I'm hosting the Friday Five over at RevGal BlogPals, and I wrote:

We will be at a chaplain's convention when you all are answering the Friday Five Questions. I'll look forward to reading your answers next week when I get home. At the moment we are trying to get the car loaded so we can hit the road, so this will be a simple F.F. This running around madly in order to leave has me wondering: what are the five things you simply must have when you are away from home? And why? Any history or goofy things, or stories?

And now I am posting from the "business center" in the motel so will be quick...no laptop for me.  Wah!
my five things?  CDs.  Must. have. music.  And my digital camera.  If I had a laptop I'd bring that, but since I don't I'll say my cell phone.  I hate cell phones, but with mom in the nursing home it has become essential. A sweater.  Never know.   And....hm.....my purse.  Gee, that was lame, but someone is waiting to use the computer.  Bye!

Today I'm cleaning, taking the cat to the vet, taking my mom (and her broken glasses) to the ey doc, finishing laundry and packing a suitcase.  Ken and I are leaving early tomorrow to drive to Springfield, MO (know as "Mecca" by AG preachers) to attend the Assemblies of God Chaplain's Convention.  This year's agenda looks good.  I may post some from Springfield, but not certain, so I'll post when I get back.

I have not forgotten about the "Husband as Head" series.

Have a good week, everyone.  

We had our church service by a lake cottage today, singing worship songs to the strum of an acoustic guitar. The congregation sat on lawn chairs or just on the grass. Frogs and birds joined in the singing.

Oddly, our church building does not have a baptistry. Since we are of the church tradition that baptizes by immersion, this means we either borrow another church space and baptistry, go to a swimming pool, or baptize people in a lake (only a summer option). A baptistry in a church building is good, and both a baptistry and a pool are nice and clean with no weeds or mud. However, there is something about a baptism in a lake that I particularly enjoy--the more natural setting, the sun glistening on the lake water as the congregation stands on the shore to sing, watch, and pray for those being baptized--and it makes me think of the Jordan and John baptizing Jesus as others watched from the banks..

The woman below, Donna, has been taking some classes from Global University, an Assemblies of God correspondence school. Today she preached her first sermon and did a great job, sunglasses and all (she has to wear them outside because of an eye problem.). Some of her relatives were in town for a visit, so it worked out that they could join us for the service.

Afterwards I changed out of wet clothes and discovered I had two little lake snails with me--one in the right pocket and one in the left!

Bearded Eagle hangs up our mandella outside our lodge.
Much2Ponder and her husband, Little too Much.

RevHRod at Rev Gals shares this week's Friday Five about names, asking:

1. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog?



I am in the process of making links in the sidebar to different types of posts, but if you have time and the inclination here is a post from a few years ago about an amazing rendezvous on the shores of "Gitchee Gumee."

This collage of Trinity and her mommy and daddy are pictures from a rendezvous--all but one, which you will readily identiy. Unless Indian toddlers wore pink.

ANYWAY, my husband gave me my "camp" name because when I am happy I sing--also because absolutely everything that happens to me reminds me of a song--and because (bless his sweet heart) he thinks I am wise. So SingingOwl was born, and it was easy to just take that as my cyber name as well. The blog name, well, what else could it be? :-) Sometimes people tell me owls don't sing. I know. This one does.

Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there?

When my blog began I was fairly anonymous, but as circumstances changed so did the blog, so I don't use the code names much anymore. Except my own--not that anyone who wants to know who I am can't find out in short order.

What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun? My husband (Bearded Eagle) and I like to play dress up. No, not what some of you are thinking. We like to do primitive camping/reenacting of the American fur trade era, which encompasses a period from the 1600s to the mid 1800s. It is called "rendezvousing" because that is what the gatherings of yankee mountain men, Indians, french voygauers, and company men were called. They were generally held in spring and fall and were for the purpose of turning in beaver pelts, but a lot of other things went on--as you can imagine when people who spend months in the wilderness get together with other human beings, some friend and some foe.

I think some of the Rev Gal blogs have the most delightful titles. Just go to the side and read down the side bar. My absolute favorite blog titles? Pink Shoes in the Pulpit, and St. Casserole. That just about covers it all, doncha think? . :-)

What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals blog of course!

