Claimed, gathered and sent

The New England Synod of the Women of the ELCA now has its own website!. There you will find links to events that you missed, current happenings, as well as up coming events. Check My del.icio.us list on the sidebar. The url is http://www.nesynod.org/Women/women.htm. It's a very user friendly and informative site. Please check it out.

In the blog JesusCreed, Scot McKnight posted this about women in ministry: March 29, 2007 Women in Ministry: First Mary Filed under: Women and Ministry , Mary — Scot McKnight @ 2:30 am The most neglected texts about women in ministry in the entire Bible are texts about Mary, and because our class has been looking at Mary of late, I thought I’d make a few suggestions about Mary and Ministry for women. It won’t do to dismiss these points as nothing more than what only the mother of Jesus could do. (read more…) I’ll suggest that Mary was first in many ways. 1. Mary was the first to know about arrival of the Messiah, the Son of David, the Son of the Most High God (Luke 1:26-38). 2. Mary was the first to surrender to God’s new redemptive plan in Jesus (Luke 1:38). One could say she was the “first disciple” from this. 3. Mary became — however you care to say it — the first witness to Jesus Christ. Only she was there at the very beginning, so only she was able to te...

This is an interesting post by Scot McKnight on his JesusCreed.com blog. Women, Mary and Jesus Class 1 Filed under: Women and Ministry — Scot McKnight @ 2:20 am On the first day of my new class — Women, Mary, and Jesus, we looked at pp. 14-15 of William Webb, Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals. We read these verses and I asked the students to “vote” for each verse: A, B, or C. That is, “A” means “universal and transcultural,” and “B” means “Christians don’t agree” and “C” means “Cultural and not for Christians today.” Now it’s your turn. (read more…) We voted for each verse and then we got in groups and discussed group “C.” And we discussed “why” we decided the “C” items were not to be practiced today, or why we thought they were “cultural” and not “universal.” Try it yourself. Vote for each, and then ask yourself what leads you to see the “C” verses as no longer the things Christians need to do. The reasons you give are essentially what the “redemptive trend” is all about. Now I’m curiou...

This article really addresses much of what God has been laying on my heart lately. Enjoy! The following article is located at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2007/001/3.26.html Fresh Air 3 practices to breathe life into your conversations with God. by Keri Wyatt Kent I t's ironic. I used to call the time I set aside for God my "quiet time." However, those times, filled with words—the words I read, studied, wrote, or whispered toward the ceiling, wondering if God even heard—felt anything but quiet. They felt more like "doing" times—as in completing tasks on a list. And, truth be told, sometimes they also felt like "doing time," as in punishment or an obligation. I knew Jesus offers us "life to the full" ( John 10:10 ), but I wondered if that was possible. I tried to study my Bible, but I'd forget the words I read as soon as I closed the book. Or I'd think, I've read this all before . It seemed stale. But just when ...

The following article is located at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2007/001/2.58.html Practical Pampering 29 ways to treat yourself right in the New Year. by Kimberly Neessen T aking care of yourself doesn't need to be a costly or extravagant affair. A friend of mine says it's all in the lighting; anything can be pampering as long as you light a candle while doing it. For example, take a bath and light a candle. Make dinner and light a candle. Balance the checkbook and light a candle. (Well, maybe that last one is taking it a bit too far, but you get the idea!) Lighting issues aside, pampering can be as simple as getting creative with what you have and giving yourself permission to do something special for yourself. Try some of these simple, inexpensive pampering pointers when you need a break from the race that is your life. And don't forget to light a candle! 1. Get a manicure at a local beauty school. 2. Give your walls a new look by checking out artwork fro...