Thank you

As we wrap up our series called “Like a Girl,” I am so grateful for what I have learned.

Oh, you didn’t realize that I am learning while I am preaching? Many times you all are hearing exactly what I need to hear, myself. I spend so much of my time preaching, working through the things I do not fully understand or what I am wrestling with. So thanks for listening :)

I have learned more about my faith and my community. I have learned that I come from a long line of faithful Christians that have handed down the faith I currently have as an heirloom. I hope I use it well. I have learned that in order to lead someone well, you have to lead with empathy and compassion first. Like my friend Gretchen and the judge, Deborah, I see that the greatest adventures are on the other side of collaboration. I also learned that showing up for someone doesn’t mean having the solution every time.

I have learned so much that I had never known before. Which led me to my biggest lesson of all: I have spent so long basing my reading of God’s word on the actions, the stories, the characters of the men in the Bible. Which means I have been missing so many lessons.

This series has taught me that if I want to get the very most out of the Bible (which I really do), then I need to look for the stories of women.

Now, an important note: I did not set out before this series to read the Bible without women in mind. It was a sort of sleepwalking towards reading the Bible without women in mind. It may not have been malicious… but I am still missing a big part of the story of God’s love in the world.

So I hope you have experienced that this series as well.

This coming Sunday, we are going to hear from my dear friend, Sara Ellis, who helped start our ministry to young families when babies are born. Because of her leadership and heart, new moms get the sort of love that they should be able to expect from a church but often don’t receive. I am grateful you get to hear the story of someone who let their faith get in their way and cause them to do something loving and meaningful for their neighborhood.