Ray Wiseman's Professional and Personal Site

We had a great time at Anna's 80th birthday party on August 28. Our son David has now made pictures available.
You will find them at: Party Pictures
When you get to the site, right-click on the background to see the menu for starting/stopping the slide show.

Just yesterday, I had a discussion with a friend about women in ministry. She firmly believes that women must not teach men or become church elders. I took a different stance and presented a few contrary ideas. I'll share those with you by pasting in below a column I wrote for Faith Today magazine. It appeared in their July/ August edition of 1998. Let me know what you think.

Thoughts about gender equality in the church or anywhere else never troubled me until my wife-to-be struck the word obey from our marriage ceremony. That didn't create problems, though, and 43 years later (now 55 years), we continue functioning as a team. But once I had faced the challenge personally, I began to consider the role of women, not only in marriage, but also at work and church.

On the job I had no problem. As the years passed more women entered the work force. At one point I had a woman as boss. In corporate life I rubbed shoulders with female technicians, engineers and vice-presidents. Now I'm a freelance writer and women far outnumber men among my colleagues.

At church I found a different reality because our rule book, the Bible, seemed to clearly define (and limit) the role of women in the church with such statements as: "I do not permit women to teach or have authority over a man" (2 Timothy 2:12). Then, as now, I accepted the Bible as final authority in all matters of faith and practice. I wondered at the harshness of some of Paul's statements, but I accepted them.

About 10 years into married life, I discovered other biblical passages like Galatians 5:28, which states: "There is neither . . . male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." That verse stresses unconditional equality; a host of other verses depict women in leadership and ministry roles. I compared scripture with scripture, believing the Bible clearly answered each of life's challenges. I wanted an absolute answer, but I didn't get it.

When I consulted others I met argument and divisiveness, people who believed and accepted the passages that supported their viewpoint and explained away others that didn't. That biblical dilemma lasted with me for many years.

A decade later, I resigned from a missionary organization, returning home disillusioned. I thought God had called me to the posting, so I wondered why he would permit the circumstances that had brought me home. A few years of contemplating my place in God's plan made me realize the Bible doesn't always reveal God's "perfect will." Instead, it sets out guiding principles. Previously I had tried to force the Bible to say what I already believed. Now I learned God expected me to apply biblical principles and use wisdom—which he promised to provide—to determine his will.

When I found Gary Friesen's book Decision Making and the Will of God, I cheered. Someone else had reached the same conclusion. But being a typical male slow learner, it took two more decades to apply that enlightenment to the women-in-ministry dilemma.

Then one morning in India I awoke suddenly and said, "That's it!" Now please understand that I don't believe, as some Indian mystics might, that God sent me a new revelation. As a writer I know how the subconscious functions. It mulls over problems during sleep and unexpectedly presents reasoned solutions on waking. Still, in those waking moments, it had dawned on me that the same biblical principles I apply to determining God's will also apply to determining an appropriate view of women in ministry. On this and many other issues the Bible doesn't give absolute answers even though our insecurity demands them. When we encounter seeming contradictions, or can't find decisive proof texts, we must accept that God has shifted the responsibility for decision-making to us.

This does not negate faithfulness to the Bible. God expects us to make all decisions based on general biblical truths, wisdom, love, and fairness. So, as for women's role in ministry? You can't claim the Bible clearly defines their place unless you discard all verses that contradict your position.

Men, if God has given women leadership skills, we need to adjust our biases, swallow our fear and pride and get out of the way.

Blog #3, posted July 10, 2011. Books, best of the genre!

Earlier this year I encountered the following three books that I consider best in their genre.

