September Blessings

September Blessings

After a chilly rainy start to September 

     following a cooler than usual summer, 

     as discouragement was taking hold - and emptiness -

     a balmy warm amazing week.

I soaked it in.  Spent much of it working 

     either on the front or back porch or in the garden.  

Into the evening.  It was delicious.  

I tried to memorize it against 

       the inevitable winter to come. 

I just stayed out there and let it bless me.  And it did.  

Twice, neighbors stopped by to chat

      - easing the isolation. 

And all it took was being outdoors, visible, and

      looking up with a smile when someone said hi.

JoMae

9/9/17

Broken Harmony

Your desire will be for your husband,

and he will rule over you. Gen 3:16b NIV

~~Broken Harmony~~

When I consider the fall and it’s consequences, 

how Godde foresaw that the man would now rule 

over the woman yet her desire would be for him, 

I see examples of brokenness in need of 

healing by the promised Messiah. 

Not only was male dominance a result of sin, 

so too was women’s longing for him in spite of it.   

Generation after generation Christians have 
confessed our sins and promised anew 
to live as Jesus taught us to.  

As Godde meant for us to be.  

We have used endless gifts of intelligence to discover

 and harness secrets of creation to enrich our lives.

To ease the pain of childbirth for instance, 

yet patriarchal dominance remains 

We are  mindful always of Christ’s enormous gift 

and sacrifice to bring us near to Godde.

Yet I wonder if we haven’t missed 

a great part of Jesus' gift.

The modeling of how we are to treat each other.

Jesus, the Promised Messiah, born a male mortal, 

did not dominate, did not demean or misuse women.

Rather, he listened and interacted with respect.

We still have much to learn as image bearers of

 our Creator. As redeemed children of Godde

 striving to live as folks redeemed and healing

 from the brokenness of sin.

                                                              JoMae
                                                              10/1/17

Birther Godde

As we reflect Godde’s love, as we teach and praise our Beloved Maker, as we serve the ONE who rules our lives, let us not limit the essence of the Divine Mystery with language that pictures our Loving Godde as if only and exclusively male.

You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; 

you forgot the God who gave you birth.  
Deut 32:18 NIV

~~Remember The Godde Who Gave Us Birth~~

Aside from the gender inequity inherent in our world, one reason I find myself determined not to use exclusive language for Godde, is that it diminishes our view of the endless enormity of the Divine.  It shrinks our understanding of the ONE reflected by all created in  Godde’s  image, to honoring only a portion of Godde’s amazing being.

Words draw pictures in our heads, engrave them on our minds and in the hearts of our children. A traditional Sunday morning full of quotes from male theologians, numerous references to our Heavenly Father, Lord, King etc. - and multiple uses of he, his, and him, reinforces the patriarchal picture.

A typical message about Godde tends to render invisible and mute both the feminine face of theGodde who gave us birth and the daughters who bear the divine image along with their brothers

     ~~Prayer~~

Heavenly FatherMother, 

Please speak to our hearts

Whisper your truths to ponder

that we may know you more fully

that we may serve you more truly

As we walk in the Holy Name of

Jesus Christ
Amen

JoMae
10/1/17