April Pastor's note

I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary Magdalene lately. Across all four Gospel accounts of the resurrection, she’s the only one named in each account as first to the tomb. Was she the most faithful disciple? She had the resolve and strength to stay with Jesus from cross to tomb, returning again to take care of his body. Jesus himself sent her as the first evangelist, the “apostle to the apostles.”

Over the years, Mary’s leadership was downplayed or overlooked in favor of focusing on the men in the story. Even worse, through much of church history, Mary has been disparaged as a prostitute, a deeply sinful woman, even though there is nothing in the Gospels that makes the same claim.

Seventy years ago, Margaret Towner was the first woman ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in our predecessor denomination. It’s recent enough that she was able not only to attend, but to preach at the celebration of the milestone recently held in Chicago.

I can’t imagine all that she faced to blaze the trail, but I’m so grateful she did. I recently participated in a focus group on women in ministry, led by the Board of Pensions. I started out by saying I think we’re in a relatively good position, but it didn’t take long for me to start a list of gender-focused microaggressions and other challenges I’ve experienced as a woman in ministry. I know things are far better today than they were 70 years ago, 50 years ago, and even since I was ordained, but we still have a ways to go.

Lectionary readings favor the stories of Jesus having his feet anointed, but in Matthew and Mark, Mary anoints Jesus’s head. When the largesse is critiqued, Jesus defends Mary, and affirms that she has done a good thing. He goes on to say, “I tell you the truth, that wherever in the whole world this good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.” Have we let Jesus down?

As we prepare again to meet Mary at the empty tomb, would you join me in remembering Mary Magdalene? I invite you to spend some time with the Vanderbilt Divinity School Library’s exhibit, “Seeing Mary Magdalene with Different Eyes.” An online companion website can be viewed here: https://exhibitions.library.vanderbilt.edu/different-eyes/

Maybe on Sunday, when you hear Jesus call Mary by name, you can also picture her with different eyes, and a deeper appreciation for her early church leadership.

Grace and peace,

Stephanie