Think about women in the Bible who were involved in God’s mission in the world. Examples could include Miriam, Sarah, Ruth, Naomi, Esther, Mary, Elizabeth, Mary Magdalene, Lydia, or Dorcas – and more!
Other women in history come to mind. Katie Luther carried out her own ministry of hospitality and care in addition to helping her husband, Martin Luther. Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Protestant, spent time in the Ravensbruck concentration camp because her family helped Jews escape the Nazis during World War II. She organized a highly successful Bible study in the camp, where her barracks became known as “the crazy place where there is hope,” and she survived to witness to her faith.
Just as women throughout history have participated in God’s mission in the world (including our own mothers, grandmothers, and aunts!), so do we today. We listen, follow, serve, witness, take risks, and work to bring God’s peace and wholeness to the ends of the earth.
This message is excerpted from “Called to be women in mission,” a 2002 Women of the ELCA resource. Today we commemorate Bartolomé de Las Casas, missionary to the Indies, 1566. Today is the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost.
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