Henrietta United Church of Christ Women’s Sunday, 2/3/08 2 Timothy 1:2-7
Faith of our Mothers
Reflections offered by Dottie Eckardt, Marcie Gass, Elizabeth Pixley,
Barbara Witmer, and the Rev. Martha Koenig Stone
Hard times. That’s what Timothy was facing. As the leader of several small churches in Asia Minor, Timothy had his work cut out for him. For one thing, there were disagreements within the churches. People struggled with issues of money and power and family life. Some of them were really trying to be faithful to God and to follow Jesus, but some were just faking it, and some were being actively deceitful, working against Timothy. There were arguments about what to believe and how to behave. To make matters worse, they were living in the midst of a culture of excess and selfishness, of violence and domination. And even worse that that, the Roman government was actively persecuting the church—to speak publicly about Jesus was downright dangerous! Timothy’s friend Paul had even been imprisoned for preaching the gospel.
How could Timothy keep his faith alive in this context? He faced so many pressures, both from outside the church and from within. Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut and stay safe—let someone else do the hard work—just look out for himself for a while, and get away from it all…And yet, he had a sense that the message of Christ, crucified and raised, had the power to transform lives. What should he do?
Paul knew that Timothy was struggling. And so he wrote him a letter to encourage him to stay strong. Paul gives a lot of his own ideas and advice in the letter. But he also does something else: he reminds Timothy of the roots of his faith; roots that go back to his childhood, and even further back to his mother and his grandmother. He writes, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” It’s as if Paul is saying, “remember who you are and where you’ve come from,” so that Timothy can stay grounded and solid in his faith, even as he figures out what his next step should be. Paul doesn’t just teach about the faith; he points Timothy to people who have actually lived out their faith, offering him an example to follow and an encouraging him to be faithful in his own way, in his own time and place.
Well, we’re not facing the kind of persecution that Timothy faced. But we have our own struggles with faith as we try to negotiate the landscape of our own lives. We, too, wrestle with issues of family life and money and power and oppression of various sorts. And so for this Women’s Sunday, it seemed like a good idea to look back and remember the “Eunices” and “Loises” of HUCC, to see where we have come from, to help us understand how we got to where we are, and to point us to where we need to go next. The women who are joining me in the pulpit this morning have identified some of the mothers and grandmothers who have shaped this congregation of disciples, who have guided us along and been an example of faith in Christ. We’d like to share some of those recollections with you now.
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Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell by Dottie Eckardt
As a child of eight, Antoinette Brown spontaneously offered a sweet and simple prayer for her family. Later, she was asked by her brother William why she had prayed. She is reported to have replied, “Because I think I am a Christian, and why should I not pray?” At the age of nine, she officially joined this church, known at that time as the Congregational Church.
Antoinette Brown was born in 1825 in a log cabin on a farm in Henrietta, the seventh of ten children of Joseph and Abigail Brown. She graduated from Monroe Academy at the age of 15. After teaching in local schools, she would go on to attend Oberlin Collegiate Institute in Ohio, the only college that admitted women. After she completed theology studies in 1850, Oberlin refused to list her as a theology graduate and would not grant her a license to preach.
In that same year she spoke at the first National Women’s Rights Convention, refuting the argument that the Bible forbade women to speak in public. She then traveled the lecture circuit and preached as a guest whenever a church invited her. A visit to a small Congregational church in South Butler, near Syracuse, in 1853, resulted in an invitation to become their pastor. Ordained September 15, 1853, Antoinette Brown is commonly recognized as the first woman in the United States ordained to ministry.
Married in 1856 to Samuel Blackwell, she was to combine family life, as the mother of 7 children, and career choices, as she continued to write and lecture throughout her life. Antoinette Brown Blackwell always considered herself primarily a minister of God’s word.
