The often told story in John chapter 8 of an adulterous woman brought before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees is familiar to many of us. In this post I want to focus in on something Jesus said to the woman after those who demanded her stoning had quietly left the scene: “Woman, where are…
Tag: Christian women
The Woman Who Touched God
To all our Ishshah’s Story readers and supporters we wish you the very best of everything for Christmas and the coming year. We look forward to sharing, fellowshipping and hearing from you in 2016. This last post for 2015 was recently shared at Bread for the Bride and poses the question if Jesus was not offended…
Celebrating ‘The Trio’ – Mildred, Eva and Francesca – Of China
“From Etzingol to Turpan, from Spring of Wine to Chuguchak, we … spent long years in following trade-routes, tracing faint caravan tracks, searching out innumerable by-paths and exploring the most hidden oases. … Five times we traversed the whole length of the desert, and in the process we had become part of its life.” Mildred…
A Quiet Revolution
Feathers were getting ruffled on both sides. I realize that infers an invisible line in the sand. The dangerous thing about an invisible line is that it is like electricity. You can’t always see it but you can sure feel it when you reach out and God forbid, touch it. The females in the office…
Scrubbing The Competition
Ishshah’s Story is delighted to present an insightful guest post today from Tiffany Clark. Tiffany teaches (and is taught) Spiritual Formation in an M.A. program offered for Christian leaders throughout Africa and Asia. In her various writing projects, Tiffany prefers grappling with the Scriptures in the context of messy life struggles to tidy, simplistic answers. Her current office…
Is It Time For You to Be Our Guest?
Got something that needs saying? A lesson learned, an inspiration, a moment of wisdom, a revelation, a story to tell, a beautiful creation? There will be no better time than now. Take a look at the multiple ways you can share on our Ishshah’s Story blog site. Ishshah’s Story is your story! We want to hear it, we…
In Whose Image?
One of the most common accusations levelled at women by those who advocate male leadership in church and home (and some would add society in general), is that Eve (Ishshah) disobeyed God and led Adam into sin. For this reason, they say, God ordained that ‘her husband would rule over her’ (Gen. 3:16). In fact,…
Mothers and Daughters
In the family tree, there is no relationship quite like that of mother and daughter. As ishshahs, we are not all a mother, but we are all someone’s daughter. No two – or two million – mother-daughter relationships are alike. They cannot be nor should they try to be. But it certainly raises the question…
Celebrating: Jackie Pullinger of Hong Kong
Now and again, people would say “Isn’t it wonderful that God would choose a woman to go? I would say, “No, it’s not wonderful. Excuse me for being rude about God, but He can pick who He likes.” I mean, it’s no more wonderful for Him to send a woman than a man, or an old…
What Jesus Taught on Marriage and Divorce
Jesus taught on divorce in Matt 19:1-11, Mark 10:1-12 and Matt 5:31-32. Matt 19:3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” NKJV Divorce for “any reason”, also called “any matter divorce” was supported by those who…
Are Women Also Sons?
Recently someone expressed concern when I posted a scripture reference to Galatians 3:26 on the Ishshah’s Story Facebook page. The verse says: ‘For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.’ (NASB) Some translations use ‘children’ rather than ‘sons’, but I deliberately chose that particular translation in an attempt to open up…
Not Quite Marilyn
“Inner beauty won’t get you free drinks.” Some of the most enlightening conversations are those engaged in by other diners sitting within earshot of your own table. On two occasions in a matter of months, this type of overheard commentary un-graced the breakfast I had just asked the Lord to bless. Sadly, both times it…
The Personhood of Ishshah
The struggle is as ancient as the Fall: the need of woman to be viewed first and foremost as a person. The solution from a fallen world has been to classify her in roles that designate her perceived value and in functions that define her limit and scope of interactions. For the female heart that…
Celebrating Anna of Jerusalem: The Witness
“…by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.” (Deu. 19:15) So said the law given to Moses by Yahweh. But in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth, Jewish tradition and culture declared that witnesses must always be male. Women were held in such low esteem that they were not…
Celebrating: Feisty Females of the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages, or Medieval Period, covered one thousand years of human history, from the fifth to the fifteenth century. It was a time of feudalism, superstition and the rise and fall of kingdoms. It was also a time when Christianity was primarily represented by one established Church, ruled by the Pope in Rome, who…
Celebrating Amanda Berry Smith:”The Singing Pilgrim”
Amanda Berry Smith was born into a poor slave family in Maryland, USA, in 1837. Her father and mother were Bible believing Christians and Amanda later referred to the prayers of her maternal grandmother as being instrumental in her salvation. Samuel Berry, Amanda’s father, laboured long hours as a slave by day and worked in…
The First Day Of The Rest Of Our Lives
We spoke little as we hurried through the streets of Jerusalem. Slivers of warm sunlight were already piercing the dying darkness as the long night fled away. I pulled my cloak tightly around my face as if to protect myself against the harsh realities coming daylight would bring. Between us we carried the oil and…
Thoughts on 1 Timothy 2:12
On Ishshah’s Story we have been exploring some of the scriptures from Paul’s letters that have been used to severely limit the function of women in the church. One prime verse comes from 1Timothy 2:12-13, “12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be…
Celebrating: Blandina of Lyons
It was the year 177 AD in the town of Lyons, France (then called Gaul). The Roman Emperor was Marcus Aurelius. Christianity had arrived in Lyons 25 years earlier through the missionary Pothinus, who became the First Bishop of Lyons. As the church grew, however, so too did persecution. It began with Christians being beaten,…
Upheld Through Life Change
Ishshah’s Story is pleased to feature another new voice in our guest post Upheld Through Life Change. Linda Jo Reed’s goal is simply to encourage people. Her hope is that support and help can be found through her words. She is the author of “Upheld In The Battle,” a book that shares many of God’s…
Shall Women Be Silent?
Shall Women Be Silent? Our purpose here is to explain why 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 doesn’t mean that women should forever be silent in church. The scripture appears to forbid women speaking in church but today it is common practice. To prevent encouraging people from picking and choosing which scriptures to believe and which to reject, it is critically important…
Faith and Flannelgraphs
Faith begins somewhere. Mine began at my grandmother’s kitchen table – the place of Saturday night hamburgers, cookies and milk, folding clothes, accoutrements necessary for giving home perms, and crafts. When the crafts came out, the sponge in me soaked it all up. Her name was Amo (Ah-mo) and she was my little girl Sunday…
Submission
In September of 2014 Cheryl McGrath posted an article on male headship using the story of Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5. Traditionally, women have been told that they were to submit to their husbands, but if you read this article, you’ll see that Sapphira’s sin was in agreeing with her husband in deception rather…
When Generations of Silent Women Speak
Many thanks to SheLoves Online Magazine for featuring this article on their website and Facebook Page today! The voices moving around me are strong. They are loud, articulate, and powerful. Most of all they are young, charged with the unmistakable exuberance and vigour of youth. They are young with the outrageous brashness of those who have…
Not Going Under But Over
Catherine Booth (1829-1890) was co-founder of the Salvation Army (with William Booth), as well as a gifted evangelist, apostolic leader, preacher, author, wife and mother. Once when Catherine was preaching, a man objected: “Paul said to the Corinthians it is a shame for women to speak in the church”. Catherine responded: “Oh yes, so he did; but…
