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10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
30 Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
(Proverbs 31:10-11 & 28,30 KJV)
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Sis. Elizabeth Ludd Adger |
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Sis. Ida Williams Gaymon |
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Sis. Rebecca Dukes Oliver |
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Sis. Essie Stukes Wells |
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Sis. Louise Adger Wilder |
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Sis. Marie Wilson |
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Prayer for the Mothers of the Church
Let us pray:
O God, help us to recall, and to retell, and to embody the stories of the Mothers of the Church. And create in us a spirit like that found both in Lydia and in Priscilla — a spirit open to Your word, eager to receive and act upon Your good news, and decisive in implementing here on earth a full measure of Your truth and love. In the name of the risen Christ, we pray this. Amen.
“So, praise God for these two mothers of the church—for Lydia, who practiced the Christ-like welcome of an all-inclusive love; and for Priscilla, who modeled for us an egalitarian partnership and taught us Christ with a pastoral authority.”
i>Excerpted from Reverend Dr. Byron E. Shafer’s May 9, 2004 Sermon©
**Notes & Further Excerpts from Dr. Shafer’s Sermon:
Lydia – (Acts 16:14-15), is the first person on the continent of Europe to be baptized as a follower of Jesus and to then host church gatherings and services in her home.
Priscilla and her husband Aquila – (Acts 18, 1 Corinthans 16:19, Romans 16:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:19) -- Priscilla and Aquila have a model marriage, both for their own time and for ours today. We observe first that in the six verses of the New Testament where they are named, they are always mentioned as a pair, never as individuals. Then second, four of these six references depart from ancient convention by naming Priscilla before her husband Aquila. And third, Priscilla and Aquila are spoken of as artisans who practice their trade alongside one another, and both are described as teachers who together exercise oversight in their churches. They're the first married co-pastors, if you will.
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