Cynthia Hester, DMin

Catalyzing Conversations on Women & the Church

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BOOK REVIEW: PAUL AND GENDER

Honored by the Council for Biblical Equality (CBE) with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, Cynthia Long Westfall is a New Testament scholar known for her linguistics work. She is the author of several books, including Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle\’s Vision for Men and Women in Christ\”>Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle’s Vision for Men and Women in Christ, and an assistant professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College. I met Ms. Westfall after she slipped into the chair beside me at an academic conference. At the end of the session, we had a lengthy talk about …

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UNDERSTANDING 3 INTENSE RELATIONSHIPS TO EMPOWER YOUR LIFE

Deep down, I believe, each of us desires an empowered life…and certain types of intense relationships enhance and empower. Men and women, from the social butterfly to the bookworm, are uniquely wired to thrive as relational beings. Babies can suffer the failure-to-thrive syndrome if their parent(s) deprive them of emotional care and support. The elderly, too, need connection to other humans to remain emotionally healthy. No matter our age, people need people. And, just as important, people need people who will willingly invest in them. And, this kind of intentional investment has power. Three particular kinds of intense relationships, through …

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MUSTARD SEEDS AND MOVING YOUR MOUNTAIN

Mustard seeds and a mountain, both extraordinary parts of creation, are linked together with faith in the pages of holy writing. Mustard seeds, like humankind’s skin colors, range in beautiful color variations of yellow, white, brown and black. The tiny mustard seed, only 1 to 2 millimeters (0.039 to 0.079 in) in size is commonly used as a spice. The mustard seed’s size is remarkable because nature produces no smaller seed. They are so small; the slightest wind could rapidly move them from one end of a mountain range to another. Mountains, in contrast, stand majestically as seemingly immovable objects. Mustard …

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CAN SHE BE A LEADER?

I saw them in Walmart. An elderly married couple, both appeared frail, shopping together for groceries. The husband pushed the shopping cart and the wife held the side of the cart as they walked down the aisle choosing their items. Who was the leader? Is he the leader? Can she be a leader? Clear View Acts of service are my love language and it delighted me to see this couple shopping together. After checking out with my groceries and loading them, as I climbed into the driver’s seat, I noticed the elderly couple again. They were directly in front of …

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