Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women “It is necessary for women and men to learn to read the Bible in the context of their economic, social, political and Encounter the cultural reality... Churches need to encourage openness to women’s interpretations of Scripture and ensure their Bible Story voices are heard in theological seminaries and in local parishes… If the language of the Bible is not understood Edited by in today’s terms, some passages can be used to allow Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth excluding women from church leadership.” World Communion of Reformed Churches News Release, March 8, 2011 Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story is a Bible study book on women which provides refreshing ways to read the Bible, enabling women and men to rediscover its richness and its ability to help them reflect theologically on their faith and experience. It has twenty Bible studies with stories of women, a Bible study training guide, poems and liturgies. A variety of popular approaches and methodologies for contextual Bible study are used. It is an exciting journey of discovering new insights and ways of reading the Bible from a gender lens with a critical consciousness of one’s contextual reality. The book serves as an instrument for transformative education, conscientization and enabling change. Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story Women Encounter Caribbean Her-Story: Righting World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) 150 route de Ferney, PO Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Website: www.wcrc.ch Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story Edited by Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story ISBN – 978-2-9700687-0-9 April 2011 © World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) 150 route de Ferney, PO Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Website: www.wcrc.ch Email: [email protected] Cover & Illustrations - Arundhati Naik, [email protected] Layout and Design - Mallika Badrinath, [email protected] Printed in Switzerland by SRO-KUNDIG Contents Preface Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi Editorial Rev. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth Greeting Rev. Dr. Osbert James Bible study training guide Rev. Patricia Sheerattan- 1 Bisnauth & Rev. Doreen Wynter BIBLE STUDIES, STORIES AND POEMS 12 “You have to stand on crooked Rev. Dr. Marjorie Lewis 13 and cut straight”- reflections on Tamar “She pass her place” - The Rev. Doreen Wynter 19 Marjorie Lewis story Resist and work for change Rev. Paulette Brown 23 My struggle to serve Hon. Joan M. Purcell 32 The greatest love song - a Bible Dr. Anna Kasafi Perkins 37 study on women and sexuality Good… Love for Anita Dr. Anna Kasafi Perkins 47 Reverent sex Dr. Anna Kasafi Perkins 48 Matriarchs Dr. Rachele Evelyn Vernon 53 Rev. Dr. Adlyn Sessing-White Rev. Dr. Marjorie Lewis 59 Reconfiguring the Caribbean Rev. Olive Sampath Mahabir 64 family Margaret: A woman of faith and Rev. Olive Sampath Mahabir 71 fortitude Homeland mountains Mrs. Maureen Weekes-Gumbe 74 Ruth and Naomi – making their Dr. Aruna Gnanadason 75 story of solidarity our story Their story is our story – in our Dr. Aruna Gnanadason 86 unity is our power! Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story The anguish and terror of rape Rev. Patricia Sheerattan- 90 and incest Bisnauth Rape, a lifetime of hurt Jamaica Gleaner 97 Not a mumbling word Rev. Robina Marie Winbush 100 Taking back my yesterdays Rev. Dr. Valerie J. Bridgeman 114 Davis Womanhood: a Bible study on Rev. Dr. Gillian Wilson 115 Proverbs 31 Rev. Winifred Rhoden- Rev. Dr. Marjorie Lewis 120 Rutherford Women, beauty and personal Ms J. Ayana McCalman & 124 empowerment Ms Simone Singh Caribbean woman! Rev. Doreen Wynter & 129 Hon. Joan M. Purcell Women, leadership and power in Rev. Joy Abdul-Mohan 132 church and society “Struggling to be born again” Rev. Joy Abdul-Mohan 138 The young, dynamic Joy Evelyn Mrs. Vera Hajarysingh 139 Abdul Mohan Resilient women: a Bible study on Rev. Patricia Sheerattan- 143 Miriam Bisnauth Lena Christina Ramjattan Rev. Dr. Dale Bisnauth 151 Women’s rights activist Karen de Kaieteur News, Guyana 152 Souza is a ‘special person’ (Story by Sharmain Cornette) Dorcas: an agent of change and Rev. Doreen Wynter 158 transformation Mama Joy Rev. Doreen Wynter 162 Casting stones Rev. Nicole Ashwood, 166 Rev. Dr. Gillian Wilson & Rev. Doreen Wynter “When home is a dangerous Rev. Robina Marie Winbush 174 place” Contents Miss Gurti’s daughter meets the Ms Lillian Burgher 181 Samaritan woman Blues of a migrant Mrs. Maureen Weekes-Gumbe 185 Women in the delivery room Rev. Nicole Ashwood 186 For Moses’ mother Rev. Nicole Ashwood 193 Brawta Moses Rev. Nicole Ashwood 194 Women as channels of grace, Rev. Dr. Margaret Roberts 200 healing and service God’s grace in the inner-city - Rev. Nicole Ashwood 204 Doreen Wynter’s story Women critiquing culture: the Rev. Anna Joycelyn Shrikisson- 209 