Recent conversations, events of the semester now ended, and looking toward the future of graduation & ordination has brought to the forefront of my mind what it means to be entering the ministry as a young, single, female.
This has been called the triple curse - young, single, female - for women pursuing ordination. While we've made great strides for women in the church, it's still not the equal playing field we wish and hope will someday exist for everyone.
So looking ahead, preparing my heart, mind, and soul for final assessment, interviews, the call process, graduating, and the like...I'm having some rather firm moments of feminism as I pep-talk myself into believing I am just who God intends me to be.
I believe...
- Though I like the idea of marriage somewhere, someday, if God so deems it be...I am a complete person without a man.
- I do not need a ring on that particular finger to move on with my life.
- I am an adult whether I am single forever or not.
- As an adult, I am free to pursue my call to career ministry without hindrance from my marital status.
- I don't have to wait for a wedding to have nice necessities for myself (i.e. dishes, furniture, etc.)
- Nor do I have to wait for a man to give me a diamond. I deserve a diamond just for being me...a young, single, female...a child of God.
These revelations said, I am considering registering for my ordination as one does for weddings and babies. And I have full intentions of congratulating myself on ordination with a diamond ring. Perhaps I'm being too reflective of our consumer culture. But I also think I'm being reflective of a myth in ministry, that a woman who is married and has borne children is somehow a better fit to serve God. God has sent an awful lot of God's young, single, beautiful, amazing, gifted, females to this seminary and into my life for that myth to possibly be true. Rock on women pastors, chaplains and missionaries!
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