Esther: A True Hero of the Faith

A well-beloved ambassador arrives in many churches throughout the country this Sunday via the RCL (Track #1) lectionary: Esther. The inspiration for the Jewish feast of Purim, she is one of only a handful of biblical women who  regularly crosses the divide between religious and secular worlds. Memorialized in books and films, she is  beautiful, brave, kind, patient and smart. Remarkably...

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The Woman in Proverbs 31: Yikes!

Okay. There’s a woman in the Bible that leaves me feeling a little, well unnerved. And she comes up in this Sunday’s lectionary (RCL, Year B, September 20). Described in Proverbs 31, she’s known as the “capable wife.” Unfortunately, we’re missing a few verses in Sunday’s lectionary, which makes a huge difference. Here’s how it starts on Sunday: “A good wife who...

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The Shulammite Woman: Arise, My Love, and Come Away

Passionate. Sensual. Provocative. Eloquent. Erotic. It’s all there, in the Bible, in the beautiful collection of poems known as the Song of Solomon, otherwise known as the Song of Songs. In this Sunday’s lectionary reading (RCL), we hear the main character in the Song—an unnamed woman—eloquently describe how much she yearns to be with her lover—and how she will fully...

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Athaliah: Granny the Ripper

A friend of mine often posts photos of her baby granddaughter on Facebook. “Beautiful eyes!” we ring in. “Adorable!” we say. With dozens of other women across the country, I am now a cyber auntie, feeling the joy so evident in my friend’s soul. And that’s the way it should be—for grandmothers hold open the door to both future and past....

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Mary Magdalene: Once broken, twice healed; she showed up

"Jesus died and rose from the dead." While not exactly a ho-hum expression, we often take it for granted. Think then, of the resurrection from another angle: What if no one had been there when Jesus walked out of that tomb? Would he have slogged through the streets of Jerusalem, perhaps winding up at Peter’s house? Would he have made his way to...

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