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I am a woman.
I am a minister.
In the traditions in which I grew up, those two definitions rarely went together. The fact of the matter is, my ordination only happened because one brave man decided to follow his conscience rather than the ruling denominational dogma. He called me out, recognized my gifts, and stamped the paper that made me official – all while waiting for the big wigs upstairs to decide whether or not it was okay for him to do so. Later, a trailblazing woman on the road ahead of me, took me under her wing and kept me in the game even when various players tried keep us off the team.
I have sisters in other branches of the church where women are not sidelined as leaders –or at least, not for the past few decades. And I have sisters in other religions and of other spiritual traditions who have found a place at the table, or carved out a place for themselves and others who will follow.
So on this, the first Monday after International Women’s Day, rather than mourn the places that are still closed to us, I’d like to celebrate the places where women are pastors and rabbis, priests and shamans. Thank you, sisters. These are places where we are blessed because you persevered.
The Velveteen Rabbi really can "go run and play with all the real rabbis," and aren’t we the richer for it! Don’t miss this lovely post about the ministry of bread and Sabbath, or this more academic insight into the goodness of questions.
Maggi Dawn has been trailblazing over in the Church of England for quite some time now. In this intriguing post she points out that it was the woman at the well, herself an outcast, who brought the other social nobodies to the great teacher.
Phyllis Tickle, the only retiree I’ve ever seen keep an audience of 300 twenty-somethings completely mesmerized for more than an hour, reminds us of the importance of living so that stranger is always welcomed (thus ensuring that we are, all of us, treasured.)
Staci over at Practical Spirituality reminds us that our journals are in fact, holy books. (I especially love this one, from one of my favorite artist-guides, Sabrina Ward Harrison.)
Finally, I’d like to mention two women who minister to me through their gift for photography. Elaine of Closely Observed offers us a visual diary – her photographs always inspire me towards gratitude and the practice of being present. While Christine Valters Paintner takes us through a visual meditation of a place that has seen both sorrow and re-birth, New Orleans in the spring time.
Who are the feminine ministers and guides in your lives? Who helps you see the spiritual path ahead of you?
