Becoming Women of the Word
How to Answer God's Call with Purpose and Joy
by Sarah Christmyer
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Pub Date Aug 02 2019 | Archive Date Sep 19 2019
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Description
The women God called to bring his chosen people into the world were ordinary women who struggled with emptiness, oppression, infertility, and loss—yet who found strength and hope in God. In her first book, Sarah Christmyer—codeveloper of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible study program—pairs the stories of key Old Testament women with stories of women she has known to show us how we can hear God, say yes to his call, and share him with the world just as they did.
Breaking open the scriptures to reveal the historical, cultural, and biblical context in which Old Testament women lived, Sarah Christmyer breathes new life into their stories and makes their lives surprisingly relatable. In the process, she shares stories from her own faith journey and the lives of family and friends to show how the same principles that turned ordinary women into heroines of the faith are true for our lives today.
Each chapter of Becoming Women of the Word highlights the spiritual legacy of one or more women in the Old Testament. Their world was vastly different from ours, yet they faced the same questions we do: when we can’t feel God’s presence, where do we find help? When our world is collapsing, where is God? Why should we trust him? How can we trust him? Christmyer simply and clearly draws from the lives of these women important principles that help us to trust—even as we struggle with doubt. For example:
• Through Eve, we learn to hold on to God’s promise even when we fail.
• Sarah reminds us to wait on God’s timing to make us fruitful.
• Miriam, the sister of Moses, shows how to lead by example.
• Ruth and Esther challenge us to see womanhood as a gift.
• Hannah and Judith inspire us to trust God even in matters of life and death.
These unforgettable portraits create a colorful mosaic of faith, encouraging us to mine God’s Word for spiritual treasure and to pass on the gift.
A Note From the Publisher
She earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Gordon College in 1981 and a master’s degree in theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary/School of Theological Studies in 2017.
Christmyer is a member of the board and executive committee of Malvern Retreat House, where she serves as chair of the spiritual programs development committee. She is the author, coauthor, editor, or contributor to more than twenty-five books and bible study programs, including Gaze Upon Jesus and Walk in Her Sandals. She has blogged for WINE: Women In the New Evangelization, the American Bible Society, and Ascension Press. Christmyer has been a guest on Relevant Radio, Breadbox Media, Radio Maria, Iowa Catholic Radio, and Holy Spirit Radio.
She lives in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area with her family.
Advance Praise
"Sarah Christmyer takes us on a Biblical journey with the heroines of salvation history. From Eve to Mary, we learn what it means to say yes to God’s call: to have faith, to trust and hope in God’s word, to wait, to pray, and to battle the devil. Christmyer makes the women of the Bible come alive for us today, and we find in their faith journeys important lessons for our own." Edward Sri
Catholic theologian and author of Walking with Mary
“Sarah Christmyer is dazzlingly brilliant and a great writer. It’s difficult for me to avoid using too many superlatives when speaking of her work and her perspicacity when it comes to the important questions of life.”
Thomas Howard
Catholic literary scholar, professor, and author of On Being Catholic
"Becoming Women of the Word offers a unique blend of personal testimony, salvation history, and study of the biblical text. In this user-friendly Bible study, Christmyer introduces us to the women of the Old Testament—and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom they foreshadow. Christmyer presents the stories of these biblical women along with those of devout and courageous women who were her ‘spiritual mothers’ in the faith. This is an excellent example of how Bible study should lead us to reflect on our own experience . . . and then to praise and thank the Lord."
Sr. Sara Butler, M.S.B.T.
Professor Emerita of Dogmatic Theology
University of St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein, Illinois
"Becoming Women of the Word is more than just a rich, thoughtful, invigorating portrayal of heroines of the faith who have gone before us. It also explores practical, non-preachy takeaways of how the ancient truths these women knew can transform our often-frenetic lives today."
Ellen Vaughn
Author of It’' All About Him
"Through biblical wisdom and relational stories, Sarah Christmyer connects us intimately with women of the Old Testament who, until now, seemed miles apart and worlds away. Reflecting on the lives of the women who walked this journey of faith before us, Becoming Women of the Word shows us how our beautiful gift of femininity tightly binds us together—we are all daughters of a King, sisters in Christ, and spiritual mothers with a powerful purpose in God’s family plan. Ideal for any reading group or Bible study, this book teaches us to treasure our legacy and inspires us to pass on the faith to the next generation!"
Kelly Wahlquist
Founder of WINE: Women in the New Evangelization
"So often we hear in modern culture that our faith and biblical tradition is void of strong female examples and heroes. Sarah Christmyer beautifully and personally walks us through the lives of such incredible models as Ruth, Miriam, and Esther, sharing with us not only our rich heritage as modern Catholic women but also examples of true luminaries to help guide each of us on our unique paths to eternity!"
Katherine Meeks
Executive director of Endow
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781594718779 |
| PRICE | $15.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Janet P, Reviewer
Looking at a number of women from the Old Testament, Christmyer shows us through both their stories and through connected stories from her own life, how these women relate to us and the larger role they play in the story of salvation.
I found it to be an inspiring book, great to read on your own. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter, it's also an excellent book for a study group.
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