in this effort.

So just in case you're thinking you can't invite your male colleagues or spouses along, think again. The welcome mat is out for our brothers, and we hope more of them come!

www.synergytoday.org/conferences.html
www.synergytoday.org/wudunn.html

Breaking with Tradition

2011-02-10T11:52:00.001-05:00

Saturday evening at Synergy2011, we are breaking with tradition. If you have read Sheryl WuDunn's book, Half the Sky, you will understand why.

Half the Sky describes a crisis that is destroying the lives of millions of women and girls and labels what is happening as "the paramount moral challenge" of the twenty-first century. In response, the Synergy video shown at Lausanne made this bold assertion:

"The church belongs at the forefront of this humanitarian crisis."

Last weekend, the Super Bowl brought a disturbing reminder that sex trafficking is a local problem—rampant in our own cities and at heightened levels during major sporting events. According to statistics, thousands of foreign women and girls are trafficked into the U.S. every year. That doesn't account for thousands of young American girls who are lured into the clutches of pimps and a life of forced prostitution.

Here's a fact: while Synergy2011 is happening—on the streets of Orlando just blocks away from us—women and girls will be trafficked.

How can we keep Sheryl's message to ourselves?! We have an opportunity to sound the alarm and to raise awareness in the local community. So on Saturday night, we are flinging open the doors and inviting in the community. The DeMoss Group, a public relations firm, is graciously promoting this important event.

Of course we hope people will want to come for the full conference. But please join us in praying that many will come to hear Sheryl's message and that God's people in Orlando will mobilize. Please invite anyone you know in the Central Florida region to come.

For details, go to www.synergytoday.org/wudunn.html

Half and Half

2011-02-08T11:44:00.040-05:00

Amazon is selling Sheryl WuDunn & Nicholas Kristof's book, Half the Sky, and Half the Church together! Every Christian should read Half the Sky! Those who do will not be able to escape connecting what these authors are saying with the impassioned cries of Old Testament prophets.

“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows” —Isaiah 1:16-17

In Half the Church, I take the discussion of the Bible's message for women into the devastating world described so powerfully in Half the Sky. Our quest to know God's heart for his daughters and our understanding of God's call on our lives is incomplete if we leave any woman or girl out of this discussion.

“If the questions we ask and the answers we embrace do not give them the same hope and kingdom purpose we seek for ourselves, then our conclusions cannot be trusted.” —Half the Church

Sheryl WuDunn writes:

“Carolyn Custis James has written an unusual and compelling book, mixing her personal story with the dramatic changes in today's world and her thoughtful interpretations of the scriptures and how women can respond with greater fervor to the Bible's call for change and betterment of the world.”

I hope you'll order and read both books! amazon.com

No more "Small World" for us!

2011-02-02T15:34:00.088-05:00

Photo by Horia Varlan

People say it when they they meet someone new and discover they have mutual friends. They sing it at Disney World and experience it on FaceBook and Twitter. Factor in globalization, the speed of travel, and the wonders of technology and it seems more true today than ever.

"It's a small world!"

But there's another kind of small world that Synergy is working to change, not merely for ourselves, but for our daughters and other women we know. It's the small world women inhabit when we embrace a small vision of ourselves and of God's purposes for us in this world. It leads inevitably to small living that is antithetical to our calling as God's image bearers.

In her provocative post on Her.meneutics, Caryn Rivadeneira is emphatic:

"... if only men are oriented to transform this world, women are in trouble, because a woman who is being “good” and eating healthy, hoping that the world changes for the better as it twirls around her, isn’t living the gospel."

Two of this year's Synergy2011 plenary speaker—Andy Crouch and Nikki Toyama-Szeto—are going to blow out the walls on small world thinking and open our eyes to a much, much(!) bigger world and to a bigger gospel!

I won't be forgetting the first time I heard Andy Crouch speak at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary last year. Author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, Andy is unleashing a stirring manifesto, calling Christians to bring all of ourselves and all of our gifts to the enterprise of culture making. Once you hear him, you won't think of yourself (or others) in the same way. And the possibilities for kingdom living will truly explode!

Former Synergy speaker, Lauren Winner calls Andy's message "bracing" and "super-smart", adding: "I am hard-pressed to think of something that twenty-first-century American Christians need to hear more."

If you've been to InterVarsity's Urbana Conference, you will need no introduction to Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Urbana Program Director and co-editor of More Than Serving Tea. Nor will you need anyone to explain why hearing her is hugely important.

I met Nikki last year in Dallas at the gathering of U.S. Delegates to Lausanne. She completely blew me away with her powerful presentations designed to expand our vision of the rest of the world and how our lives and ministries will be enriched if we avail ourselves (and impoverished if we don't) of the resources, wisdom, and insights that are flourishing beyond our borders.

Having long been painfully aware of the disadvantage to American Christians when we isolate ourselves, our study of God's word, and our thinking from the rest of the world, for me Nikki's presentations broke open a whole new vista of ideas. I knew Synergy needed to hear her message!

I'm thrilled to death that Sheryl WuDunn is speaking at Synergy2011 in Orlando. And I intend to keep talking about her and urging everyone to come hear what she has to say. But let there be no mistake about it—both Andy and Nikki are well-worth the price of admission. Their messages will stretch our thinking and usher us into a bigger world that where we're living now.

