Happy to see a prosperous new life (Part 2)
[Life Story] 4 Exclusive interview with Preacher Liu Xiuxian who advocates that both sexes serve the Heavenly Father side by side
Interview╱Zhou Weiwei
In the last issue, we introduced Pastor Liu Xiuxian’s growth background, academic history and related works. Her grandmother's concept of men being superior to women and her regrets and contradictions about being uneducated, and her mother's hesitation about her further education made her unwilling to bear the traditional burden of women. Her thirst for knowledge in university life and her concern for disadvantaged groups after being called by God prompted her to undertake a huge research burden on how God views women in the Bible. "Give Me Back the Plenty of Eden" and "The Reconciliation of the Genders" This came into being. In this issue, we will continue to report on how couples stand on the same front to take on missions and serve the Heavenly Father side by side, introduce the exciting content of the new book "Witnesses Like a Cloud—The First Mother of Christ", and solve the mystery of whether women can preach. !
▲Liu Xiuxian and her partner, brother Wang Linghui, have been married for more than 40 years and are good partners serving together.
Help each other outside the framework
Liu Xiuxian believes that the mission given by God to the family should not be underestimated. Due to the lack of understanding of their own roles, many modern couples present family models that are still far from God’s expectations. Based on the traditional concept of men being the breadwinners of the family, modern fathers usually have heavy workloads and have no time to spend with their wives and children. The responsibility of disciplining their children falls on the mother alone. If parents lack effective communication and the children take advantage of the opportunity, it will be particularly difficult for the mother to discipline them. She emphasized that at the beginning of creation, God created male and female in His own image, and gave both men and women the same mission of managing heaven and earth and educating children (Genesis 1:26-28). Husband and wife should stand on the same front to take on the mission and coordinate each other's responsibilities in society and the family.
The traditional concept of men being at home and men at home is a long-standing habit of men and women working hard after the fall of man (see Genesis 3:16-19). This dichotomy no longer applies to modern families. Today, women have the same opportunities to receive higher education as men, and many women’s work abilities are even equal to or better than those of men. If husband and wife can help each other in employment and develop their strengths, it will also be a relief to the family economy. Xiuxian encouraged sisters to serve freely according to the gifts and opportunities given by God, and not to be overly controlled by traditional culture and waste their contribution to social culture.
Working women take care of family and work, so they need the understanding and support of their husbands. The traditional male chauvinist mentality of "not having a hand in housework" needs to be removed. Sisters with strong abilities must learn to be humble and submissive at home, discuss everything with their husbands, and avoid being arrogant or taking the lead. Only when husband and wife respect each other with Christ as the center, understand their respective positions, and communicate with one heart can they build a family that is in line with God's heart.
Husband and wife join forces to take on mission
Xiu Xian’s other half, brother Wang Linghui, is a good companion who serves with her. Although the two attend different worship services in the same church (her husband is in the Cantonese department and she is in the Mandarin department) and have different ministries, this does not affect their communication in the Lord at all. The couple often use their early morning walks to share their experiences in serving, which in turn broadens each other's horizons for spiritual growth.
She and her husband open their home every week for a fellowship gathering of young people and college students from mainland China. Currently, in addition to serving as a mentor in the Cantonese Adult Fellowship, Linghui also works with Xiu Xian to mentor and care for young couples. Linghui is good at listening, observing, and analyzing the needs of the counselees; Xiuxian provides spiritual guidance based on God’s words. The husband and wife complement each other in family ministry, and they create many first fruits in the Lord.
As for Xiuxian, as a preacher, how can she obey her husband at home? She responded wisely: "Respect your husband's position as the head and discuss everything with him." She believed that the leader used his life to interpret his role, rather than relying on power to consolidate his position. If a wife submits to her husband from the heart, the husband will feel that he is respected.
Xiuxian lived with her parents-in-law for more than four years, and there were certainly inconveniences in her life. She cared about her husband's filial piety, so she chose to obey. The valuable experience of living with elders made her learn to care about the needs of others, which became a useful resource for her later counseling work.
Speak up for Mother Christ
Based on years of observation and experience, Xiu Xian discovered that in North American churches, sisters make up the majority, but the proportion of female preachers is very small. Church systems dominated by male pastors tend to start from a male perspective, whether in preaching, governance or counseling. Many churches are like a single father who doesn’t know how to feed his daughter’s needs. She noticed that the teachings in the pulpit or Sunday school still used male figures in the Bible as models, and rarely mentioned the women in the Bible who influenced the times. As a result, sisters were often in the awkward position of having no precedent in serving.
In view of this, Xiu Xian is about to publish the first volume of the Women’s Bible Study Series [Their God, Your God, My God], “Witnesses Like a Cloud—The First Mother of Christ.” There are ten stories in it, starting with Eve, the mother of mankind; the rest focus on the eight ancestors of the Lord Jesus, including Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Some of these witnesses who surround us like a cloud and encourage us to grow in faith come from famous families, some from ordinary backgrounds, some of unknown origins, and some are humble foreign women and even prostitutes!