Ruth Worden by Barbara Witmer
Ruth Worden, her husband Gordon, and their four children became part of our church in 1952. Both were active members in our church, but their dream was to be missionaries. So in 1964, Gordon received a call to be Field Treasurer at a mission in Rhodesia, Africa. Their decision to accept the call hit a roadblock: the necessary physical exam revealed that Ruth had a heart condition. She pleaded to be allowed to go with her husband and was finally granted permission. Ruth worked very hard with the native women, teaching in one of the schools while their children were in boarding schools. Less than two years after their arrival, Ruth suffered a massive heart attack and died. When Gordon returned years later, he established a library in our church. The plaque in memory of Ruth is on display in our library-lounge. To my knowledge, Ruth and Gordon Worden are the only members of our church to have served in a foreign mission field.
Gentle smile, meringues, and bunny-buns.
This is how one person remembers Ruth Van Ostrand, born in what is now Highland Hospital, January 11, 1907, the only child of Daniel and Maude Leach Wentz. Ruth grew up in Henrietta, a life-long member of this church, graduating from East High and the University of Rochester, later teaching in a one-room school on Clover Street and at West High School. She married John Van Ostrand on April 9, 1931, and raised 3 sons (one being our own Bob Van Ostrand).
In our community, Ruth worked for centralization of the Rush-Henrietta Schools and would later become the first woman president of a board of education in Monroe County. For many years the Van Ostrands hosted a Fresh Air child, Herbie, from New York City. She later tutored a young neighbor. In 1983 Ruth became the first recipient of the Antoinette Brown Blackwell Award.
Living out her Christian faith, by example, Ruth was often the first person newcomers to our congregation would meet. Ever active, she did all activities one might expect of a “church woman,” including leading Bible study and serving as Church Historian. Her extensive correspondence included former pastors, relatives and friends. Her friends crossed all religious and racial divides. She spoke her mind clearly and directly, yet never in a divisive or offending manner. She always reminded us that, while this church was important, we must never forget our connection and responsibility to the wider church and the wider world.
However, it was her kindness, wisdom, humor and genuine interest in people I most remember. Ever aware of the needs of others, this soft-spoken, gentle woman responded with whatever we needed: from homemade pickles to a meal at her table, a letter of encouragement, a baby quilt, or a ride to church. Aunt Ruth was a gift to me and mine, and to all of us, as she quietly showed us how to live our lives.
Thelma Robinson by Elizabeth Pixley
In 1970, when I joined HUCC, Thelma Robinson was a quiet and steady presence in the choir. I learned that Thelma was a remarkable woman, the first African-American woman to head the nursing staff at Monroe Community Hospital. I also have learned (from Barbara Witmer) that when Thelma and her husband “Robbie” and their three children joined our church, many people left because the Robinsons were black and they considered them to be inferior; I applaud those of you who stayed to enjoy the friendship of a wonderful family. In fact, our current church building was built with much support and help from the Robinson family, especially Robbie, who worked on the capital campaign. When Thelma Robinson succumbed to cancer in 1973, the choir was asked to sing at her funeral – it was my first introduction to singing the wonderful hymn “Amazing Grace.”
Gladys Buxton by Barbara Witmer
Gladys Buxton and her husband, Dick, joined the Henrietta United Church of Christ in 1959. Their three children also became part of our church. Gladys was volunteer church secretary for many years. She served on the Boards of Deacons and Christian Education . . . and in 1979 was elected to serve as our church’s first woman Moderator. As a member of the Elizabeth Guild, whose task in those days was to organize the Advent Workshop, Gladys really shone – every classroom and the Fellowship Hall were filled with activities and people of all ages. Gladys died of cancer in 1981 at far too young an age. Gladys was 49. It was a loss to her family, to our church . . . and to me. I called her my best friend.
Wilma Abeel by Elizabeth Pixley
My two children grew up in this church; one of the constants when they were young was the presence of Wilma Abeel playing her autoharp and teaching songs during the children’s time – I especially remember “I am the Church,” complete with hand movements. Wilma also took her autoharp around to church school classes, so music was an integral part of the curriculum. Her total dedication to the church school program at HUCC was unsurpassed – she set a high standard for the role of church school superintendent.
