If I were a man I think I'd be a minister. They can have such an influence for good, if their theology is sound; and it must be thrilling to preach splendid sermons and stir your hearers' hearts. Why can't women be ministers, Marilla? I asked Mrs. Lynde that and she was shocked and said it would be a scandalous thing. She said there might be female ministers in the States and she believed there was, but thank goodness we hadn't got to that stage in Canada yet and she hoped we never would. But I don't see why. I think women would make splendid ministers. When there is a social to be got up or a church tea or anything else to raise money the women have to turn to and do the work. I'm sure Mrs. Lynde can pray every bit as well as Superintendent Bell and I've no doubt she could preach too with a little practice."
"Yes, I believe she could," said Marilla drily. "She does plenty of unofficial preaching as it is. Nobody has much of a chance to go wrong in Avonlea with Rachel to oversee them."
- Anne of Green Gables
(Chapter XXXI)
I love this book for so, so many reasons.
Go Anne, and go L. M. Montgomery! Great quote. Carrie, I would love to have coffee/tea/some-kind-of-hot-beverage with you sometime. Could we do that? Facebook me if that sounds good to you... :)
ReplyDeleteLove it! :) I'm not quite settled on that whole issue (perhaps a "progressive complimentarian"? :)), but this made me smile...a lot. I need to read those books again. My absolute FAVORITE fiction. The first three books, anyhow.
ReplyDeleteRach, consider yourself Facebooked.
ReplyDeleteLinnea, I can't wait to read the next two! And I hear ya on not being "quite settled." It's a tangled mess of an issue. I think it's funny, though, how "progressive" we are, coming out of Moody... Sometimes I wonder, if they only knew they were churning egalitarians and "progressive complimentarians" out of the women's min. dept., whether they'd shut it down! :)
I am so happy that you are discovering Anne! She is a marvellous creature indeed. =) Enjoy, my friend!
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about how badly I wanted to re-watch Anne of Green Gables and re-read the books again, and I saw your post. What a lovely story!
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with many of Anne's ideas, in fact, but often find we arrive at the same conclusions by different routes, sometimes for different reasons. Maybe it's a gender thing... ;)
ReplyDeleteMyself, I'm in love with the whole idea of 'unofficial preaching.' :)
I've been reading the "Anne" books to my little sisters at bedtime! Those books are timeless. The story is so rich, I feel as if I know each character personally.
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