Tamar—the righteous deeds of a foreign woman
For example, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced her father-in-law Judah into sleeping with her in order to continue her dead husband's line of succession. Although the technique is objectionable and the reading is absurd, Xiu Xian analyzed it from the perspective of biblical interpretation and found that Tamar was a pagan, her knowledge of God was limited, and her behavior could not be compared with those of people who believe in God. But judging from her motivation to actively provide for her husband, even his father-in-law Judah felt inferior to him and said that she was more righteous than him (see Genesis 38:26). Even in the Book of Ruth, there is a record about Tamar giving birth to Perez from Judah (see Ruth 4:12), which is enough to confirm Tamar’s respected status by the Israelites.
Bathsheba - the helplessness of the victimized lamb
Another controversial woman was Bathsheba, who had a physical relationship with David. From a traditional perspective, many people believe that Bathsheba must have been frivolous, immodest, or even unfaithful to her husband. However, Xiu Xian believed that Bathsheba's status at the time was nothing more than a weak woman, and she was completely helpless in the face of King David's forced courtship. From the parable of the prophet Nathan rebuking David for taking the lamb of the poor from the rich, it is enough to confirm the role of Bathsheba as the victim lamb.
There are many controversial figures in the list of mothers of Jesus, but every woman has an unusual experience of faith, witnessing God’s grace of selection and shaping, enabling them to inherit the promises with their husbands by faith and become God’s blessings The channel of the world - the ancestors and ancestors of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The next two volumes of this women's Bible study series explore women important to God: the Old Testament explores Miriam, the prophet who wielded power with her tongue, Deborah, the peak leader who cared about her mother, and Esther, the queen who risked her life and death. Thesis, etc.; the New Testament continues to discuss the female witnesses of Christ’s life, Mary Magdalene, the messenger who preached the message of the Lord’s resurrection, and Priscilla, the missionary who sang and followed her husband, etc.
God has mercy on vulnerable women
In addition to successful models, Liu Xiuxian also included some disadvantaged women in the final volume of this series. They are marginalized women in patriarchal society, such as Hagar, a desperate single mother in the Old Testament era, Tamar, a victim of blood feud, the woman with an issue of blood who was healed by Jesus in the New Testament era, and the woman who was saved from a trap in the New Testament era. Released whores, etc.
Hagar—Sympathetic to the needs of single parents
Hagar despised her mistress Sarah because she was pregnant from Abraham, and was later tortured by Sarah and forced to live in exile. God was considerate of Hagar's loss as a single parent, and took special care and protection of her. He also promised her many descendants, which greatly comforted the helpless Hagar. As for David's innocent daughter Tamar, who was defiled by her half-brother Amnon, God cared about Tamar's suffering and allowed his brother Absalom to kill Amnon to avenge her.
Xiuxian arranged it this way because she saw that in today's society (including churches) there are many single mothers and disadvantaged women who suffer from racial, gender, and occupational discrimination. The spiritual and physical needs of single mothers are often ignored in traditional churches, resulting in the role of single mothers being marginalized and even leaving the church due to isolation and helplessness.
In the workplace, in addition to professional abilities, women must also survive on invisible barriers (Glass Ceiling) such as gender and race. She discovered from the recent endless incidents of sexual assault in the workplace that the innocent victims are mostly powerless female secretaries in the company or female employees from ethnic minorities. In the face of strong hegemony, these weak women are weak and weak, and naturally become victims of legal loopholes. They have to endure great pain both mentally and physically, and are in a worrying situation. Looking at the numerous examples in the Bible, Xiu Xian believes that how God has shown mercy to marginalized and disadvantaged women in the past, He will continue to care for all women in need in today's society.
▲Liu Xiuxian and her husband Wang Linghui (front row, second and first from right) open their home every week for a group of professional youth and university brothers and sisters from mainland China to gather together for fellowship.
Women’s missionary journey is difficult
Turning to the North American church, the male-dominated pastoral team lacks proper guidance and understanding of the sisters, coupled with prejudice, causing female preachers and sisters to face many challenges in the process of serving.
A female preacher who had served faithfully for many years encountered many obstacles during the ordination process. The ordination ministry, which is dominated by men, asked her to write an experience report based on the argument in 1 Timothy 2 that women are not allowed to preach. Afterwards, the ordination group asked the preacher to modify the content several times because they were dissatisfied with his exposition, but in the end the ordination was not approved.
Xiu Xian emphasized that the ordination of pastors is not a biblical doctrine but a matter of church tradition. The prerequisites are not related to men or women. The key is whether the person concerned is clear about God’s call, whether his character is respected by others, and whether he has the gift of a pastor to serve everyone.
Who says women are not allowed to teach today?
