Liberating Prophets

Thursday, July 20, 2006 -- Week of 10 Pentecost
(Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Ross Tubman)

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this link -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 975)
Psalm 37:1-18 (morning) // 37:19-42 (evening)
Joshua 3:14 - 4:7
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 26:1-16

In today's gospel reading Jesus is staying at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. Jesus is living with someone who is unclean. While there, another socially marginalized person, and unnamed woman, comes in the house and anoints Jesus with costly ointment. It causes some scandal among the disciples.

In our reading from Paul's letter, he writes, "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Today the Episcopal Church celebrates a feast day for four women who served America as liberators and prophets -- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Ross Tubman. All four challenged the social order -- our purity codes and marginalizing -- defying the conformities of their age, transforming their listeners by the renewing of their minds so that they might discern what is the will of God.

Stanton held the Church accountable for using Scripture to enforce the subordination of women in marriage and ordination. She challenged secular society for withholding from women property and voting rights and job equality. A scholar in Greek, she formed a committee of women to write a Scripture commentary about passages traditionally used to discriminate against women.

Bloomer became scandalous by protesting against women's fashions that featured waist-tightening corsets which were uncomfortable and dangerous, especially for pregnant women. Clergy attacked her loose-fitting trousers (bloomers) quoting Moses saying, "Women should not dress like men." If you clergy cared about what Moses said about clothes, she fired back, you "would all put fringes and blue ribbons on [your] garments." She also challenged the use of Paul's letters to oppress women.

Truth was an escaped slave who became a traveling preacher. When this six-foot black woman with a charismatic presence approached white revivals and asked to preach, they usually let her. She quoted long passages of Scripture by heart and she sang passionately about the evils of slavery. She extended her logic of liberation to the women's movement.

Tubman also escaped slavery and worked underground to free at least 300 slaves by leading them into Canada. Authorities put a $40,000 bounty on her head. During the Civil War she led 300 black soldiers on a raid that freed over 750 slaves. She is the first American woman to lead military troops into action. She joined Susan B. Anthony and others in the struggle for women's rights.

It is a day to celebrate the prophetic movements of liberation and the faithful people who refuse to be conformed to this age. Jesus, Paul and these four women all challenged the traditional interpretations of Scripture which limited the presence of God's grace in some. These struggles still continue. In our age we can hear Scripture quoted to condemn and marginalize people with certain diseases, women, foreigners, people of color, same-sex orientation, the poor, and religious pluralities. But there is an inspiring list of prophets from Jesus unto today who have insisted on the acknowledgment of grace present in the lives of others, especially in the unexpected person. Today is a good day to celebrate that work in our age and to continue to challenge those who use the Bible to limit the sphere of God's grace and liberation.