I for one can't wait to hear from them!

The thought that both of them are speaking at the same conference—individually and then together—ought to send everyone racing to secure a place at Synergy2011.

Our world is bigger than we imagine. And our gospel is richer and more powerful than we've yet seen. So don't miss out! Join us in Orlando for this mind-boggling experience and let's catch a bigger vision together!

Register here!

Midday Connection Interview

2011-01-31T23:08:00.004-05:00

If you missed Midday Connection on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, with Anita Lustrea and my first interview on Half the Church you can listen here.

Anita is a master interviewer, and I love working with her. FYI: she will be at Synergy2011. It's a great chance to meet her!

Super Bowl Losers

2011-01-26T12:15:00.002-05:00

The biggest losers at this year's Super Bowl will be neither the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Green Bay Packers. The biggest losers will be girls . . . and us if we remain silent.

The downside of the Super Bowl for everyone is the increase in sex trafficking that clusters around this event.

We can get upset and talk about how awful this is. Or we can act. Everyone can do something to combat what is happening. This will get you started:

Watch the video below.
Read Katelyn Beaty's article: Christians Launch Anti-Slavery Efforts for Super Bowl XLV
Visit this website and find out how you can do something: http://www.itsnotmyfault.org/

If you live in the Dallas area, there are specific ways you can help. The rest of us need to spread the word and donate.

Heading for The Big Apple!

2011-01-25T13:12:00.001-05:00

It's supposed to snow again tomorrow, but I'm hoping that won't stop me from making it to New York City. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, I hope you'll drop by. I'm speaking:

Thursday, January 27
7:00 pm
Calvary Episcopal Church
61 Gramercy Park North
New York City
Hosted by Sharon Denney
Contact: 646.327.1886

True Grit

2011-01-24T12:10:00.021-05:00

Oscar buzz surrounds Jeff Bridges' portrayal of U.S. Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn, a crusty character with a reputation for true grit. The marshal lives up to that description. Grit is written all over the scene where an outnumbered Cogburn charges fearlessly on horseback into a hail of outlaw bullets with the reins gripped in his teeth and both hands firing pistols.

But true grit is also written all over 14-year-old Mattie Ross (played by Hailee Steinfeld) who is determined to avenge her father's murder and will stop at nothing to right the wrong against her family. She hires Cogburn, stubbornly insists on accompanying him on this mission, then matches his grit with plenty of her own. It's a great ezer story! And anyone watching the movie will be cheering her on.

True grit is one thing in a movie, and we like what we see of it in Mattie. But is grit a quality we want to see in ourselves? I've never heard grit mentioned in any list of suitable attributes we'd encourage Christian girls to cultivate. And grit is almost certainly missing from eHarmony's search criteria for eligible single women.

Surprisingly, in the past couple of weeks, women with grit have commanded the news. Their stories support the notion that true grit could well be one of the most important virtues an ezer can acquire—doubly important for us given what God is asking his daughters to do.

Right now, the nation is watching and praying that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has enough true grit to fight her way back from the bullet wound to her head she suffered on January 8. Our spirits lift every time someone—her husband, the doctors, a friend—says of her, "Gabrielle is a fighter." We all hope that's true because she's fighting this battle for all of us.

Christina Taylor Green, who died tragically during the shooting, is being lauded for showing remarkable grit in her brief nine years. Embracing her family's baseball legacy, she earned a spot on the Pirates Little League baseball team where she was the only girl and a solid contributor. She recently won a spot on her school's student council. Aware of inequalities in the world, she already aspired to serve some day in government leadership. With grit like that, who knows what she might have accomplished or how many people she might have helped.

When there are battles to fight, when suffering, violence, and injustice are rampant, when opportunities present to do more for others, when Jesus' rescue efforts is underway and he summons us to help . . . nothing less than grit will do.

At Synergy2011, we're going to take an honest look at the twenty-first century landscape for women—a globalized landscape that contains unprecedented opportunities, powerful technological resources, and unspeakable suffering. We will be viewing that landscape through image bearer eyes—as those God has called us to be his eyes and ears, his hands and feet in this world. We are his preferred method of taking care of things in his world, light bearers and grace-bringers on a darkened planet, and there is work to be done for his kingdom. A job like this—no matter where we tackle it—will take a lot of grit from all of us.

So come to Synergy2011 if you dare, and be prepared for a major outbreak of true grit!

The Reformation of Marriage

2011-01-21T22:27:00.004-05:00

It wasn't love at first sight. Not by a mile. In fact, even after finding himself somewhat cornered and agreeing to marry her, Martin Luther said of Katharina von Bora,“I feel neither passionate love nor burning for her.”

Not exactly what you'd call an eHarmony success story . . . at least not at first.

Happily, the story doesn't end there. Marriage to the strong renegade nun turned Protestant would bring about a second reformation in the infamous reformer's stony heart, not to mention some significant changes in his hard-held views of women. It's one of my favorite stories of the Reformation and the saga of a remarkable Blessed Alliance that was unlikely from the start.

To hear the whole story of Martin and Katie Luther, told my my favorite Reformation Historian, come hear Dr. Frank A. James on The Reformation of Marriage, Christ Church of Hamilton and Wenham, Sunday, January 23, at 10:15am

Don't Miss The Rest of The Story!