In 1 Timothy, Paul mentioned that women were not allowed to preach, which was based on the background of cultural and regional differences at that time. The city of Ephesus where Timothy worked was not only full of worship of the goddess (see Acts 19:23-35), but the women there were also"Having a habit of being lazy and wandering from house to house; not only being lazy but also gossiping and meddling in other people's business, saying things that should not be said" (1 Timothy 5:13). So I fell into the trap of false teachers─"Women who steal into other people's homes and imprison ignorant women... these women are burdened with sin and tempted by all kinds of lusts. They are constantly learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth." (Refer to 2 Timothy 3:6-7). Paul realized that allowing these women to speak in meetings might cause another chaos, so he forbade women from preaching (originally speaking, teaching). Such a reminder was limited to Ephesus at that time and was not universally applicable. Xiuxian believes that this passage should not be taken out of context and directly applied to modern society. Women were not allowed to teach at that time, but that does not mean that women are not allowed to teach today.
Another single female preacher responded to God’s call and served in a church in North America. Because her service scope overlapped with her pastor’s wife, the two often clashed. The single female preacher had just arrived and was unfamiliar with the people and the place. However, behind the wife, there were pastors and pastoral groups who supported her. In the end, the female preacher could not bear the mainstream influence and had to choose to leave silently.
In addition, there is often competition and comparison between female preachers and male preachers. When women’s roles are exalted, male pastors often feel that their self-esteem is humiliated and they lose face; female pastors’ services are often criticized for being petty and intolerant. In fact, behind the conflicts are the weaknesses and sins of human nature - jealousy, prejudice, pride and insecurity.
The most important thing is that the Chinese church has not yet gotten out of the traditional framework of "men are superior to women." Sisters are still regulated in children's Sunday schools, nurseries, kitchens, choirs, visits, care and counseling, and other services. As for preaching and administrative management, brothers are still the main focus. As a result, many outstanding female preachers are unable to give full play to their gifts, causing damage to the Kingdom of God.
Breaking through tradition and swimming upstream
Although she has published two books, "Give Me Back the Glory of Eden" and "The Reconciliation of the Sexes," Xiu Xian admitted that the church mostly has reservations about the reconciliation of the sexes and serving the Heavenly Father side by side.
Faced with obstacles that are difficult to break through in reality, Xiuxian can't help but feel discouraged. However, being naturally optimistic and positive, she ultimately believes that God is in control, and all she can do is adhere to God’s entrustment and serve with all her heart. When faced with doubts from others, Xiu Xian always quotes the Bible and discusses with them calmly instead of being aggressive. Although she published many books, she never asked the church to accommodate herself. She obeyed God's leadership and served faithfully, gradually winning the respect of many people. Many brothers even often asked her for help in pastoral counseling. .
In recent years, Xiuxian has systematically discovered sisters and used various teaching methods to cultivate their spiritual lives. She trains adult Sunday school teachers on a one-year cycle, and deliberately invites brothers and sisters to participate. She hopes to see brothers and sisters serving together with gifts in the church in the future, rather than being classified according to traditional stereotypes. After years of studying and interpreting the Bible, Xiu Xian came up with a conclusion: God values women’s delicate hearts and listens to their souls’ cries. The purpose of publishing a book to discuss these biblical women is to allow brothers and sisters in the 21st century to know this loving, righteous and faithful God through God’s love, cultivation and use of these biblical women, so as to affirm women’s fertility. We honor our identity and status and fulfill God’s expectations for women, which is to work side by side with brothers in the body of Christ and expand the kingdom of the Lord Christ according to the gifts they have received.
[Coming out in early 2012, so stay tuned]
Witnesses like clouds
ancestor of christ
Liu Xiuxian/Author
Since co-authoring "Give Me the Plenty of Eden" and "Reconciliation of the Sexes" with Qiu Qingping and Wu Shuyi in 1997 and 2004, Liu Xiuxian has newly edited the first book in the Women's Bible Study Series, with twists and turns of Bible stories and close encounters with women. Close-ups of characters further illustrate God’s undying love for His children. Modern Eves hiding in Eden, please don’t hesitate any longer! God’s promises are in earthen vessels, waiting for you to draw them. Let's dance! Wave those dusty wings. Release it! Handmaids of grace who are freed in love, please read this book together, give full play to your innate enthusiasm, and create colorful colors for the kingdom of God!
A must-read for Sisters’ Revival! If you want to purchase the book, please go to the Kingdom of God website http://www.e-krc.org
Interviewee profile
Liu Xiuxian immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong when she was in high school. Four years after graduating from the Department of Architecture at the University of California, she was called to serve full-time in several Chinese churches for more than 30 years. He received a master's degree in religious education from Southwestern Theological Seminary, a master's degree in biblical studies from Westminster Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in pastoral science from Claremont Theological Seminary. Xiu Xian and her husband Wang Linghui now live in California and serve as spiritual formation ministers at the Lord's Grace Church in San Diego.
Journalist profile
Weiwei Zhou is from Taiwan and now lives in New York. She is a bilingual teacher in public schools. Even though he is busy with family, work and church, he still devotes himself to writing and enjoys the moments of connecting with the source of life during creation.