A White Horse Named Christ

It all started with the "white horse named Jesus":

In the middle of a discipleship class I was teaching last semester, Joey suddenly shared with the class that he had a vision (while reading Revelation) of horse racing....and the white horse was Jesus.  So he wanted to buy a pure white horse and name it Jesus....like the white horses in the book of Revelation (7 and 19).  And he would put the white horse in the race and since its name is Jesus, it would win all the races.  And then he would give all the winning money to the church.

           To say that I was caught by surprised was probably an understatement.  This discussion of "a white horse named Jesus" then slow evolved in the next 45 min. into a whole discussion of the pro and cons (and Christian views) of gambling, drinking, and yes, even prostitution.  Of course, the context of the discussion centered around life on Indian Reservation.  You see, Joey was part Indian (on his dads side from Mexico) and was married to a native American Indian from Sycuan.

Could Christ Have Been Born A Woman?

(as published in Kingdom Resources For Christ, Sept., 2011) KRC website
           About a month ago I came across a systematic theology paper (on Christology) that I wrote almost 20 years ago, titled: Could Christ have been born a woman?  I (a young mother then), partly enraged by the injustice and oppression observed in many women’s lives, and partly still hurting from my own somewhat negative experience with church leadership, decided that this topic would be one way to deal with my own internal turmoil. However, I approached the topic from a different perspective: the perspective of “power and leadership”, based on Jesus’ life and ministry.  To me, after all, it was never about the “gender” of Jesus, but the human (sinful) view of power and leadership.

Bound : Art Project and Writing from Jessica Chan (my favorite daughter)

“Bound” is a three part series featuring three groupings of Chinese women. 

It is meant to create a dialogue about the subtle, yet very alive and continual oppression of women through pressures created by society. There has always been a specific ideal image of the Chinese woman that has shifted throughout history. Beginning in the 10th century and lasting until the advent of the Communist reign, Chinese women were expected to partake in the practice of foot binding. By bending, and therefore breaking, their feet into the desired lotus blossom shape, these women were considered socially and economically attractive, as the practice was widespread among the wealthy. 

Bound feet were also considered sexually arousing yet many times the process led to gangrene and foul smelling bacteria growth. With physically bound feet, women remained immobile, literally and figuratively, controlled by a male-dominated society in all aspects of their lives. This type of control is not as apparent in today’s society, but its presence still exists in various forms. Chinese women are expected to be quiet, submissive, petite, and pale-skinned while the opposite translates into undesirability.

The first piece in the series is a hand bound book, printed on a press using linoleum block and monotype techniques. The faces are visible, but are also blocked by a lotus image to reflect the silence of women under oppression and to function as a reference to bound feet.

Each woman is either a model or a movie star and represents the ideal Chinese woman of modern society. Each face becomes completely visible only when the time is taken to undo the knot that holds the pages the together, otherwise each one remains partially blocked.

Fullness in Christ Fellowship

http://www.ficfellowship.org/index-s.html

This is the website for FiCF (Fullness in Christ Fellowship).   As stated on the website, the purpose of FiCF is to minister to women so that the image of God can be restored in them, and that they may live out the abundant life as promised by Christ.

Please check out the website and if you can, please also contribute to it via writing, prayer and financial support. 

I am a proud member of FiCF and hope you can join us someday. Both men and women are welcomed to join.  After all, God created both in His image and likeness.  When either one is oppressed, put down, discarded, and shamed, the other suffers also.   

Beauty Distored

Another video done by Dove.  What a Photo Shop can do!!  Or should I say: what a Photo Shop can NOT do??!!

Beauty Onslaughter

A video done by Dove.  Please share this with your daughter(s) and take the opportunity to talk about self-image (the image created by God in His own image and likeness) and the distortion that is so prevalent in our culture. 

Woman's Life in 90 seconds

An interesting advertisement!

"Mozart's Sister": Look at a Sibling Reduced to a Footnote

The title of the movie review in San Diego Union Tribune (9/9/2011) shouted:

“Mozart’s Sister”

looks at a sibling reduced to a footnote

That sister, Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart (known as Nannerl), born 1751, was said to possess a rare talent.  Mozart’s father (Leopold) was so dazzled by his son that he hardly has eyes or ears for Nannerl.  Her role has been decided.  An accomplished harpsichordist and singer, she served as her brother’s accompanist.  After a long tour (when Wolfgang was 7), Leopold forced her to stay home, where she took up her new role as wife, mother and footnote to a genius.

The review asked: is Nannerl a genius? a martyr? a feminist cause?  a disappointed daughter?  a resigned woman? or all of the above?