“…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…
Tag: ishshahs story
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…
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,…
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…
Celebrating: Pandita Ramabai of India
A simple wooden cross hidden in scrubby farmland near a railway line now marks the grave of Pandita Ramabai. Yet this petite and remarkable Indian woman, of Hindu descent, was one of the greatest social reformers of her time; a linguist who spoke seven languages; a poet, educator, and author; and a staunch champion…
What Women These Christians Have!
Just posted on our Facebook Page: “Asking why today….why after two thousand years since Christ women believers are still gagged in the church, why numbers of women in leadership are still so disproportional, why I had to go back to a fourth century pagan philosopher to find this revolutionary statement: “What women these Christians have!”.…
Acknowledging the Eldership of Women
When I was both a young woman and a young Christian I would often wander with some friends down to Speaker’s Corner at the Domain in Sydney for some Sunday afternoon entertainment. Speaker’s Corner, as the name implies, was a space in the city given over for anyone and everyone with a cause to present…
The Lady From Number 31
I’ve been noticing a resurgence in interest in the blogosphere lately in the proverbial ‘virtuous’ wife of Proverbs 31. The Junia Project has a good article here and there’s another here by Rachel Held Evans. I agree with the excellent insights in these posts, but I also have a slightly different perspective on the Proverbs 31 wife…
Celebrating: Dr. Catherine Hamlin of Ethiopia
When Dr. Catherine Hamlin arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with her husband Reg in 1959, neither had ever seen a case of the medical condition called ‘obstetric fistula’ which would soon become their life’s work. Born in Sydney, Australia in 1924, Catherine was the second eldest of six children. Her father was a successful businessman…
Seeking The Wise Women
Have you heard about the wise woman of Abel? The story is related in 2 Samuel 20. In Old Testament Israel it is believed ‘wise women’ were women elders who held positions of influence and authority in certain cities. In this particular instance a wise woman of Abel-beth-maacah negotiated with Israel’s most senior…
Taking A Closer Look: Sapphira and Male Headship (Acts 5:1-11)
It is taught in some Christian denominations today that women are to be subject/submitted to their husbands in all things. It is not unusual to hear of instances where women have suffered domestic violence or other abuses of human rights within their marriages even while church leadership encourages them to continue ‘submitting’ to such behaviour. Sadly, Christian…
Rejoice in Your Voice!
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…
Who Do We Think We Are?
A little over a year ago I took up photography for a hobby. Armed with my newfangled camera, my tripod and my enthusiasm I set happily off to the beach to catch some waves…..metaphorically speaking. Alas, things didn’t turn out to be as simple as I’d expected. Sure I had an instruction manual, but who…
A Dream in the Night
There is an old saying, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”* I prefer though the more accurate translation from the original Chinese… “The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.” In my case, it began beneath my head while I lay dreaming in the night. A sweet dream…
