The Road to Rebekah, Part 2: Blessed are the Minimized

The Road to Rebekah
Written By Maren Jo Schneider

After working on my book for a few months now, it was both a breath of fresh air and a kick in the butt to be invited to give my first-ever sermon on Rebekah. If you’d like a peek at what this book is shaping up to be, please listen in! I had so much fun sharing it.

Many of us are familiar with “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” but for literary reasons, a better name is “The God of Abraham, Rebekah, and Jacob.”

Find out more here:

"Blessed are the Minimized" is a part of the "Beatitudes of Belonging" series at “The Church We Hope For.” Salena Marie Scott also offered the beautiful benediction below.

Here is where you can find more work from Salena Marie Scott.

Beatitudes for the Minimized a blessing inspired by Rebekah
Maren Jo Schneider

Writer, Speaker, Podcaster, Story Fiend, Beloved One

Maren Jo Schneider, a dynamic writer, speaker, and podcaster, transforms our understanding of biblical stories, centering women and others historically marginalized by the church. Maren unleashes her English Major magic on these narratives, highlighting the drama, context, and artistry that showcase God's divine love for all.

Her podcast, "The Bible and the English Major," is featured on Feedspot's "100 Best Bible Podcasts" and several of Chartable.com's top podcast lists. Thanks to her listeners, her podcast has 5 out of 5 Stars on Spotify and 4.9 out of 5 stars on Apple Podcasts. According to Spotify, “The Bible and the English Major” community grew 241% in 2023.

In addition to her podcast, Maren speaks at faith-based gatherings and in secular spaces. Based on the success of her 2023 “The Greatest Story Ever Told?” tour, she is now scheduling additional dates in 2024.

Maren’s passion derives from the unseen significance of Rebekah of Genesis. Her paper "Not Just Isaac’s Wife: Rebekah as Chosen One," written during her study of “The Women of Genesis” while at Claremont Graduate School, was accepted at The Society of Biblical Literature’s regional conference in 2020.

Maren holds a degree in English from Valparaiso University and has furthered her education in Women’s Studies at Claremont Graduate School. You can find some of her writing on Google Scholar. She has also served in roles at Zion-St. John Lutheran Church, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, and Ingham Lutheran Bible Camp.

Maren’s current work is writing a book shedding light on Rebekah’s role and unseen significance. Join her book-writing journey in Season 6 of “The Bible and the English Major.”

https://marenjo.com/about
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The Road to Rebekah, Part 1: Permission Granted