I sat down for lunch at the Bishop's College Mess Hall, prepared for my obligatory food conversation with every Indian before any meal. It goes a little something like this:
Indian: Oh... you are eating our food?
Me: Yes.
Indian: Are you certain that you can eat the food?
Me: Yes. I love Indian food.
Indian: So you enjoy Indian food. It is very spicy. You do not have stomach problems from the spices?
Me: No. I eat a lot of Indian food in the States, plus I grew up near Mexico and am used to spicy food.
Indian: Oh. So you are accustomed to spicy foods. Do you like our rice, then?
Me: Yes...
and so the conversation continues... usually we turn to the fact that I should not drink the water here... Yes, I have become quite good at brushing my teeth with bottled water! It is very impressive to watch!
Right, so I sit down to eat lunch, have the food conversation with two different people who sat down at the table at different times, then start talking Church with my friend Maggie (a first year ministry student and an oldest-child minister's daughter... no wonder we're friends!). Maggie began to complain that there are no 'lady priests' in the Kolkata diocese of CNI. There were a few in other regions, but none in Kolkata and certainly no female bishops! I asked what she thought the reason for that was (since there is no official policy against ordaining women), and another student answered. "In India," he explained, "women stay in the home mostly, and it is very difficult for them to leave the household. Also, in most countries, the churches are controlled by men (ain't that the truth! ... Bethany's inner monologue), so it is difficult for the women to become priests. They are scared to try..." Maggie responded with, "It is so stupid!" She is going to become a priest, no doubt.
I told them about my own seminary experience, where there are many more men than women at UC (I even had a class last quarter in which I was the only female in the classroom!). It is still not easy to be a 'lady priest', but it is possible. In fact, women are 'bishops' in my denomination, and we have even elected a woman as the GMP (General Minister & President, for those of you non-Disciples reading)! They all thought that was really cool, but I looked at Maggie and found myself in complete awe of her. She is so full of gumption and completely willing to take on the church to answer a calling to ordained ministry. I am not sure what I would do if I were in her position, and I am very grateful that I do not have the fight ahead of me for ordination that she does. The Disciples women pastors have fought that battle for me, several decades ago. Certainly, it is not perfect, but I feel really blessed to have so many amazing Disciples women as role models for ministry in my family (I include both grandmothers, my aunts, and my mother in that). I was even dedicated in the morning of my mother's afternoon ordination in 1984!
I won't have the struggle that Maggie has in store to answer my calling to ministry... I have such respect for her and for all the women who have gone before me to make my load slightly easier to bear. Thank you.
Indian: Oh... you are eating our food?
Me: Yes.
Indian: Are you certain that you can eat the food?
Me: Yes. I love Indian food.
Indian: So you enjoy Indian food. It is very spicy. You do not have stomach problems from the spices?
Me: No. I eat a lot of Indian food in the States, plus I grew up near Mexico and am used to spicy food.
Indian: Oh. So you are accustomed to spicy foods. Do you like our rice, then?
Me: Yes...
and so the conversation continues... usually we turn to the fact that I should not drink the water here... Yes, I have become quite good at brushing my teeth with bottled water! It is very impressive to watch!
Right, so I sit down to eat lunch, have the food conversation with two different people who sat down at the table at different times, then start talking Church with my friend Maggie (a first year ministry student and an oldest-child minister's daughter... no wonder we're friends!). Maggie began to complain that there are no 'lady priests' in the Kolkata diocese of CNI. There were a few in other regions, but none in Kolkata and certainly no female bishops! I asked what she thought the reason for that was (since there is no official policy against ordaining women), and another student answered. "In India," he explained, "women stay in the home mostly, and it is very difficult for them to leave the household. Also, in most countries, the churches are controlled by men (ain't that the truth! ... Bethany's inner monologue), so it is difficult for the women to become priests. They are scared to try..." Maggie responded with, "It is so stupid!" She is going to become a priest, no doubt.
I told them about my own seminary experience, where there are many more men than women at UC (I even had a class last quarter in which I was the only female in the classroom!). It is still not easy to be a 'lady priest', but it is possible. In fact, women are 'bishops' in my denomination, and we have even elected a woman as the GMP (General Minister & President, for those of you non-Disciples reading)! They all thought that was really cool, but I looked at Maggie and found myself in complete awe of her. She is so full of gumption and completely willing to take on the church to answer a calling to ordained ministry. I am not sure what I would do if I were in her position, and I am very grateful that I do not have the fight ahead of me for ordination that she does. The Disciples women pastors have fought that battle for me, several decades ago. Certainly, it is not perfect, but I feel really blessed to have so many amazing Disciples women as role models for ministry in my family (I include both grandmothers, my aunts, and my mother in that). I was even dedicated in the morning of my mother's afternoon ordination in 1984!
I won't have the struggle that Maggie has in store to answer my calling to ministry... I have such respect for her and for all the women who have gone before me to make my load slightly easier to bear. Thank you.
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