story of Abigail and a guerrilla Sharma A grieving mom Rev. Anna Joycelyn Shrikisson- 215 Sharma Telling my story - a woman of Ms Denise Shrikissoon 216 courage, determination and hope The gift of a garment Rev. Dr. Marjorie Lewis 219 Take action to end violence Rev. Patricia Sheerattan- 222 against women and children Bisnauth LITURGICAL RESOURCES 225 Introduction to liturgical Rev. Nicole Ashwood 226 resources A service of healing and Rev. Nicole Ashwood 226 reconciliation Mother’s day/Women’s day Rev. Nicole Ashwood 238 A service for Women’s Sunday Rev. Patricia Sheerattan- 242 Bisnauth A service to celebrate Rev. Robina Marie Winbush 246 Emancipation Glossary 255 References and further resources 260 Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story Preface Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi General Secretary, World Communion of Reformed Churches Reading the Bible has been a key characteristic of the Reformed way of life for centuries. Personal and community reading of scriptures in the context of worship has been an important way of how the Reformed live out our affirmation of sola scriptura. Unfortunately how the Word of God has been read has not always been liberating. There are too many instances in which the Bible has been read in a manner that perpetrates violence and exclusion especially of women. Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story comes as a refreshing wind to point in the direction of transformation inspired by the rereading of scriptures. While it focuses on one part of the world, the Caribbean, the insights from this book can be applied to all parts of the world. Reading the scriptures in a manner that is consistent with the liberating power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will free women and men to build communities characterized by justice and genuine love. The stories told and the principles of biblical interpretation recorded in this book can inspire all towards the exciting journey of reading and rereading the Bible for new insights for living in a just and inclusive world. I am grateful to God for those who participated in the workshop in Grenada in January 2011. We thank all those who contributed articles. As this book gets published we take this opportunity to thank God for the life and visionary leadership of the Rev. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth who for eleven years has served the Reformed family worldwide – inspiring and challenging churches in the area of gender justice as well as climate and economic justice. She has been a gift of the Caribbean churches to the worldwide Reformed family, for which we are grateful to God. Geneva, March 2011 Editorial Editorial Rev. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth The Bible plays an influential role in the Caribbean, together with the scriptures of other religions, primarily of Islam, Hinduism and the Bahai faith. Reading the Bible is critical for the Christian and for the Rastafarian communities. Many people find meaning in biblical texts for their lived realities as they seek God’s presence in their lives and for discernment regarding what God is saying to them in these times. Righting Her-Story: Caribbean Women Encounter the Bible Story is a Bible study book on women, which provides refreshing ways to read the Bible, enabling women and men to rediscover its richness and its ability to help them reflect theologically on their faith and experience. It is envisioned as an instrument that will contribute to building the critical consciousness of women and men and in fostering women’s leadership. The book includes stories of women who have played significant roles in their churches and communities. Caribbean women have contributed greatly to the survival of their families and communities by finding ways to resist injustices, bringing healing, providing food, shelter, hospitality, comfort as well as avenues for peace and reconciliation. They have acquired survival skills in situations of poverty, violence and social decay. There are many examples of how women have found ways and means to be resilient in the face of harsh economic times, very often working beyond the boundary of state mechanisms. The Caribbean has a high prevalence of violence against women. There are frequent accounts of rape, maiming and killing of women. Recently churches have begun to be attentive to this issue in small ways but there is still a significant silence and lack of initiative. The process of developing this book took into serious consideration strategies to empower churches to take actions to end violence against women. This issue is addressed in several Bible studies, including four which deal directly with domestic violence, rape and incest. As part of the project to prepare this book, some practical steps were also taken: some churches organised events to raise awareness and to develop a campaign to end violence against women and children. This includes a group of young men from the Reformed churches in Guyana.