Aspiring to the Task of Balaam's Donkey
I aspire only to be Balaam's ass, castigating his master.—Katharina Zell
Reflections by Debbie Hedrick, blogger at Saving Memories and Creating Moments
You remind me that the Apostle Paul told women to be silent in the church. I would remind you of the word of this same apostle that in Christ there is no longer male nor female and of the prophecy of Joel: "I will pour my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters will prophesy." I do not pretend to be John the Baptist rebuking the Pharisees. I do not claim to be Nathan upbraiding David. I aspire only to be Balaam's ass, castigating his master.—Katharina Zell
As a young woman growing up in the Mennonite Church in the 70’s I was very aware that women were “not meant to be preachers or elders” according to the tradition of my church. So when I read this quote by Katharina Zell it resonated with me.
My faith has always been important to me. I was baptized at the young age of 10 and felt very strongly about my convictions all through my teenage years into young adulthood. I am grateful to say that over the years my experiences and continued study has brought me to a place where I am confident that God is not limited to using mouth-pieces that are gender-specific or even species-specific as Katharina so poignantly reminds us!
Women reading in the Reformation period.
It is no secret that when we think of the Reformation, most of us think of men like Luther, Zwingli, and Schwenkfeld, partly because of the strong patriarchal leanings in church history as traditionally written. I find the life and ministry of Katharina Zell to be an inspiration to women and others who may find restrictions in ministry imposed based on physical characteristics, gender, age or whatever other criteria a specific generation, denomination or group maintains.
There is good news here in the Reformation in the form of this woman who stepped out of acceptable gender roles because of her love of Jesus. She actively supported her husband Matthew Zell’s ministry and worked alongside him as his partner until his death. Matthew (a former priest become a Lutheran pastor) saw her as an equal partner and encouraged her participation in serving God in the church and in their immediate community in Strasbourg. A committed believer, Katharina carried on after he was gone, continuing to serve their community and even preaching at his funeral.
I especially admire that Katharina stayed out of the political fray of the day by hosting in her home learned men from many different perspectives, including my Anabaptist forbears, whose conversations she actively participated in. It is because of this that she makes the statement above in defense of her ministry. Katharina Zell offers biblical insight with wit and wisdom to those opposed to her ministry based upon the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers—regardless of gender.
I have struggled most of my life with being an outspoken female who cares deeply about the church. My upbringing in a church setting that did not embrace women in leadership was difficult. But even in those settings, I found ways to use my gifts to strengthen the body. I have learned over the years that it is not the words we say or the gender of the person who says them that matters. The most important thing in the life of any Jesus follower is caring for people, and the best part about that is everyone is qualified!
Reflections by Debbie Hedrick, Dementia care specialist and blogger at Saving Memories and Creating Moments.
(Join us each Thursday for a fresh look at a quote from the Reformation era! Sign up via our e-newsletter (in the box at the right) or through our RSS feed (above), or follow us on Facebook for the next year as we celebrate 500 years of Reformation.)
The latest Christian History magazine is the third in our series on the Reformation. Read it for free here, order it here, and subscribe to get future issues in print here!