This Barbie Doesn't Even Belong to Herself

On the surface, these verses from 1 Samuel tell the story of the political maneuvering between King Saul and soon-to-be King David.  But between the lines, it's the story of the women relegated to the background, whose bodies, lives, are treated like commodities like cattle or crops to be exploited by the men in power.  But that was long ago, and we've embraced the full equality of women, right? RIGHT?  (1 Samuel 14:49-41, 18:17-21, 29)This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in the Bible with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-...)Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.---The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.Church is the practice.Love is the point.