Tragic Confessions

It feels like eons ago, but a part of my life from 2001-2005 was spent working in a children's psychiatric hospital on an acute (short term) care adolescent unit.  The criteria for admission on this unit was typically suicidal and homicidal ideation, self-injurious behaviors, psychosis, and depression.  Cheery stuff.

Anyways, during my time there, various programs and treatment plans were implemented.  Since this was a teaching hospital, the door was wide open for best practice methods, even spiritual care.  Now, I use this term loosely, since the hospital could not define it. But I don't fault them for trying.  I fault the "spiritual" leaders for doing so. And failing. Miserably.   

One evening, my supervisor asked me if I would like to take some of the consenting high-level patients to a "non-denomonational service."  Since he and my co-workers knew I was the resident "Christian staff," I seemed like the logical choice.  I agreed, though, I knew this was going to be a roller coaster ride of heterodoxy at best, if not complete and utter heresy.  

In this case, I hated being right.  I brought the patients into one of the conference rooms where this service was supposed to commence. The chairs were all arranged in a circle.  Then, the "pastor" came out, with her husband, and proceeded to greet people warmly.  She was dressed in a Barbara Bush blueish-type skirt suit.  Every fiber in my body was ready to dash out, but it seemed the higher calling at this point was to just do my job and watch the kids. I wish I could say it got better.

I looked for a picture of someone whispering into their own hands...
Yeah, apparently nobody finds that edifying, or at least picture-
worthy.

This lady asked everyone to have a seat (her husband on standby, with a cd player on hand to play crappy music later) and started to talk to us about the "things we're not proud of." At first I thought, "Okay, interesting...where is this going? Any talk of Jesus on the way?" 

She then told the patients that "a good exercise in forgiveness is to whisper whatever is on your hearts into your cupped hands...then (as if this was the ceremonial buildup), everyone lift up your hands at the same time, and release-or let go of-- whatever is bothering you."

Flabber-ghasted to say the least, I thought to myself, "you know, these kids have been better served by being given three meals a day, structure, and people to talk to about their problems."  The so-called spirituality of this service was ego-centric, or person-centered, meaning, they were instructed to "forgive themselves," and not receive eternal and temporal forgiveness from the One who truly offers it.  Jesus was never mentioned, never mind the cross.  I felt deflated for these patients.    

The whole situation deserves greater unpacking in another post (the heresy of female pastors, non-liturgical, or non-biblical services, etc.), but the point is, if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Sound familiar? The tragedy of a confession is not the confession itself, but the lack of absolution, or knowing from Whom our forgiveness eternally comes. Both confession and absolution are gifts...not something we can contrive.

Yes, as Christians we can forgive each other and tell someone that Jesus forgives them when they confess their sins. However, the place to be  spiritually nurtured is in the Church, where a pastor can guide and protect each member by way of defining and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified for the sins of the world.   Church is not some fuddy-duddy place where men garb themselves in dresses and prance around for no good reason.  Jesus has commanded men to shepherd people, forgive them of their sins on Christ's behalf, and nourish them in the Word of God (Jesus) through teaching, preaching and administering the Sacraments. 

Church is neither a feel good "circle-time" to hug ourselves or pat ourselves on the back.  It is a time to hear how, without Jesus, we are utterly depraved and eternally lost in our sin. A pastor holds up the Law's mirror, accusing us all of how fallen we are; that even our thoughts condemn us for eternity.  This hard truth about sin reminds us we cannot save ourselves, let alone forgive ourselves. But it doesn't stop there. This accusation is a blessing as the sweet Gospel rushes in to reassure us that Jesus comes to us in Holy Absolution, every day in our baptisms, in His Word, and when we receive the Lord's Supper. 

The greatest problem (among the many) with that non-denom service was that the patients were told, yet again, about what they had to do in order to feel some peace in their lives.  In terms of true spirituality, this is no comfort whatsoever.  Yes, we might change our behaviors and make life easier on ourselves temporally. But spiritually...we can not change our sinful condition. 

All they truly needed to hear is that Jesus IS the Peace that passes all understanding.  That even their confession has been given to them by God so that they might hear this peace.  They are loved, forgiven in Christ, and kept in the faith for all eternity.  So, in the tragedies of their lives and the problems that they are enduring now, Jesus is faithfully watching them and bringing them comfort.  

This is true for all of us. Please don't let a so-called spiritual leader tell you that you need to do anything for your eternal salvation. God grant us all churches where proper teaching and preaching of God's Word is available by rightly ordained and faithful pastors.

Jesus has done it all at the cross. Thanks be to God.  

Now and Then

Sometimes being a woman is the pits. And I blame Sandra Bullock movies for this rant.


Hear me out.  The other night, my husband and I watched "Murder By Numbers" (I know, I know...old flick...but Netflix rocks), and I couldn't help but realize that her character is almost the same in every movie.  The tomboy-ish, uncompromising woman that pushes away every guy she likes because of some painful experiences in her past.  I mean, look at her track record, "The Proposal," "Hope Floats," and "Ya-Ya Sisterhood." Even her character in "Miss Congeniality" carried that flair.


