The Blessing of Women in Ministry

            A dear friend of mine celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of her ordination to the priesthood this past week and I was privileged to be there.  I remember the time over thirty years ago when we were fighting to convince the church to ordain women as well as men to the priesthood.  There were a number of us who would gather at the home of a friend in Squirrel Hill to talk and to plan what we were going to do to help it to happen.  There was fierce opposition to this notion, but in 1976 in a wonderful rebellious moment, some women were ordained in Philadelphia by three bishops and that got the toothpaste out of the tube forever.  There were still many who fumed and fought over the very idea of women as priests; but after Philadelphia, it couldn’t be changed.  The Episcopal Church General Convention when it next met ratified the idea and women’s ordination became a firm part of our church life. 

            In 1994, I was privileged also to attend the ordination of a woman in Blackpool, England.  She was among the first women to be ordained in England.  She went on to be the vicar of a church near Hadrian’s Wall and is still doing her ministry, and doing it well. 

            When I look back on all that has gone on in the church over these past thirty years, it seems almost quaint to me that there should have been such argument over something that has been of such immense benefit to not only the church but to our society.  Women bring compassion and gentleness to the work of ministry that men often lack.  They can be remarkable pastors and can bring their feminine talents to their work and help the people of their churches to understand in their lives the remarkable work that has been given to us by our Lord to do in this world.  I thank God for women in the priesthood.  I have been personally blessed by a number of them.

            Luke’s Gospel speaks of the annunciation in a way that lift’s Mary up as the anointed mother of Jesus so that we can understand the beauty of the birth of Jesus in a way that would be impossible otherwise.  Mary’s fear at first dissolves after the angel Gabriel tells her what God has in mind, and when Gabriel is done, Mary simply acquiesces and simply says to the angel:  Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Mary’s quiet faith brought forth her blessed Son, Jesus, who has given to humankind the amazing blessings that have lasted through the two thousand years since his birth.  Here again, is a woman acting as a servant of God to bring about God’s desire for humankind.  This has been continued through the years by women in remarkable ways.  I think of Teresa of Avila, Joan of Arc, Mother Teresa, all of the Roman Catholic Church, and the work of the women religious of that denomination.  They have been the lifeblood of Catholicism over the years, despite what the male leadership of the church might try to say about them.  Recently, the Vatican has published a document that has found that nuns have contributed generously of their lives to the church.  This was after there were rumors that the church would determine that there were significant problems with female religious orders.  That the church recognizes the value of women in their ministry offers hope that one day, they will share with their fellow men in the Roman Catholic Church the work of the priesthood. 

            That this has already happened in the Episcopal Church is a reason for celebration and gladness.  Thank God for this great blessing.