ECW Women Articles-Poems-Announcements Archives - Page 14 of 23

Persistence

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’

“And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’” Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)

Some see persistence such as that demonstrated by the widow as presumptuous and rude. But look again: Jesus used an example of an unjust judge as a contrast with God who is just. God can be trusted to be a just God – to make right decisions. The Bible and our faith tradition encourage us to draw near to God. Persistent pursuit of God means that we should, at all times, even in the worst of times – especially in the worst of times! – seek an ever personal relationship with God. Only he can bring about justice in a corrupt world. Jesus understood this. This is why, even in the midst of a hectic life, when friends and strangers alike clamored for his attention, he stopped to talk to God. Even as violence was perpetrated against him he remained persistent in seeking the strength of the Father. Jesus himself understood he could do nothing on his own.

Keep the faith, even when others use you and hurt you. Be persistent in efforts to right wrongs and to seek God’s guidance. Remember the words of the psalmist:

“Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes… “…Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil. “For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

By Lisa Towle

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T13:36:17+00:00December 9th, 2015|

Civility

Webster’s dictionary describes civility as polite, reasonable, and respectful behavior. Sometimes in our daily lives we lose track of what it means to be nice. We forget how a simple “please” and “thank-you” can make a request more palatable. We value our time and our needs more than we respect the time of others. I think of civil as being personal rather than more corporate, criminal, or demanding. How many times have we said or heard someone say, “let’s all be civil and discuss this issue.”

My prayer is that civility is just the starting point for how we interact with each other.

Dear Lord, when the best that we can manage is civility, Help us to respond with polite and respectful words and actions in times of stress.

Dear Lord, when the best that we can manage is civility, Help us to understand all the viewpoints and be reasonable when we want to be difficult.

Dear Lord, when the best that we can manage is civility, Help us to act in your ways of truth and kindness and not those of retribution and anger.

Dear Lord, when the best that we can manage is civility, Soften our hearts so that we act with love, compassion, respect and sharing of your grace. Amen.

By Jackie Meeks

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T13:40:07+00:00December 8th, 2015|

Gratitude

In our present day world, gratitude can create an environment where negative events such as violence can become minimized and don’t have the same negative effects. It can help bring about a spiral of positive interactions. According to meditative therapists, gratitude can increase positive emotions, reduce the risk of depression, heighten relationship satisfaction, and increase resilience in the face of stressful life events.

“Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous for punishment until the day of judgement.” (2 Peter 2:9)

Robert Emmons, a leading scientific expert on gratitude, argues that intentionally developing a grateful outlook helps us recognize good things in our lives and realize that many of these good things are “gifts” that we have been fortunate to receive. After many trials and tribulations, using gratitude can begin to help change the emotional tone in our lives. When given the time to reflect, hopefully the words of gratitude can help fill our hearts.

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

By Gloria Rogers

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T13:43:45+00:00December 7th, 2015|

Faith

Among the many stories Lindsay Hardin Freeman shares in her book, “Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter,” is the one about Susanna. Susanna’s story, writes Rev. Freeman, “is cited by many as the very first detective story in Western literature.” It is also, at its core, a story about faith.

Remember Susanna? Beautiful, virtuous, lusted after by male elders who threaten her if she doesn’t succumb to their sexual desires. Her story was so meaningful to earlier generations of Christian believers that it was told via murals on the walls of Roman catacombs. It resonates to this day because emotional, psychological, and physical abuse continue to this day.

All of us, most especially those suffering from gender-based violence as well as those seeking to help them, would do well to remember the example set by Susanna who chose to remain faithful to God’s law as well as her own sense of right and wrong. Again, Rev. Freeman: “Susanna gives contemporary women an important lesson: speak up, loudly, when put in a difficult situation, especially a sexual one. Stand your ground. Scream if need be. And trust in a world that God is creating anew, where women’s voices will be heard – and heeded.”

Prayer:

Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in your Son’s Name: We beseech you mercifully to incline your ear to us who have now made our prayers and supplications unto you; and grant that those things which we have faithfully asked according to your will, may effectually be obtained, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Keep the faith.

