Reflections on Walking with Christ

March 16th,

Probably if you asked most Hoosiers what the month of March means to them, they’d say, “March Madness!” That’s understandable since passion for basketball seems woven into our DNA here in Indiana! However, today, I’m reflecting on another celebration in March. Yes, March is Women’s History Month, a full thirty-one days to look back and remember women who impacted our world. I remember Rosa Parks, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I, Fannie Lou Hamer, and many others. I give thanks for the written work of Madeleine L ’Engle, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, and Mary Oliver.

My heart though, turns to a favorite passage in Luke’s gospel where three women are specifically named for their role in the ministry and teaching of Jesus. Luke 8:1-3: “Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.”

I absolutely celebrate how Luke slips this in, very unobtrusively! He simply mentions there was a group of women accompanying Jesus and his disciples. Not only did these women accompany him, but they also provided resources to support Jesus’ ministry! From just these few verses we learn several things.

First, we notice these women had been blessed by the healing mercy of God’s Spirit in Jesus. It appears most of them had been considered “demon possessed”; what we would call “mental health concerns” today. Perhaps they endured deep depression, perhaps bi-polar or schizophrenic. Whatever they suffered, they found love and acceptance from Jesus rather than the shunning and exclusion they encountered from family, friends, and local leaders.

Second, these women seem to possess some financial means. Luke doesn’t give us the how’s and why’s of their resources. He just tells us they provided for Jesus out of their resources. These women gratefully and generously gave their funds, their time, their energy to empowering the movement of God’s Kingdom come to earth! I wonder what difference their help made in his ability to impact so many with God’s love and care?

As I think of these women, I realize how very ordinary they were. Not a princess, queen, or first lady among them. These women were like our mothers, sisters, girlfriends, wives, neighbors, and co-workers; they are like us. They chose to do extraordinary acts with their ordinary, even broken, lives.

May we each take a pause before the end of March and consider the women in our lives who’ve given much, provided resources, and even been blessed by the healing grace of love and acceptance given them by God. Which women have been instrumental in your lives? Please take a moment and respond to the email, or post in the comments. Tell us about the women who’ve impacted you. I’ve been blessed by some pretty amazing women and I’m confident you have been as well.

Welcome to Garfield Park Baptist Church! Thank you for visiting our website! We are an urban church that welcomes all! Come check us out; bring your questions, doubts, certainties and open hearts and minds! We’ll talk and ponder together!

Wondering what to expect when you visit our church?

When you worship at Garfield Park Baptist, you’ll find a vibrant group of people diverse in education and income levels, theological perspectives, and age -yet united by God’s love! Our worship gatherings at 9:30 a.m. contain both traditional and praise music, prayers, Bible readings, thoughts for personal reflection, and preaching.

We are an American Baptist church, called by God, to create a community that works together to empower people to be the best version of themselves they can be and that God wants them to be. We seek to bring God’s light to the park through compassion, prayer, and living into our God-given purpose.

Please take a moment to browse our website and discover who we are! You will learn about our worship, spiritual growth opportunities, and ministries such as food pantry, community meal, Youth group, choir, game night, and various small group options.

Co-Interim Pastor Judy Fackenthal

Co-Interim Pastor Mark W. Hetrick