Vocational Variety:
I
Women
God’s Wisdom for
H I G H E R
T H I N G S __ 18
By Deaconess Ellie Corrow
n the last hundred years we have seen unprecedented changes for American women: changes which have brought them into the voting booth, the university classroom, medical school, the military, and everything in between. In the wake of these changes, cultural shifts have occurred both in the secular world and within the church. Young Christian women in today’s world should feel understandably uncomfortable with a cultural narrative that suggests that whatever men do, women can and should pursue, no matter the cost. However, at times there is an answering narrative from the church that suggests women should only serve in those vocations that are unavailable to men. That is, on the one hand to be female is to be no different from a man (other than in anatomy), while on the other hand it may seem that femininity offers no particular usefulness outside of the home. Both of these responses are extremes which fail to account for women as individuals with differing gifts, talents, and abilities, all of which they can use in service to their neighbors.
