The story of Jesus’ life and death could have turned out differently, had Pontius Pilate listened to his wife. Kind and intuitive (and unnamed), she is known for these few words: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man [Jesus], for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” Matthew 27:19 Allow me to paint the story....
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Sensual. Tender. Loving. Discerning. Clearly Mary of Bethany was Jesus' soulmate. How else might we describe a woman who sits at Jesus’ feet, listens carefully to his every word, pours expensive oil over said feet, then dries them with her hair? Jesus has no better friend; no better listener; no better soul partner. The setting: Martha’s small home in Bethany. A scant two...
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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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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....
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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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Movie stars have the Oscar awards, world leaders the Nobel prizes, TV the Emmy awards...
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Who were the ten women who said the most in the Bible? Counting down...
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Bible women suffer horrible loss, and at times are like pawns moved around on a patriarchal chess board, but they remain bright lights in sacred history. Ever wonder what it was like for women in biblical times? We know this much: life was exceedingly tough, especially in the violent pre-monarchy years. Women were routinely assigned marriage partners by their fathers or brothers for...
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Married. Unmarried. What do we know about the marital status of women in the Bible? We assumed, when doing the four-year research project that would eventually turn into Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter, that most women in the Bible would be married. After all, sadly, power in biblical times for women seemed to come from men. Daughters...
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What do we know about women in the Bible? Research conclusion #2: Start to finish, women in the Bible push against restraints, using their God given gift of free will. From the first woman to speak in the Bible (Eve) to the last (the fortune-telling slave girl in Acts), Bible women knock on doors seeking healing, redemption and freedom—or, in the case...
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