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I was in elementary school when my godmother, Susan, was ordained. Before that, I’d never seen a woman lead worship. While no one had ever said so explicitly, I had internalized the thinking that pastoring was something exclusively for men. All of that changed when I saw Susan on her ordination day, in a bright red stole and chasuble, her arms outstretched to bless us in the same powerfully loving way she held them when we’d run into her arms for an embrace.
That day I saw the Spirit, breathing through my godmother and the community that had called her. And from that moment I dared to believe the Spirit might move through me, too. As the church continues to encourage, support and fund the leadership of historically marginalized people, we are re-formed and revived by the Spirit.
But it’s not just pastoral leadership. All of us are called and gifted to serve. We are all workers, the Spirit taking a seat in all our lives, to build the reign of God.
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “The Gift of the Spirit: A divine wild goose chase” (Session two) by Sara Olson-Smith in the September/October 2021 Gather magazine.