In yesterday’s post I wrote that I was using different names for God. One of those I stole from Julian of Norwich. Julian wrote about God as Mother in her writings, Divine Revelations of Love. She prayed to “our Father-Mother God,” and I use her name for God most when I pray. When I pray The Lord’s Prayer, I begin, “Our Father-Mother God who art in heaven…” When I say grace, I pray, “Father-Mother, thank you for this food.” I believe that it is valid to address God as Mother (as well as Father) because of all the mother imagery used in Bible for God: God is pregnant, gives birth, and breastfeeds. God also hides Israel under God’s wings like a mother hen. I also believe God can be addressed as Mother because of Genesis 1:26: God created both male and female in God’s image. Mother and other feminine names can be used for God because women image God. Here is a different version of The Lord’s Prayer that we prayed in church last Sunday:
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need to today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials to great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever. Amen.
What do you think of using feminine names for God? What do you call God?
I appreciated your post and finding this prayer addressing Mother God as well. I will definitely be using it! I was reading through some of your other entries and wondered why you refer to God as Godde. Does this also have sometime to do with the feminine? Thanks
No it’s not a New Zealand creation.
It’s in our prayer book,
but from Jim Cotter.
Maori (also in our prayer book) call God “matua” = parent.
Do pop by my site “Liturgy”
http://www.liturgy.co.nz
Let me know if you link
so I link back.
Blessings
God is called “Father” in the Trinity, and Jesus addressed Him as such, too, therefore I look to Him as my Abba, Father…what has always been biblical. The change towards a feminine God sounds too much like goddess worship to me. sorry.
Yes, it is from the New Zealand prayer book. I didn’t realize I hadn’t cited it. Thanks.
Love the conversation…I love that version of the Lord’s Prayer–a New Zealand creation, I believe?
I do think they’re threatened by it because then they would have to admit they’ve been wrong about God creating woman to be submissive to man. They would also have to admit that women can be more than wives and mothers and hold any leadership position in a church.
Shawna, do you think that “traditional” churches are threatened by mother/feminine imagery applied to God?
LaDonna, please use it! I am. I think I’m going to memorize it to say during my daily prayers. Tracy and I doing very well! Thanks.
Tami, I know how you feel. I feel much closer to God since I started using Mother as well as attending a church that uses Mother and other feminine imagery for God.
Shawna, what an awesome post!
It’s difficult to embrace my “role” as wife and mother when God is so adamantly referred to as Father. And, I confess, out of decades of habit, I do refer to God as “Father.”
But in my quiet times, in moments between just me and God, I do revel in the fact that as much as He is my Father, He is also my Mother.
I love it! Absolutely love it! I, if you don’t mind will use this for prayer time. Hope you are doing well. Hugs to you and Tracey!
LaDonna Hunt