Ray,
The congregation in Chattanooga Dottie and I visited last Sunday had an auditorium that would accommodate an "audience" of 400 but contained a hundred or so with most our age or older. I expect it will merge with another similar congregation in a few years. An audience is defined as spectators so there should be no audience associated with the church. They had installed speakers the length of the walls but did not need a microphone to be heard.
Luke told his friend Theophilus the Jews in Berea were nobler than those in Thessaloniki. The definition of "noble" appears to reference willing to examine the Scriptures daily to see if what is being taught is the truth. By that definition are we at GSMCOC more like the Christians in Berea or those in Thessaloniki?
Several years ago when Dottie and I went to the Singing School we met with the Highland Avenue C of C in Abilene, TX. I believe they were the congregation that produced the Herald of Truth. If I remember correctly there were a number of C of C congregations that thought the Highland Avenue congregation was too liberal using television like they did.
When Dottie and I visited Highland there was an article/announcement in that week's bulletin telling the congregation the elders had decided to take five years and consider the role of women in the church.
The last I heard women at Highland Avenue were participating in the assemblies. Now, we can say those elders are nuts or just plain wrong or even mislead but when was the last time GSMCOC considered anything as a congregation? When was the last time GSMCOC could be compared with Christians in Berea? When was the last time GSMCOC believed anything we had not been told to believe by the preacher?
We rationalize away women exercising the gift of prophecy in the time of Paul and Luke's telling Theophilus of seven men and four women he considered prophets or even Paul commenting on men and women praying and prophesying. I doubt that 99.9% of the folks know why and possibly 100% never investigating for themselves.
Recently I read the word translated "head" Paul used with reference to men being the head of the woman does not describe a position of authority but more a position of risk, out in front, serving those who follow the head. The word was used as a cowboy would ride "point" or a soldier on point scouting ahead for the bad guys or even as "spearhead" in WWII when soldiers went ahead into new areas. Another word I think of is "pathfinder." Regardless, we need to search the scriptures instead of repeating the old mantra because it is the only one we know.
We are adamant about enforcing our concept of what someone else thinks Paul said about women but treat his comments about elders as merely suggestions. Our method of supervising a congregation does not have as much Bible support as women serving and teaching in the assembly. Now that just may be something for which GSMCOC can search the scriptures daily using a Greek or Hebrew dictionary.
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