In their own right

 

Exodus 1:15-17

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live.

Celebrating Shiphrah and Puah

Hebrew midwives who chose God over the king

Who chose love over fear

Who chose life over death

These powerful women deserve

not to simply be a prologue or a prequel 

to the life of Moses

or the story of the Exodus

these women demand

to be celebrated

for who they were

Today’s “nasty women”

Women who persisted

Women who refused 

to collude with power

or submit to oppression

and who used their gifts and skills 

to set in motion

a revolution

Shiphrah and Puah

Say their names

Celebrate their lives

Women of substance

in the mission of God.

Love - the LBD of God

Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

That little black dress

The all-purpose go-to

for day and night

The dress-up

Or dress-down

A basic

all-purpose garment

Who knew?

God has already

catered for

the spiritual equivalent 

A staple in the wardrobe

Alongside

Compassion

Kindness

Humility

Quiet strength

Discipline

Love is our go-to

Love enables us

to be content with second place

to quietly

subversively

bring our best selves

to the work of showing Christ

at work in the world

May we never be without it.

In the way

1 Corinthians 2:1-4

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

One of the pieces of advice I was given when I started preaching was: "Proclaim the word and then get out of the way."

While I can understand the well meant sentiment behind that advice, I've come to think of it a flawed.

Our actions must mirror the words that we preach. Our walk must match the talk.

And, while God's spirit won't be hampered by our words or actions, it can only help if we practice what we preach.

Living the way of love.

Practising the grace of forgiveness. ( and it takes a LOT of practice)

Reaching out with the gospel of hospitality.

All these things draw much better pictures of the nature of God than we can paint with words.

May this Lent be a time of matching our actions to our words - or a time of preaching the gospel without words!