Church Ladies

Will our daughters be willing to be self-sacrificing church ladies?

This is a shout out to all the church ladies who keep us sane. You know these gals. They are the ones who do all the womenzwerk at home and then go on to do it for every one they know. They are always there with a casserole, a hug, a smile and a prayer. They are the ones who greet you in the hallway of your childhood church after 40 years, and not only recognize you but embrace you, call you by name and remember the names of your parents and your children. They are the very best huggers on the planet. They seem to be completely tireless. They are heroic women with true servant's hearts. They know everyone and every story of community in their world.

These are the women who helped us say goodbye to Mom in the traditional Methodist post-funeral luncheon. They baked the cakes and served the potato salad. They set and cleared the tables and left us alone when we needed space. They quietly and completely transformed an empty parish hall into a place where love could fluorish, between bites of ham buns and sips of coffee. They knew Mom, too, so they shared our sorrow and our memories as they went about their caring business. Unlike the nurses and doctors and social workers I had spent weeks with before this point, these women were not trained professionals in the art of dying with dignity. These women were simply filled with love and a devotion to true womenzwerk...the nurturing of community and souls. And they escorted Mom to God as surely as the trained caregivers.

I wonder as I write this if there will be church ladies in the future? Will my daughter or her friends be selfless enough to pick up the gauntlet and give as truly and completely as these women? What if churches as an institution fade away over time as many predict they will? Who will provide the loving glue that holds us together as communities? Who will provide the continuity from generation to generation. Who will make the casseroles and dole out the hugs? This is true womenzwerk, ladies. Someone needs to carry it forward.

So, what do you think? Who will be the church ladies of the next generation? Do you think our daughters will provide this type of Womenzwerk? Will it be through churches or what?