“Do not wean me, good Jesus, from the breasts of thy consolation….” The monk of Farne Let’s talk about the history of the metaphor of mother for Jesus. It starts with Jesus Himself, and moves right on through the minds of church fathers and theologians, to the middle ages. Caring for Children Jesus began this tradition when he …
Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of James and Joseph witnessed Jesus’ sufferings and death (Mt. 27:33) along with many other women. Then they emerged onto the scene as present in a unique way before and after Jesus’ resurrection. The women stand out from the men around them, in three ways, in Matthew’s gospel. …
We think of Judas as the black sheep of the family during Holy Week. He made an unforgiveable mistake, right? So big that even Jesus pronounced “woe” to His betrayer (Matt. 26:24). A closer look at Matthew 26 shows us that Jesus had Judas covered. In fact, Matthew shows that all The Twelve failed Jesus …
A Christian Feminist Scholar Says No To Mother Last week, I talked about two major arguments against calling God Mother, from Old Testament scholar Dr. Elizabeth Achtemeier. She made a big impact on the Christian world in the 1990s. As a respected Biblical scholar, woman, and an egalitarian, she told the church what it (mostly) wanted …
You Don’t Have to Be a Pantheist to Call God Mother Read More »
There’s a lot of talk now among Christians about the movie, The Shack, and whether it’s all right for Christians to even see it. Some are asking, “Is it okay that God is portrayed as a woman?” and even “Is it okay to call God Mother?” These are good questions at any time. The usual …
Mother is Simile to a Metaphor: A New Look at an Old Argument Read More »
“Bridle of untamed colts, Wing of unwandering birds, Ship’s sure helm, Shepherd of royal lambs… Christ Jesus, heavenly milk from the sweet breasts of the bride of grace, squeezed from your wisdom. The childlike, with tender mouths, are cherished, filled with the dewy spirit of the Word’s breasts, sing together simple praises, true hymns to …
God and Happiness: Not an Oxymoron The best part of learning to call God “Mother” has been that I now believe God wants me to be happy. Somehow I got that wrong a long time ago, believing God the Father always had some personal agenda (His glory, the salvation of every one around me, and …
Meet a Motherly God I’m reading a book called God and the Afterlife: The Groundbreaking New Evidence for God and Near-Death Experience by Jeffrey Long, M.D. I tend to be a believer, since science has not caught up with Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) yet and there is no conclusive materialist evidence for why they happen. The …
Bathsheba Wanted It Bathsheba was a favorite subject for Renaissance painters, because she should obviously be painted naked. She was an adulteress, after all, right? Surely, she knew David was watching her do her monthly ritualistic bath from above. No, Bathsheba was a survivor of power rape and a woman made a widow by her rapist, …
Bathsheba Only Wanted a Bath: Exposing Power-sins in the Church Read More »
God is spirit, Jesus told Photina, the woman at the well, in John 4:24. I’ve been reading snippets of Near Death Experiences, and consistently, people agree that God is spirit, electric with light and love. Not human, not male, not female. So why do we need to call God Mother? Why not just do away …