Dr. Platypus--my long-time cyber friend, theologian, preacher and writer.
In Case You Were Wondering--Much2Ponder's blog. She used to attend my church, always thinking, my dear friend.
The Scroll--the blog of Christians for Biblical Equality.

I'm in a rush, so not linking, but all have links in my sidebar.

Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why?

I belong to a cyber community that I have been part of for more than ten years. When some started blogging I started reading, and then decided it was a good thing for someone like me. Dr. Platypus didn't convice me, exactly, but he and others from the group were encouraging.

Bonus question: Have you ever met any of your blogging friends? Where are some of the places you've met these fun folks?

The Festival of Homiletics! Sadly, there was little time for real conversation, but still fun to see people.

The formatting of several posts is whacky. On the compose screen it looks fine, but when posted loses line breaks and paragraphs, etc. This is happening to old posts as well as newer ones. Anyone know what gives? I apologize for posts that are difficult to read.

I suspect some of you are wondering if I am ever going to get around to discussing what I think it means that the "husband is the head of the wife." I promise, that post is coming soon.

It seemed important to me to highlight why I think the current teaching (so overwhelmingly popular in certain segments of the Church) is incorrect and damaging.

So please allow me just one more post before getting to the heart (or the head) of the matter.

When I began thinking about all this I posted here about why I believe the teaching that the husband is "the priest of the home" is not biblical, noting that no scripture states such a thing. On the contrary, the Bible tells us that all those who are followers of Jesus Christ are a holy nation and a royal priesthood!

I received a few emails about that post. One recommended I read a particular book, one written for Christian husbands. The book, a popular one I'm sad to say, purports to give the biblical rationale for the husband as priest of the home. I was familiar with the book. I read it a few years ago when it was given me to pass on to someone in my congregation. Since it sat on my desk for a couple of weeks before I saw the person it was intended for, I took a look inside.

The author is a popular speaker and writer who, along with his wife, travels nationally with the sponsorship of a large Christian organization. The two of them give seminars on marriage--and much of what they say is sound and could be helpful. Nonetheless, a little error takes on a life of its own and can do great harm. The book made me angry. So angry in fact, that after reading for about half an hour I threw it across the room. I'm a pretty mild person, most days.

Why was I so upset?

The book, in my view, borders on idolatry. The author tells his readers three things. One, the husband is the priest of the home. Two, the husband is the prophet of the home. And three, the husband is the king of the home.

Prophet, priest and King--those are considered "offices" of Jesus Christ!
However, said the book's author, since Ephesians 5: 23 states that the husband is head of the wife as Christ is of the Church, abd the husband fulfills the same roles with his wife that Jesus does with the church, why, that means that the husband is prophet, priest and king. The book instructs the husband in great detail just how he is to fulfill those three roles in his home. I had read about ten pages in each section before becoming so disgusted I could not read any more--and the book went sailing across my office and hit a wall.

Why stop with prophet, priest, and king? Why those three things? Why not say the husband is savior, redeemer, sanctifier, and healer?

My husband is a man who loves God, who loves me, who loves his children (and now his grandchild), and who seeks to be a blessing and an encouragement to me. When I need help, he helps if he can. If I need direction, I can ask and he will give what advice or suggestions he can. He prays for me. He critiques my sermons if I ask him (and once in a while even when I don't). He protects me when the situation calls for it. Occasionally he pushes me (not physically, figuratively). I would not be preaching today if not for his persistent encouragment and umm, nagging. :-)

For all this and more, I am grateful to him and to God.

He does not presume that he, as a male, should speak for God in some way that I cannot do. While he is, in some ways, a priest in our home, he knows that I am as well. And as for being KING? Because Jesus is King and he, as the husband, fills the offices that Jesus fills? This book claims exactly that. NO WAY! That is idolatry.

Again, the follwers of Christ are all called a royal priesthood. All of us.

I will not put my husband in the place where only Christ should stand. That is a burden no man should, nor indeed could, bear. I am responsible for my own walk with God, and my own spiritual life. Can my husband help me? Yes, indeed he can. And I can help him as well.