A Litany for Women Who Carry God’s Grace Across Boundaries
This litany was written by Jana Childers, a Presbyterian minister and Professor of Homiletics and Speech Communication at San Francisco Theological Seminary.* It first appeared in Dr Childer’s resource for “Celebrate the Gifts of Women Sunday” on March 3, 2019. A pdf of the full resource is here.
Perhaps your church or group can use this. You could adapt it for your own congregation and perhaps add a woman or two such as Prisca.
Leader: For Rahab’s red cord and for all who risk their lives to give refuge to your people,
All: We thank you, O God.
Leader: For Ruth’s loyalty and Esther’s courage, and for all who serve you in foreign lands,
All: We thank you, O God.
Leader: For Deborah’s leadership and Miriam’s dance and for all who break glass ceilings,
All: We thank you, O God.
Leader: For Sarah’s faithfulness and Jael’s fierceness and for all who take things into their own hands,
All: We thank you, O God.
Leader: For Hagar and all the unnamed women who survived to do your will in the wilderness,
All: We thank you, O God.
Leader: For the Alabaster Jar Woman and for all who flout convention in your name,
All: We thank you, O God.
Leader: For Mary Magdalene’s heart and for all who linger at the cross,
All: We thank you, O God.
Leader: For all the grace-filled women who cross borders and dismantle fences, who face down soldiers and walk picket lines, who like Mary the Mother of Jesus carry your love into the world,
All: We thank you, O God.
* This liturgy was written by Jana Childers for the 2019 Celebrate the Gifts of Women resource, created in partnership between the PC(USA)’s Racial Equity and Women’s Intercultural Ministries and Presbyterian Women. Used with permission.
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Here are links to my articles on Rahab, Esther, Deborah, Miriam, Sarah, Jael, the Alabaster Jar Woman, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and more brave Bible women. who carried God’s grace.
Image Credit
Photo of woman praying by Arina Krasnikova via Pexels
4 thoughts on “A Litany for Women Who Carry God’s Grace”
Love your stuff Marg. If only people would read the Bible (but there are some bad translations & interpretations), and converse with other seekers of the truth instead of just listening to leaders of organised religions.
Thanks, John.
re- joyful pat wife on fb—I find it interesting and saddening that the lady who writes this fb group put you down for responding to comments about your own article that you wrote which she used on her page—your response was perfect and full of love and not judgmental towards her rudeness to you—the comments basically called your article nonsense, etc.—do we do the same to doctors or scientists because we cannot understand their writings that go into deep detail with technical words that we cannot comprehend because we do not have the same level of education they have in that particular field of science or medication?
It was sad to see the level of ignorance shown on that Facebook page. And there are no signs of joy from “The Joyful Patriarchy Wife.” The upside is that Shellie M. probably won’t be posting any more of my articles on the page.