ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 24, 2023
This past weekend, Rev. Sally Azar became the first Palestinian woman ordained into the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan. She was also the first Palestinian woman ordained in the Holy Land. This is a monumental moment for the church universal, but sort of late… extraordinarily late. When you think about the women at the empty tomb who would become the first preachers of the Good News, it seems odd that it took two millennia for the institution to catch-up. I think about all the women ministers I have known over the years, and the many ways they inspired and enriched my faith. How many voices have been silenced over the years, bringing stagnation to the church? In fact, it is as if the church is telling the Holy Spirit, “We know better than you.” Today, I give thanks for all the voices that continued to speak in spite of institutional powers seeking to squelch their proclamation. In Luke 4, when Jesus echoed the words of Isaiah as a sort of announcement of his purpose, he also provided words for all those called to give voice to the Good News. He said,
The Lord’s Spirit has come to me,
because he has chosen me
to tell the good news to the poor.
The Lord has sent me
to announce freedom for prisoners,
to give sight to the blind,
to free everyone who suffers,
and to say,
“This is the year the Lord has chosen.”
For those whom you are raising up, O Provider of Good News, I pray for strength and perseverance in the work. There is too much to be done for us to be quieting any voice seeking to announce grace, mercy and acceptance. Amen.