2011-01-20T00:39:00.001-05:00

Missing this year's Synergy conference is like watching a cliff-hanger movie and walking out before you learn how things turn out. Instead of seeing how things come together into a completed story, you're left with pieces of a puzzle.

For the past three years, we’ve been asking deep questions about our place in God's Story for the world and collecting pieces of the puzzle.

Together, we've learned that:

all of God's daughters have leading roles as ezers in his Story
when God's male and female image bearers unite as allies for God's purposes, kingdom power is unleashed in the world
God reverses the destructive effects of conflict in our stories to shape us into kingdom leaders and ready us for the challenges ahead.

Synergy2011 will connect these pieces—ezers, Blessed Alliance, and conflict—into a jaw-dropping global vision that will ignite our hearts and mobilize us to engage our mission as God's image bearers and followers of Jesus in every arena of life.

GUEST SPEAKER! This year, we have the rare opportunity to hear Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and bestselling author, Sheryl WuDunn. Sheryl is a leading expert on the global crisis impacting millions of women and girls today. Half the Sky describes this crisis as "the paramount moral challenge" of the twenty-first century. Sex trafficking, female genocide, poverty, child marriages, honor killings are some of the topics she has researched.

So when the curtain rises at Synergy2011 on the final act of this 4-part series, make sure you and your friends are buckled up with the rest of us and ready for The Rest of The Story!

NOTE: If you’ve missed any or all of those first three conferences, we’ll bring you up to speed with our pre-conference session Friday—a don’t miss session for newcomers and a recharge session for past attendees coming back for more.

Friday-Sunday
March 4-6, 2011

In SUNNY(!) Orlando, Florida

For more information and to register, go to:

http://www.synergytoday.org/conferences.html

Heads Up Florida!

2011-01-15T14:09:00.001-05:00

If you're anywhere near Jacksonville, Florida, Frank is preaching Sunday, January 16 at:

Christ Church—Mandarin Campus

Time: 9:30am – 10:45am
Location: 9794 Old St Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257

For those who have never heard Frank speak (or haven't connected him to the family spokesman on network television during the Mt. Hood Crisis in December 2006, when three climbers lost their lives, including his youngest brother Kelly James), here's a little background.

Frank A. James is Provost and Professor of Historical Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. He has two doctorates (which is a story in itself), a D.Phil. in History from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary/Pennsylvania. He has taught at Villanova University and Westmont College and was Visiting Professor at the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Oxford, England.

I won't go into his publishing activities, only to say he is currently wrapping up the manuscript of a Church history volume, co-authored with John Woodbridge, Trinity Divinity School, (Zondervan), that in my opinion is earthshaking.

Lest you imagine him a stuff-shirt academic (and those who know him can feel free to chime in), he is an insanely loyal Dallas Cowboys fan and a Country Western Music buff (a quality that can be trying on the best of marriages, although I admit he has expanded my taste in music). And the women in his life—his students, colleagues, friends, mother, wife, and daughter—never had a better champion and advocate than Frank!

If you want to sample the flavor of his work and his heart, read: In the Shadow of Mount Hood

So if you're anywhere near Jacksonville tomorrow and want a spiritual feast, head over to Christ Church at 9:30am tomorrow!

Enlarging Our Vision

2011-01-12T22:26:00.003-05:00

FullFill just released their Winter issue!

Read my column, "Enlarging Our Vision," in the current issue to get a taste of what's coming in Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women.

Human Trafficking Awareness Day

2011-01-11T14:43:00.002-05:00

What we can do?

Talk about human trafficking in our communities and churches and ask others to educate themselves
• Invite a speaker from a local organization to talk to our group
• Read a book, hold a documentary screening, write a blog or an editorial
• Use Google alerts to send news about trafficking and slavery to your email

Tell our legislators to take action
• Write our legislators

Get involved with a local organization
• Support, volunteer for, or spread the word about a local organization
• Donate or fund raise to ensure the work continues

Other ideas?

Missing Wives in Washington

2011-01-06T23:47:00.002-05:00

More and more Capitol Hill lawmakers are commuting to Washington instead of moving their wives and families to DC. Besides the obvious strain on family and relationships, not to mention cases of infidelity, what fascinates me is that, believe it or not, leaving spouses and family behind is impacting bipartisan efforts in Washington, and not for good.

NPR's The Takeaway ran an interesting report on this trend, which actually isn't new, but has historic roots.

Lisa Miller's Newsweek article that prompted this interview is: The Commuter Congress

Yet another piece of evidence that men and women need each other. It seems a Blessed Alliance in the marriages of our leaders might make things work better in our government.

Your thoughts?

Endorsements Coming In ...

2011-01-06T12:51:00.002-05:00

Here are three of the endorsements that are coming in for my new book—Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women (due out in March).

There are more to come!

“Carolyn Custis James has written an unusual and compelling book, mixing her personal story with the dramatic changes in today's world and her thoughtful interpretations of the scriptures and how women can respond with greater fervor to the Bible's call for change and betterment of the world.”

—Sheryl WuDunn, Co-Author of Half the Sky

“Once again Carolyn Custis James calls us to radical thinking and living. Half the Church opens our eyes to the global problems facing women, drives us to God as the only solution and refreshes our passion that we can 'do something.' And the writer in me loves Carolyn’s exquisite phrases and vibrant images. This book is a must-read and I will be giving it to many people.”

