ECW Women Articles-Poems-Announcements Archives - Page 18 of 23

Prayer – Watches Over all Your Children

Almighty God, who watches over all your children and knows our needs before we ask: help us to understand more fully the plight of those who are imprisoned in lives controlled by human traffickers. Give us the strength and courage to unshackle these victims and bring them to your kingdom here on earth, so they may know the joy of your everlasting love. Grant this, we pray, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Submitted by NECW President the Rev. Dcn. Nancy Crawford

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T16:39:52+00:00November 25th, 2014|

Almighty God of Creation and Liberation

Almighty God of creation and liberation, we send up fervent prayers for all those who are abused and enslaved around the world – most especially the women and children caught in the web of the sex trafficking trade. We lift up their physical and emotional suffering to you, merciful Lord, and ask you to give them strength and courage in bearing their present circumstances.

As your servants in ministry, we ask for wisdom and skills to work to overcome their desperate plights wherever we encounter the need, so we can help to bring each woman and child to a life free from abuse and exploitation. We ask this in the name of your most beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

AMEN

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T16:41:43+00:00November 24th, 2014|

Tamar and Tamar’s Midwife

We have had an interesting start to our 7-month book study. I hope you are enjoying every aspect of it and that you will join in the conversation. What did I know about Tamar before reading about her in Bible Women? I knew she was the first of five women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, and I only knew that because Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina told me so in a talk he gave a few years ago to the ECW of Oklahoma.

We learn a lot about ourselves by studying our genealogy and finding a place where we belong. Tracing one’s family pedigree is regarded by many societies as vitally important. It is your name and your background that opens doors for you, determines who you marry, and what work you might do. In our more democratic and diverse country we no longer bar the doors because of one’s name or ancestry. And yet, knowing and telling the story of our family is an important way of understanding how we came to be the people we are. I have a friend who is very much engaged in genealogy. She has gotten past the trunk of her family tree and even the larger branches. Now she is researching those smaller twigs of her family that bring the excitement of new discoveries and the joy of connecting to previously unknown family members.

Tamar is one of those smaller twigs in the genealogy of Jesus. In the genealogies of the Book of Genesis there are no mothers named, but in Matthew’s genealogy we find “Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar.” Lindsay Hardin Freeman+ notes that Tamar was not a Jew (p. 66), and neither were three other women in Jesus’ family tree: the Canannite, Rahab; the Moabite, Ruth; and the Hittite, Bathsheba, wife of Uriah.

When God spoke to Abraham, the first name in Jesus’ genealogy, God said: “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. So shall your descendents be.” We see now that the family of Jesus includes Tamar and other women who are not descendents of Abraham, yet can be counted beyond the stars. Why do you think Matthew included Tamar as one of only 5 women named in Jesus’ lineage? How does it make you feel to be a member of the family of God, to be counted beyond the stars?

Studying one’s family can dig up some quite interesting stories. Can you imagine discovering someone like Tamar? She is the real stuff; you can’t make this up! The hope of motherhood is a strong incentive to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. “Take note, please, whose these are: the signet and the cord and the staff.” What have your maternal ancestors done to achieve motherhood? What have you done? I myself went through years of fertility tests and treatments. It was embarrassing and humbling, yet in the end, with the birth of my second son, worth it.

What did I know about Tamar’s midwife before reading about her in Bible Women? Why, absolutely nothing. Because of Lindsay’s book, I am learning that several midwives spoke in the Bible. At a time in history when any childbirth could be difficult, the birth of twins would be not only painful but dangerous. How blessed Tamar must have felt to have an accomplished midwife at her side. To have known that twins were coming and to have the foresight to mark the first born (though in this instance the crimson thread was premature – “This one came out first.”) are great attributes of a veteran midwife.

Although these two women are not well known outside of Bible scholars, and although their words are few, they both play a vital role in the continuity of the Hebrew line from Abraham to Perez to Jesus.

How have these 2 women impressed you, both individually and collectively?

Tamar depicted in Claire’s illustration has a posture and presence to her as she holds the objects of Judah’s pledge in her hands. What does Tamar’s posture say to you?

What “For reflection” questions from these Chapter 3 Genesis women jump out for you?

What would you add to the “What might we learn from” lists for Tamar and Tamar’s midwife?

++++ Coming December 1st ++++

Miriam

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-22T17:52:11+00:00November 16th, 2014|

Triennial 5K Walk-Run Sponsorships

*Closed*

PARTNER SPONSOR $5000

Our Partner Sponsor is our premium level sponsor and will receive

Top name and logo placement on Race Tees, banners, and all race materials
Top logo placement on our Triennial Web Page sidebar, and each monthly eCommunique through June 2015
Half-page article in the Communique Spring 2015 issue
Recognition and introduction on Race Day as Partner Sponsor
Ten Race Tee Shirts

SPIRIT SPONSOR $2500

Logo placement on Race Tees, banners and all race materials
Second level logo placement on our Triennial Web Page sidebar, and each monthly eCommunique through June 2015
Quarter page article in the Communique Spring 2015 issue
Recognition and introduction on Race Day as a Spirit Sponsor
Five Race Tee Shirts

