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.

by Kelly Pelton

Just because you focus more on sin
does not mean in fact you are sinning less;
just because you stress obedience
does not mean that to God you acquiesce.

Just because you elevate right doctrine
does not in fact mean your doctrine's right;
just because you're earnest in believing
does not mean that your actions beam His light.

Just because you think the Bible vetoes
women in the doubly honored church roles
does not in fact mean your interpretation
of scripture is what God Himself extols.

We want our good intentions to define us,
but actions tell the true state of our being.
Let God into your pain to work His healing;
discover how His tender love is freeing.

by Kelly Pelton (written 02 Jan 2025)

"Separate roles" is role restriction
for the disadvantaged party.*
Doubly honored roles in church**
are kept for men; this is a hearty

lie that's captivated many.
God's not partial to one gender 
in the roles of double honor;
He lets all display His splendor.

Men and women both are vital
in directing, preaching, teaching,
genders hearing from each other
as this hurting world God's reaching.

*Westfall, Cynthia L. Paul and Gender. Baker Academic, 2016, p. 171.

**1 Timothy 5:17

by Kelly Pelton

Meaningless and ineffective
would it be to give up her bus,
singly walking daily to work;
confrontation's what inspired us.

She engaged with segregation,
would not bow to Jim Crow preference,
would not move as ordered, would not
show the whites expected deference.

Her defiance sparked a boycott*
in Montgomery known to this day;
nothing would have happened if she'd 
merely - safely - stayed away.

*https://naacp.org>history-explained (Rosa Parks - NAACP)

Kelly Pelton

by Kelly Pelton (written 29 Nov 2024)

The new regime of Jesus Christ the King
is led by Him as Spirit in us all,
no privilege by gender does He bring,
no ruling class of strong over the small.

When every person's valued equally,
allegiance to the entrenched order fades;
we see new social possibility
when free of worldly social barricades.

Conventional arrangements of who's first/
pre-eminent/in charge, these shrink away
as Christians seek alternatives, their thirst
for deep community a beaming ray

of hope amidst the gloomy old world order.
Let us live God's kingdom, not subscribing
to one gender being a power hoarder;
His impartial love we keep imbibing.

We live in worldly hierarchies for now.
Let not the church buy in to carnal ranking
but lift the disempowered, showing how
upon the equity of God we're banking.

*Credit given to Walter Brueggemann for ideas and phrasings, "Wonderful Counselor" chapter in Names for the Messiah, published 2016 by Westminster John Knox Press.

by Kelly Pelton (written 08 Oct 2024)

To place our worth in ancestry
or cultural identity
goes back to ancient history;
this pride is not a mystery.

It's natural to pin our hopes 
on human measurements. Man copes
with insecurity by playing
to his strengths, tall stature weighing

heavily, and power, and wealth,
and intellect, and state of health;
upon these traits men will rely 
and even "being male" they'll ply

for status, privilege, and prestige.
Church history tells of a siege
of institutional proportions
using scriptural distortions:

When the church is more respected
then its women are subjected
to the roles less influential,
their thoughts of God less consequential. 

Should Christians trust in Christ alone,
no partiality is shown
to males or any other grouping;
then you'll see the "mighty" stooping

with concern and rapt attention -
no dismissing or pretension -
valuing the thoughts of others,
sisters ranked the same as brothers.

by Kelly Pelton (written 21 Sept 2024)

Brothers and sisters in gender hierarchy churches,
you have my respect for your freedom to think your thoughts,
to err egregiously in how you treat your women,
to enforce your practice of men calling the shots.

Your stance no longer affects me personally;
God's healing has freed me from all the old distress.
My mission in life is not limited by your bias;
your sin does not change God's faithfulness.

In a posture of freedom and ongoing forgiveness
I pray and trust the Lord His will to reveal
to those who depend on Him in everything, 
who know Him to be the One who delights to heal. 

God will make this clear to them one day:
Though "separate roles" has a ring of equality,
a permanent power differential by gender 
is man-made, not of God, fallen polity.  

by Kelly Pelton (written 15 Sept 2024)

work alongside
lead alongside
teamwork
everybody valued
everybody heard
God's perk
none subordinated
none subjugated 
by sex
gifted people teaching 
gifted people preaching
reflects
Holy Spirit traits
God's male and female
features
all of us need
all of us, God's 
creatures
Christ's body works
best when we work
alongside
no hierarchy
by biology
wordwide
women can't replace
men can't replace 
each other
both gender voices
are needed, sister/
brother
trading competition
for collaboration
displays
God's impartial nature
to a jaded world
always