A wandering tribeswoman was my mother

My Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) professor Terrence Fretheim shared this prayer with us in class last week. It really struck a chord with me so I wanted to share it with you. It can be hard to read through the Genesis stories and see the pain of the women in the text and the violence that was often done to them. Often the silence of the women speaks louder than the stories. This prayer helped me honor those women as my foremothers in faith.

A wandering tribeswoman was my mother.
In Egypt, she bore slaves.
Then she called to the God of our mothers
Sarah, Hagar, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah.
Praise God Who Hears, Forever.

A warrior, judge, and harlot was my mother
God called her from time to time
to save and liberate [God's] people
Miriam, Jael, Deborah, Judith, Tamar
Praise God Who Saves, Forever.

A Galilean Jew was my mother.
She bore a wonderful child
to be persecuted, hated, and executed.
Mary, mother of sorrows, mother of us all.
Praise God Who Gives Strength, Forever.

A witness to Christ's resurrection was my mother.
The apostle to the apostles
Rejected, forgotten, proclaimed a whore.
Mary of Magdala, vanguard of women-church
Praise God Who Lives, Forever.

An apostle, prophet, founder, and teacher was my mother
called to the discipleship of equals.
Empowered by the Sophia-God of Jesus
Martha, Phoebe, Junia, Priscilla, Myrta, Nympha, Thecla
Praise God Who Calls, Forever.

A faithful Christian woman was my mother.
A mystic, witch, martyr, heretic, saint, uppity woman
A native American, a black slave, a poor immigrant,
an old hag, a wise woman
May we, with her, in every generation
Praise God Who Images Us All.

Women's Prayer Services, edited by Iben Gjerding and Katherine Kinnanon (Twenty-Third Publications, 1987).