Who Do You Hear at the Gate?

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” C.S. Lewis

Like many other women I know, I struggled with a sense of calling to ministry that was often complicated by the limitations affixed to my gender.  Some churches "allow" access to all sorts of ministry for women; others not so much.  My own heart struggled with the issue that summer of 2004 and continued to into the next winter.

July 28, 2004
I've thought about trying to start up a retreat center of some kind. A B-&-B type of affair.  On the other hand, I wonder whether I should go the eldership-track at church.  Other women have, and I know they are a blessing to those around them.  Why not me?  But I see so many frailties in me:  I don't like confrontation, I'm not a go-getter, I'm a female...But now I wonder if I'm doing what I accuse B. [a former relative in ministry] of doing:  hiding.  Preaching, but hiding behind a big stiff smile when he steps down from the lectern.  Am I hiding, too? Only I hide behind a bunch of books?  Is the church hungry enough that even a mild-mannered woman could find a place in ministry?  I'd like some affirmation from You, God, about these things.
On to the faith-study, and here alongside that ministry intro. this reference seems appropriate.  Acts 12 tells the story of Peter being freed from prison supernaturally.  Not uncommon in scripture is the between-the-lines message that when women are given first evidence of something miraculous, they are promptly and summarily dismissed--at least in the context of the church's response.  The woman at the well was heard confidently enough by her Samaritan neighbors that they came out to see this prophet of whom she spoke, but Mary--after encountering the resurrected Jesus--was not taken seriously, and here, Rhoda receives the same sort of response, too. 
Story in a nutshell:
Peter is rescued from prison by an angel, and "when he had considered the thing" chose to go to the house of John Mark's mother, where the believers were praying.  When he got there, his knock was answered by a damsel named Rhoda.  And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. What a giggle I get here, she hears him and is so excited that she doesn't even open the gate to confirm what her ears are telling her:  this is the voice of Peter!  She runs to announce him to those gathered.  Their response is lackluster at best:  And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.  Naturally they know better than she does how to interpret what she just experienced.  The pragmatists call her mad; the mystics look for an angel.  No one considers that she gave an un-embellished testimony of actual circumstances.  Ha!  Meanwhile (insert LOL here) Peter stands out there...still knocking.  Bless his soul for that persistence.  But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened [the door], and saw him, they were astonished. 

Something mystical does strike my soul though, when I think how she ran and gave the good news simply from the hearing of his voice...without even opening the gate to confirm what she heard; nor did she even let him in the gate "for gladness" says the text.  She was so overjoyed she literally forgot to bring him inside.

If you're going to make a mistake, let it be for THAT reason.
 
When I contrast that witness of "hearing" with the demand for "seeing/touching" that Thomas made regarding the risen Christ, I love all the more this little damsel, Rhoda.  If there is one I'd love to interview when I first get to heaven, I think I'd choose her over quite a few others.

Not really anything to add to this one, other than that I was seeing the first foundational stones put to my own call to a Rhoda-like ministry.  It makes even more sense now than it ever did then that God would put these things together into the same journal entry.