Jordan Memorial UMC

On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where the light dances across the water and the wind carries the scent of stone and shoreline, stands a chapel that quietly proclaims a truth the Church sometimes forgets. The chapel at Magdala is both simple and breathtaking. Soft light filters through the windows and reflects off the water just beyond the glass. The space feels circular and embracing, as though you are being gathered into something ancient and sacred. Inside, pillars rise around the room like sentinels. Each one bears the name of a woman from Scripture, names that echo through history. The artwork surrounding them is vibrant and textured, depicting moments of courage, prophecy, leadership, grief, wisdom, and resurrection hope. The colors are bold, the faces are strong. The stories are unmistakably central to our theological identity.

As your eyes move from pillar to pillar, you find yourself reading the names, remembering and recognizing. But then your gaze catches on one that feels different. You look for the inscription, but there isn’t one. No etched letters., no carved dedication, just smooth stone. For a moment, you almost assume something is missing. Surely there should be a name here too. But that absence is intentional. The blank pillar draws attention precisely because it resists completion. It stands for the unnamed women, the ones not recorded in Scripture, the ones not memorialized in history books, the ones whose faithfulness unfolded in kitchens, in fields, in sanctuaries, in hospital rooms, in classrooms, and in quiet acts of courage. It stands for the women who followed and the women who lead today. The women who preach, organize, nurture, teach, advocate, and persist. The pillar without a name might be the most powerful one in the room.

In reflecting on the women of Scripture, Rachel Held Evans once wrote, “The women of the Bible are not cardboard cutouts or moral fables; they are complicated, courageous, and sometimes scandalous participants in God’s story.” They are not supporting characters in someone else’s narrative. They are theologians, prophets, judges, disciples, and apostles in their own right. In a world still shaped by assumptions of male priority and patriarchal dominance, the chapel in Magdala stands as a reminder, women have always been part of the story. Not an appendix or an afterthought, but a vital and indispensable part of God’s story.

This Lenten season, our congregation is reflecting on what it means to “give up” misogyny and patriarchal dominance, not as a slogan, but as a spiritual practice. Lent calls us to examine our hearts, our habits, and the systems we participate in. It invites repentance where we have been silent, awareness where we have been unaware, and courage where change is needed. As we journey toward Easter, we will be preaching through the lives of important women in Scripture. We will listen again to their voices and we will notice their leadership. We will remember that our theological lineage is not carried by men alone. From prophets to judges, from mothers of the faith to the first witnesses of the resurrection, women have proclaimed, led, and embodied the good news.

Our own tradition is witness to this truth. United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women) remains one of the strongest and most faithful organizations in our denomination. Women continue to lead churches, ministries, mission initiatives, and community outreach efforts across our connection. Their work is not peripheral, it is foundational.

Yet we also know that we live in a culture where women’s voices are often dismissed, minimized, or silenced. In some Christian communities, women are told they cannot preach or teach. In many spaces, those who speak about harm or abuse are doubted or ignored because listening feels uncomfortable or disruptive. Too often, maintaining the status quo takes precedence over seeking truth and healing. Giving up misogyny for Lent means we commit to something better. It means we become a church that listens. A church that believes. A church that makes room at the table. A church that says clearly: your voice matters here. It means standing in accompaniment with women, not only in theory, but in practice. It means examining how we share leadership, how we respond to stories of pain, how we cultivate safety, and how we reflect the expansive welcome of Christ.

The unnamed pillar in Magdala is more than architecture. It is a quiet invitation. It reminds us that the story is still being written and that the Church is strongest when every voice is honored. It stands unfinished on purpose, leaving space for those whose names history forgot, for those whose gifts were overlooked, and for those who are even now stepping forward in faith. As we walk through this season of repentance and renewal, may we become a community that makes room in our pulpits, room at our tables, room in our leadership, and room in our listening. May we be a church that does not carve some names into stone while leaving others out but instead recognizes that the Spirit has always called and equipped women to proclaim good news. The Gospel was first announced at the empty tomb by a woman whose testimony changed the world. A story that is still changing the world and being proclaimed through powerful voices. May we have the courage this Lent to help write the next chapter together.

Pastor Chris Smith