Wednesday Bible Study – March 2025

Via Zoom at zoom.us/j/89067358496

ID: 860 4125 9075; Passcode: 346573

Women of Power, Faith, and Legacy

The Holy One created humankind in her/his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-28 NRSVUE). The creation of women and men in the Holy One’s image, and likeness was intentional from the very beginning. At the beginning of creation, neither gender is credited with superiority over the other. Both females and males were equally responsible for naming and caring for (which is how the word “dominion” in the Genesis text should be interpreted) the Holy One’s creation. Genesis chapter two offers yet another creation story that muddies the water and upsets the gender equality exhibited in Genesis chapter one because it reads “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that man (Adam) should be alone . . . The man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every animal of the field, but for the man^[d] there was not found a helper as his partner. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²² And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.”

²⁴ Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. ²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (v 18, 21-24). The idea that woman was created with one of the “ribs” of the man caused many readers of the text to assume an inferior place for the woman even though the language of the poem (v 23) clearly infers that they were co-equal.

In time, a radical patriarchy began to emerge. In her book, The Temple of My Familiar, Alice Walker offers a brilliant analysis and critique of patriarchy and asserts that for millennia women held priority of place over men. Subsequently men confronted female dominance with violence and matriarchy was eventually overtaken. Patriarchy was born.

This series of sermons and bible studies is designed to honor our mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters and nieces by highlighting the faith, resilience and leadership of Black women in biblical history. It is my hope that one day we will all live life in accord with the divine intention of Umoja (unity) and learn to practice ubuntu in all our relationships whether they are with other human beings or the Holy One’s creation.

Wednesday, March 5

Biblical Text: Judges 4:4-9

Theme: Women as Leaders and Visionaries

Wednesday, March 12

Biblical Text: Genesis 16:7-13

Theme: God Sees and Sustains Black Women in Struggle

Wednesday, March 19

Biblical Text: Luke 1:46-55

Theme: Black Women as Bearers of Change and Transformation

Wednesday, March 26

Biblical Text: 2 Timothy 1:3-7

Theme: The Impact of Intergenerational Faith