—Judy Douglass, Director of Women's Resources,

Campus Crusade, President's Office
http://inkindle.wordpress.com/

“Carolyn Custis James expertly weaves contemporary reality with biblical story. Reaching into the Old Testament as well as the New, Carolyn, shows that God has always been and continues to be at work through women and girls. They are, like men and boys, His image bearers. This book should open the eyes of everyone who takes Jesus seriously to the horrendous injustices against women around the world and provoke within us a serious drive to do something about it. The day is near (and I believe this book will help usher it in) when the Church will be a significant cultural catalyst for bringing equality and dignity to women and girls around the world by providing education, empowering women with microloans, and liberating them from oppressive regimes, sex trafficking circles, and secular philosophies that are ultimately degrading to them. It is time for the other half of the church, men, to be strong and courageous and do all we can with all we have to bring divine freedom to women and girls so they can be all that God created them to be.”

—Mark L. Russell, Founder and CEO of Russell Media, Author and Speaker

Where You Go

2011-01-05T12:58:00.002-05:00

This is a first for me! Singer/songwriter, Caroline Cobb, says she was inspired by The Gospel of Ruth to translate Ruth's story into song. How cool is that?! You can listen to her demo here: Where You Go

Going Soft!

2011-01-04T23:41:00.004-05:00

Today, I received hard evidence that the soft cover version of The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules is in print when UPS delivered my advance copy.

If you think you've already heard all there is to say about the book of Ruth, think again! That's what I thought, until I started hearing what Old Testament scholars were uncovering as they continued to dig in this ancient book. Believe me, this is not the Ruth, Naomi, or Boaz we've always known. And all three of them have been short-changed by traditional interpretations.

Here's what I wrote in the preface:

"For a long, long time we've all been looking at the lives of Naomi and Ruth (as well as other women in the Bible) through the wrong end of the telescope. Their lives have all too often been diminished in size, noticeably small next to the larger lives of the men in their stories. This has influenced how we see ourselves. Even when Ruth does something remarkable and brave, evangelicals have tended to turn her story in to a romance and Boaz into the hero who comes to her rescue. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I never will forget the day someone turned the telescope around for me and I saw Naomi and Ruth in truer perspective. I wept to think of how much more I could have (should have) done and was indeed called by God to do with my life. Life-sized at last, Ruth became for me the most powerful and challenging role model I've yet to encounter in the Bible.
—The Gospel of Ruth

The official release date (at least on Amazon) is January 18. If you haven't read it yet, I hope you will! There's also a Kindle edition.

Not Giving Up!

2010-12-31T01:01:00.011-05:00

2010 has been a losing year for the Dallas Cowboys. Except for pitifully rare winning moments, the Cowboys have landed in the losing column most of the time this seasons. Die-hard fans like my husband Frank find that painful to watch.

So, after hearing Frank’s groans all season after another interception, fumble, or penalty added to the Cowboys' mounting collection of misses, imagine my surprise when the first ornament to go on our tree this year was Frank's Dallas Cowboys blue ornament. He put it there . . . in a prominent spot! No losing streak (not even the lure of the local winning Patriots) can persuade Frank to give up on America's Team.

The refusal to give up is one of the strongest and most surprising messages that comes to us every Christmas season, whether we're wrapping up a year of losses or wins. Yet, in all the hubbub and glitz of the holidays, that message can be easy to miss.

I’ve spent the better part of 2010 working on a book that submerged me in appalling accounts of the oppression and atrocities against women globally. I must admit that as I worked late into the night many times I was overwhelmed by the enormity of the crisis, by the power of darkness, and by the unspeakable levels of suffering.

Lausanne’s Cape Town 2010 put names and faces on suffering and injustice for me. I’m still feeling the weight of the stories I heard—stories of incomprehensible evil. One man from Rwanda lost five beloved family members and seventy members of his church in the genocide. Another African suffered a brutal beating at the hands of a mob of young Muslims. One woman’s husband was murdered.

As devastating as it was for me to hear these stories, what gripped me more was hearing how each of these deeply wounded believers—after long agonizing wrestlings with God and with their own outraged sense of injustice—turned back to their oppressors and enemies with forgiveness and moved toward reconciliation. I hardly have categories for that kind of Gospel-living. But believe me, it left me with the conviction that we are part of something that is far more potent than anything the powers of darkness can pose. And that gives me hope.

Christmas—once we sift through all the trappings and get to the heart of it—reminds us that God doesn't give up either. He's still firmly determined to see his original vision for the world he loves become reality. A daring rescue operation is underway that is sure to succeed. It started with a young teenage ezer and a baby. Talk about an undercover operation! We should be celebrating year round.

There's more good news, for God hasn’t given up on us either, nor will he. He is at work in our generation to cause his glory—his own likeness—to shine most brightly from the lives and relationships and actions of his image bearers. He's mobilizing his sons and daughters to live and bear a robust gospel of word and deed on on his behalf in this broken world. I saw that glory shining in the lives of people I met in South Africa. They aren’t giving up, and we shouldn’t either!

In a few days, the Christmas tree will come down. And when it does, Frank’s Dallas Cowboys ornament will go back in the box. Another year lies before us. May the lingering power of Christmas fill our hearts with bold hope as we head into 2011 and let us join ourselves to the kingdom work God is calling us to do.

