During Lent, a season traditionally known for self-reflection and penitence, we’ll consider here the actions of several New Testament women. All, save one, were friends with Jesus. And it’s too bad the remaining one—Pilate’s wife—didn’t have more clout with her husband, for had Pilate listened, Jesus’ life might have been spared. Today, Martha of Bethany: sister of Mary and Lazarus, and friend...
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Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter has made the front page of the Star-Tribune! Here's the article: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/290489131.html...
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There was a hidden woman in last Sunday’s readings, one who dances through three of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark and John), and one who challenges us to link the dots to connect her story. She’s behind the scenes, probably at home, as the familiar "I will teach you how to fish for people" story opens in Mark: “Jesus saw James the son...
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Healing is the name of the game in the New Testament. And nowhere is that theme better captured than by the spirit of the last female to speak in the Bible, otherwise known as the fortune-telling girl (Acts 16:16-19). Who exactly was she? Most people haven’t heard of her. Her name was never mentioned in scripture, she was a slave, and Luke, the...
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2 Epiphany, Year B, the Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman, January 19, 2015 “Lead Gently, Lord, and Slow” Our lessons today are all about God finding us and being found by him. And two people in today’s lessons, Samuel and Nathaniel, help us see how that happens. First, Samuel. This is the boy who will grow up to be the last judge in Israel;...
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Just heard yesterday that Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter has won a gold medal from Illumination Book Awards in the category of Bible Study. We're excited about this, and have lots of people to thank, especially those from Forward Movement, the Episcopal Church Women, and the research team. And those Bible women! It would seem they...
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I was an editor for twenty years. Editing other peoples words, and sometimes their thoughts, though never their souls (a few of their souls needed editing and mending, but that’s God’s responsibility, not mine). And in that time, I learned how vulnerable writers can be when they put thoughts and words to paper. It’s tough. Yet as Christians, we are called...
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And the Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us From the Gospel of John, Chapter 1, verses 1 and 14 In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory. In these few words lie the heart of our Christian faith....
Read MoreRead MoreSamson’s mother’s story (Judges 13) Why is Samson’s mother the mystery woman of Advent? Because, like Elizabeth and Mary, she was the mother of a son whose birth was announced by God. Both she and Elizabeth were mothers of “nazarites:” men set apart by God before birth as holy men. Heroes both, John the Baptist and Samson set the stage for...
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Elizabeth’s story (Read Luke 1) We hear a great deal about Jesus this time of year. But Advent is about preparing the way for Jesus, and no one did that better than John the Baptist this time of year--and it all started with his mother, Elizabeth. What do we know about her? Consider her story...
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