I'm not usually a person who reads devotionals however this year I wanted to participate in a grounding practice that matched interests I already held and one that would not overtax me as I already do a lot of ready for seminary. I came across this interesting find which is written by womanist theologian Wilda Gafney and is a lectionary focusing on women in the Bible.
As I started reading, I thought some of you might want to join in on the discovery.
Email me if you are interested. Maybe we could chat about it. gina@TheFaithStudio.org
About The Book
What would it look like if women built a lectionary focusing on women’s stories?
What does it look like to tell the good news through the stories of women who are often on the margins of scripture and often set up to represent bad news? How would a lectionary centering women’s stories, chosen with womanist and feminist commitments in mind, frame the presentation of the scriptures for proclamation and teaching?
The scriptures are androcentric, male-focused, as is the lectionary that is dependent upon them. As a result, many congregants know only the biblical men's stories told in the Sunday lectionary read in their churches. A more expansive, more inclusive lectionary will remedy that by introducing readers and hearers of scripture to “women's stories” in the scriptures.
A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, when completed, will be a three-year lectionary accompanied by a stand-alone single year lectionary, Year W, that covers all four gospels.
About the Author
I am a biblical scholar, Episcopal priest and seminary professor. I publish as Wilda and Wil Gafney. I teach Biblical Hebrew, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, Womanist, Feminist and Post-Colonial Biblical Studies, formerly at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, currently at Brite Divinity School in Ft. Worth, TX.
My scholarship includes prophecy and prophetic literature, rabbinic (Tanaaitic) literature, Ancient Near Eastern religious (especially prophetic and women's vocational) literature and traditional and contemporary midrash - biblical interpretation.
I blog regularly at: wilgafney.com and tweet enthusiastically at @wilgafney. (You'll have to copy and paste.)