A note

Hello Russian search engine bots, casual googlers trying to find a book review for a specific book I've happened to read/write one for, and perhaps even nosy people who accessed my blogspot through a different social medium back when I linked to it there:

I just wanted to mention that the HarperCollins strike is in full effect, and as such I will not be reviewing books published by HarperCollins or any of its subsidiaries until the strike is over. (My understanding is that buying HC books is fine, as the strikers/union does not want to deprive the authors of their income.) 

I stand with the HarperCollins workers and hope HC will do the right thing. People deserve to be paid a living wage for their work.

Unsung Hero[in]es: In the Bible, What Did Women Do?

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, among many other Christian denominations, has been going through the issue of whether or not women should be ordained as pastors. There are already women pastors, my aunt among them, but millennia of patriarchal misogyny and male gender bias are hard to shake off. The senior pastor at my church, LLUC, has done a sermon series about some of the women leaders of the Bible in order to see what they and their roles may have to teach us about the topic of women's ordination. I wanted to write down the messages in order to remember them.

1. Deborah: Here Comes the Judge! (sermon video) – Don't limit the way God chooses to work. Don't think that God can or should only work in one specific way.
2. Huldah: Prophet to the King (video) – I think this one is something like, Listen to what God is saying regardless of who He's saying it through. God chooses to speak through whomever He wants. God's message is vital regardless of whoever is saying it, even if it's someone you wouldn't expect.
3. Miriam: In the Leadership Circle (video) – "Unsung heroes can have feet of clay." God can speak or work through flawed people. Just because a person is flawed, doesn't mean that God can't work through them or choose them to be leaders. Moses also made mistakes and was flawed, but people don't point to him and say that men shouldn't be leaders because of him. (I almost fistpumped in church when he said this. I definitely made that "sips tea" face)
4. Esther: Living with the If (video) – This sermon was given by a woman. The story of Esther should be sung and remembered because it shows us how to trust in God despite uncertainty and place our lives in His hands. We need to stand up for what's right despite our fear.
5. Priscilla and Junia: The Apostles' Colleagues – Today's church should look like the early church, with both women and men in its leadership and playing important roles.
6. Next week is Mary: A Woman's Place. Not sure yet which Mary it is.

I have loved this sermon series, not only because of the crumbs of representation for women that there is in the Bible and the way this shines a light on women leaders (even fewer crumbs for them), but because this is one of the ways my quiet, prefers-not-to-ruffle-feathers pastor shows support for women's ordination: by preaching from the Bible, the same place opponents of women's ordination turn to. This is simultaneously an ordinary sermon series on Bible characters and a Scriptures-supported feminist endorsement of women's ordination. I see you and I thank you.

The World Cup: guidelines of this non-sports fan

I am not a sports person but I make an exception for the World Cup, because futbol. By this I mean I actually pay attention to the game if I'm near someone who has the TV turned to it, and I check online to see who's won. These guidelines, for lack of a better word, are how I follow the World Cup.

I only care about Mexico. And the US. If these two ever play each other I will root for Mexico, because futbol is way more important to Mexicans than soccer is to Americans.
If two countries who are not these two are playing, I root for the Latino/Hispanic team. If they're both Latino, I root for the one I have the closest ties to. For instance, in the Spain/Chile game I was slightly pleased to see Chile won because I have some cousins who are half-Chilean.
If neither country is Hispanic I root for the country I have the closest ties to. In Japan/Greece, I wanted Greece to win because I have an aunt by marriage who is Greek.

At the end of the day I don't lose much sleep over who wins. Like I said, I only care about Mexico. And the US.