Morning Meditation: Women and Church Leadership

Dear God of Justice and Restoration,

This morning I sit with the words of Isaiah 1:17 — "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed" — and I think of Phoebe, carrying Paul's letter to Rome in her hands, entrusted with the very words that would reshape an empire. I think of Junia, whom Paul called "outstanding among the apostles," and how her name was quietly changed to a man's in later manuscripts, as if her calling could be erased with a copyist's pen.

Lord, You have never been confused about who You call. You sent Mary Magdalene as the first witness of the resurrection — the most important sermon ever preached was given to a woman to deliver. When the men hid behind locked doors, she ran toward the dawn.

Forgive us for the times we have locked doors You intended to swing wide open. Forgive us for quenching gifts You set ablaze. Where we have mistaken tradition for truth, give us the humility to learn the difference.