Mother God

Mothering God, you gave me birth
in the bright morning of this world.
Creator, Source of every breath,you are my rain, my wind, my sun.  
(-Hymn from the book of Evangelical Lutheran Worship)

Few would argue if it were suggested to them that God is genderless.  A slightly less popular notion, but also widely accepted is that God has both masculine and feminine characteristics.  But if I were to start a prayer, "Our Mother, who art in heaven..."  there are many who would cast me out as an heretic.  Why do so many of us have a problem with God as both Father and Mother?  Even in the Bible that was penned by a patriarchal society (inspired by God) there are many mentions of God's nurturing, mothering side.  Here are some that I found:

• God comforts his people like a mother comforts her child (Isaiah 66:13)
• Like a woman would never forget her nursing child, God will not forget his children (Isaiah 49:15)
• God is like a mother eagle hovering over her young (Deuteronomy 32:11)
• God seeks the lost like a housekeeper, trying to find her lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
• God cares for his people like a midwife that cares for the child she just delivered (Ps 22:9-10, Ps 71:6, Isa 66:9)
• God experiences the fury of a mother bear robbed of her cubs (Hosea 13:8)
• Jesus longed for the people of Jerusalem, like a mother hen longs to gather her chicks under her wings (Luke 13:34)
• In Proverbs, Wisdom is only referred to as "she."

So why should we flip out if God is referred to as "she" or "Mother?"  Though the Holy Spirit is typically referred to as "He," I have always felt the Holy Spirit to be more feminine and personally prefer "Her."  I think when we let go of our tradtion of calling everything about God in the masculine, we let God out of the box and begin to see the Almighty in the much bigger, most powerful and completely omnipotent way She deserves.  We cannot keep Him limited to our puny imaginations and strictures.

Pray to God, our Mother today.  It will feel different, but in a good way.

Mother God,

Help us not to put limits on you that are designed simply from our own traditions and narrow ways of thinking.  Hold us close to your heart and let us feel your nurturing care.  Amen.