Power Points: God at Work Through Women Leaders Yesterday and Today

Katherine Schütz Zell

BY LEECY BARNETT

“By that faith I also exhort you with friendly request and exhortation, as your fellow sister in Christ Jesus, that you not let the invincible word of God go out of your heart, but always meditate on that word that you have had with you for so long and heard with all earnestness and faithfulness.” --- Katherine Schütz Zell1

These words were written to encourage women whose husbands had been forced to flee their homes. True believers were being persecuted because of their conviction that acceptance by God is based solely on faith in God’s grace as taught in His Word. Katherine Schütz Zell knew from personal experience that the Word of God is the only solid foundation on which to build your life.

Katherine was born in 1498 in Strasbourg which is now in France, but at that time was an independent German-speaking city. Katherine was fortunate in two ways. First, her family thought it was important that girls be educated, so she learned to read. Second, the printing press had been invented a generation earlier, so she had access to reading materials. “By her own account, the young Katharina Schütz was actively devout and spiritually anxious; she attended the sacraments, did good works, led other women in religious activities, and even read the Bible in German (which the clergy did not encourage!), but she could find no assurance of her salvation.”2

But then a new priest, Matthew Zell, came to town teaching the Gospel message. Katherine began to see that all her religious piety and good deeds would not earn her a way to heaven. She trusted in Christ’s work on her behalf and understood, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

Pastor Zell was not only Katherine’s teacher, but in 1523 he became her husband, as well. The Zell’s marriage was not based on a romantic infatuation but on the conviction that ministers should be free to marry. The Catholic Church had forbidden married priests, leading to much hypocrisy as many of the clergy failed to keep their vows of celibacy. Reformation leaders also thought pastors’ families should be examples to their congregations. The Zell’s union was an unusual partnership in life and ministry: “Zell regarded Schütz as a partner in faith from the beginning and increasingly accepted her cooperation

in his ministry as well; he called her ‘wedded companion’, ‘mother of the afflicted,’ and ‘assistant.’”3 With Matthew’s encouragement, Katherine became the most published woman author of her day.

Katherine’s deep personal devotion to God and His Word sustained her extensive ministry to refugees, prisoners, parishioners, and anyone who was suffering. For years she had pored over Scripture keeping journals of all that God was teaching her. Near the end of her life, she “sought out some of my old booklets that I wrote years ago for myself, in which I worked through the whole Psalter with lament, prayer, and thanks”4 and published one of them. This became The Misere Psalm Meditated, Prayed, and Paraphrased with King David by Katharina Zell. Reflecting on Psalm 51:14, she said, “Wash me so I will be pure and white from my sins before You, and then You will heed my prayer and remember Your word, in which You have permitted and instructed me to hope.”5

As followers of Christ, we are often tempted to serve others in our own strength. But that quickly leads to burnout. May we, like Katherine, minister out of a heart encouraged by ‘the invincible Word of God.’ May I never forget Your words, for they are my only hope. (Psalm 119:43 TLB)

¹ Katharina Schütz Zell. (2006). Letter to the suffering women of the community of Kentzingen. In E. A. Mckee (ed.) Church Mother: The Writings of a Protestant Reformer in Sixteenth Century Germany. University of Chicago Press, p.50. (Original work published 1524).

2 Mckee, E. (2019). She would follow only Christ. Christian History, 131, para. 1. https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/zell-would-follow-only-christ

3 Ibid., para. 12.

4 Katharina Schütz Zell. (2006). The Misere Psalm Meditated, Prayed, and Paraphrased with King David by Katharina Zell. In E. A. Mckee (ed.) Church Mother: The Writings of a Protestant Reformer in Sixteenth-Century Germany. University of Chicago Press, p. 133. (Original work published 1558).

5 Ibid., p. 139.