Ecclesiastes 3:1- There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
There is, in fact, a time for everything under heaven.
i went to see the Vagina Monologues tonight at Union. They were held on campus, in the chapel, Watts chapel.
i went, firstly, because i felt the need to be informed, as i have never been, despite numerous opportunities. i also went, principally, to support my friends who were performing in the production. Several of my friends whom i love and respect were involved, including the professor i respect most of all my seminary teachers.
i can say they did a truly spectacular job. They performed extraordinarily well and delivered a great show. It also caused me to think, reflect, learn, laugh, and almost cry. i also think they are to be commended for their sincere efforts to stop violence toward women and girls in all parts of the world by donating proceeds to worthy causes. All that being said, seeing the play made me all the more certain that it had no business being in the Chapel of our seminary.
The play discussed many instances of abuse and force that threatened and hurt women. It discussed the ideas directly and indirectly that sex has a time and place and that it should not be forced. Sex in the wrong place or time, such as at a young age, or without consent, like date rape or family incest or systematic torture in war are wrong.
My point? Why is the use of a sacred worship space which is not only important to the performers and the audience, but hundreds, nay thousands, of Alumni who may have approved or disapproved of this use of this sacred worship space any different from, well, a woman's body?
There is a time to yell. It's not around sleeping babies. There is a time to discuss your sex life with your spouse. This is probably not around your 6 year old child or someone else's. There is a time to be intimate with that spouse. It's not on the sidelines of your 17 year old's soccer game. There is a time for adults to discuss the rights and the joys and the sorrows and the humor of female anatomy, but it is NOT in a chapel.
Why? It's not just my chapel or the Presbyterian chapel, but God's chapel, and it is a special place of worship of many of God's children. i fielded a phone call from a very unhappy Alumni about the use of our campus space for this (and she didn't even know it was the chapel). She cannot have been the only one, and despite popular opinion, i am by far not the most conservative person on campus or among the Alumni. Like discussed in the play, this was in the wrong time and place, and it was forced. i don't know for sure if hey pooled any or many older alumni to see if they found this an appropriate use of Watts chapel, but i know i was not asked as a current student how i felt about the space i worship, pray, and preach in being used this way or how it might reflect on us as a body of believers and how i will be associated with this seminary when i am looking for a call this summer.
At a time when the seminary is desperately struggling to find money and bring people together, this is a horrible time to do something so controversial. There is a time and purpose for all things, and this was NOT it.
There is, in fact, a time for everything under heaven.
i went to see the Vagina Monologues tonight at Union. They were held on campus, in the chapel, Watts chapel.
i went, firstly, because i felt the need to be informed, as i have never been, despite numerous opportunities. i also went, principally, to support my friends who were performing in the production. Several of my friends whom i love and respect were involved, including the professor i respect most of all my seminary teachers.
i can say they did a truly spectacular job. They performed extraordinarily well and delivered a great show. It also caused me to think, reflect, learn, laugh, and almost cry. i also think they are to be commended for their sincere efforts to stop violence toward women and girls in all parts of the world by donating proceeds to worthy causes. All that being said, seeing the play made me all the more certain that it had no business being in the Chapel of our seminary.
The play discussed many instances of abuse and force that threatened and hurt women. It discussed the ideas directly and indirectly that sex has a time and place and that it should not be forced. Sex in the wrong place or time, such as at a young age, or without consent, like date rape or family incest or systematic torture in war are wrong.
My point? Why is the use of a sacred worship space which is not only important to the performers and the audience, but hundreds, nay thousands, of Alumni who may have approved or disapproved of this use of this sacred worship space any different from, well, a woman's body?
There is a time to yell. It's not around sleeping babies. There is a time to discuss your sex life with your spouse. This is probably not around your 6 year old child or someone else's. There is a time to be intimate with that spouse. It's not on the sidelines of your 17 year old's soccer game. There is a time for adults to discuss the rights and the joys and the sorrows and the humor of female anatomy, but it is NOT in a chapel.
Why? It's not just my chapel or the Presbyterian chapel, but God's chapel, and it is a special place of worship of many of God's children. i fielded a phone call from a very unhappy Alumni about the use of our campus space for this (and she didn't even know it was the chapel). She cannot have been the only one, and despite popular opinion, i am by far not the most conservative person on campus or among the Alumni. Like discussed in the play, this was in the wrong time and place, and it was forced. i don't know for sure if hey pooled any or many older alumni to see if they found this an appropriate use of Watts chapel, but i know i was not asked as a current student how i felt about the space i worship, pray, and preach in being used this way or how it might reflect on us as a body of believers and how i will be associated with this seminary when i am looking for a call this summer.
At a time when the seminary is desperately struggling to find money and bring people together, this is a horrible time to do something so controversial. There is a time and purpose for all things, and this was NOT it.
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