One of the recent times I’ve been
grilled about Methodist Women in Britain (MWiB) I was asked about what
difference the movement has made to me. That along with what does it offer to
under 60s is a gift of a question. There are many things I love about being a
part of MWiB. Now I just want to clarify I love men. I have a wonderful
boyfriend, some great male mates who are very supportive. However there is
something very special about women only movements.
There’s something special about
singing and worship. I grew up going to church with my Dad and Brother. I know
my Mum must have been around before I was ten, but then she preached a bit
then. Most of my memories of church as a child are when Mum was a minister and
therefore I sat with Dad and Brother. It is for this reason I get confused in
hymns with a split mens:womens part. Anyway when I’m at an MWiB event the
worship and singing is something rather beautiful, the different tones of women’s
voices. I know the first time I wasn’t impressed as I had just come straight
from Spring Harvest but now I love the sensitivity of it.
There something special about the
way they care. Again this is not an anti-man thing as I know I have male
friends who care – as a wonderful Boyfriend, Dad and Brother. And in the case I’m
going to come to later it was a male friend I text for advice first. But
knowing that on a certain day of the month women all over the connexion are praying
for me is rather special. The sisters, mothers, aunties, cousins and friends I
can call or go round and see when I’m upset, or happy. When life goes my way,
or when God’s plan isn’t obvious just yet. When my purse was stolen in Italy –
I was there for a Methodist and Uniting Church Women in Europe Seminar Planning
Meeting, but more about that in another blog later in lent (I will go back to
simplicity soon), it was a random stranger, an angel disguised as an American
women who came to my aid and gave me the money to get a new train ticket. It
was my friends who I had spent the week with who texted and called later to
check I was home, and even emailed telling me how excellent I had been at the
planning meeting. These are my sisters
with whom I cry and laugh, sing, pray and smile.
There’s something special about
the way they enable me to grow. These women are the ones who give me incredible
experiences – travel to South Africa and Rome, speak to hundreds of women,
introduce me to a baroness, suggest my name to go to Irish Methodist
Conference. The way they support me when I’ve had a grilling about the
exclusiveness of a women’s group – or the history that is older than me. They even trust me to use the twitter account.
MWiB isn’t about members, its
bigger than Methodism, bigger than women and bigger than Britain. Next year we
get to meet with women, from all over Europe, in July we finish our rubber
glove campaign about world wide child domestic workers when we hopefully go to
Vince Cable’s office. Whether you are a man or a woman you can find out more at
the MWiB website or please ask me questions.
Its special because it engages
with anyone, just as they are, accepts and loves and helps us all to grow
together.
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