women in ministry.

Last spring, I took a course called Women in Ministry.   Taught by the always stylish and super awesome Karoline Lewis, it was a full classroom of women with a few token guys talking about what it means to be women in ministry.  Well, lo and behold, Professor Lewis asked me – along with two other female classmates of mine – to come back and be on a panel of women in ministry for one class session of this semester’s course!  

I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to say this past Tuesday at 9:30am in Northwestern 230.  I’m six months into my first call.  I wasn’t sure that I had much experience to speak of or much advice to give but I went, a bit nervous.  Plus, remember how I normally don’t talk in class?  I went … and it was pretty engaging and fun.

Those of us on the panel introduced ourselves and then the class asked us questions.  We talked about wardrobe and mentors.  We talked about safety … and it was in that part of the conversation that one woman said to me, “If I were you, I’d be scared at night in that big parsonage of yours!”  [It was like she gave me permission.  I do get scared.]  We talked about balancing work and life and rest and self-care.  We talked about the comments we receive about how we dress/how we look that men would likely never hear.  [I’ve heard little comments on and off again in my time here but I found it really interesting how next week in their class they are talking about how those little comments add up to their own form of sexism.]  

Super fun and refreshing.  It was fun to see how far I’ve come in a year; last year, it was me in those chairs as a student.  Fun to reflect on my own experiences and use my experiences to … help others?  Yes.    Also just super awesome to remember that I’m not alone in this.