A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church Year W

by Wilda C. Gafney

What would it look like if women built a lectionary focusing on women’s stories? What does it look like to tell the good news through the stories of women who are often on the margins of scripture and often set up to represent bad news? How would a lectionary centering women’s stories, chosen with womanist and feminist commitments in mind, frame the presentation of the scriptures for proclamation and teaching? The scriptures are androcentric, male-focused, as is the lectionary that is dependent upon them. As a result, many congregants know only the biblical men's stories told in the Sunday lectionary read in their churches. A more expansive, more inclusive lectionary will remedy that by introducing readers and hearers of scripture to “women's stories” in the scriptures. A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church , when completed, will be a three-year lectionary accompanied by a stand-alone single year lectionary, Year W, that covers all four gospels.

Genres: Theology

360 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2021

About the author

The Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D. is Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to Women of the Torah and of the Throne, a commentary on Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah; Daughters of Miriam: Women Prophets in Ancient Israel; and co-editor of The Peoples’ Bible and The Peoples’ Companion to the Bible. The first two volumes of her Women’s Lectionary are due this spring. She is an Episcopal priest canonically resident in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and licensed in the Diocese of Fort Worth, and a former Army chaplain and congregational pastor in the AME Zion Church. A former member of the Dorshei Derekh Reconstructionist Minyan of the Germantown Jewish Center in Philadelphia, she has co-taught courses with and for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Seminary in Wyncote, PA.

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book. For those of us who worship in churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), a standarised set of readings in a three year cycle, used by many mainstream congregations, we are only reading a part of the Bible. Sadly, it means that many important stories are missed, particularly stories about women. Gafney is challenging this viewpoint in multiple ways in this book. Firstly, she provides a new lectionary that focusses on stories that include women. Secondly, she rearrranges the times at which we hear these stories; this provides new connections to be made between them. Thirdly, she provides a new translation for these readings, which is gender-expansive. Fourthly, she provides new historical and theological commentary to the readings.

With every set of readings, I learn something new.

Since the readings overlap with some that occur in the RCL the latter two parts of her work are extremely helpful even if your congregation does not take time out from the RCL.

I am going to be using this book again and again, and will purchase her other books that keep
the same themes as the standard readings of the RCL.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Reviewing This Throughout the Year

I bought this book purely for another way to review the Bible and to get insights from Dr. Wilda Gafney on verses I grew up reading and hearing sermons on.

I must say I love her insights on the Bible. She not only provides her rich knowledge of the Hebrew terms used in these texts rather than the Greek that many of us have come to know, she also provides inclusivity and a realness to the truth of how the Bible as we know it was created and translatef by men and how this left out the truth of the many women who were also present and very active.

Grateful for these insights and to have started after Thanksgiving last year to finish just before on this one.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I no longer identity as a Christian, I still find the Bible a fascinating work of literature. I was given this lectionary as a gift and found it useful to read throughout the year, especially the translation notes and preaching prompts. My favorite quout came from Proper 16: "If our gospel proclamations are not true for the most marginalized among us—women, nonbinary folk, trans folk, gender-nonconforming folk, and LGBTQIA folk—then our gospel is not true."

[Francine Apollo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Church year has ended and I have finished this lovely book. It was enlightening and affirming and I will continue to follow it in the New Year along with whatever lectionary reading I do.

Recommended.

[Chris Halverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read each lection as an evening devotion. It was good to read so much Bible focused on God's relationship with women. A worthwhile read!

[Kristi Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This translation and accompanying commentary is refreshing and life-giving!

[Stephanie Kendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exceptional and my whole congregation is using it this year for preaching and teaching.