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"These
are the families of Noah's sons, according to their genealogies, in their
nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood
(Genesis 10:32).
When my father began his first pastorate, he soon realized that there was
something wrong with the parish’s annual reports. Even though the congregation
had reported a baptized membership of only 118, the Sunday attendance was
usually 100. Any pastor would covet an 85 percent attendance rate, but my father
knew there had to be an explanation. Some research into the matter revealed that
there were actually 220 members. The previous pastor had chosen not to include
the women among the number of baptized members. A hundred women had gone
uncounted!
Genesis 10 tells us that the descendants of Noah multiplied and filled the
earth, establishing tribes, cities, and nations. This genealogy provides the
names of over 60 individuals. However, not one female is named. For every
listing of a father and son, there must be a wife (or concubine) and mother
whose name has gone unremembered. Half the names are lost. There also are
countless daughters and sisters never mentioned. Behind the missing names are
lost stories of individual women and the events in their lives: childhood,
marriage, love, fear, childbearing, miscarriage, bereavement, old age, or
untimely death.
Certainly the God who listened to the prayers of Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, and
Leah was also mindful of the struggles and joys of the unnamed matriarchs whose
stories stand behind the Genesis 10 genealogy. This same God calls us to be
mindful of those in our midst who might otherwise be forgotten.
In what ways are you called to preserve and pass on the memory and
stories of women in your family, congregation, and community?
Prayer
Compassionate God, no person is forgotten in your sight. We give you thanks for
all the unnamed women who have borne witness to your faithfulness. Teach us to
be mindful of those in our midst who are uncounted, unnamed, or unrecognized,
for all your children are precious to you. Amen
Joy A. Schroeder is assistant professor of church history, Capital
University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible,
copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. All rights reserved.
May be reproduced for use in congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America provided the copyright information above appears on every copy
with these words: Used with permission.
For all other purposes
contact Women of the ELCA.
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