Church of Mary Magdalene 2: Beginnings

I meet Hannah for breakfast at our usual place, Thumbs Up diner in Decatur. We eat griddle grits and eggs as we catch up on what has happened in our lives since our last breakfast. I tell her about not getting another job and we commiserate about the frustrations of trying to find work as a pastor as an outspoken woman.

We talk about the churches we grew up in. None of them had women ministers. Now we are both in denominations do—but we still struggle. We are too mouthy, too young, to female.

I tell Hannah about a dream I had the night before about preaching for women. It began as an anxiety dream about preaching—I was running late, unprepared, and could not find my text. But then, once I got to the pulpit, the dream became clearer. I dreamed that when I looked out at the congregation, the chairs were mostly empty, but there were women sitting in chairs near the back. As I looked out at them, the women moved their chairs to the front to listen to me preach.

I say that I am thinking about starting my own Wednesday night worship, to make a space where I can preach regularly.

Hannah says, "I would do that with you."

"One Woman Rising" sculpture by Phil Proctor, Scott Fray, and Madelyn Greco, in Freedom Park