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Dear Outlook Readers,
Years ago, my Catholic father-in-law stated that since Jesus had only male disciples, it was appropriate that his church only allowed men as priests. I countered: “But what about Mary Magdalene? The women at the cross and tomb?” He shrugged, unconvinced. I continued: “Remember the story of loaves and fishes? It says that Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children. If the people telling the stories didn’t even count the women, why would we trust them to tell us what roles women should have today?”
My response was visceral (and hopefully kind, as my father-in-law was not trying to pick a fight). Twenty years later, I still recall our exchange. I’m grateful to biblical scholar and Episcopal priest Wilda Gafney, who draws out stories of women and girls and centers them in the biblical text. Her “female canon” is intended to be used in congregational and devotional life, in addition to (or sometimes instead of) the traditional Revised Common Lectionary.
Since 2021, Gafney has published resources for liturgical years A & B, as well as for “Year W”—appropriate for a single year. With her release of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year C, we now have a three-year rotation of biblical stories seen through a new lens. Her methodology prioritizes passages in which women are present – named or unnamed or obscured within groups (e.g. children, believers) – such as the “countless” women and girls enjoying Jesus’ feast. She draws out obscure stories and revisits familiar ones with new translations and expansive language.
There will be some who hunger and thirst for Gafney’s offering, and they will be profoundly moved by the experience of identifying with the Divine through the lens of the feminine. Others are unconcerned with exclusively male language for God (and for God’s people) and may view Gafney’s efforts as worrisome or even heretical. For those, I would recommend A Women’s Lectionary as devotional reading – the rich imagery and powerful language invite us to experience God’s Word in fresh ways, contributing to our spiritual growth.
Happy Reading,
Amy Pagliarella
Outlook Book Review Editor
P.S.: If you’re still seeking Advent resources, you’ll find an overview of the latest releases here.
My colleague Teri McDowell Ott has created a thoughtful series of Advent devotions, available for purchase, for you to share daily with your community and tuck into Sunday bulletins. Check out the Outlook’s offering here.
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BOOKS OF THE MONTH Every Day for Everyone: 365 Devotions from Genesis to Revelation
N.T. Wright and John Goldingay
Westminster John Knox, 400 pages
Published October 15, 2024
At a recent clergy retreat, a speaker reminded us that daily Bible reading was a necessary spiritual practice. “Many pastors fall into the habit of reading the Bible only to prepare for sermons,” he cautioned. I felt seen — and not in a good way. Every Day for Everyone is the daily devotional I’ll be reading in 2025. Old Testament scholar John Goldingay and popular New Testament scholar N.T. Wright tackle the Bible cover to cover, encouraging us to read a Bible story and one-page reflection each day.
The reflections are conversational, like chatting with a wise pastor friend who happens to be a world-renowned scholar. Take, for example, Goldingay’s January 7 devotion “Babylon becomes Babble-on”: the writing is light-hearted (“God comes down for a personal look…), relevant to our time (Nations could do terrible things…), and deeply nuanced (“With typical paradox, Genesis sees it as both a divine judgement and a divine mercy.”). Each closes with a simple prayer.
Every Day for Everyone spreads out 365 devotions over 12 months, but there’s no magic to these dates — ask for it as a Christmas gift, and you’ll want to read the first entry as soon as the rest of the gifts are opened.
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 This Beautiful Day: Daily Wisdom from Mister Rogers
Fred Rogers
Hachette Go, 400 pages
Published December 3, 2024
Who better to speak to this time and place than everyone’s favorite Presbyterian Minister, Mr. Rogers? This Beautiful Day is a simple devotional — most entries are a single sentence or two, like a tear-off calendar, with a page for each of the 365 days ahead. Yet there is nothing ephemeral about Mr. Rogers’ wisdom: the affirmations captured here are tender and include occasional snippets of his own life and lessons learned, all his gentle and hopeful voice.
These devotions touch very lightly on God, making this an appropriate choice for the “spiritual but not religious” colleague or college student who isn’t quite sure what they believe, but needs to know they are deeply loved. This Beautiful Day will fit in many Christmas stockings, as well as into a purse or glove compartment for those who seek small doses of uplift throughout the day.
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“Mary and Martha are portrayed as relating to Jesus in different ways that have, unfortunately, traditionally been constructed as binary opposites. Patriarchal exegesis has lauded Mary for her study of the word while, in many cases, denying women access to seminary and ministry studies and ordination, and has critiqued Martha for being too preoccupied with ‘housework’ while arguing for the home as women’s primary God-ordained sphere of operation, all at the same time. Jesus’s response is often treated as a rebuke when, in the text, it is simply a conversational response.” |
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Book Giveaway! Congratulations to last month’s winner Candace Adams. Thanks to Broadleaf Books, they received The Violent Take it By Force.
This month, one fortunate reader will receive a copy of Wilda Gafney’s A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year C., generously donated by our friends at Church Publishing.
If you're reading this note, then you're all set! Know someone else who should be reading Page Turners? Send them this link and they'll get entered for a chance to win, too. The contest closes on December 17. |  |
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