SUPPORTING SPONSOR $1000

Logo on Race Tees and race banner
Logo on Triennial web page sidebar and in monthly eCommunique through June 2015
Recognition on Race Day and Race Bag as a Supporting Sponsor
Two Race Tee Shirts

ADDITIONAL LEVELS:

$500

Name on Race Banner
Recognition on Race Day and in Race Bag
Race Tee Shirt
Sponsor name on 5 Race Crosswalks

$250

Name on Race Banner
Recognition on Race Day and in Race Bag
Race Tee Shirt
Sponsor name on 2 Race Crosswalks

$100

Recognition on Race Day and in Race Bag
Race Tee Shirt
Sponsor name on 1 Race Crosswalk

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-22T13:50:48+00:00November 15th, 2014|

Eve, Sarah, and Hagar

And so it begins – our 7-month book study of Bible Women. We begin today with a look at Eve, Sarah, and Hagar. Imagine you are sitting with a group made up of people who are reading the book along with you. Some opening thoughts are shared and questions are raised. You may be ready to jump in with a comment, or you may want to hear from others first. The comments may take us down one path, but you can always say, “I’d like to go back to what Mary had to say”, or “I’d like to turn the focus to what peaked my interest in the readings.” Feel free to come in and out of the study group because we all have events in our lives that will keep us away from the internet.

And so it begins. I wonder if God said that when Eve ate the forbidden fruit? I came to understand Eve better when I read her account in Lindsay Hardin Freeman’s earlier book, The Scarlet Cord. God and Adam took long walks around the garden, leaving Eve alone to become lonelier and lonelier. Have you ever experienced that kind of loneliness? You’ve moved to a new city and your spouse has gone off to work leaving you home alone to handle the housekeeping or perhaps to attempt to meet the needs of little children. Or, your spouse has been placed in an assisted living arrangement and all of a sudden your companion for life has left you alone. So Eve accepted the invitation of the serpent. Well, that got God’s attention, didn’t it? “Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’”

Sarah seems to be a woman who is never alone. Extended family is always around, and guests are promptly welcomed and cared for. The wealthy household includes slaves and eventually children whom Sarah can call her own. God doesn’t ignore Sarah as he had Eve; he blesses her and gives her a new name for an abundant life. And the Lord promises a son for Abraham and Sarah. “The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? … Sarah shall have a son.’ Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’”

What I find interesting about these two women is that when they are able to have a conversation with God, they both get quite defensive. If God spoke to you, would that be your reaction? Has that ever been your relationship with God?

Finally, there is Hagar. She is the least known of the three women, I think. She does not have the pop culture status of Eve, known to churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike. She doesn’t have the familiarity of being named aloud as Sarah is so often named now in the Great Thanksgiving Eucharistic Prayer C of the Book of Common Prayer. Hagar is a slave out of Egypt, perhaps lonely like Eve, or perhaps like Sarah, surrounded by family members who travel with her, though also slaves. She can’t say that anything is her own, not the father of her son, Abraham, not even her son, Ishmael. Life is harder for a slave and abuse is common. She finds herself banished, with her son in mortal danger. (Here is an example of the challenge and richness of reading Genesis. This story comes from Chapter 16 before Ishmael is born and also from Chapter 21 after Ishmael is born. We often find the same challenge with the Gospels.) God hears Hagar weeping and comes to Hagar in the form of an angel. God promises her that He will make a great nation of her son, Ishmael. And her response is not defensive. She makes no excuses for herself, but rather names God, “You are El-roi”, which means, “the God who sees me.” How open she is to God’s care for her.

How have these 3 women impressed you, both individually and collectively?

What other “For reflection” questions from these Chapter 3 Genesis women jump out for you?

What would you add to the “What might we learn from” lists for Eve, Sarah, and Hagar?

Which of these women do you see portrayed in the illustration above by Clare Elam?

++++ Coming November 15^th ++++

Tamar and Tamar’s Midwife

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-22T18:07:52+00:00October 13th, 2014|

Meet the Illustrator – Claire Elam

Claire Elam is a talented young artist who is a recent graduate of Bennington College, Vermont. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts with a concentration in painting and ceramics. Claire has published work in the college’s The Silo, editions 69 and 70, and in 2014 she took part in “Things Have Changed Between Us”, an Usdan Gallery show. Claire held a personal showing of her work at South Street Café, Bennington, titled “Domesticity and Other Things”. She has electronically curated for Visual AIDS, a contemporary arts organization fully committed to HIV prevention and AIDS awareness; she continues to work with ideas of feminism, gender, and home. She is a member of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Eugene, Oregon and has designed and painted several whimsical murals for the church’s Sunday school wing. Claire has been commissioned to provide an illustration with each blog entry to help us better connect with the women who speak in the Bible.