This got me thinking.  Her characters are a mirror, not only to me, but our culture of women at large.  If you aren't like her, then you at least recognize that her movies portray these roles as admirable in pop culture. The message? Be a little rough around the edges, sometimes ill-mannered,  goofy but smart, mostly brunette, and put yourself first so you don't get hurt.  This is what men and (dare I transition here) God wants, right?


Not really.  But this is where womanhood kinda stinks.  I mean, charm school is outdated, people, and June Cleaver is about as popular as beepers.  Women identify with being hard nosed and aggressive nowadays, even though it often times bites us back by alienating us with strained relationships. But it seems we can't win in the culture wars, no matter what's popular. Here's perhaps a bit more of a consolation fail, as we take a real look at our sinful natures as women. "To the woman he [God] said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16. 


Ouch. The reality is women are not only built like Bullock's characters, we're worse.  No amount of therapy, Martha Stewart, or MTV "Made" shows are going to change that.  Even the June Cleavers of the world are united in this, since God is talking about the curse given to all women at the Fall.  Besides pain in childbearing, any thoughts, words and actions we have about wanting to and usurping our God-given husband's, father's, boss's, and pastor's authority (or anyone in authority over us for that matter), is sinful.  And that, we have to admit, is something of which we're all guilty.


But Genesis 3:16 doesn't stop there, leaving our aprons out to dry and making us think we can rectify the situation by somehow behaving differently.  Genesis 3 doesn't just tell us exactly how God curses humanity because of Adam and Eve's disobedience...but also, how He resolves it.  By the way, before anyone rears their ugly feminist head...read Genesis 3: 17-20.  God curses Adam in three verses, whereas Eve gets only one verse.  


But verse 15 is the sweet, sweet Gospel...even before (which I find particularly fascinating) hearing all of this condemnation, since it's all about Jesus.  God tells Satan and His fallen creation that He will be sending His son, Jesus (Whom they have already met), through a woman to crush the head of the serpent and deliver man (and thus, woman) from their sin and death.  


Doesn't that just amaze you? I mean, Adam and Eve's disobedience and sin made them want to run and hide from God.  And yet, God comes to them, even in their sinfulness then (and in ours now), bringing them Jesus.  They couldn't ask for Jesus then, and we can't ask for Him now, either.  But only BECAUSE of Jesus can we know the gift of grace and justification. 


So, while it still stinks to be a woman now as much as it did back in Genesis, only in Jesus can we truly receive the gift of our vocation and understand it as such.  In other words,  none of us can tout, "I am woman, hear me roar," without first saying, "I am woman, thanks be to God!" because God first makes His presence known in our lives.


Now roar. Or, just go about your business in Christ.  

"The Rib," Inaugurated

What does it mean to "fear the Lord"?  For men and women alike, it is merely an understanding that we acknowledge God as our Creator, Savior and Comforter...and recognize that we are not Him.


So, why divide women from men, as Proverbs 31:30 says, "a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."?  In the context of the chapter, this woman is described admirably in her various vocations as wife, mother and woman.  Yes, being a woman is a vocation, too.  But most important is her "fear of the Lord," meaning, she knows what God expects of her, because God Himself has given her these vocations, or callings.  So, it makes sense to talk about women uniquely from men (since God does!), for they have much to offer in specific services to our neighbors in the upbuilding of the Heavenly Kingdom.


For that reason, this blog has been born.  Some of you might be wondering, "Why, 'The Rib?'" Well, many of you know Eve was created by God out of Adam's side, his rib.  This image of the rib not only carries biblical connotations that women were created for men (this needs to be unpacked in another post), but were given specific roles by God on earth, in the family and Church (this also needs thorough unpacking). Further, a rib is not a head, elbow or knee.  You get the idea. In short, the title is a metaphor for women.  


Our blog writers are all women.  We come from all walks of life: married, single, with children and barren, careers and with educations that run the gamut from Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Theology, Liberal Arts, Sciences, and everything in between.  Our personalities and experiences vary across the board, too.


But one thing remains consistent.  All of us fear the Lord, as women, and in the various vocations God has rightly given us.  Further, we are Lutheran, which simply means that we understand we are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:24


All of our views are so intricately tied to the faith that God has given us. Whether or not we all agree on temporal particularities, and whether a post is super academic or not, the impetus of our world views and our understandings of faith, eternal life and salvation, are very theological and Christocentric (Christ-centered).  Simply put, we adhere to Scripture, God's Word, alone. Further, we believe God's Word is living and active, having much to tell us about our lives today, and the means by which God continuously comes to us in Jesus, even now!


So, stay tuned! These posts promise to deliver!


Some of the topics in this blog may not be popular in our culture. Some may encourage you or cause you to question where a particular writer is coming from, perhaps stirring up unexpected emotions. We welcome your commentary, disagreements included.  All we ask is that you comment respectfully, which certainly does not mean censoring yourself.


But we hope you enjoy this blog. May this be a forum for encouragement in the faith (hopefully with some humor), and the gifts that come in both womanhood and manhood.  Remember, the impetus is not in our genders, (though God uses specific genders for His purpose...sorry, another topic for another post)... but in God's gifts, which always lead us to Jesus and the cross.