Quiet Time: Women and Church Leadership

Dear God of Justice and Mercy,

When the prophet Micah declared that You require us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with You, he spoke to a people who had grown comfortable with the status quo — who offered sacrifices while ignoring the voices You had raised up among them. Forgive us when we do the same.

We remember Deborah, who judged Israel with wisdom so fierce that a general refused to go to battle without her. We remember Huldah, the prophet whose authority was so unquestioned that King Josiah sent his priests to hear her speak Your word. We remember Junia, whom Paul called outstanding among the apostles — a woman whose very name later scribes tried to erase from the text. And yet You preserved it.

Lord, in the Reformed tradition we confess that the church is always being reformed — ecclesia semper reformanda. Give us courage to ask where our structures reflect Your kingdom and where they merely reflect our comfort. Open our eyes to the gifts You have already poured out on Your daughters, and grant us the humility to receive what You are doing rather than dictate what You cannot.