In the Bleak Midwinter

2010-12-21T12:33:00.026-05:00

In the bleak midwinter, icy wind may blow,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow on snow had fallen, snow on snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long and long ago.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim rising in the air;
Oh but only Mary, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a mother’s kiss.

Heaven cannot hold Him, nor can earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall fall away when He comes to reign.

What then can I give Him, empty as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would know my part;
What then can I give Him: I must give my heart.

Half the Church

2010-11-02T10:00:00.009-05:00

Every book I've written so far has taken on a life of its own. Half the Church is no exception. Initially, I wanted to put in a single volume what I've learned so far about the Bible's message for women—Image Bearer, ezer-warrior, and Blessed Alliance. But I soon learned there is more to say about these rich life-changing concepts.

This was only the beginning.

The book expanded into an exploration of that message within a wider global context. It has been eye-opening for me. A global perspective is missing from our conversations and when included changes everything!

I'm also responding to the challenge Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof leveled at the church in Half the Sky for us to mobilize in combating and relieving the suffering and oppression of women worldwide. This challenge is central to our gospel mission.

My editor (Katya Covrett of Zondervan) described the book as, "A blazing call to action!"

Release is scheduled for March 2011, but you can order in advance on Amazon (hardcover or Kindle)!

The Whole Church!

2010-10-29T13:00:00.003-05:00

I don't use the word "miracle" loosely, but the description fits the story of this video.

Before Lausanne, I contact Elke Werner (Marburg, Germany), Lausanne Senior Associate for Women in Evangelism, to find out what was being done to champion women who are serving globally in a variety of ministries and how I might help.

I never dreamed where this would lead.

Elke serves as Lausanne Senior Associate for Women in Evangelism. She was putting together a DVD of resources to distribute at the Lausanne Women's Cafe. She planned to distribute 4000 copies. Elke was also given a plenary spot to highlight the importance of women and men serving God together and also to draw attention to the current global crisis involving the suffering and oppression of women as presented in works like Half the Sky. I offered to help.

One idea I suggested was a video to unpack for women the Lausanne call: The Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World!. I thought she might use it during her plenary presentation. That's when I learned she only had 8 minutes (!) to present and couldn't spare a second. I decided to pursue the video anyway for the DVD and, with support from the Synergy board, drafted a script and sent it to Nate Clarke of Fourth Line Films. Nate took my ideas to the next level and did a masterful job of translating ideas and words visually.

When I sent the video to Elke, this is the email message that came back:

I am so happy with your video! When I saw the three minutes on women I started to cry. I was so moved! What a great piece of art!

This weekend I will have to finish to work on my talk. And I decided to use the video for the first three minutes. It contains exactly what I had planned to say in the first three minutes (I timed my words and it was exactly three minutes I had planned to talk about women in need) and now I am so glad that I can rather "show" the audience what I want to say then just say it. I can build wonderfully on the content of the video and I am so thrilled about it!

Carolyn, words cannot say how grateful I am to you and to Synergy!!! What a great help, a wonderful working of the Spirit, a testimony on what partnerships can achieve. Again and again: Thank you!

The video went on the DVDs and for the plenary was translated into eight languages. It was shown Saturday during the Lausanne General Session and also on Lausanne's Global Links around the world! I told you it was a miracle!

Saturday morning at Lausanne I was a bundle of nerves, partly from empathy for Elke who was about to address the entire gathering of 4500 delegates and partly in anticipation of the Synergy video.

Since Lausanne, I've begun hearing how the video is being used in other contexts: an international ministry to Muslim women and at U.S. women's conferences.

At Synergy, we pray that the video will be widely used to mobilize women for the whole gospel and raise the alarm over what is happening to women worldwide.

You can be sure we'll be showing it at Synergy2011!

Looking Back

2010-10-29T09:15:00.003-05:00

Now that the return trip jet lag is subsiding, I am making good on my promise to show the videos I couldn't upload in Cape Town with the Internet connection at the hotel. These drummers were a show-stopper. They kept up for a lot longer than the footage I captured, but this gives a taste of South Africa's thunderous welcome to Lausanne!

Home Again!

2010-10-27T15:33:00.006-05:00

It is great to be home again after nearly 48 hours of travel and a 16 hour flight from Johannesburg to Atlanta.

I was greeted at the Boston-Logan Airport by a welcoming committee of one, who was eager to hear all the details! (Someone asked me if he had gotten any other offers. Hmmm... I may need to check on that.)

Jet lag is back again, no doubt compounded by a full and exhausting week in Cape Town. The whole Lausanne experience was unforgettable. There is so much to tell and so many things to process, I hardly know where to start. I will be blogging more about it soon.

Apartheid

2010-10-21T15:07:00.016-05:00

I am still processing what I experienced today, and one blog post simply cannot do justice to today's pilgrimage into South Africa's Apartheid past and still-troubled present. I was part of a group of new friends from all over the world, who visited District Six of Cape Town and the Guguletu Township. A few reflections will have to do.

Our guides today were Methodist Bishop Peter Smalley (picture below with Dr. Joy Moore of Duke Divinity School, and me) and Dr. Moss Ntlha (also below) who have lived this story and are role models of whole gospel living. Peter worked with Bishop Desmond Tutu in the fight to end Apartheid and was chaplain to Nelson Mandela and other imprisoned members of the ANC. It was a privilege to be with and hear from these two godly believers.

