Female Metaphors in the Bible Lambs Left to The
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Reflections on the NAD Women Clergy Conference Bakers, Birds, Mothers, Cities and Whores: Female Metaphors in the Bible God the Mother Lambs Left to the Wolves Is Cohabitation Always Wrong? Student Poetry and Art Some New EGW Compilations VOLUME 40 ISSUE 2 n spring 2012 SPECTRUM is a journal established to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discus- sion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the merits of diverse views, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED COPYRIGHT © 2012 ADVENTIST FORUM and to foster Christian intellectual and cultural growth. Although effort is made to ensure accu- rate scholarship and discriminating judgment, the statements of fact are the responsibility of con- Editor Bonnie Dwyer tributors, and the views individual authors express Editorial Assistant Midori Yoshimura are not necessarily those of the editorial staff as a Copy Editor Ramona Evans whole or as individuals. Design Laura Lamar Subscriptions Manager Acacia Mojica SPECTRUM is published by Adventist Forum, a Media Projects Alexander Carpenter nonsubsidized, nonprofit organization for which Spectrum Web Team Alexander Carpenter, Cover Art: “Inside Out” gifts are deductible in the report of income for pur- Rachel Davies, Bonnie Dwyer, Rich Hannon, by Amy Cronk. Plaster poses of taxation. The publishing of SPECTRUM Jonathan Pichot, Ruben Sanchez, Wendy Trim, cast, 2009. depends on subscriptions, gifts from individuals, Jared Wright and the voluntary efforts of the contributors. Artist Biography: SPECTRUM can be accessed on the World Wide Amy Cronk is currently Web at www.spectrummagazine.org EDITORIAL BOARD an instructor in Pacific Beverly Beem Union College’s Visual Editorial Correspondence English Arts Department. While Walla Walla University Direct all correspondence and letters to the editor to: studying to receive her Richard Rice Roy Branson master’s degree in art Theology School of Religion SPECTRUM Loma Linda University Loma Linda University therapy from the School P. O. Box 619047 of the Art Institute of Charles Scriven Alita Byrd Roseville, CA 95661-9047 President Chicago, she spent two Writer Kettering College of Atlanta, Georgia Medical Arts years in the heart of tel: (916) 774-1080 downtown Chicago. Sharon Fujimoto- Gerhard Svrcek-Seiler fax: (916) 791-4938 Johnson During her internship, Vienna, Austria Writer/Graphic Designer [email protected] she worked with a variety Sacramento, California Norman Young of populations including Cooranbong, Australia Fritz Guy Letters to the editor may be edited for publication. children with autism, Theology La Sierra University older adults with ISSN: 0890-0264 Alzheimer’s Disease and David R. 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When she’s Sun Valley, Idaho not in the studio, she enjoys yoga, reading, and playing with her pets. spring 2012 n VOLUME 40 ISSUE 2 SPECTRUM 7 contents 7 Editorials 2 Grappling with the Call to Community, the Call to the Ministry| BY BONNIE DWYER 3 Drift, Or Adventist Ideals at Risk | BY CHARLES SCRIVEN 17 Feedback 5 Letters | WAGNER AND WILLIAMS; BLOG CONVERSATION Noteworthy 7 Reflections on the NAD Women Clergy 22 Conference | BY KENDRA HALOVIAK VALENTINE 9 I Surrender All: A Response to the 2012 North American Division Women Clergy Conference | BY JILLIAN SPENCER 10 Implications of Aging Ministry Could Hinder Future Staffing | BY ANSEL OLIVER/ANN 25 Bible: Women and Feminine Metaphors in the Bible 13 Bakers, Birds, Mothers, Cities and Whores: Female Metaphors in the Bible | BY LORA GERIGUIS 17 God the Mother | BY SAM MCBRIDE 19 Delivering Salvation: Pregnancy and Childbirth | BY MAURY JACKSON 28 22 Between the Wall and the Wilderness: Woman as Cosmopolitan Wanderer | BY MELISSA BROTTON 25 Of Whores and Horrors | BY KENDRA HALOVIAK VALENTINE 28 Shall Women be Silent? | BY SAMANTHA ANGELES 34 Who is Worthy to Minister? | BY MADELINE S. JOHNSTON 44 Family Issues 37 Is Cohabitation Always Wrong? | BY REINDER BRUINSMA 44 A Study of Family Violence at Andrews: Implications for the World Church | BY LANDON SCHNABEL 54 Broken Bridge | A POEM BY STEPHEN SUNDIN 58 55 Lambs Left to the Wolves | BY PEDRO GRECO FERLIZI Student Poetry and Art 58 Student Poetry and Art | FROM ADVENTIST UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES cover Some New EGW Compliations | A CROSSWORD PUZZLE BY CALEB RASMUSSEN WWW.SPECTRUMMAGAZINE.ORG 1 EDITORIAL n from the editor Grappling with the Call to Community, the Call to the Ministry | BY BONNIE DWYER “The relationship among the entities of the church is more than a matter Just as the community grapples with what to do about its of law and policy. Therefore attempts to codify that relationship will policies, individual women grapple with how to respond to always be inadequate. The primary strength