This litany may
be used during
congregational
worship and women's
organization events,
or at other times
and places.
It would be
fitting to share the
"Leader" role among
several women. If
there are musicians
in the group, they
might softly play
background music as
the leaders speak
each bidding and
then accompany the
response with a
brighter harmony.
Women and girls
speaking the
responses may answer
in any or all of the
roles they live: For
example, one may
speak up as married
woman, mother, and
grandmother; another
as young woman,
sister, and single
woman.
Members of the
assembly may lift up
other bold women in
prayer near the end
of this litany.
Biblical women not
otherwise named,
other women in
church history, and
bold women in your
own community may be
named here.
A Litany of
Thanks for Bold
Women
Leader: Lord our
God, we give thanks
today for the
witness of bold
women. From the
earliest times until
today and on into
the future, bold
women show all of us
how to live as God's
beloved children in
God's beloved
creation, carrying
out our baptismal
call to work for
justice and peace
for all God's
creatures.
Leader: For Eve,
mother of us all,
sinful and beloved,
we say:
All: Thank you,
Lord!
Leader: For
Miriam, who danced
beside the Red Sea,
we say:
Young women:
Thank you, Lord!
Leader: For Mary,
mother of Jesus, who
pondered the angel's
words in her heart,
we say:
Mothers: Thank
you, Lord!
Leader: For Mary
Magdalene, first to
hear the voice of
the Risen Christ, we
say:
Single women:
Thank you, Lord!
Leader: For
Naomi, who rejoiced
in her grandson Obed,
we say:
Grandmothers:
Thank you, Lord!
Leader: For the
Syro-Phoenician
woman, bold enough
to challenge Jesus
himself for her
child's sake:
Daughters: Thank
you, Lord!
Leader: For Mary
and Martha of
Bethany, who served
the Lord together in
their different
ways, we say:
Sisters: Thank
you, Lord!
Leader: For the
persistent widow,
who would not rest
until she won
justice, we say:
Widows: Thank
you, Lord!
Leader: For
Katharine von Bora
Luther, who ran to
embrace change in
her world, we say:
Married women:
Thank you, Lord!
Leader: There
have been bold women
all around us on our
way, if only we look
for them. For whom
do we thank the Lord
today? Name her
aloud and let us
thank God for her
witness.
(Members of the
assembly may speak
the names of other
bold women aloud,
briefly describing
her witness. After
each one, the group
responds:)
All: Thank you,
Lord!
(When the group
is done naming bold
women, the leader
concludes:)
Leader: For the
witness of all bold
women, yesterday,
today, and tomorrow,
Lord our God, we
thank you and we
praise you. Lord our
God, let their
boldness flourish in
our own hearts as we
live out our
baptismal call to
serve you and our
neighbor, with all
our heart, with all
our mind, with all
our strength.
All: Thank you,
Lord! Alleluia,
Amen!