Apartheid forced non-white South Africans out of their homes and communities (that's what happened in District Six) and into townships, breaking up whole communities and families, and deepening poverty and despair. The result? There are "no unwounded South Africans." The
victims of Apartheid, the perpetrators, and also those who failed to act. The efforts at reconciliation are heartening, but in many ways, South Africa's divisions remain deep although they are no longer mandated by law.

The Christian church is involved at all three levels--those who acted to end Apartheid were compelled by the gospel, Apartheid's perpetrators used Scripture & theology to justify their actions, and believers who remained silent were operating under an incomplete view of the gospel. Repentance has followed in many cases, but what has happened here (that has been and is being repeated elsewhere in the world) compel our sober reflection.

I am pondering some of of the deep questions that confront us all where injustice exists and human rights are violated. These are significant opportunities for us to explore the meaning of the gospel, what it means to be God's image bearers, and what it means to follow Jesus.

Images from Lausanne

2010-10-20T16:00:00.034-05:00

I promise I'm not biased, but I must say the women speakers at Lausanne have been unforgettable. They have delivered some of the most powerful moments of the Congress so far.

First the 18-year-old Korean girl spoke. People are still talking about her.

Then today we heard a powerful message from Libby Little whose husband was murdered doing medical relief work. It was a feat of courage simply for her to get up in front of this audience when her grief is so fresh and raw.

She was amazingly composed (although we weren't) and showed true strength as she told of his communication with her, his final mission, of the desperate need for medical help and the people saying, "No one else comes to help us."

It was the second time the Lausanne delegates spontaneously rose to their feet in an endless thunderous response.

Demonstration of the powerful potential of believers' deeds of grace and mercy (that backed up her story) came through a long conversation I won't soon forget with a young man from Nepal. He told me the story of his conversion from Hinduism to Christianity--a costly decision for him. What turned the tide for him was experiencing grace from believers who welcome him when, out of curiosity he visited their church as a university student and when men (!) from the church cared for him (even washed his clothes) and nursed him back to health when he was nearly delirious with a 106 fever and all alone in the city.

His heart for the women students at the Bible college where he is principal was a big encouragement to me. I feel privileged to have heard his story.

Thought you might like to see some of the technology at the conference. Lausanne has broken records in South Africa for the volume of Internet activity and thrown my friend Amy Donovan into serious ezer-warrior mode to get things up and running. I don't know all the details, I only know she has done a super job in a difficult situation and with very little sleep. Simultaneous translators (like the United Nations) are at work during a session on Islam.

Tim Keller wrapped up with a sermon on the rapid migration of people into the city.I was so busy taking notes I didn't get a picture, but I did get a photo of the dancers that introduced his segment. They started in a garden and ended up in the city.

Latin America provided the evening finale with a song of hope that had the whole place jumping(except for rhythm-challenged people like me who don't know how).

Tomorrow, we get a day off . . . sort of. Several members of the Reconciliation group have an outing planned related to our topic. More on that tomorrow!

Buenas noches from Cape Town!

Reconciliation

2010-10-19T16:14:00.006-05:00

After today's focus on reconciliation, I can't help feeling a bit shell-shocked tonight. It's one thing to read stories of suffering and atrocities in books. It's another matter entirely to hear those stories from the people who lived them.

I heard two separate accounts of the 1994 Rwanda genocide where a million people were murdered in 100 days and of the struggles in the aftermath with God, with anger, and with Jesus' call and the desperate need to forgive. We've also had sex-trafficking and human slavery put before us, as well as racial, religious and gender oppression and violence, and HIV/AIDS.

The Dialogue Session I joined for the week has already proven to be a powerful eye-opener. The focus is on Reconciliation as the Mission of God: Christian Witness in a Word of Destructive Conflicts. Today was all about people's stories. The decibel of pain in that room was off the scale. These stories challenge my understanding of how the gospel transforms human relationships and how utterly broken we all are. Following Jesus is painful and costly because where evil and suffering is rampant and there are true wrongs and injustices, what he calls us to be and do violates our natural inclinations. But this is where Christianity stops being all talk and where through God's children the kingdom of heaven truly invades the kingdom of this world.

Pray that the impact of Lausanne will go beyond temporary shell-shock, and that real change and action will result from what we are learning this week. Pray that for me.

Lausanne Highlights!

2010-10-18T16:59:00.003-05:00

The CD of resources for women is here, and we are handing them out right and left!

The CD includes the video funded by Synergy, which we will release online after Elke Werner's General Session message on Saturday. Elke (Marburg, Germany), whose heart for women is as big as all outdoors, initiated this project through her organization WINGS (Women in God's Service). The resources were contributed by different individuals and organizations and are intended to affirm and encourage women in ministry globally, where many are serving with little or no affirmation, and sometimes despite criticism. Anyone at Lausanne who doesn't yet have a copy can get one at the Women's Cafe on the 2nd floor of the Convention Center.

Besides the CD, other highlights today for me were: the German professor, Michael Herbst (University of Greifswald) who spoke on Truth as a Person this morning and unpacked how Truth looked in Jesus' life and ministry; Pastor Paco Amador's vibrant eye-opening challenge for the USA delegation to consider what God is doing through immigration; and the gracious tribute this evening to the large missing Chinese delegation who were not permitted to attend Lausanne.

