“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”
~ 1 Timothy 2:8-15 (ESV)
Over the years I have played baseball, football and soccer. These are all team sports that require everyone to do their part. No matter how many MVPs or GOATS come and go, without quality working team members, winning scores will be few and never. In professional sports, winning games are often enthusiastically predicted, only to crash and burn, due to the failure of team cooperation. Off the field athletes may be distinct people, but on the field, they are expected to be dependable parts of the whole.
Anna was one of those “dependable parts of the whole” at my second church. She and her husband Mark attended services faithfully every week until Mark went to heaven. Eventually, Anna’s health slipped away and she was no longer able to come out to church. Yet, the church and I depended on Anna’s ministry. You see, she was a diligent, consistent, and ever up to date prayer warrior. She would pump me for all the current ministry needs during every visit I made. Anna was a vital team member who played a quiet, but significant part in the success of our ministry.
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