Lydia, Dorcas, Phoebe–the only time I recall hearing those names in church was when a new woman’s circle was forming in the congregation and all the popular names like Mary and Martha were already taken.  Too bad, because they were significant women in early Christianity.

Lydia was a traveling merchant who sold purple dyed material. She was the first person in Europe that Paul converted to Christianity. Dorcas (also called Tabitha) was known for her works of charity. Peter raised her from the dead. Phoebe was a deacon of the church at Cenchreae who is the first person Paul commends in his letter to the Romans.

Did any of these women realize people would be reading about them 2,000 years later all because God came into their lives? Again, this is my theme of ordinary people who played important roles in the story of the church. Remembering the women is important because too many church histories are an endless parade of old, bearded guys. So often it was women who made the local churches work

The church I grew up in wouldn’t have succeeded  without a twenty-year-old Mildred Olson working to get our church started. I think about the hundreds of children whose lives were touched by my Aunt Martha who was a Sunday School Superintendent. I’m grateful for the course I took from Dr. Adela Collins on First Corinthians.

How many women can you think of who influence your faith development? Today would be a good day to remember and give thanks to God for them.

Read Acts 16:13-15 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne, Catherine’s son