July 1, 2019
For full passage click: Isaiah 66:10-14 …“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her—that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.” vss. 10-11
Even the prophet knew that patriarchal language was not sufficient in describing the bounty of the Lord’s goodness. He’d seen children drinking from their mothers’ breasts with delight and enthusiasm, and he knew that this was the best possible way to describe the consoling and nurturing love of God. For centuries, such images of God were considered inappropriate, a threat to God’s supposedly masculine being. Of course we know better than that; God is neither male nor female, but we still tend to use patriarchal terms in our worship and prayer. It’s such a blessing when we can break loose from those old stereotypes and use the language of motherhood to describe our relationship to the Lord. Perhaps we can even imagine ourselves finding comfort in nursing from God’s glorious bosom. Such images seem to resonate with the needs of our souls. Why else would Mother’s Day rival Easter in most of our congregations? God is our Mother in heaven, one who calms our frightened hearts with deep embraces of tender, forgiving love. God is also Mother earth, daily bringing forth life and sustaining every living creature. Oh how rich our worship can become when we begin to use feminine language in our prayers and songs!
Thought for the Day: How is a mother’s love different?
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