By Lisa Towle

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T13:49:10+00:00December 6th, 2015|

Appreciation

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…” John 3:16. This Bible passage was offered by National ECW Board member Mary Beth Welch in response to her assigned word, “appreciation.”

What a magnificent gift! The sacrifice made by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is one incomprehensible for many of us to imagine. On a day-to-day basis what do we do to show our appreciation for this wonderful gift?

For those struggling with the vestiges of gender violence, showing appreciation for anything may be difficult at best. It’s hard to imagine waking up each morning, having been victimized by others, and thinking, “How and for what should I show my appreciation?” Regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves, it does us all well to take a few moments each day to notice the things for which we can show appreciation. Additionally, if nothing else, we can show appreciation for the fact that those who have been victims of gender violence don’t have to suffer alone and in silence. They can and should reach out to others who are willing and ready to help. Likewise, those who are perpetrators of gender violence are not alone. They, too, can and must seek help to correct the unacceptable behavior and work to right the wrongs of the past and to live good and productive lives.

Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. My sisters and brothers, that is certainly something for which we may and should show our appreciation.

By Beblon Parks

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T13:50:59+00:00December 5th, 2015|

Compassion

Merciful God, look with compassion upon the perpetrators within the family of violence upon women, girls and boys. Heal and restore relationships where hurt and harm has been borne in silence and despair. Bring forth a new day whereby strong and renewed family relationships become the building blocks and harbinger of a new world – where reigns worldwide your goodness, justice and peace. Amen.

By Ginger Lief

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T14:02:21+00:00December 4th, 2015|

Resilience

RE – SIL – IENCE: “The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.”

How do we get the ability to rise above difficulties? Is it our environment or genetics? How can we improve our “toughness” in bad situations?

“Take care of yourself. Keep things in perspective. Develop confidence in your ability to solve problems. Trust your instincts. Take decisive actions. Develop realistic goals. Accept circumstances that cannot be changed. Change how you interact and respond to events. Assisting others in their time of need can also benefit the helper.” (American Psychological Association)

As each of us move forward in learning resilience, we need to take time to take care of ourselves, learn from our past, listen to the stories of others and how they’ve been affected by other’s actions or words, and take decisive action to move forward in our own lives. Civic groups, faith based organizations or social groups can help you in your journey. Be true to yourself and your journey.

Lord, give me strength and confidence in my ability to handle difficult situations. Give me guidance as to how to proceed for myself and others. Amen.

By Karen Patterson

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T14:04:36+00:00December 3rd, 2015|

Access

The word access made me think a lot about so many people who are marginalized in our societies because of inequalities and barriers that still exist between people. I then reflected on the song, “God Has Work For Us To Do” by Carl Daw, music by M. Miller:

“Till all the jails are empty and all the bellies filled; Till no one hurts or steals or lies, and no more blood is spilled; God has work for us to do, God has work for us to do.

“Believe in the promise, ‘I make all things new’ God has work for us, work for us to do.

“Till age and race and gender no longer separate; Till pulpit, press, and politics are free of greed and hate: In tenement and mansion, in factory, farm, and mill In board room and in billiard hall, in wards where time stands still, In classroom, church, and office, in shops or on the street; In every place where people thrive or starve or hide or meet: By sitting at a bedside to hold pale, trembling hands, By speaking for the powerless against unjust demands, By praying through our doing and singing through our fear, By trusting that the seed we sow will bring God’s harvest near. God has work—work for us to do.”

Reflection: When Jesus sacrificed His life for us, one of the greatest things He accomplished was giving us complete and total access to our heavenly Father. Peace is not possible where there are serious social and economic dividing walls that limit access to basic needs that people have.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, it is your will that we be gathered together as one family in your name. Please fill my heart and that of mankind with the fire of your love and with the desire to pursue justice for all. That I may share all the good things you daily give me with those who have been bruised by injustice. In this way to help them access new opportunities in life.

I hope and pray that we will continue to make all efforts to contribute to a truly human society that is built on love and peace. Amen.

By Juditta Ellis

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T14:06:46+00:00December 2nd, 2015|

Perseverance

We pray for all those who have been marginalized and abused because of their cultural traditions in the world. We pray for the gifts of wisdom and knowledge for their abusers and the courage that they will gather enough strength to begin to change their ways.

