Hagar: Precious in God’s Sight

Read Hagar’s story: Genesis 16 and 21:9-20 Hagar comes up in this Sunday's lectionary, and her story could not be more timely, especially as our faith communities consider the sins of racism and oppression. She was many things: a slave and nemesis to Sarah; the first person in the Bible to name God (she called him El-Roi, "O God of seeing;...

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Give me that living water!

3 Lent, Year C Lindsay Hardin Freeman Give me that living water! From the Gospel of John, chapter 4: “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?” And so says the Samaritan woman — a skeptical, assertive, and bright woman — who argues with Jesus as does no one else in the Bible. Authentic and...

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Lydia: A woman of purple

Lydia’s story Lydia’s biblical story begins near water, where she has gone to pray. A merchant with a flourishing business in purple cloth, she greets women friends on the riverbank outside the little town of Philippi. From there (now modern-day Greece), she keeps up with personal relationships and hears news from travelers near and far. She is peaceful yet attentive, good...

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Vashti, Esther and Dr. Ford

Hildegard of Bingen once said, "Secrets make us sick." For that reason, I'm glad that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford is speaking publicly. No longer will she hold in what she remembers as a terrifying incident. This Sunday, Esther's story will be read aloud in churches across the country (Track #1 in the lectionary). It is an important story, and Esther ranks...

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The Witch of Endor: Clairvoyant and Compassionate

Read the Witch of Endor’s story: 1 Samuel 28 Profile in history: Low Classic moment Bringing back Samuel’s spirit for King Saul. She also tells Saul he will die the next day. Who was the Witch of Endor? A woman from Endor who could summon the spirits of the dead An independent contractor (paid by the session) A woman living alone An outcast What did the Witch of Endor...

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Crossing Boundaries: Awkward all Around

Ethnic boundaries: apparently even Jesus had trouble with them. Case in point: Sunday’s Gospel reading from Matthew 15:21-28. A woman from "the outside," known as the Canaanite woman, spars with Jesus and convinces him to heal her daughter. And Jesus is oddly cranky about the whole thing, at least in the beginning. (Note: The Canaanite woman to which Matthew refers is...

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