For All the Faithful Women
For all the faithful women who served in days of old
The hymn affirms the Lutheran understanding of the priesthood of all believers by honoring women's diverse roles in the church's mission and witness across centuries. It celebrates how faithful women embody Christian virtue and vocation, consistent with Lutheran teaching on the sanctity of ordinary Christian life.
History & Background
Written by Kristen Forman in 2006 for the ELCA hymnal "Evangelical Lutheran Worship," this contemporary hymn commemorates the faithful witness of women throughout Christian history. It was included in LSB (2006) as hymn 855 and in Evangelical Lutheran Worship as hymn 694.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 419
- Glory to God — 722
- Lutheran Service Book — 855
- Voices Together — 823
- With One Voice — 692
Bulletin Note
Kristen Forman's 2006 text 'For All the Faithful Women' honors women's diverse vocations in the church's mission across centuries, embodying the Lutheran conviction that all callings—not clergy alone—serve God's kingdom with sacred purpose.
Preaching Connection
This hymn develops the theology of vocation and the priesthood of all believers, showing how ordinary Christian faithfulness—especially women's often-invisible labor—participates in the Gospel's redemptive work and challenges hearers to embody that same witness.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christological anticipation (St. 1-2) → Incarnational paradox (St. 3) → Pneumatological reign (St. 4)
Themes
Communion of saints Women's faithful witness Christian legacy Discipleship Honor and remembrance