We pray for women everywhere that they continue to be beacons of hope to those who are being abused as a result of violence being perpetrated upon them by those who pretend to love them.

We pray for those that are suffering in situations where every fiber of their being tells them to leave, but are afraid to ask for help. We ask for renewed courage and a new found sense of hope that they will find a way to escape the abuse.

We lift these people/women up to you dear Lord and ask that you pour out your mercy upon them, lessen the pain and keep them safe from further harm so that they may persevere until all suffering is done. In your mercy we pray.

By Margaret Hammond Gordon

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T14:08:53+00:00December 1st, 2015|

Miriam

One of the books on the shelves in my childhood bedroom that I shared with my younger sister was A Little Golden Book: Bible Stories of Boys and Girls. Here the children of the Hebrew Scriptures came alive – Rebekah at the well, Joseph and his dreams, Samuel the Lord’s child, David the shepherd, and Miriam the good sister. Each child had an encounter that, knowingly or unknowingly, brought them closer to God.

The Book of Exodus begins with the bad times that had come to the children of Israel. To stop the ever-increasing number of Israelites in his land, the Egyptian Pharaoh wanted all boy babies killed. A Levite couple, Jochebed and Amram, had a son, and his mother hid him for three months. When she could not hide him any longer, she laid the baby in a covered basket of bulrushes and put the little boat among the reeds by the river bank. The baby’s big sister Miriam stood at a distance to watch over him. Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, and saying she needed someone to care for the child, Miriam stepped forward and said, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” not revealing that she would get her own mother, the mother of the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter said to Jochebed, “Take this child and nurse it for me and I will give you your wages.” So the happy mother had her baby back. Because his sister Miriam had watched over him, the boy grew up safe and sound at home, and when he was older, this boy Moses was educated in the Pharaoh’s palace and became the greatest leader his people knew.

Miriam’s role as big sister did not end in the simple tale of one sibling looking after another. She became a leader-prophet of the women of Israel. After crossing the Red Sea, following the great song which her brother Moses sang in honor of all Israel, Miriam organized the women in response, with “tambourines and with dancing”. “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.” The singing of women in ancient times gave expression to war, battle, and miracle. It is believed that the Song of Moses was actually composed by Miriam to articulate and summarize the historical experience of escaping the Pharaoh’s chariots, and also to prepare the people to cope with the forthcoming challenges. And so, Miriam was a herald; she prepared the people for what was to come following the crossing of the Red Sea. She had been the guardian of the vision; having watched over her baby brother, perhaps knowing even then that there was greatness ahead. In the wilderness she was the guardian of the vision that was to be, a new home for their people. She was, in childhood and in adulthood, the big sister who watches and worries and prepares for the future.

Miriam wasn’t a perfect big sister. Who in Hebrew Scriptures, after all, is perfect? Who of us is perfect? She and her other brother, Aaron, criticized Moses and resented his authority. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” The Lord called the three into a meeting, and at the end of it, Miriam only (not Aaron or Moses) was plagued with leprosy. Because of Moses’ and Aaron’s pleas, the Lord allowed her leprosy to disappear after her seven days of banishment from the camp. In a lovely touch of compassion, the people did not journey until she was brought into the camp again. She lived on, and as tradition tells, became a mother and the forebear of kings.

We Episcopal Church Women are the big sisters of the church. We are women at any age who help others find greatness and find in ourselves the greatness to lead. As some of us look to the future and to the younger women of the church accomplishing wonderful things, we can be their big sisters, watching out for them and accompanying them on their journey. We who are younger can learn from the wisdom of the women around us and know we are never alone in all the works we do. Together we are members of a women’s chorus. We give expression to the concerns of God’s people and we sing not as a call to war and battle but to peace and justice, and always to the miracles of our God. We are sisters to each other.

During the first 2 weeks of December, I will be on Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This is my second pilgrimage, and because of Lindsay’s book, I will be looking through new eyes, through the eyes of the women who lived in the land and who spoke at the ancient sites I will see.

++++ Coming December 15th ++++

Chapter 26: Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-22T18:11:16+00:00November 30th, 2015|