They Did Not Believe the Women, But We Should

During this season of Lent I have been worshiping with congregations throughout the Sierra Pacific Synod. During one of the Wednesday evenings in Lent, I visited Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Concord, CA. Each week in Lent, Pastor Jeremy Serrano preached about A Church Called TOV: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing.

Pastor Jeremy's sermon inspired me to listen to the book while driving through the Synod to visit other congregations. A Church Called TOV calls all who are able to change church culture and create an environment that believes women. The book argues that our journey to follow Jesus must included caring for and protecting those who are abused by others in power. Just as Jesus regularly advocated for women, widows, lepers and others on the margins, we need to care for those who are vulnerable in our communities.