Balancing God's Work and the Midwife's work.

[PastorApril]

During the years my sons were being born, I became involved with a group of lay midwives who delivered babies in the rual areas of the Shenandoah Mountains. In fact, they were with me for the birth of my youngest son. I hoped I would see the kind of wisdom in the shepherd that I saw in these midwives.

But it seems to me there may be a difference between the way a male would approach the delivery of a lamb and the way a female (given no instruction from a male) would. The midwives spoke of empowering the mother to give birth. Whereas these sheperd and the medical establishment (also male driven and male educated) speak of "delivering" the woman. One empowers her - one intervenes for her.

It is a subtle difference... but one way believes it needs to interceed to help the woman give birth and the other way walks along side her. One believes she has power to give birth and one says she needs help - that birth is inheritantly dangerous to her and her child.

I think a pastor has this choice to make... will I approach my shepherd responsibilities believing my congregation needs help to do what God created them to do. Or will I approach my sheperd responsibilities believing I am sent to walk along side people whom God has already empowered with his Spirit and power?