A little history...

Last September a beautiful group of women gathered at Redeemer Lutheran Church to explore a Bible study called Women of the Old Testament, by Gladys Hunt.   We were young & old, had children spanning all ages, some were veteran 'Bible study girls' while others had never really studied the Bible.  We gathered around hot tea, a pot of coffee, and a morning snack with the promise that the readings would be short and the conversation lively & meaningful.  Each woman had her own reason for attending Re:, but we all wondered what in the world we could possibly have in common with women from the Old Testament of the Bible!

As it turns out, we have much in common with each other and those amazing ladies from old!  We learned about Eve, Sarah & Hagar, Miriam, Rahab, Ruth, Naomi, Hannah, Abigail, the Shunammite woman, Esther, and the Proverbs 31 Woman.  These women faced deception, difficult choices, loss, infertility, being stuck in a bad marriage, having a critical spirit and many other situations that we could relate to.  While times change, it seems people and their emotions are basically the same!  We learned lessons of Grace, forgiveness, patience, Joy, and courage!  We laughed, we cried, we shared, and we prayed.  We also contributed to our larger community along the way.

In April and May we moved forward in time to the Women of the New Testament, by Phyllis J. LePeau.  We saw how God met Elizabeth in her suffering, how Mary believed the impossible, the result of Herodias' bitterness, how Jesus forgave a sinful woman, the result of perseverance in prayer, and several lessons from Lydia, a leader and business woman who was the first European convert.

Every week there was something to be learned from these women and applied to our 21st Century lives!  Proving that the trials we face, the emotions we deal with, the situations we find ourselves in are not new - we are not alone in our suffering.  And the wisdom found in the Word of God is ageless.

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." ~Proverbs 16:24