Live as Children of Light
Live as Children of the light! Eph. 5:8-14
PW Celebrate the Gifts of Women
March 22, ,2020
Compiled by the Rev. Barbara Rolph
This is the annual Celebrate the Gifts of Women Sunday. March has honored women who have contributed to the well-being of our culture. For instance it was 100 years ago that the suffrage movement gained the right for women to vote. If you voted in the recent primary you received a sticker with such a notice. Today the Presbyterian Women want to life up the lives of a few women who made an impact on the Presbyterian Church in the last 50 years. How these women struggled and made influenced the church at large.
These women, as well as other believers, lived as children of the light. This passage in Ephesians 5:8-14 Paul is telling the church to live as children, people of the light. What does this mean? Children, people of the light live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In a few months Pentecost will remind us that the Holy Spirit is the helper, comforter and sustainer to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
We as disciples live by the spirit who guides on our life's journey as we minister to others with our talents and gifts. Using the biblical narrative we minister to the sick, the poor, the imprisoned and address various social injustice issues. You will hear some of these stories of women elders and women ministers who practiced what we preach.
Briefly - here are some the highlights of the last 100 years in the Church at large.
1922 Presbyteries approved the ordination of women as deacons. Our deacons are mostly women who do a wonderful job of ministering to sick and shut in.
During the 1930's and 1940's several overtures are sent to ordain women as elders or ministers - most are defeated. Then in 1930 ordination of women as elders is approved in the northern church. It wasn't until 1955-56 General Assembly of the northern church approve the ordination of women ministers. Nine years later the southern church followed suit and approved ordination of women in all offices in 1964.
In 1983 when the reunion of the Northern and Southern Presbyterian churches took place - women ordination was confirmed and all churches were to include women on session.
Lastly the first woman elder of General Assembly Moderator was in 1971.
That is the history of women elders and ministers in a nutshell.
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Now I want you use your imagination as we ease drop on a panel discussion by some Presbyterian Women. They have been reading and are sharing some of the things they learned about Ordination stories of Presbyterian Women.
Remember the first hymn we sang this morning? 332 Live into Hope, was written by Jane Parker Huber. She wrote several hymns set to familiar tunes. Listen now to her story:
JANE PARKER HUBER
Did you know that Jane was born into a solid Presbyterian family? I read that her mother was one of the Committee of 100 Women who gathered at General Assembly in 1929. Jane was two and a half when her mother left to attend and was convinced her mother left. But the story continues that her mother was one of three women chosen from that Committee of 100 to present a report on why women should be ordained.
The day before the report was to be presented some dignitaries of the church,(all men), came to urge the women NOT to bring the report to General Assembly. The three women, all married to Presbyterian Ministers, said, "NO! Now is the time!"
Jane was proud knowing her mother was part of that movement. Not only that, but her Grandfather Cleland B McAfee was elected Moderator of that General Assembly. The McAfee family went on to have several members be ministers, professors, and Christian Educators.
Jane observed all this passion for the church during her formative years. As a result she carried on the message of equal rights, ordination, inclusive language, racism sexual harassment, sexual abuse and issues with pregnancy in the many hymns she wrote for the church.
Eventually she was elected and ordained as a ruling elder in a church served by her husband. What a wonderful contribution she made with her hymns.
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Narrator - Barbara
WOW! What a story. I bet those family table discussions were lively. No secret what they talked about.
No doubt Jane Huber Parker is an example of the influence of women elders in our denomination. Which reminds me of another woman elder who was Moderator of General Assembly in 1995. Her name was Marj Carpenter. I remember her tenure as well as some stories from my youth student who heard her at the Youth Triennium. To put it succinctly she was a spitfire - or perhaps a better term is an Energizer Bunny.
Who can tell us about Marj Carpenter?
MARJ CARPENTER
Oh I know about her, she was a very outspoken and brave woman elder. She too was a lifelong Presbyterian who was ordained as a deacon and an elder. For many years Marj was a journalist in Texas. As she was reporting for newspapers she was also active in local Presbyterian churches teaching Sunday School, leading youth groups, all the while raising her three children.
After her children were in college she continued to lead the youth group and chair the board of deacons. Women's ordination was being discussed and met with mixed opinions. One Sunday was designated as Youth Sunday and Marj was asked to provide four youth ushers. Three boys and one girl volunteered to be ushers. One old saint of the church did not approve of women being in leadership roles let alone taking up the offering. Needless to say Marj put the girl youth usher on the side of the old saint. The old saint hesitated then put in her offering envelope. It was all over, from there on women could take up the offering.
Marj's forthrightness carried over into to everything she did. She went on to be stated clerk of Tres Rios Presbytery, and eventually to the news service of the southern Presbyterian Church. Her work with the Presbyterian Church US took her to Washington, DC, South Korea, Guatemala and other places.
No matter where she went, she promoted women's role in the church. She celebrated with South Korean Women when the Presbyterian Church of Korea approved the ordination of women elders. In total she made four trips to South Korea as both a news reporter and as General Assembly Moderator.
One other story on Marj is when she visited a Presbyterian General Assembly in Guatemala. No women were allowed in the hall, except one missionary, one editor and Marj. The Guatemalan women were under the tents in the kitchen area cooking the noon meal. She was invited to say a few words. She praised their assembly and then reminded the men that it was women who were the first people to witness Jesus resurrection. When she finished she stated that she was going out to the women in the kitchen. (Pause)
Marj is best known for her emphasis on mission. Following the lead of her sisters in faith, Marj supported mission throughout the country and the world.
