For Such A Time As This

Esther 4:12-17; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Intro – This is the second Sun in Lent and we have been leaning into the story of Esther. Since the

beginning of the year we have been looking at God’s call to love and in this month we are making a

small detour towards the Lenten season. We talked about how Esther was willing to risk Position,

Provision and Protection to seek God’s Presence, Precepts and Plan. We will come back to our series

on love in a couple of weeks. Today, during Women’s Herstory month we look at a more modern day Esther – Jarena Lee.

Exegesis

 Jarena Lee was born into a free Black family in New Jersey on February 11, 1783

 From 7 yrs old she was a live-in servant for a white family - didn’t get a formal education nor

religious teaching until she met a Presbyterian missionary when she was 21.

 In same year (1804) she moved to Philly and started attending Mother Bethel

 She found healing around her struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts

 In 1807 after 3 years of being a Christian, Lee felt the call to preach but when she went to

Richard Allen he said that women could not preach

 1811 gets married and her husband doesn’t want her to preach, he dies in 1817

 Wants preaching license- "If the man may preach, because the Savior died for him, why not the

woman, seeing he died for her also? Is he not a whole Savior, instead of half of one?"

 In 1819 she is at a service and when the preacher loses his voice she starts preaching – Allen

sees the calling and makes her an exhorter.

 Jarena Lee pays a huge cost but she also grows deeply

 1836 - first Black woman to publish - The Life and Religious Experience of Jarena Lee

 She is an example of embracing God’s precepts

Points for Reflection – Embracing God’s Precepts – Three Core Concepts of Jarena Lee’s preaching

1. The Gospel is Good News

2. God can heal and transform us

3. Our call is to a life long journey of becoming the people who God has made us to be

Reflections Questions

1. Jarena Lees story starts with her finding the good news of Jesus. In this Lenten season, in the

midst of all that is going on – do you need to be reminded of Good News? How can you make

Good News part of this season of reflection?

2. In her book, Jarena is talks about the fact that she struggled with deep depression and suicidal

thoughts – but that she finds healing in Jesus. Where might you invite God into those painful

places?

3. In finding her own healing Jarena is also unashamed to share the Good News with others –

Where might you be called to share your testimony as an encouragement to others?