Today, June 24, is the day that we celebrate John the Baptist on our church calendar. But what about his mother, Elizabeth? A woman of joy and deep faith, she was instrumental in helping Mary through her fears -- and she raised a great son. Time to give Elizabeth her due! Who was Elizabeth? A descendent of Aaron; daughter of a family...
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Peering into the darkness. Talking about it. It’s what women do. And at this time in history, when women are looking squarely into the darkness of sexual misconduct, rape, and gun violence, we in the religious life delve deep into the story of women who peered into the darkness, found their souls transformed, and changed history. Mary, the mother of Jesus, saw...
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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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“I did something no mother should ever have to do: I sat with the dead bodies of my beloved sons for five months. Oh, that the soldiers would have killed me instead of them! But it was not to be. My boys were dragged away and publicly executed under the orders of that treacherous King David. Their crumpled bodies were then...
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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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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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You don’t expect it to happen at “Gentle Yoga,” of all places. But the other day, as I was standing in line at the YMCA, mat in hand, a white-haired woman in sweatpants, built like a truck, walked up to me. “Get out of the way,” she said. “I always go in first.” She’d done the same thing before. I’d moved over...
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