An Ordinary Woman

By Terrye Williams

This collection of stories from personal experiences, sermons, conversations and the impact of many lives whose story has intersected with mine. It is the journey of recognition of who I am in light of the love of God and call of Jesus Christ on my life. What is so important about my story, you might ask? It is important because it is mine, as do all stories belong to the teller. However, the saddness of it is that these personal, powerful pieces of life are not shared enough, and it is in the sharing that we touch lives. Jesus is our example.

Throughout my particular story, the people who were most inclined to find their way into my life and ministry were those the church had forgotten, those who were in need of healing from the wounds the church inflicted, or those who could not in good conscience be part of something that was too far beyond the reality they lived within. These are the stories that need told. My hope is that in telling mine, greater stories from those who have remained silent will emerge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781665504607

Terrye Williams

Rev. Dr. Terrye Williams is the title of her book; an ordinary woman that often found herself in extraodinary circumstances. Through trial and error, bumps and bruises, and great joy she found her way with the guidance of an intinerant preacher of Nazareth and the very loving, fallible humans he placed in her path.

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© 2020 Terrye Williams. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  10/14/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-0461-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-0460-7 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Website

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter One Tell Your Story

Chapter Two A Hand to Hold

Chapter Three Kingdom Economy

Chapter Four Love Them Over to Our Side

Chapter Five The Beginning Place

Chapter Six God With Us

Chapter Seven Been There, Done That

Chapter Eight Facing the Gate

Chapter Nine Rhubarb Pie Ministry

Chapter Ten Jesus Laughed

Chapter Elevenit’s All About Resurrection

INTRODUCTION

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ³⁷ And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸ She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner. ⁴⁰ Jesus spoke up and said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. Teacher, he replied, speak. ⁴¹ "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" ⁴³ Simon answered, I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt. And Jesus said to him, You have judged rightly. ⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, Your sins are forgiven. ⁴⁹ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins? ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace. (Luke 7:36-50 NRSV)

This was the text preached when I was ordained in June, 1997. It was entitled, An Ordinary Woman. I was so moved. It was as if not only was my call to ministry being laid out for the world to see, but also my life – my less than extraordinary, somewhat tumultuous life that I believed for such a long time was permanently scarred, until, that is, the day Jesus and I got really acquainted. I can’t say things got easier, but I began to see purpose in my bizarre journey as I saw the doors God had opened, that I had not been able to see for the perceived wreckage obscuring my vision.

The sermon reflected how this woman who came to honor Jesus in the only way she knew how, the one who had been named sinful woman found her voice even in the midst of the shaming around her, and openly shared her love and gratitude with the one who brought her healing simply by accepting her. Of course, it was pointed out how difficult it might be to wrap minds around the idea of my not having a voice! That being said, through the years I was guided away from just making noise, to speaking for justice. It was in seminary that gift was fine tuned.

I learned the power of voice in many ways, but specifically in my homiletics class. If you think preaching in front of a congregation is terrifying, try preaching in front of your peers! One afternoon in my class, a friend of mine stood to give his first sermon, everyone having their notebooks out to at least appear to be diligently taking notes! He was noticeably nervous, a little sweaty, his voice shaking, but the sermon was constructed well with sound biblical scholarship, and after a couple of minutes his voice even stopped shaking! The comments from the students