We’ve been singing a wonderful hymn in church the last few weeks. Author Brian Wren wanted to show that “aspects of the divine are revelaed in our maleness, femaleness, youth, and age in a moving, growing matrix of life in God.”

“Bring Many Names”
Bring many names, beautiful and good,
celebrate, in parable and story
holiness in glory,
living, loving God.
Hail and Hosanna!
bring many names!

Strong mother God, working night and day,
planning all the wonders of creation,
setting each equation,
genius at play:
Hail and Hosanna,
strong mother God!

Warm father God, hugging every child,
feeling all the wonders of creation,
caring and forgiving
till we’re reconciled:
Hail and Hosanna,
warm father God!

Old, aching God, grey with endless care,
calmly piercing evil’s new disguises,
glad of good surprises, wiser than despair:
Hail and Hosanna, old, aching God!

Young, growing God, eager, on the move,
saying no to falsehood and unkindness,
crying out for justice,
giving all you have:
Hail and Hosanna,
young, growing God!

Great living God, never fully known,
joyful darkness far beyond our seeing,
closer yet than breathing,
everlasting home:
Hail and Hosanna,
great, living God!
(c)1989 by Hope Publishing Company

I have been exploring a variety of images of God in the past couple of years particularly God as mother. I am going to start writing of the images of God I am praying, and how they are changing me, how I see God, and the way I pray.

The picture is Farid de la Ossa Areita’s God, the Mother.