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Your congregation or community of faith can lift your voice during this election year.  "In Times of Great Decision: How Congregations Can Take Part in Legal, Non-Partisan Election Activities" is a new resource developed by WAND Educational Fund for people of faith to discern the roles for congregations to play in legal, non-partisan election activities.  Referencing Christian Principles in an Election Year developed by the National Council of Churches, USA this new resource includes exercises and discussion starters appropriate for adult and youth education time.  Providing historical information about voting rights and current guidelines to legal, non-partisan election activities for congregation the resource places the entire conversation within the context of our faith and includes a theological exploration of Psalm 72.  

To download this free resource go to Faith in Action home page of  WAND Educational Fund at  http://www.wand.org/faith_home.htm or directly download the PDF http://www.wand.org/faith/Faith%20curriculum%20election%20addendum.pdf. 

“Faith Seeking Peace” is another new more extensive six session curriculum by which places Biblical texts in conversation with critical issues of our day.  Each one-hour sessions offer close Biblical readings from a progressive perspective in conversation with historical and current facts about military spending and the cost of war.  Session topics include:  Faithful Priorities, The Cost of War, Weapons and the World, Women and War: the Survival of Hope, Love Our Enemies: A faithful Response to Terrorism, and Bringing Peace Home.  This free resource includes an extensive Facilitator’s Guide and can be downloaded at http://www.wand.org/faith/curriculum.htm or hard copies can be ordered directly from WAND. 

Women of Faith: in Action for New Directions is a project of WAND Educational Fund. WAND Education Fund is a national organization that seeks to channel women’s voices into a powerful movement for change. Their mission is to educate women, the media, elected officials, and others about the need to redirect excessive military resources toward unmet human and environmental needs.  For more information about these new resource,  Women of Faith:  in Action for New Directions, or to arrange a facilitator’s training, contact Tanya Wallace (twallace@wand.org – 404.524.5999) or Amanda Hendler-Voss (ahvoss@wand.org – 828-254-2702). 

“In remembrance . . .”

Women’s History Month

Remembering is one way we honor and value what has happened in our communities.  From year to year we tell the stories of people we have loved and how they have impacted our lives – we remember them.

While Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table . . . [ Jesus, said to them,] ‘. . . Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’                                                             (Matt. 26:6 & 13)

During March – Women’s History Month – we have an opportunity to remember the women who have proclaimed good news to us in our lives and empowered us with the knowledge that we are all created in the image of God. 

International Women’s Day (March 8) first arose at the turn of the century and is now an occasion when women’s organizations on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day.  They can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.  A brief chronology of important events related to International Women’s day document by the UN can be found here.
 

In 1978, the Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of women, recognizing women’s history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness and so initiated a “Women History Week” celebration.  This initiative grow and in 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution officially declaring a "National Women's History Week."  The movement continued to grow and in 1987, the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the national celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women's History Month Resolution has been approved with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.  To test and expand your own knowledge of women’s role in United States of America history, look here.   

“. . . what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”  Just as our schools and general public consciousness had left women out of the secular history book, so to at time we have left the women out of our faith stories. 

Even in this text from the Gospel of Matthew as we remember how she saw, recognized and honored Jesus unique role in our salvation story as she anointed him with oil, but we do not remember her name.  We do not know the names of many Biblical women including the women at the well – we know their stories but not know their names. 

There are many women of faith who have shaped our lives, our churches, our community ministries and our world missions. We may have forgotten some names, but we also remember some of their names and need to tell their stories.  We must tell these stories, because their stories lead us to faith as they tell God’s story. 

Secular history sometimes forgot the women (particularly the feminist) and sacred history sometimes forgotten the women; but we also sometimes forget that women of faith are part of the feminist movement and feminist women are within faith communities. 

The way faith has fueled feminism and the way feminism has fueled faith must also be remembered as an important part of our history and our future.  Women’s full participation in all spheres of life is critical to the share of the good news of God’s love. 

A Samaritan women came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ . . . Many Samaritans from that city believed in Jesus because of the women’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.”              (John 4:7 & 39)

During Women's History Month take time to learn the history of women’s leadership in your faith communion – to learn everything we have done.   During Women’s History Month take time to write a letter of thanks to the women who taught you about faith – your mother, Sunday school teacher, sister, pastor or friend.  Remembering our history – everything and everyone – is the first step towards honoring what is valued and not repeating what was harmful.  Remembering helps us share the good news! 

Here are some beginning places to learn about women’s history in our churches and communities:

Resources from NCC Communion Websites 

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America   

http://www.womenoftheelca.org/resources/
womenhistory.html   

Friends United Meeting

http://www.fum.org/QL/issues/0005/vera.htm

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

http://thorn.pair.com/earlyq.htm

http://www.quaker.org/mott/memo-on-self.html

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

http://www.pcusa.org/womensministries/historymonth.htm

The United Methodist Church

http://www.gcsrw.org/

Resources on History of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month 

International History Day – United Nations History

http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm

National Women’s History Project – NWHP

http://www.nwhp.org/aboutnwhp/index.php

Resources Exploring the Intersection of Faith and Feminism 

Women Day Event in New York City

Cosponsored by NCC Justice for Women Working Group

http://womensdaynyc.org 

Faith and Feminism

Website includes explores the intersection of faith and feminism and includes edited excerpts from Faith and Feminism: a Holy Alliance, by Helen LaKelly Hunt, which is also highlighted in the history slide show on this NCC webpage.
http://www.faithandfeminism.org and http://www.sisterfund.org  

Article written and compiled by:

Rev. Ann Tiemeyer

Program Director for Women’s Ministry

National Council of Churches USA

Women's Creed:

We believe in God who creates women and men as partners in God's image.

To work together in Harmony, respecting and honoring each other.

We believe that we are co-workers with God in creating and preserving life.

We believe in God who took human form to redeem us from fear and prejudice, anger and hatred, greed and selfishness.

We believe in Jesus, who empowered women and outcasts and gives them new life.

We believe in the Spirit, active in our world,
who encourages and nurtures, strengthens and restores us.

We believe in the Spirit who quickens us to be involved in the work of the Kingdom (Reign of God).

From Women's Litany for a Worship Service of Lamentation and Hope. Go here to read the complete liturgy.  

Photos by Pat Pattillo