Rev. Reed Lee Pedersen's
This last Sunday we celebrated WELCA Sunday. This is a Sunday where we uplift Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA), but we also uplift womanhood and celebrate the many ways that it can be expressed. As a man. I do not have the experience of what it means to be a woman. Instead, I want to lift of some women of the Bible that were lifted up this Sunday. They are not lifted up because they needed a man to be great. They are not lifted up because they were subservient as society would like them to be. These are certified badass women who are to be reckoned with and not overlooked. Rahab: Joshua 2:1-14 Joshua is attributed with tearing down the great walls of Jericho, but it is in this scene that we learn of how his spies received help from Rahab. Not only is Rahab an unlikely helper due to her profession (prostitute), she is a non-Israelite. She is not part of God’s chosen family and yet God speaks to her and her family to ensure protection and perseverance over Jericho. Because of her bravery, her family is spared. Ruth: The Whole Book of Ruth Ruth’s words to her mother are heard many times at marriages (Wherever you go I will do...). Her strength and commitment to her mother-in-law brings about encouragement for a similar attitude toward our own relationships, and it can be heard as Jesus’ words to us this very day. Although Jesus’ or God’s name is not spoken in this book, we receive a whole story centered on two women in their search to regain wholeness together after losing so much. Let us lift of both Ruth and Naomi as women who show us the way of love. Martha and Mary of Bethany: John 11 and 12:1-8 Although Jesus is late, the only reason he heard that his friend was ill was because Martha and Mary sent word. Martha and Mary owe much to Jesus because he resurrected their brother, Lazarus, from the dead. Martha is annoyed that Jesus did not come in time to cure her brother’s illness, but at the same time she holds faith in Jesus and what he can do. Mary, who also mourned her brother, is a symbol of true thankfulness as she anoints Jesus’ feet after witnessing the miracle. So it seems these sisters are symbols of faith and thankfulness and they witness a glimpse of the true power Jesus has over death. Lydia: Acts 16:11-15 Lydia is a professional woman and believer in God. Because she was open to listening to Paul speak of Jesus Christ her whole household was baptized. Normally the pattern was that a man would be converted and his household would be baptized, but this text shows us that Lydia must have been the head of her household. That is not enough, though. Lydia nominates her own home to be a place devoted to Christ. Isn’t it amazing what this dealer in purple cloth was able to do in the time period she lived in? Priscilla: Acts 18:1-28 and Romans 16:3 Many times in scripture the wife is not given a name. Instead, she is given the label of wife. Think of back in our own time at a wedding when the pastor would announce, “I now declare them Mr. and Mrs. John Smith!” But both of the members of this husband and wife duo get a name. Priscilla stands out as not just a woman tied to her husband, but someone with agency, someone memorable. In fact, Paul, the father of the Christian church, in his letter to the Romans goes out of his way to say, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life.” How amazing that Paul attributes the saving of his life to this female disciple of Christ. WELCA has a mission, "Mobilizing women to act boldly in their faith in Jesus Christ." I hope these women from the bible inspire all of us to continually act boldly in our own faith, to push for change when women are not treated as equals, and to read the Bible through a lens that uplifts women rather then trying to limit their abilities. Points to Ponder:
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AuthorPastor Reed is a first call pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover, Illinois. Archives
July 2019
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