But by far, the most powerful moment of the Conference came in the final moments of the evening's plenary session when an 18-year-old North Korean ezer spoke. Orphaned when her mother died of cancer and her father whose fate is unknown but was likely executed in North Korea as a Christian missionary for treason, she voiced her heart for North Korean and her determination to return there after completing her education. Then, weeping, she issued an impassioned plea for us to remember the people of North Korea. It was unforgettable and brought the 4000+ delegates to their feet in response. The applause wouldn't stop, and the Lausanne leadership had to bring her out again.

South African Welcome!

2010-10-17T16:00:00.002-05:00

This will be short, although the day was long.

Today was the official start of Lausanne. The day started early, but the opening ceremonies were tonight.

First was meeting the five people in my Table Group: an Ethiopian professor, a South African woman, a Chinese woman who was born in Singapore and now lives in the States, a Canadian pastor, and a Korean pastor. In the morning sessions we will be working our way through Ephesians together, but this afternoon we mainly were getting acquainted.

During the dinner break, South Africa came on strong with a thunderous (and I do mean thunderous!) group of drummers. I made a video, but it is over 500mg and will take all night to upload from here so will have to wait.

The opening ceremonies included a dazzling South African welcome. More video, and again too large a file. I'll take shorter clips in the future.

The highlight of the day was meeting several people with powerful stories of struggling to live out the gospel under terrible persecution. For several of them it has involved beatings, as well as the murder and genocide of loved ones and who are wrestling with anger, forgiveness, reconciliation, and Jesus' call to "Love your enemies." The discussion of "living out the gospel" takes on a very different tone when embedded in these very real and agonizingly painful stories. I have a lot to process.

So Lausanne is officially open. A very full week is ahead, and I am calling it a day!

No Time for Jet Lag

2010-10-16T15:47:00.011-05:00

Did I mention I was diving in "head first" today?

Wow! Five hours of Table Group Leader training about did me in.

The numbers are rapidly mounting, as more people arrive for the official start of the conference on Sunday. For someone who thrives on one-on-one conversations and being a writer who spends countless days in total isolation with my computer and occasional deer out my window, it puts me on overload to be in such a huge crowd of people.

Happily, there are plenty of opportunities for those individual conversations that keep me going, and I have had some lovely ones today.

A young man from the Congo absolutely lit up the room with personality and energy. The world could use more people like him! I finally got to tell Lisa Espinele Chinn about what is happening to the Synergy video she is in. She made an amazing and creative presentation to Table Leaders called "When Cultures Meet" based on Three Cups of Tea. Super speaker!

A woman from India spoke candidly of the struggles of being a woman leader in her country and also of her concerns of domestic abuse in Christian families. An Iranian pastor told me stories of the strength of the gospel against the combined weight of Islam and persecution. A male college professor was intently interested in what women are experiencing globally, what Christian women experience within the Body of Christ, and responded with a heartfelt, "Will you forgive us?"

Vonette Bright is here and as engaged and unstoppable as ever.

More of Katya (R), of course, a true kindred spirit. It made my day to spot Judy Douglass (L) and catch up with her. And I'm always glad to see Stan Gundry, Zondervan Editor-in-Chief, my advocate, mentor, and friend who helped launch my career as a writer, and whose brother, Robert Gundry, was my hands-down favorite college professor who definitely fueled my hunger to dig deeper into Scripture.

Tomorrow is another full day and the official opening of the Conference. The convention hall is massive with a sea of tables, and lots of practicing going on. I'm looking forward to meeting the five people at my table for the week's discussions.

Please keep Lausanne in your prayers!

Lausanne 2010

2010-10-13T13:27:00.007-05:00

I made it safe and sound to Cape Town late Thursday evening with lots (!) of other Lausanne delegates who flew from Amsterdam to Cape Town. I'm here representing Synergy at The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism, a historic gathering of evangelical leaders—some 4000+ from over 200 countries—here to discuss issues and opportunities facing the global church.

Lausanne doesn't officially begin until Sunday. It has already started for me.

From the flight out of Boston all through today, it has been one interesting conversation after another. Gordon-Conwell's Amy Donovan (already hard at work with Lausanne IT efforts) and LouAnn Stropoli were with me on the plane from Boston. We were joined in Amsterdam, by Katya Covrett, my Zondervan editor (staying in the hotel room next to mine), and dozens of other Lausanne delegates. Lunch today on the square with four women—a Canadian and two Americans with fascinating stories, and dinner tonight with Katya and Mark Russell, another Zondervan author. (If you aren't yet Mark's FB friend, you're already too late. He's reached the FB 5000 limit.)

Judging from today, great conversations just might be a cure for jet lag, although I take that back if this incoherent.

Best surprise so far? I bumped into the Asian woman who is a spokesperson in the Synergy video. I would have known her anywhere. More on that video later!

Tomorrow: five hours of training as a Table Group Leader. How's that for diving in head first?

Please pray for me and for this important gathering.

Nobel Prize for Love

2010-10-09T15:21:00.001-05:00

Last night I went to bed heartsick after hearing about two people—Christian friends I love—whose loveless marriage is disintegrating and growing more toxic by the minute. Their story is not of a Blessed Alliance that has failed, but of one that never was, which doubly saddens me because they are both believers.

