Sermon Series Beginning August 18th

A comment made by Connie Weber, which she gave me permission to share, inspired the sermon series we’re about to begin. Her remark came during our recent book study on Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book, which is about how we’re to read the Bible. It may have been when we were discussing the different ways people approach – and use – Scripture. Or, it could have been when we were reflecting on Peterson’s summons to not just read the Bible for information, but to actively participate in the world revealed by Scripture, to play our part in that God-revealed script.

Whatever the case, it prompted Connie to remember, and share, an exchange she had with the folks who produced the popular kids’ videos, Veggie Tales. While viewing that series with her own child, Connie noticed a clear lack of female leading characters. When she wrote to the company to ask about it, they responded by saying there just aren’t that many women in the Bible. And, as Connie remembers it, they said they lacked the talent pool to voice those characters. Hmm.

Not that many women characters? The Bible is filled with them! But how often do we hear about them? It occurred to me that giving biblical women their due may be as lacking in the church as it was on that series. We hear all the time, in Sunday school and in sermons, about Abraham and Jacob, Isaiah and Jeremiah, Peter and Paul. But how often do we hear about Sarah or Deborah, Ruth or Esther, or any of the other women who played a part in the biblical narrative? Not so much.

So, I’ve put together a series based on women in the Bible, all of these from the Hebrew Scriptures, since we’ve focused so much on the New Testament lately. As I identified the passages about these women, I realized I’ve never preached on them before. That surprised me. But then, I’ve typically used the lectionary, the cycle of assigned readings used by many churches. The fact that these texts rarely show up there says something in itself.

Since I haven’t spent a lot of time with these texts myself, I’ll be learning along with you. I look forward to this journey together, seeing what these passages have to teach us, men and women alike.

In anticipation,

Pastor Janet

August 8, 2024