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NARRATOR
Thanks for that information - the history of Presbyterian Women has indeed been tied to the mission of the church.
These were two outstanding women elders. Another interesting elder is Dr. Melva Costen whose gift of ministry was music. She did many arrangements for hymns in our hymnal including 334, When Israel Was In Egypt's Land.
Melva Costen's journey is a much quieter journey. Like others, she too was born into a family of faith in South Carolina. Her parents were public school teachers, and Sunday School teachers. Being a black woman growing up in the south during the civil rights era gave her a different perspective on life. While she did not participate in any civil rights marches she was well aware of the movement. Who knows about Melva?
MELVA WILSON COSTEN
Melva Wilson Costen was born in hospital in South Carolina and weeks later was taken to church where she had a sprinkling water bath. Her life theme is From the Baptismal Fount into a Life of Service. The household she grew up in was rich in faith, scripture and children. her mother died at age 41 following complications from childbirth.
At one point her dad was called to be a Sunday School missionary - later called Mobile Ministry. He became ordained and served a community of faith. Melva's talent as a musician, organist and pianist allowed her to be in her words, a follower. Though she was shy, her father encouraged her play and speak to congregations about her involvement in youth conferences. This helped her to develop leadership skills along with her ministry of music.
She married a Presbyterian Minister James Costen who also encouraged her leadership skills. Melva was educated to be a music teacher in public schools, then later at an integrated southern seminary. For a long time she struggled with the nomination to be a ruling elder. Finally after much prayer she accepted the call to be an elder in her home church.
As a professor she encourage women's rights, racial harmony, and use of inclusive language in the church. As a professor in music in a seminary she taught and promoted rights for black women to survive discrimination.
In her words, "With birth roots in the segregated south, I know of the duality of racial and sexist injustices before and after the "Movement". Perhaps the greatest sting in my memory, as being a mother of three, was the experience of subjecting two of our children to "forced entry" into the public school of Eastern North Carolina. My sons rode in a privately hired taxi cab to the first integrated elementary school in the city. It took two years for a taxi cab company to accept the job. The ongoing task of helping both children live normal lives after these forced entries paved the way for others was almost more that a mother could bear!"
Wow, what strength she had a a mother and a Christian to go through all of those experiences.
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Hymn 334 sing verses 1&3 When Israel was in Egypt's land
NARRATOR:
Powerful words and leadership indeed.
There is one other woman that needs to be lifted up as we Celebrate Women Sunday. That is a teaching elder or Minister of Word and Sacrament Choi, Moon Young, who was born and raised in South Korea and came to the United States in 1987.
Once again we hear how God moved with a ethnic woman to spread the good news of the gospel.
Tell us now about Choi, Moon Young.
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CHOI, MOON YOUNG
Korean women have quite a cultural battle to become ordained Ministers of Word and Sacrament. Like many others she married a Presbyterian Minister and served as the minister's wife for years before accepting God's call. When she disclosed her intention to be an ordained pastor, her 65 year old faithful mother responded with worries and concerns: "Can't you believe in God just as you are? You can follow Jesus as Christian educator and pastor's wife just like you are right now." This mother daughter conversation followed a conversation that Choi had with her two and a half year old daughter, who declared her mom could not be a minister because she was a woman.
Choi reflected on this, "Regardless of generation, the idea of a woman pastor appeared new and strange in the Korean church context. These incidents are symptomatic of my long struggle to ordination.
Choi had to overcome Korean Cultural hurdles as it was a culture based on Confucianism. The presence of Christianity as religion in Korea was just over 120 years. (Unlike Confucianism for hundred's of years." Like the other women her journey to becoming ordained was very long and she was able to accomplish it due to her supportive husband, the congregation where she did her internship, and the prayers of her mother. Her seminary education and church internship took place in California.
One of her unique contributions to the Korean church is that of the Sack-Dong Ministry.
Choi presented her daughter with Sack-dong clothes which are a symbol of Korean heritage and her grandmother's faith. Sack-Dong is Korean, traditional rainbow striped cloth. A Korean daughter would have worn Sack Dong clothes once in her lifetime. The many bright colors remind one of equality, harmony, diversity in unity, inclusiveness, and celebration.
Today some Korean clergywomen make stoles out of Sack-Dong. Upon her ordination into the ministry, Choi Moon Young was presented with a stole made out of Sack Dong cloth. "I dream that the beautiful stripes of Sack Dong will represent a new paradigm in ministry, representing diversity and unity in Christ and celebrate women's gifts in the gospel ministry.
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All of us - both women and men have a story to share about our ministry as disciples be it elder or minister. As believers I would encourage you today to remember Paul's letter to the Ephesians that we are to live as children/ people of light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.
The church in Ephesus existed in the midst of the pagan group that worshiped Artemis. The stress of the culture threatened division in the church. Paul is calling the church back into faith in Christ.
We too live in a culture that does not value religion as it used to. There are temptations from media, computers, pulling us to disregard Christian values. Let us remember what Jesus taught us, especially now in the time of a pandemic crisis. Love God and Love Neighbor.
May we too live as children of the light of Jesus Christ. THANKS BE TO GOD.