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-22T18:44:32+00:00October 5th, 2014|

Meet the Author – Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Lindsay Hardin Freeman is an Episcopal priest and an award-winning author who is passionate about sharing the stories of Bible women. Along with Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter, she is the author of The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women and The Spy on Noah’s Ark and Other Bible Stories from the Inside Out. She is also the editor of Wisdom Found: Stories of Women Transfigured by Faith. Lindsay lives in Orono, Minnesota with her husband, Len, an Episcopal priest, poet, and teacher. They are the parents of two sons, Jeffrey and David. Lindsay was the keynote speaker and a workshop presenter at the 2012 ECW Triennial Meeting in Indianapolis. Her friendship with ECW has continued with contributions to the Commuiqué magazine, with speaking engagements at ECW gatherings in various provinces, and in the development of Bible Women, thanks in part to the support and prayers from the Episcopal Church Women National Board. Delegates and visitors to the 2015 Triennial Meeting in Salt Lake City will have an opportunity to have “Breakfast with Lindsay Hardin Freeman”, to attend her workshops, and to visit her at the ECW exhibit hall booth for a book signing.

To learn more about Lindsay, read her blog, and/or contact her about her travel schedule and the possibility of a speaking engagement at your event, go to www.lindsayhardinfreeman.com.

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-22T14:22:11+00:00October 5th, 2014|

16 Days of Activism 2014

From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women! The 2014 16 Days Campaign continues advocacy for awareness and action on the multi-faceted intersections of gender-based violence and militarism, while highlighting the connection between the struggle for economic and social rights and ending gender-based violence. The theme focuses on militarism as a creation and normalization of a culture of fear that is supported by the use or threat of violence, aggression, as well as military intervention in response to political and social disputes or to enforce economic and political interests.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence begins November 25 and continues through December 10, 2014

For many of us in the church, action begins with prayer. Prayer grounds us and helps us speak the truth into the world, and so we offer you these prayers for each of the 16 days as food for reflection and action. This year, for the first time, we have partnered with A Window Between Worlds (AWBW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to using art to help end domestic violence. Since 1991, AWBW has provided creative expression as a healing tool for over 49,500 battered women and their children in crisis shelters, transitional homes, and outreach centers throughout the United States.

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-20T13:26:05+00:00September 24th, 2014|

Holy Land Tour 2014

Dome of the Rock

The Second Annual ECW Holy Land Tour is scheduled for December 1 through 11, 2014. The event is being coordinated by ECW President Nancy Crawford, Lynn Headley, and local Anglican guide and instructor, Canon Iyad Qumri.

Travelers will enjoy the beauties of the Mediterranean landscape, while visiting the holiest sites in the Judeo/Christian/Muslim faiths. They will visit the city of Nazareth (the home of the Holy Family), the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Shepherd’s Field, and the site of Jacob’s Well—where Jesus spoke with the Samaritan Woman.

The pilgrims will visit Capernuam and its ancient Synagogue, add their written prayers the ancient Western Wall, and take in the Church of the Loaves and Fishes and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy. The agenda also includes a walk along the Palm Sunday Road, ending in the Garden of Gethsemane, as well as the opportunity to pray the Way of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa, and worship at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Additional highlights of the trip include Muslim, Christian, and Jewish speakers, who will offer their unique perspectives of practicing faith in their regions.

For more information, please visit www.episcopalwomensholylandpilgrimage.com

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-19T17:36:47+00:00June 19th, 2014|

Looking for a very Unique and Life-Changing Opportunity?

RUN FOR OFFICE ON THE NATIONAL ECW BOARD!!

Deadline to Submit Nomination Form, Resume & Photo: October 15, 2014 Submit to either Sandra Powers, chair of the nominating committee or Kathy Mank, nominating committee National ECW Board liaison

If you have attended at least one Triennial Meeting the following positions are open to you: Member at Large – Social Justice Member at Large – Multi Media/Communications Secretary Treasurer

If you have previously served a full term on the National ECW Board these positions are open to you: President Vice President of Program Vice President for Information & Communication

Why the early deadline to run for office when the election takes place at Triennial in 2015? • There can be no nominations from the floor • Candidates running must have received consent from the Presiding Bishop and Executive Council to run for office

Why is the National ECW Board subject to these changes? • In response to a resolution at TM 2012, Legal Counsel at the church-wide office in New York City reviewed the structure and relationship of the National ECW Board to The Episcopal Church (TEC) • To comply with church canons and the IRS, bylaw amendments were carefully drafted with Legal Counsel, reviewed by the board Parliamentarian and subsequently adopted in spirit by the 2012-2015 National ECW Board • The new election procedures include the formation of a nominating committee with representatives from all 9 provinces and the creation of a time-line to ensure compliance with the bylaw amendments

Will Province Representatives to the National ECW Board be subject to the new rules? • Yes! Province boards are electing the province reps to the national ECW board at 2014 annual meetings. The province reps’ names will be submitted to the Presiding Bishop at the same time as the names of women running for offices. The province reps elected will be required to complete the same nomination forms. Local bishop recommendation is strongly encouraged if not mandated.

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-22T18:50:19+00:00June 2nd, 2014|