One of the perks of being employed by PresbyLand is the plethora of free publications that come our way. For someone like me, who loves above all free stuff, my yearly copy of the Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study and my subscription to Presbyterians Today are of great value. And of course, our friends over in Presbyterian Women Communications make sure that we get every issue of Horizons and its Bible Study. So today, I was excited to see In The Beginning: Perspectives on Genesis had reached my otherwise empty mailbox.

If there is one thing you should know about Presbyterian Women, it is that they produce kick-butt Bible studies. In fact, these Bible studies are the number one selling resource of the denomination, they’re so good. Now, don’t think they’re only about women, though—this year is all about Genesis, while last year covered the liturgical calendar. Other Bible studies have focused on Esther and Ephesians. The insights contained within these resources are great regardless of your gender.

Yet gender is at the heart of every PW Bible Study, mainstreaming women’s concerns and drawing all of us to female role models and examples in Scripture. Take, for instance, the newest study. Several lessons cover the traditional highlights of Genesis—Cain and Abel, Abraham and the covenant, and the Joseph story. But equally represented are the stories of matriarchs like Hagar, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel, and Tamar. They are lifted up as examples to us all, both for their faults and for their faithfulness. After spending an entire life in churches where the male experience is represented as the norm, it is kind of nice to hear a lesson on Tamar.

Have you ever thought about that, how often the male experience is seen as normal in our church? An example—think about what you remember as the top Bible stories you learned as a child. Maybe your list looks like mine:

• David and Goliath
• Noah and the Ark
• The Joseph story
• The Good Samaritan parable
• Moses and the Seven Plagues on Egypt

And of course, the Resurrection story of Christ. Now, tell me how many of those stories have women as protagonists:

• David and Goliath—Nope, but I think David got to marry one of Saul’s daughters as a prize afterward.
• Noah and the Ark—Well, Noah and his sons had some wives, and they brought female animals into the ark…
• The Joseph story—Okay, Potiphar’s wife is certainly NOT a protagonist in this story.
• The Good Samaritan parable—Nada
• Moses and the Seven Plagues—Miriam was pretty cool, and played a protagonist role when Moses was a baby, but you don’t hear much about her when Moses and Aaron are taking on Pharaoh.

Ten points for Jesus, though… Mary Magdalene is a key player in the Resurrection, even though people don’t seem to know it when I ask about that on the World Tour.

All the stories I listed above are awesome ones, stories that inspire us and give us faith through the tough times. But are men the only people in the Bible who are inspiring? Are they the only ones who act with courage in the face of adversity, faith during difficult times? Why are they the primary examples we see of the faith characteristics we want to emulate?

For instance, what about Rebekah? It took some immense faith to leave everything you’d ever known to head off with this random guy you met at a well, only to marry a man you’d never met. Or Tamar, to stand up and demand that your father-in-law treat you justly when he was trying to rip you off. How about Miriam, Deborah, Esther? Lots of women play key roles in the New Testament, too, even beyond the Virgin Mary.

And if you think men can’t learn about God from studying women’s childbirth issues, well, I’ve never fought in a war, but I can take lessons from warrior-king David. I live in a 21st century urban area and have never tended a flock of sheep, but I still read about the shepherds at Jesus’ birth.

So if you’re looking for a resource to use in your campus Bible study, one that both men and women can appreciate, let me highly recommend to you the Presbyterian Women Bible study. Perhaps then you can add some women to that list of best-known Bible stories.

“Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” --Mark 14:9