Singleness & The Church

          This past semester at school I had to write an independent study paper on the topic of my choice and how it relates to sociology (and really, if you know sociology, EVERYTHING relates to it!) So I chose to look at singleness, as this was a topic that greatly interested me (thus, where the blog came out of; I found I had a lot to say about the subject that didn't necessarily relate to the class - so, here we are!). I studied some articles that looked at singleness and the church, and I came across this article that was entitled Choosing Celibacy by Marcy Hintz. Here's a quote from the article:

       

           “Christians are familiar with Scriptures such as Matthew 19, where Jesus speaks of "eunuchs" who have "renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven," or 1 Corinthians 7, where Paul writes, "It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am." Singles, Paul said, are "concerned about the Lord's affairs—how [they] can please the Lord." Evangelical pastors justify the celibate life with those passages, but hardly ever promote it as a desirable calling.” 
 

        

            I just thought that this was such an interesting statement. We find the Apostle Paul to be a strong advocator of the 'single life', and the church teaches this, but do we really believe it? Do you find the church celebrates and promotes marriage (and family) more than singleness?

How do you take this statement? Do you agree? Disagree?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!!!

**UPDATE - If you are looking for some further posts on this subject????
\You should check out what Becca has to say at My Life as a Christian Single in her post A Message to the Church on how to Care for Your Singles - it's really great.

The Gift of Singleness

   I've struggled with being single (I like to think that I'm content, but that's a complete lie). I'm not even that old! I shouldn't feel this way (right?). This past April I got the honor of standing up in my best friend's wedding. While this was an absolute joyful experience, I couldn't help but feeling left out of this "love game" (there's a little plug for Lady Gaga). I see them together, my sister and her husband, and my parents, and can't help but wonder - when's it my turn?

      I've recently read a book called Lady in Waiting: Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right by Jackie Kendall & Debby Jones. Now, I highly recommend this book for all my fellow single gals out there (and you married ones too!). It challenged the way I thought about myself, God and my relationship status (or lackthereof). Above all that I've gotten out of this book, the most encouraging idea is the advantage that we, as singles have. If we honestly think about it (and sometimes we don't want to admit it), we have so much more time to dive into God's word and praise Him -- compared to a busy wife and mother, juggling a job, three kids, a husband and a household. The Apostle Paul preaches the benefits to the single life, saying exactly that; we have more time for the Lord's affairs. Singleness is a gift - the choice is, do we CHOOSE to see it that way or as a pity party?

      
            This is something that I definitely struggle with on a daily basis. I find it difficult to choose joy while being alone, especially when people around me are so happy in their relationships.

How do you cope? Do you see singleness as a gift?