The ache was still strong this morning, so that the powerful story of love I heard on NPR's Weekend Edition nearly gave me emotional whiplash.

Scott Simon's report, "Sunlight that Transcends Prison Walls" was a moving portrait of Chinese dissident and writer, Liu Xiaobo, who yesterday was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Considering the crucial human rights issues Liu Xiaobo has stood for, the horrors he has witnessed (1989 Tiananmen Square), the price he has paid for his convictions (he is currently serving an eleven year prison sentence), and the anger of the Chinese government at the Norwegian Nobel Committee over this award, Simon's portrait of love was not what I expected to hear. He portrayed a man's deep love for his wife and the love of an ezer against which even prison walls are powerless—a love that truly is "stronger than death."

You should read (or listen to) the entire report.

From prison, Liu Xiaobo wrote these words to his beloved Liu Xia:

Sweetheart ... I am sentenced to a visible prison while you are waiting in an invisible one. Your love is sunlight that transcends prison walls and bars, stroking every inch of my skin, warming my cell, letting me maintain my inner calm, magnanimous and bright, so that every minute in prison is full of meaning.

Given your love, sweetheart, I look forward to my country being a land of free expression, where ... all views will be spread in the sunlight for people to choose without fear. I hope to be the last victim.

I am a hard stone in the wilderness, putting up with the pummeling of raging storms, and too cold for anyone to dare touch. But my love is hard, sharp, and can penetrate any obstacles. Even if I am crushed into powder, I will embrace you with the ashes.

Perhaps there should be a Nobel Prize for love.

In the Shadow of Mount Hood

2010-10-05T20:00:00.002-05:00

Midnight, it is said, is the portal between this world and the next and is somehow in league with chaos, death, and mystery. It is the moment of dark visitations. So it was for me in December 2006. My sleep was interrupted by a phone call, and I was instantly shocked into full consciousness: My younger brother was trapped in a snow cave on Mount Hood, and an unyielding blizzard prevented rescue.

Ryle'd Up For Women

2010-08-08T19:42:00.008-05:00

"Let us mark . . . in these verses [Luke 8:1-3], the power of the grace of God, and the constraining influence of the love of Christ. We read that among those who followed our Lord in his journeyings, were 'certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities.'

We can well imagine that the difficulties these holy women had to face in becoming Christ's disciples were neither few nor small.They had their full share of the contempt and scorn which was poured on all followers of Jesus by the Scribes and Pharisees. They had, besides, many a trial from the hard speeches and hard usage which any Jewish woman who thought for herself about religion would probably have to undergo. But none of these things moved them. Grateful for mercies received at our Lord's hands, they were willing to endure much for His sake. Strengthened inwardly, by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, they were enabled to cleave to Jesus and not give way. And nobly they did cleave to Him to the very end!

It was not a woman who sold the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. They were not women who forsook the Lord in the garden and fled. It was not a woman who denied Him three times in the high priest's house. But they were women who wailed and lamented when Jesus was led forth to be crucified. They were women who stood to the last by the cross. And they were women who were first to visit the grave 'where the Lord lay.' Great indeed is the power of the grace of God!

Let the recollection of these women encourage all the daughters of Adam who read of them, to take up the cross and to follow Christ. Let no sense of weakness, or fear of falling away, keep them back from a decided profession of religion. The mother of a large family, with limited means, may tell us that she has no time for religion. The wife of an ungodly husband may tell us that she dares not take up religion. The young daughter of worldly parents may tell us that it is impossible for her to have any religion. The maid-servant in the midst of unconverted companions, may tell us that in her place a person cannot follow religion.

But they are all wrong, quite wrong. With Christ nothing is impossible. Let them think again, and change their minds. Let them begin boldly in the strength of Christ, and trust Him for the consequences. The Lord Jesus never changes. He who enabled 'many women' to serve Him faithfully while He was on earth, can enable women to serve Him, glorify Him, and be His disciples at the present day."

—Bishop J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Bishop Ryle, an evangelical and a man of the Scriptures, was the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool. His writings are still read by many today. The quote above is from his commentary on Luke's Gospel.

A timely word for today!

For the full manuscript, go here.

Something to ponder . . .

2010-08-04T13:47:00.009-05:00

The quote below could possibly give the wrong impression, since I'm posting it after Frank has been working at home for the last few weeks. So let me just clarify. This is quote is not about my marriage. I rather like having Frank around.

I came across the quote while reading the manuscript of a great new book by Kelly Kapic due out in October: God So Loved, He Gave—Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity (which you should add to your reading list!) and couldn't resist posting it.

The quote comes from a conversation in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.

"I love mankind, but I am amazed at myself: the more I love mankind in general, the less I love people in particular.... In my dreams, I often went so far as to think passionately of serving mankind, and, it may be, would really have gone to the cross for people if it were somehow suddenly necessary, and yet I am incapable of living in the same room with anyone even for two days.... As soon as someone is there, close to me, his personality oppresses my self-esteem and restricts my freedom. In twenty-four hours I can begin to hate the best of men.... I become the enemy of people the moment they touch me. On the other hand, it has always happened that the more I hate people individually, the more ardent becomes my love for humanity."