After Wilma died of cancer in 1980, the Wilma Abeel Christian Education Fund was established in her memory. The name was changed to the Wilma and Nelson Abeel fund after her husband Nelson died. The fund supports both music and education programming at our church.
Donna McDonough by Marcie Gass
Donna McDonough was a unique, sometimes slightly irreverent, fun loving woman who brought a new, relaxed ministry to the women of HUCC. She began the "Women's Get-Away Retreats" at Camp Letourneau on Canandaigua Lake. These retreats continue to grow every year. Donna believed that without programs or agendas, in an informal setting, women would form close bonds. As women sunbathed, read books, swam in the lake, knitted or worked on their quilts they shared their personal stories and their faith journeys, and friendships were deepened. Thank you, Donna!
The Rev. Dr. Glenda Prins by Barbara Witmer
The Rev. Dr. Glenda Prins was this congregation’s first woman pastor . . . and we in turn were her first pastorate. She was installed in November, 1983, and served our church for four years, until October, 1987. From here, Glenda was called to larger churches in the Genesee Valley Association – first as Associate Pastor at Webster United Church of Christ, then as Pastor at Salem United Church of Christ. I was privileged to be moderator for the first three years she served our church – and it was a wonderful learning experience for both of us. While she served our church, the three Eckardt girls assisted in the care of Glenda and Tom’s daughter, Kathryn, who has cerebral palsy. Their son, Mark, is now an adult member of our church. Currently, Glenda is writing a book about their daughter, Kathryn. I can’t wait to read it!
Pastoral Interns by Marcie Gass
After Glenda, HUCC continued to call and nurture other women who had felt a calling to pastoral ministries. We were blessed by their time in our midst. Please join me in celebrating these women who are now blessing new congregations: Laurie Craig, Karen Christensen, Bonnie Bates, Jackie Thompson, Barb Wright, and Enid Zollweg.
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What amazing examples of faith we have had from these women of HUCC! We have such a rich history here, on which we have built, and from which we can jump into the future.
But of course these women are not the only women who have handed down the faith to us. Each one of us, if we think back, can identify women who have helped to shape our understanding of the world and our relationship with God, both in this congregation and beyond. Who are those women for you? I invite you to think about that for just a moment. Who are the women who have taught you, who have loved you, who have guided you, who have stood by you, who have been an example for you? Perhaps it was your mother or your grandmother. Or perhaps, in the absence of a mother, there was someone else—perhaps an aunt or a teacher or a neighbor, or maybe even someone of the male persuasion—to whom you looked for faith and hope and love. Perhaps there are even women in your life who were problematic for you, against whom you had to struggle in order to develop a sense of who you are and what you believe. Take a moment to remember each one of them, and to let yourself feel a connection, through them, or through what you’ve learned from them, with the God we know in Christ…
Like Timothy, we can draw on the strength of the faith that has been handed down to us, and we can build on it, as we try to live our own lives with faith in Christ. This is indeed a great gift that God has given us! So I’d like to take a moment to offer a prayer of thanks to God for this cloud of witnesses. I invite you to help me with that, by naming out loud some of the women and men you’ve been remembering. After each prayer that is offered, I ask the congregation to respond with “Holy God, we give you thanks.”
Let us pray.
Loving God, we praise you for forming us in your image and calling us to be your people. We give you thanks for all the women and men who have given faithful witness to your presence through their discipleship, and all who have helped us to become people of faith. We remember especially during this Women’s’ Week the women in our own lives who have nurtured our faith, and we name them now, with gratitude, in this company of disciples.
For my mother Norma, my grandmothers Martha and Della, my sisters Elsa, Thea and Laura, for my daughter Sophia, and for my teacher, Cynthia Shoemaker, “Holy God, we give you thanks.” [Congregation continues to name their “mothers” in the faith…]
O God, rekindle the gift of your Spirit that is deep within us—that Spirit of strength and love and faith and hope and peace and justice. Make us courageous witnesses to the transforming power of your good news, in all we say and do! Amen.