|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, June 23, 2008 |
|
Women Designed to Preach
Church of God Ministries, Church of God - General
|
|
Boggs, Soffera, and McNeese bring the Word to life
By Kathy Henderson
 Sitting in the back row of Miller Chapel Monday afternoon, I did not realize how thirsty I was until Tamara Boggs gave me a drink of living water. She came from the back of the room, calling us to come and see: “I met a man who told me everything I’ve ever done.” She spoke to us, to me. I was compelled to listen. On the edge of my seat with hope, I heard an invitation in the voice of one who had nothing to lose, the voice of the woman at the well. Tamara became the woman, and so did I.
The audience listened spellbound to a message that brought challenge, hope, and deep humility as Jesus said, “I know everything about you. You have had many men, and the one you are living with now is not your husband—but even this does not define you to me.” My spirit resonates with the shamed one. Even the things no one else knows will never define us to him. He sees us, and he still asks for a drink of water with respect and tenderness. And we, like the woman at the well, are changed. We are witnesses to the mystery of Christ in us. We can no longer be silent. Thank you, Tamara, for carefully handling the Word of Life.
Mandy Bohm led in worship, and we were given room to breathe gratitude to God. Marlene Soffera then spoke of the way her husband (the project manager/designer) and God are alike, using humor and truth to assure us that we were designed with a specific purpose and placed where God wants us to accomplish the task he has in mind.
Saundra McNeese followed, sharing her personal burden for the lost and the beautiful ways we can go into the world to share our inheritance of life. The wounds of many can be helped by our listening—in the neighborhood, in hospitals, in treatment centers, in the streets. Saundra’s clear passion for those who do not know Christ was contagious and compelling.
Tamara Boggs, Marlene Soffera, and Saundra McNeese brought the Word of God to Miller Chapel in this session of the “Women Designed By God” series, each woman unique, each message different, the same gospel at the core of every one. Their credentials are impressive and extensive, but what I learned as I listened was that they possess authority that far surpasses positions and academics. They are indeed women designed by God to preach.
A version of this article appears in the Tuesday, June 24, 2008, edition of the NAC roundup/08 newsletter. To view the newsletter in its entirety, click here (2.34 MB). The document is in PDF format and requires Adobe Acrobat in order to read and/or print it. If you do not have Acrobat installed on your computer, you can download a free copy of Acrobat Reader here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|