1.Devotional: Come Walk in my Garden, by Helen Ripley.
Ripley writes beautifully and powerfully! I don't recall reading a better book of daily devotionals. She grabs readers with the first sentence, taking them first into a personal adventure, then concludes with an effective biblical application that touches the heart. Published by Essence Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-55452-569-0

2.Leadership: Five Seconds at a Time, by Denis Shackel with Tara Bradacs
This book begins with gut-wrenching high adventure, sacrifice, and instant death. Then it turns the whole thing into a life plan for personal success. When I worked for a large corporation, people kept recommending books on leadership and decision making, but I never found one with the impact of Five Seconds at a Time. Published by Harper Collins Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-794-7

3.Missionary Biography: The World at My Door by Marshall Lawrence
Most mission biographies focus on the missionary, painting him or her as a superhero. While some might be, this book takes a different tack by centering on the target people and culture. If you want to know how real missionaries function, read this book—although you won't see much of the missionaries themselves. You will feel you have personally visited the Oksapmin people of Papua New Guinea and seen them through the discerning eyes of a missionary. Published by Essence Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-55452-510-2

Often, as in this blog, my postings will reflect my interests in writing and publishing. I have long had an interest in cover designs for books. I have given a couple of workshops on the subject in the last year or two. However, not until I prepared for a panel at this year's Write! Canada conference did I distil my thinking down to three rules, or requirements for good cover design.

Here they are:
1. You must be able to read the title across the room.
2. Your grandmother must be able to read it across the room.
3. The key information, the title (or your name if you are famous), must appear in the top third of the cover.

In regard to rule one, you want people to notice your book across a living room or bookstore. For clarity of reading you must consider font styles, size, and colour. The second rule tells you to remember people with slightly impaired vision. It also reminds us that older folk read books; younger people use e-readers. Rule three takes into account that some book displays leave only the top of the book showing. Better to see key information rather than a meaningless picture or graphic.

We have four sons, but I always considered a family incomplete without a daughter. So we chose Linda Stover as 'the daughter we never had'. Linda serves as youth pastor for Tweedsmuir Presbyterian Church in Orangeville. A special thanks to them and the Stover Family for allowing us to share her.

Linda writes well--a requirement to join our family. :-)

She sent along this prayer for Canada Day.Dear God,
Give us your love of justice and righteousness. Help our government to rule in the right way. Let the poor always be treated fairly. May our mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. Help us to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to bring a final end to all oppression. May we love and respect you God as long as the sun shines, and the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever! May our country be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. May those who love God flourish, and may our country experience abundant prosperity until the moon is no more. May we be united from sea to shining sea, and may our influence go out from here to the ends of the earth. May our enemies never overtake us, and may we have the respect of the nations. Empower us to rescue the poor who cry to us, and help the oppressed who have no one to defend them. Show us how to rescue the weak and needy, redeeming them from oppression and violence, because their lives are so precious. May our country continue in fruitfulness. May we continue as long as the sun shines! Call our people to pray! May there be abundant grain throughout the land, and may the fruit trees flourish. May the people thrive. May all nations be blessed through us and bring you praise, because you God, do such wonderful things! Praise your name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with your glory! Amen.

Linda Stover

Comment posted on July 2/11: That's a beautiful prayer, Ray! I love the fact that she anchored it in one of the Psalms. It makes it that much more powerful. Thanks for sharing! MLC

Comment posted on July 2/11: Have you thought about joining Face Book? KW

Comment posted on July 2/11: Thank you for sharing Linda's lovely prayer. It's heartwarming to find young people who love God and are thoroughly committed to the cause of our Lord Christ. She covers a wide swathe of areas, and very beautifully put, too. PB

Comment posted on July 2/11: I absolutely loved the Canada Day Prayer and found myself praying the words as I read. I plan to share the link on my Facebook page so my friends can do the same. RL

Comment posted on July 6/11: I love Linda's prayer, I read and recited it aloud at least five times, It is beautifully written. I am an immigrant to this country and had become a Canadian citizen. I love Canada. This land is my home. My three daughters and two grandchildren were all born here. Filipino descent but Canadian first. MD
Visit his blog: Canadian first!

Click on the button to see or print our latest Christmas letter.