Mary: The One Who Preaches

Unfortunately, I can’t remember who said this, but I recall someone saying, “Mary is the first preacher of the incarnation.” And that description caught me off guard, and yet it is true. 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also representative of those called to preach-especially those who identify as women, who are called to preach. I’ve been lucky, every individual congregation I’ve been a part of has affirmed the ordination of women.

 Even the Pentecostal church I attended as a child, believed that women could be preachers, pastors, evangelists and missionaries and nurtured individuals to fill that role.

To be sure, they had other beliefs on women that were very narrow, such as women were expected to dress a certain way and ‘submit’ to their husbands, but when it came to positions of leadership, women were welcomed to fulfill each and every role.

It still boggles my mind to be honest, when I come across Christian traditions that claim that women are to remain silent in church or who claim that God only calls men to the ministry.

  Barring women from positions of leadership in the church to me, is putting limitations on God and saying, “God cannot possibly work through this segment of the population because of their anatomy.” Yikes.  

The barring of women from ordained ministry and other positions of leadership in the church not only harms those women who are shut off from those roles and who have to choose between following God’s calling in their lives and staying within a tradition they call home, but it is harmful to congregations and denominations, who are actively closing themselves off to a way in which God could possibly manifest. 

Mary is sometimes used to reinforce this gendered hierarchy. Those who argue that women can’t be ordained may say, “see, Mary gave birth to Jesus. A woman’s purpose isn’t to lead, but it is to raise children and remain silent.”

But Mary’s calling to birth and care for Jesus does not negate her calling as a preacher.  In fact, in her specific case, those roles are entwined. She and her cousin Elizabeth are among the first to preach the incarnation of God. 

Now let me be clear, not every person desires or can be a parent. And the call to ministry is not synonymous with the call to be a parent. I know plenty of people: men, women, nonbinary, queer, who hold church leadership and do not have kids. And their work and contribution are very much needed.

But the point is that one calling does not necessarily negate the other. There are people called to be mothers and sometimes these very same people are called to be pastors and leaders. 

 I mean, for men in pastoral leadership, there is almost no question that their roles as father and pastor can co-exist. And yet, women, are expected to fulfill the role of mother (regardless of whether they individually want to or not) and are denied the opportunity to be a leader. But lucky for us, our limitations are not Gods.

  We make plans and God laughs. We create barriers and God destroys them. God rejects the oppressive status quo. God rejects the limitations we place. And God calls who God wills. Now we have to decide whether we will obey God and support those called or if we are going to try and block God’s calling.  I know which side I’d rather be on. 

Image: Pink background. Text: Mary’s calling to birth and care for Jesus, does not negate her calling as a preacher.  In fact, in her specific case, those roles are entwined.  Stencil image of Mary holding baby Jesus.