Saturday, August 18, 2012

Princess or Priest

I stumbled upon this one when I was checking where the traffic for my site was coming from. No, this blog didn't link me. But rather someone else was searching something concerning John Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries and I followed their google search to this place. I really like some of the things Laura Robinson has to say about the book "Captivating".

Choosing Priest Instead of Princess: The Pitfalls of Ransomed Heart Ministries

Some time back I did a series on Wild at Heart and John Eldredge. I have a love/hate relationship with his ministry.


5 comments:

Kristen said...

I like Sojourners a lot. Good article!

Mara Reid said...

Thanks. I love it when I stumble onto something a little out of the way of my usual route.

Gem said...

I posted this comment there. Not sure if it will pass moderation for length, but I'm cross posting it here because IMO she is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Though I don't agree with everything in it, that book was a healing read for me. May I suggest that you err to consider a princess "passive" and to reject the biblical concept that we are princesses? 1 Pet 3 encourages wives to be "daughters of Sarah".

In Genesis 17:15 GOD HIMSELF changed her name from Sarai (contentious) to Sarah (princess/ruler)… which means that every time Abraham addressed his wife by name, he called her “ruler” and he would have been very much aware of that.

“But I thought ‘Sarah’ means ‘princess’?”.

Right.
What is a ‘princess’?
One has to get past our disney fairy tale image to “get” the impact of her GOD given name. One also has to remember that a name- in Hebrew culture- was understood to identify truth about a person.from Net Bible Dictionary-
SARAH; SARAI [ISBE].
SARAH; SARAI – sa’-ra, sa’-ri: ….
Sarai was the name this woman brought with her from Mesopotamia. On the other hand there can be little doubt that the name Sarah, which she received when her son was promised, means “princess,” for it is the feminine form of the extremely common title sar, used by the Semites to designate**** a ruler**** of greater or lesser rank. In the verse following the one where this name is conferred, it is declared of Sarah that “kings of peoples shall be of her” (Gen 17:16).

Sarah lives up to her new name! Look at the authority she now has in her household- Gen 21:10-12/Gal 4:29-31.



Mara Reid said...

Point well taken Gem.

Though I think you and I get the we are royal priests (aka princesses or even queens) much of Christendom uses the princess thing to make women passive and rob them of their power. So I appreciate someone out there pointing out that 'passive' thing and reminding everyone that women are priests.

Gem said...

http://www.mendingthesoul.org/ has a curriculum called Princess Lost and the "Captivating" book was healing to me personally along the same lines.