{"id":11530,"date":"2025-07-10T14:08:40","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T18:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/?p=11530"},"modified":"2025-07-10T14:17:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T18:17:59","slug":"an-encouragement-for-july-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/2025\/07\/an-encouragement-for-july-6\/","title":{"rendered":"An Encouragement for July"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since 2019, the Center for Leadership Excellence, in partnership with COSROW, has been lifting up the voices of lay and clergywomen in ministry through Encouragements\u2014monthly emails designed to inspire, encourage, and offer practical ways for women in ministry to support one another. This month, we\u2019re honored to share words from Claire Cox-Woodlief, a member of Saint Francis UMC in Cary and a member of the NC Conference Board of Church and Society.<\/em><\/em>

Anyone can sign up to receive Encouragements\u2014and the full archive of past emails is available for you to explore. Please\u00a0<\/em>share this link<\/em><\/a>\u00a0with lay and clergywomen in ministry who might be interested.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several months ago, I was on a retreat with some friends. We shared lament and concern over all that is taking place in our world right now. As we wrestled with the question, \u201cWhat is mine to do?\u201d we were reminded of Esther.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Esther 4:14b NRSVue
<\/strong>Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of us is uniquely positioned by God. We have circles of influence and opportunities to make a difference.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esther was in an unlikely position for a Jewish woman in Persia, and her Jewish people were facing potential annihilation. Mordecai believed that Esther\u2019s position was not accidental, but divinely ordained, and he challenged her to use her influence to save her people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While \u201cour people\u201d may not be facing annihilation, we can certainly point to many who are being persecuted in our country and world today. To discern what is ours to do, we must begin with prayer, spending time in silence and in a posture of listening to the still, small voice that resides within us. Spirit will lead if we pay attention.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps we begin with what is not mine to do or no longer mine to do. In Tricia Hersey\u2019s book, Rest is Resistance<\/em>, she encourages us to connect to the liberating power of rest, daydreaming, and naps as a foundation for healing and justice. According to Hersey, rest is a form of resistance because it disrupts and pushes back against capitalism and white supremacy. Perhaps she\u2019s onto something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, whether we are to lead a protest, preach a prophetic sermon, write an encouraging blog, run for office, take a nap, or something else that Spirit is whispering in our ears, perhaps we were created for such a time as this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Action:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Review your sabbath practices. Are you taking time for God on a regular basis?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Schedule a meeting with a spiritual director! Here\u2019s\u00a0a place<\/a>\u00a0to get started.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Gather with others who can encourage you on your faith journey and remind you that you are not alone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Spend time in prayer over the question, \u201cWhat is mine to do?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Perhaps you were created for such a time as this!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In partnership,
    Center for Leadership Excellence and the Commission on the Status and Role of Women<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Several months ago, I was on a retreat with some friends. We shared lament and concern over all that is taking place in our world right now. As we wrestled with the question, \u201cWhat is mine to do?\u201d we were reminded of Esther.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":7594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[6,12,13,15,194,14],"class_list":["post-11530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-center-for-leadership-excellence","tag-commission-on-the-status-and-role-of-women","tag-encouragements","tag-healthy-congregations","tag-leadership","tag-women"],"yoast_head":"\nAn Encouragement for July | Center for Leadership Excellence | North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/2025\/07\/an-encouragement-for-july-6\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Encouragement for July | Center for Leadership Excellence | North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Several months ago, I was on a retreat with some friends. 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