The Work of the Gospel
“Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church in her house.” Colossians 4:15
Nympha, whose name means “bride,” was likely a wealthy widow who had a home large enough to host a church community. Her brief appearance in the Epistle to the Colossians seems to show that she was an established and influential member of the Christian community in the Lycus Valley of what is now modern-day Turkey.
As co-workers of the apostles, sisters such as Nympha played a critical, and sometimes dangerous, role of assisting in the work of the Gospel. Offering her home as the site of a church likely involved Nympha in many ways: caring for the poor and the ill among their congregation, supporting and hosting missionaries (such as Paul), mentoring other female converts, and joining in prayer and worship together.
Look around your parish this week - it’s almost certain you’ll see women like Nympha visiting the sick, inviting younger women and families into their homes, organizing parish feasts, leading book clubs…the list goes on. Today, as then, we have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of those who followed Christ, and be bearers of His myrrh to the world He’s placed us in.
In Heather MacKean’s icon of the Women of the New Testament, Nympha is on the left-hand side of the icon. A high-quality 8×10 print of this icon, produced on heavyweight, acid-free cardstock with a matte finish, ready for framing, is our thank you gift to everyone who donates $100 or more—or a monthly commitment of $10 or more–to our Myrrhbearing Women Fundraiser.
If you are already a monthly donor, thank you! Any amount you are able to increase your donation will come with a thank-you gift of an icon to your mailbox! Your support directly makes possible gatherings, scholarships, and resources that enable Orthodox women to come together across differences, deepen in faith, and find the encouragement and training they need to live out their callings in the Church.