December 2006
The boldness
of women of our
congregation, St.
Mark's Lutheran
Church in Tacoma,
Washington,
constantly amazes
me. Multiply this by
all the women of our
church and you would
be astounded at how
BOLDLY our women
ACT.
I'll give you some
examples:
Sheri, a mother of
three small boys,
heard about a
request from LIRS
that our church
sponsor a Somalia
family. She came to
the first meeting,
volunteered to be
the chairperson for
the team, offered
her garage to store
the furniture we
collected, later
took the children to
preschool, and
continues to support
the venture in so
many ways. She
really had to act
boldly as her
husband went through
treatment for throat
cancer part of this
time.
Sally, a lay
minister in our
congregation, is
involved in many
activities. She
visits the sick,
restarted a group
for seniors (Older
Kids), and, when we
could not find a
president for our
women's
organization, she
accepted this
challenge. She has
added so many good
ideas and boldly
serves us in this
way, too.
Gen, at age 91 and
legally blind,
doesn't call this a
handicap that would
keep her from acting
boldly for her Lord.
She still makes
quilts for LWR on
Mondays, tears
sheets for drop
sheets for midwife
kits for Global
Health Ministries,
makes bandages,
visits the
homebound, and
provides a constant
source of
encouragement to the
rest of us.
Joan has been a
special inspiration.
She was a former
missionary to Japan
but, now living in a
retirement community
and needing a source
of transportation,
found a neighbor
willing to take her
to the doctor and
store. He said he
did not want
anything to do with
the church or
religion. But after
his wife died, he
was lonely and
needed to be needed!
Joan, in her quiet
way, encouraged him
to go with her to
adult instruction
classes for
membership. He now
goes with her to
church and adult
Bible classes and
will be joining the
church next Sunday.
Her boldness
astounds me.
What more should I
say? For time would
fail me to tell of
Melanie, Ruth,
Carol, and Barbara,
who through faith
started Fair Trade
supplies in our
church, volunteers
her training as a
nurse to take our
Somalia family to
the hospital and
nurse them at home,
or another who
volunteers her home
over and over for
the church, another
fills in as pianist,
choir director, and
others who serve the
hungry, and visit
those in prison.
"Therefore, since we
are surrounded by so
great a cloud of
witnesses, let us
also lay aside every
weight and the sin
that clings so
closely, and let us
run with
perseverance the
race that is set
before us, looking
to Jesus the pioneer
and perfecter of our
faith..." Hebrews
11:32, 12:1,2.
Thank you, Women of
the ELCA, for this
encouragement to ACT
BOLDLY for our Lord
and Savior, Jesus
Christ.
In Christ,
Elaine Rodning
