She Doesn’t Belong: The Women of Advent

The story of the birth of Jesus brings to mind any number of well-known images: Mary and Joseph trekking to Bethlehem; the baby in the manger; the angels and the shepherds; the Wise Men with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

What it likely doesn’t bring to mind are the genealogies of Jesus recorded by Matthew and Luke. To our modern minds, these lists feel out of place, we tend to just skim over them quickly – obscure figures who appear to have nothing much to add to the Nativity story.

However, for the earliest readers, these lists were important and what would have surprised them was the inclusion of four women in Matthew’s genealogy, along with Mary: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. In a culture that traced lineage almost exclusively through men, these women would’ve stood out in the midst of a stream of male names – and they still do. Their presence raises many questions: Who were these women? And why did the Holy Spirit single them out as ancestors of the Messiah? Why do they matter?

Advent is traditionally a period of four Sundays leading up to Christmas and this year we are planning on holding four evening meetings during advent. Advent is an opportunity to reflect on the events leading to the coming of Jesus. This year we plan to look at each of the four women mentioned in the genealogies of Jesus and see what they teach us about God’s rescue plan.

These meetings will take place in person, at the church building at 6pm each Sunday of advent (28th November, 5th December, 12th December & 19th December). We will have an opportunity to sing some carols together as we prepare for Christmas and to reflect on one of these women each evening. Please consider inviting friends along to join us.

We would encourage you to gather in person if you are able – but if not the services will also be available on Zoom and Facebook Live. Meeting ID: 879-8375-8481 & password 2020. Facebook live is available through our website.