Walking in Solidarity with Our
Global Sisters
Women of the ELCA
Triennial Gathering Workshop
July 16, 2011
Faithful Midwife,
As you delivered the Hebrews safely
Our of the long labor of slavery,
So, morning by morning,
You draw us forth into the new day.
Surround us with a cloud of witnesses,
and sustain us by your powerful word,
That, in the night of loneliness and fear,
We, being weary, may not lose heart
But push toward the joy that is to come,
Laboring with Christ
To give birth to your promised kindom. Amen
Reporduced from Revised common Lectionary Prayers copyright 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress
A Walk to Beautiful
What is Fistula?
Illustrations courtesy of One by One, http://www.fightfistula.org/fistula_faq.asp
Why fistula?
• What causes fistula?
• What systems of oppression and
domination does fistula reveal?
• What other issues are related to fistula
and maternal health?
How does this relate to us?
How can we get involved?
www.FistulaStories.org
Mark 5:21-43
The Woman with a Hemorrhage
and Jairus’ Daughter
• What similarities and differences do you
notice between the two unnamed, healed
women?
• We easily make an analogy between the
healed women and “the woman with a
fistula.” What does this reveal about our
perceptions of them?
• Notice the way the “extras” in this story
react. What do they do?
• Who do we ignore? When do we laugh?
What do we regard as lost causes?
• It is not as easy to identify ourselves in this
story as it was to find “the woman with a
fistula.” Where are the UN, the United
States, WELCA, your church, or you, in
this story?
Maternal Health in the U.S
• Maternal Mortality in U.S. worst of top 40
industrialized nations
• Women of color, poor women, and women
living in rural areas impacted vastly more
• Increasing costs of health care making the
problem worse
• God in a Mother’s Womb: The Importance of Maternal
Health to Christians
• No Room at the Inn: Maternal Health in our Country
and World
• Rachel Weeping for her Children: U.S. Maternal Health
and Race
• God, look with favor! Calling for action on U.S.
Maternal Health
Take Action!
• www.FistulaStories.org/ActionIdeas
• Fistula Stories Curriculum, Advent Study,
Multi-Faith Perspectives
• Prayer
• Raise awareness
• Giving Circles
• Learn about Maternal Health in your community
WELCA resources
http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Ministry/Women-of-the-ELCA/Allour-resources/Promoting-Healing-and-Wholeness.aspx
Recommended Reading
The Hospital by the Rivier: A Story of
Hope, Catherine Hamlin and John Little
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
Half the Sky: Turning
Oppression into Opportunity
for Women Around the World, Nicholas
Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn
Slavery Today, Kevin Bales and
Rebecca Cornell
Expanding our Reach:
Legislation for Women
• IVAWA and VAWA
– International Violence Against Women Act
– Violence Against Women Act
– www.ncccusa.org/news/110519justiceforwomentoIEPC.html
• CEDAW
– United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all
forms of Discrimination Against Women
– www.cedaw2011.org
God who makes all things possible,
We remember the rich young man
Who asked you what he needed to do
But lacked the courage to follow.
We remember the woman with a hemorrhage
Who did not ask, and was healed.
Give us courage, O God,
For the action and witness that lay before us.
Amen.
Meagan Manas
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 800
New York, NY 10115
mmanas@ncccusa.org
212-870-2738
www.FistulaStories.org