by Lisa Delay
I decided to do something new this year and randomly give fun and interesting things away all month to celebrate my birthday. The first item is a leather bound journal, for prayers, or whatever you enjoy journaling. To join in the fun, you can follow me on Twitter, or go to my website which will post details on that day.
It might help beat the winter blues too.
Life is a gift.
Best wishes.
-Lisa
From Gender Analyzer (ht – Andrew Jones) -
Results
We have strong indicators that http://emergingwomen.blogspot.com is written by a man (91%).
okay… apparently we are all men. what????
Each year on March 8 the world takes time to observe International Women’s Day. It is a day dedicated to the celebration of women’s social, economic and political achievements worldwide. In the United States, this official day of observance is rooted in women’s efforts to campaign for rights to work, vote and hold public office, culminating on March 8, 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to sweatshop conditions and child labor. In the early 1910s, the concept gained recognition in the international community and grew momentum as women across Europe continued to fight for the right to work and protest against ensuing world conflict.
This year March 8 falls on a Sunday. I know Sundays aren’t typically big blogging days since they are days when we take time to focus on our faith. But for that reason, I think we should make an effort this year to bring our faith to the celebration of IWD. So I’d like to suggest a joint synchroblog/synchrosermon observance of the day for Christians. Too often in the church not only are the voices of women not heard, but the stories of biblical women remain untold. But the Bible is full of inspiring examples of women faithfully following God and making a tremendous difference for the Kingdom. So this year on International Women’s Day I invite men and women alike to take the time to explore the lives of these great women through a -
Synchroblog – on March 8 post something on your blog about biblical women. This could be your experience (or lack thereof) with learning about these women, a reflection on the life of a particular woman, an exploration of the ways women led in scripture, or a midrashic retelling of the life of one of these women. Have fun with it, push yourself to discover new things, and let’s tell these stories together.
Synchrosermon – these stories of women are rarely told from the pulpit, so I encourage those of you preaching or teaching on March 8 to include the stories of biblical women in whatever you do. The church often wont hear about these women or learn from their example, unless pastors and teachers make a deliberate effort to dwell on the mothers of our faith as much as they usually dwell on the fathers.
It’s not difficult. This isn’t like other negative or angry IWD blog endeavours I’ve seen (and participated in) in the past. It is simply a way to positively encourage women and let women’s voices be heard.
So if you are interested in participating, leave a comment at my blog here so I can post the list of participants. Feel free to promote this among your networks as well. And thanks for helping women continue to have a voice.
I just want to give a heads up that there will be some major changes occurring here at Emerging Women soon. Members will be finding out more about this very soon, and the changes should be public shortly thereafter. I hope this will strengthen this community and help push the conversation here forward.
by Jemila Kwon
“One. Trillion. Dollars.”
TIME says that’s Obama’s take on what we are called to invest to kick-start the U.S. economy.
On Tuesday Barack Obama will take the next step in expressing his vision for this country and inviting us to celebrate and invest in that vision. And when the dude says invest, he is talking about your heart, your mind and yes your your share in one trillion dollars. It will be the inaguration of a ginormous investment. Invest almost enough and you may get modest improvements or even continued loss…Invest fully and appropriately to the situation and you may live to see a fabulous rising of what was dead (can we say that last 8 years!) into new life.
Like, can you imagine a half-dead Jesus limping down off the cross?
Invest Fully and something may come alive in you that was dead before. What could it be?
What is the spirit inviting you to inagurate in your life? What investment would it take to kick-start your Life?
What’s state of the union between you and Spirit like in your inner economy: downturn or upturn? What would make YOU a full-out expression of the Creator’s greatness as you look toward inagurating a new day in our country’s history and a new day in the living herstory of God’s Life in YOU?
Happy Inaguration Ladies (and you nice guys out there who like EW),
Love & Peace,
Jemila K
by Elizabeth Glass-Turner
Note to the reader: this tribute originally appeared on The Big Red Couch. As a thinker, a woman, and a theologian, I have deep, rich respect for this man, in an era when “a good man is hard to find.”
Last week, I gave a gasp and a shudder, then immediately burst into tears. Someone that I had met once died. That was all.
But that wasn’t all. I had heard of his serious illness; heard the call to prayer, on his behalf. I had once heard him speak.
More importantly, he had heard me.
The man spoke with President Bush, and President Reagan. With Pope John Paul II. The President of Poland has issued a statement of grief upon the man’s demise. But one day, this man spoke with me.
I was vaguely aware of his political import; I was more aware of his status as a theological giant who lived in
Father Richard John Neuhaus – for the last week, hearing and reading the name make tears sting my eyes. Not because of his time on “Meet the Press,” but because of a few winter hours several years ago.
The cold evening I met “Father John,” as George W. often called him, he was wrapped in a thick overcoat and eager to arrive at a meeting at which he was keynote speaker. I found myself handed with a rare privilege, and one which I have only appreciated more as time has passed. I knew I was meeting an important man, and a great man, though I hardly knew how important, and how great. I had not seen the photos of him with world leaders at that time. I knew him as a name on “First Things,” a remarkably profound publication. But he was simple, unaffected, welcoming. He and I sat and spoke of liturgy. He listened to my opinions – which I have never been shy in sharing. (There remains in me the rather Scottish certainty that my opinions and thought, carefully measured, are just as good as anybody else’s – no matter who they have on speed dial, or what country they run. It is, I think, a Highlander characteristic.)
I remember little of the address he gave that night. It was profound, I recall, and stimulating. We had, I know, a spirited exchange in the car on the way to drop him at his hotel. And though I still don’t know if he or I stepped forward first, he gave me a quick, impromptu hug in departure. It felt rather like he had laid his hands on my head in blessing, though it was nothing so grand.
Upon his death I found myself shaken. More than that, I felt myself wanting to chime in – to add my experiences to the community pool of memories that has been collecting in the wake of his passing. I wanted to include that I, too, had personal experience of the man who has helped shape presidential policy on issues as grave as abortion. But it wasn’t out of a desire for climbing any ladders, or garnering any accolades. The mark of a holy man is that he brings out what good there is in the people around him. And I think that our communal hopes of having our voices heard by others as we each share personal reminiscences are due to a desire to be like him.
“I want to be that well read,” some think. “I want to hone just a portion of that rigorous intellect,” others determine. “I want to make people feel that welcome in my presence,” “I want to be more disciplined in my writing, like he was…” “I want to wrap all aspects of my life around my faith, like he did…” “I want to know when to take things seriously, and when to laugh them off, like he did…”
We want to be like you, Father Neuhaus. In whatever small way we resemble you, we want to be like you, because you wanted to be like the Father.
We are left, now, without your example, and we fear we cannot model it as well as you did. But, as you would remind us, we are left with the Divine example, we all inherit the same Spirit of the Lord, who empowers us to be more like Jesus.
But we will miss you.
