This week the Wall Street Journal published an article called “Mastering the Art of Being Single,” which reminded me of the following article I originally posted back in 2012. I’ve updated a few sections. Since 2012 the number of single adults in the U.S. has nearly equaled the number of married […]
Category: Women Welcome Here
Expect the Unexpected
As we enter these next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas, it seems appropriate to reflect again on that moment of angelic visitation when Mary learned that she was about to become miraculously pregnant with the Son of God: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in […]
Who in the World Is Junia?
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. (Romans 16:7 NIV 2011) Since the days of the earliest church writings, this passage has been a puzzle to readers who came to it […]
Losing Her Life and Finding It
The disciple Joanna was the topic of a post here a few months ago. I’ve learned so much more about her since then, and I’m excited to share with you the rest of the story. All the credit for this background goes to scholar Richard Baukham.* First, let’s review what […]
The Women Disciples — There’s More!
In this post we will look in more depth at the presence of the women disciples toward the end of Luke’s Gospel and consider their significance. We’re following up on a previous post, “Jesus and His Traveling Disciplettes,” which explored the way Luke’s Gospel places women as a regular presence […]
Women, Leadership and the Bible
I first met Natalie R. Wilson Eastman on her wedding day, when she was marrying David, a good friend I went to church with when we both lived in Corvallis, Oregon. Over the years since then, God and writing have been the intersections that have connected the streams of our busy lives. […]
Jesus and His Traveling Disciplettes
Thanks to a book I read recently, I finally understand why I was so surprised when I first discovered that Jesus and his band of followers was not a boys-only club. It turns out that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John keep things simple and do hone in on […]
Married With Jesus
“I never noticed Joanna before!” a new friend said as she approached me at the end of a recent retreat in Colorado. “She was a married woman who served Christ! I really needed to hear that.” This dear sister was talking about a name barely mentioned in an obscure but […]
More on Singleness
This week I’m giving a shout out to our minister Steve Malone at Maple Grove Christian Church, who challenged us on Sunday to rethink singleness – as good – not only perfectly fine with God but even spiritually advantageous for those accept and embrace it. The church needs to consider […]
The Value of Women to Jesus
Have you ever felt to some degree marginalized in your church because you are a woman? Not every Christian woman has this experience, but many do. The circumstances that stir up these feelings may vary, but often we are left with the impression that we have no voice in some […]