Forgive Our Arrogance toward Women--July 7, 2015

We who are men tend to be arrogant

and tread on the contributions of women.

How often women see and accept

truths that men are slow to acknowledge.

Women do hours of nurturing work;

In seconds men make mothers childless.

Jesus, women went to the tomb

at early dawn to take care of your body;

when they learned you had risen,

they came back to tell all to the men--

who thought it but an idle tale.

Lord Jesus, forgive us our arrogance.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 12; 146; 36; 7

1 Sam. 15:24-35

Acts 9:32-43

Luke 23:56b-24:12

Selected Verses

Ps. 36:11

Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
          or the hand of the wicked drive me away. 

1 Sam. 15:33

But Samuel said,
     “As your sword has made women childless,
          so your mother shall be childless among women.”
And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Acts 9:39b

All the widows stood beside [Peter], weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 

Luke 24:10-11

Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.  But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.