A Woman Called

Piecing Together the Ministry Puzzle

Sara Barton

• Publisher: Leafwood Publishers
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN:
  9780891127727
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

The call to ministry is profound and life-changing, one that women are often forbidden to answer. In this sensitive and moving memoir Sara Barton speaks openly and vulnerably about how the conflict has played out in her life.In many churches today, Christians assume that women are excluded from the public role of preaching--yet women like Sara Barton experience a call to preach, forcing congregations and individuals to confront a complicated rethinking of tradition and theology. For many, the issues that surface are faught with hopes and fears--hope of what could be in a church that embraces women's voices in the pulpit and throughtout leadership; and fear of violating God-ordained order and losing a scared commitment to Scripture. Other books have addressed the theological arguments in this important debate, and while those works are significant, they tend to be removed from the day-to-day realities involved.Feeling an inner call to preach as a young girl, Sara found herself perplexed because of her community's strong teachings about the role of women in the church. She has been seeking her way ever since--still convinced she is supposed to preach, still confused by the censure that brings in her religious community, and unwilling to reject that community in return. Sara's story is one of being pulled apart and yet deeply committed. Anyone touched by this issue should take her voice seriously.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Foreword | By Scot Mcknight
• Introduction | Little Story/Big Story
• Part One | Hearing The Call
• Chapter One | Sara/Sarah
• Chapter Two | Leaderette
• Chapter Three | A Blank Piece of Paper
• Part Two | Puzzled
• Chapter Four | Prickly Pears
• Chapter Five | Putting The Pieces Together
• Chapter Six | Beyond My own Edges
• Part Three | That’S Not What I’ve Always Been Taught
• Chapter Seven | Who Do You Think You are?
• Chapter Eight | That’S Not What I’ve Always Been Taught
• Chapter Nine | Modesty, Manners, and Church
• Chapter Ten | You are Where You Sit
• Part Four | Together
• Chapter Eleven | Whippoorwills and Worship
• Chapter Twelve | Bodies and The Body
• Chapter Thirteen | Working and Waiting
• Afterword
• Author’s Note
• Bibliography
• Additional Resources