Three Hostesses

by - March 05, 2010


Well, it's finally here. It all began last summer when Mike and I were doing some marriage enrichment with our married couples at church. We were teaching proper roles in marriage and found ourselves deviating into women's roles in the church. We studied both arguments, for and against women teaching, discussed at length what we were learning, and both concluded that the scripture teaches that women are not to teach men. Well, I was flabbergasted. I'd been teaching men in my Sunday School class for 15 years!

When you're the pastor and his wife, you don't always get to learn your lessons privately. I became paralyzed. Self-conscious of saying anything in a formal setting where men were present that they might learn something from what I said - even as a (now new) student in our Sunday school class. I couldn't even discuss it with Mike without erupting into tears. It was going to take some time to get used to this new thing.

As summer turned to fall, I found myself planning the women's ministry for 2010. I still hadn't been able to shake Titus 2:3-5 and the clear instruction for older women to teach younger women to love their husbands and children and be keepers of the home. We were to do this lest we dishonor God's word. [Gasp] Look it up - it's in there.

I wasn't even sure what this looked like, but I certainly knew that LionsHeart was NOT doing it. [Gasp again] On second thought, had I ever been a part of a church ministry for women and girls that did this?



I started asking the Lord questions like:
"What makes women unique?"
"What is wonderful and beautiful about being a woman?"
"Am I different from the guys?"
"Am I ok with these answers?"

I realized that ok is the wrong answer. I needed to reclaim biblical womanhood. It's MORE than ok to be a girl - it's marvelous to be a girl! I needed to celebrate and embrace who and what and how God made us: altogether fierce and fragile.

I knew I wanted every female from the cradle to the grave. That way almost everyone can be older and younger at the same time. I wanted a feminine setting, a girly place to talk about doing girl things - and God things - like being a mom, taking care of babies and homes and friends and daddies and husbands. Being good hostesses and gracious guests. Learning poise, elegance, and grace - both social and spiritual.

The Seasonal All Girls Tea Parties was born. We'll teach the girls how to feed babies while we glean wisdom from our grandmothers around a beautiful dainty table with tea and tiny everything.

So here we are, the day before, and all three of us hostesses are anticipating. One of us is rolling her eyes reluctantly, one is eager with anticipation, and the other is feeling much better about being a girl than she did last summer.

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2 comments

  1. I just love tea parties. You never feel more girlie with teacup in hand and pinky finger out. My mom has thought about starting a Titus Two ministry. You two should collaborate:)

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  2. My counterpoint would be that all women teach men a thing or two :) and that men are rarely good students.

    Cammi says HI to your two tea party comrades.

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