I freely admit that the title, "The Dance of the Devoted Daughter" sounds strange from someone with my background! After all, there is not much dancing my church!!
So, I thought that I would explain myself. This title was my response to a book I read titled, "The Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd. I love Ms. Kidd's writing! Her fiction is captivating and I devour her work. This particular book was not fiction, though. It was Ms. Kidd's personal story of a spiritual search for a place of meaning, as a woman. Ms. Kidd had been a Christian for years and in fact wrote Christian articles and books. But, at 40 years of age she began to see that her Christian journey was masculine, not feminine.
The pain that she honestly presents and the quest for a feminine expression of faith spoke deeply to me. I too feel that much of my spirituality must be put in masculine terms because those are the only terms that my church presents. And yet, my logic tells me that God made us male and female for a reason. Shouldn't there be a way to be fully feminine and fully godly? When Ms. Kidd began to search for that intersection of realities, she couldn't find it. And so, she left the church, and the theology of this patriarchal system to find her own way. She became the dissident daughter.
I couldn't wrap my arms around the conclusions that Ms. Kidd reached and the decisions that she made based on them. I believe in the importance of the church, local and global. I believe that God in trusted His mission of reconciliation to the broken vessel that is the church. So, I vowed to be the devoted daughter. I vowed to stay. Staying, for me, is harder than leaving. I experience pain often from closed doors and shut down thinking. But, I believe that I have been called to pioneer a new way. I believe that God created men and women to work side by side in the kingdom. I believe that someone has to be willing to sacrifice their own comfort for the good of those that will follow. I choose this dance because I believe it honors God with all that I am. I believe that this is my life's work.
What do you think?
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3 comments:
Dude, I think I need to read this book. Can you send it to me?
Jenn,
I don't have my copy any more...I loaned it to someone else and haven't gotten it back. If I could remember who it was I would get it back but sadly, I loaned it while pregnant and that memory is now gone forever.
I bought my copy used, on Amazon, for cheap though!!! Can you use Amazon? It's a good read; weird in some ways but really thought provoking weird.
You have so much to offer the blogging world, Rhesa! I'm thrilled that you're on my "to read" list now. I'm blessed by your thoughts and struggles, especially in relation to motherhood. Moving to the same town as you has been a blessing beyond words. Your friendship is treasured. You are a jewel. As we grow together, I look forward to sharing with you the growth I see in you in awkward or not so awkward ways!
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