of the Church comes not their vocational call to ministry. Even though some have from its structure but from its collective desire to live out a commitment found places that welcome them, there is always recogni- to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Such a commitment embraces a call tion of the church’s present two-tiered system. Will there to community.” (emphasis added)1 ever come a time when people are placed above policy and n Silver Spring, Lincoln, La Sierra, Berrien Springs, and ordination is discussed without regard to gender? Decatur, Georgia, too, the debate over women’s ordi- In this issue we listen to students and professors describe I nation and church policy has intensified this year. their experience at the North American Division Women Lawyers have been consulted to give opinions on Clergy Conference as well as their study of Scripture on this actions taken by the North American Division that coun- topic. We also look at feminine metaphors in the Bible. tered those voted by the General Conference. Conferences “Through the approximation of metaphor, truth about God’s and unions have appointed committees to review bylaws, character can be planted in our minds,” Lora Geriguis tells draft opinions, devise language that will resolve the policy us. Can you imagine God as mother as well as father? Sam issues. In the Pacific Union and Columbia Unions special McBride shares his thoughts about Jesus’ words in Matthew constituency sessions have been called for later this year. 23:37 to show how “Mother” is a part of God’s nature. The matter has moved past being simply about ordination to God’s nature is also to bless us, and empower us. Writing being an issue of community. How do the levels of church in the Yale Divinity School’s Reflections on “The Meaning of relate to one another? Who decides the issue of ordination? Calling in a Culture of Choice,” Edward P. Hahnenberg says, In the document quoted above, the distribution of “To speak of call is to acknowledge a caller, to see that God’s authority and responsibility within the church is described gracious initiative precedes all of our projects and our plans, as not being centralized in a hierarchical structure. “Instead that our individual (and collective) journeys have a goal.” 2 authority and responsibility is distributed throughout the Pacific Union College student Samantha Angeles sum- Seventh-day Adventist Church structure.” For example, the marizes the goal for us by quoting Galations 3:28, “for you document which was approved at the 2012 spring meeting are all one in Christ Jesus.” Although it may not seem like of the General Conference Executive Committee, states we are one while we are in the midst of debate, that is our “the final authority and responsibility for deciding who will call, our goal. n be a church member is located at the local church; the final authority and responsibility for the employment/assigning Footnotes of pastors and other workers resides at the local conference; 1. “The General Conference and Its Divisions—A Description of Roles and the final authority and responsibility for deciding who and Relationships in Light of Organizational Structure Development, Current will be ordained is officially located at the unions.” Governance Documents, and Practices.” Action voted April 2012, General This recognition of where authority lies set in motion the Conference Executive Committee Meeting, Silver Spring, Maryland. Pacific Union’s call for a constituency session and will inevit - 2. Hahnenberg, Edward P. “The Meaning of Calling in a Culture of ably reverberate through the system in the years to come. Choice.” Reflections (Spring 2012), 22. 2 spectrum VOLUME 40 ISSUE 2 n spring 2012 from the forum chairman n EDITORIAL Drift, or Adventist Ideals at Risk | BY CHARLES SCRIVEN ardon me, but it’s hard to find a new Creation, it is because Creation is a key premise theme when we seem so vulnerable to for the whole story of salvation. Ppontifical drift. Vulnerable even when But the third point is scary. The Fundamental we want to seem like a Reformation Beliefs Review Committee must incorporate movement. words voted by Adventist leaders—overwhelm- The theme I refer to is ecclesiology. It won’t ingly Adventist clergymen—at the church’s go away—and it had better not: we seem poised 2004 Annual Council. Even though non- We seem for yet another abdication of our historic ideals. ordained participants were few, the council But the leader of the church’s Fundamental mandated—against the leanings of most Adven- poised for Beliefs Review Committee, Elder Artur Stele, tist scientists—a literalistic reading of Genesis. offered a somewhat encouraging point of view Creation is “recent”; and happened over six yet another in an interview published in the April 2012, “literal 24-hour days forming a week identical in abdication issue of Adventist World, NAD edition.