By Kelly Pelton (written 24 Aug 2025)

Do not forget the long effect of porn
on those who have escaped its evil grasp,
its view of women as men's objects deep-
absorbed into the psyche; how to unclasp

the slightly-less-than-human view of women
from one's biblical interpretation?
It's difficult, for men and women suffer
subtle inhumane assimilation:

They see a woman orbiting a man,
no purpose more than that to satisfy him
rather than her purpose being closeness
with the God who fills her to the brim

and treasures her just as He treasures man.
He walks with her and calls her fellow heir,
to be respected by her husband, loved,
as she respects and loves him, mutual care

reflecting their relationship with God.
The single women, just like single men
are made for a relationship with Him,
as are the married people. Let's again

affirm that all are made to glorify 
our Lord, enjoying Him forever, made
for tender fellowship with our Creator, 
His brilliant light in all of us displayed.

With people, it's impossible to change
the heart toward the weaker sex for good; 
with God, all things are possible, and hope
abounds as only in our Lord it could.

by Kelly Pelton

Autonomy, the gift of God to govern self
was given to Adam and to Eve, each having choice
of how to live. God said to them, "Subject creation,"
not "Rule one another." We could rejoice

that love is not controlling, hence, we have free will,
hence, God is not controlling; He elects to let
us function independently for good or bad,
embracing or rejecting our Creator. "Set

your minds on things above," the scripture orders us,
but we're not forced to be compliant or obey
a single law or teaching of our Lord. We're free, and
God is not controlling us; He lights the Way.

As people who resemble Him, depend on Him,
let's stop controlling one another; let's respect
the free will of each man and woman to decide
for himself/herself whether Christ I will reflect.

Let's recognize a woman's role to rule herself
and all creation, same as man, and trust that God
will lead the genders to be all-relying on
the gentle, all-surpassing Holy Spirit's prod.

by Kelly Pelton

I heard a preacher say, quite recently,
that God made man to be with Him, so tenderly,
then crafted woman as a help to man,
no mention of God's more important plan

for both the genders in relationship
with God, enjoying being in His grip,
not made for roles but with their God communing,
each delighting in to Him attuning.

If woman's chiefly made to help instead
of intimately loving God, then dread
will fill the single woman with no man
to help; she's not complying with God's plan!

Sweet Martha helped the perfect man, our God,
while Mary sat as ardent student, odd
in abdicating "helper" role to listen,
bucking her subordinate position.

Jesus (God) commended her for knowing
her true place with Him, connected, growing;
Mary chose to be what she was made for -
God's companion, friend, disciple evermore.

by Kelly Pelton (written 22 June 2025)

That which followed me -
hostile pressured mind control -
I could not clearly see
as people, churches tugged my soul

to self-betray for their sake,
so "distressed" were they by me
as though my thoughts would overtake
their fragile, false reality.

I was young when this began.
A part of me would get distressed
and pressure self to make a plan
to hide my view, to be repressed.

Such self-division caused great pain,
all for me to keep close ties
with those who asked me to abstain
from going with myself as wise.

"Don't trust yourself; trust me instead;"
they wanted me to change my mind,
but this insanity had bled
from me all that was well-defined.

The Lord has done a freeing work 
to put me back together, whole,
with all of me out of the murk,
resisting pressured mind control.

I trust Him now with all of me,
not attracting any longer
that same theme I've learned to flee
as His Presence makes me stronger.

Now God's goodness, mercy follow
me, His child no more divided.
Jesus' healing is not hollow;
into His peace we are invited.

by Kelly Pelton (written 19 June 2025)

Evil empire's pressuring hostility
cast a shadow, the Death Star* looming;
I analyzed its tactics used on me,
learning resistance as clarity got me fuming.

But righteous indignation's still a tether
keeping grave injustices too near,
while all my pushing back is like a feather
rather than a giant cosmic spear.

The evil is too dense and large to shatter;
it's time for me to peel off at warp speed
and thrust out into goodness as stars scatter,
love of God that meets my deepest need.

The Death Star was an orienting marker,
so familiar in its theme repeating,
making my existence ever darker,
playing on my mind's old self-defeating.

I've been set free from lies and self-division,
all of me together in God's hand,
no more pain from inner self-derision,
only grace and love that help me stand.

And stand I will, while flying through God's spacious
universe of love's unending kiss.
It's love that will be truly efficacious,
crushing evil and restoring bliss.

*with thanks to the movie Star Wars IV, A New Hope, 1977

by Kelly Pelton

The valued, trusted women in the Bible, 
are they unimportant, incidental,
mentioned as exceptional, not usual,
as though their leading is experimental?

Those scholars who believe that God's impartial
notice how antiquity leaves out
the contributions of the women while
the men were recognized as having clout;

the patriarchal times of the Bible's writing
contrast with the Bible's frequent mention
of women as respected in the priesthood
of all believers who have God's attention.

The female leaders are exceptions only
to the man-made patriarchal rule,
for no exceptions to God's law are made;
let us not think the men His only tool.

The seeds of co-ed collegiality
are sown throughout God's word, His Spirit pointing,
nudging us toward the equal service 
we do together with our Lord's anointing.

by Kelly Pelton (written 06 May 2025)

We are the royal priesthood: women and men.
Let each of us rule boldly with God's love,
reigning with His all-surpassing power,
spilling out His goodness from above.

Let every moment be a priestly moment, 
speaking to a cashier or a server,
recognizing people as important, 
pouring out God's kindness with Christ's fervor.

To every place we go, we bring His peace;
God's reign goes everywhere our bodies travel.
Let us allow His love to rule and fill us;
Holy Spirit, make our fears unravel.

by Kelly Pelton

The ones who seek the truth
will find it, Jesus said,
though lies the church may tell
in how the scripture's read.

Take no one else's word
on what the Lord has said.
Go find out for yourself;
He'll put your doubts to bed.

Keep seeking God in all
that vexes or is painful;
He'll never scorn or shame
or come across disdainful.

He loves to spend Himself 
in healing over time,
and through His word and Spirit,
He'll bring you peace sublime.

by Kelly Pelton

Ask the feelers how it feels
to be restricted based on gender,
told that God wants men to lead
because the women are too tender.

Ask the women what it's like 
to have no voice in worship service.
Some may not have spoken up,
for honesty makes people nervous.

Ask the females and imagine
how you'd feel if you were sidelined,
silenced in the church assembly
based in hermeneutics grace-blind.

by Kelly Pelton

It dawned on me in my twenties, a dim grasping:
the woman who cared for me primarily
was not in fact representative of my gender.
I began to separate truth from lies, warily

choosing my battles, learning boundaries, erring
repeatedly, being ungracious, searching, suspicious, 
crying to God from disheartened vexation,
immersed in her narrative that was fictitious.

But I did not know then that she was deceptive - not
intentionally gaslighting - but caught up in her denial,
telling me I misunderstood reality.
"What's real? What's not real?" I asked in this lifelong trial.

The Lord showed me in my forties the explanation:
she had a high-functioning form of affliction,
a personality disorder that distressed our family.
I finally could tease out the facts from all fiction.

Women and men who suffer from such disabilities,
straining relationships, immature in their emotions,
they are the minority; let us not judge by them
the genders with damaging stereotypical notions.

Let us not punish an entire gender
because of a few of their kind who've caused us harm
but instead let God heal and give us wise strategies
so the most difficult of people we now can disarm.