As a pastor preparing to lead worship on Mother's Day, I have been exposed this week to conversations about the complexity of celebrating Mother's Day in worship. One would think it was a simple day -- after all, we are all born from a mother -- but it is, in fact, a complex day! Our relationships with our mothers and our relationship to being a mother -- whether we are one or are not one -- are complicated, like most things in life. In addition, the image of God as Mother (in addition to Father) is the subject of heated theological debate. In case you struggle with Mother's Day -- or are just interested -- I offer some things to read below.
Why God Is a ‘Mother,’ Too
A professor at Princeton Theological Seminary explains why women embody God's loving care
Long before I became familiar with the academic debates concerning calling God “Mother,” debates that I am now currently a part of as a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, I was being raised in a household where I instinctively understood that the divine presence was manifest in the loving hands and arms of mothers, and most especially in the life of my grandmother who raised me. My grandmother’s kitchen was a theological laboratory where she taught me how to love people just as naturally as she taught me to make peach cobbler and buttermilk biscuits. I watched and listened as she ministered to the sick and the lost, with a Bible in one hand and a freshly baked pound cake in the other, despite having no official ministry role. . . .
FULL ARTICLE HERE
To the Women Who Aren't Mothers on Mother's Day
To all of these women, I am here to say that this year, on Mother's Day, you are not forgotten. Your struggle is felt, it is understood and is real. I don't know if one day your story will be my story. What I do know is that if I had not gone through that struggle, I don't think I would appreciate the blessings that I have now as much as I do. It was a horrible time, yes, but in an odd twist of fate, I am thankful for it. This Mother's Day, my heart and prayers are with you beautiful, strong women. May you find peace on this day and solace in knowing that you are not alone in your heartbreak.
FULL ARTICLE HERE
Sorry about Mother’s Day, my childfree girlfriends: Moms aren’t any more special (or unselfish) than you
Don't let the cult of motherhood come between us
MARY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
Mother’s Day is a relatively non-landmine-filled day for me. I have a supportive family and two loving, sweet daughters who are happy to shower me in homemade cards and cookies. I’m proud of my role as a mom, and as far as I’m concerned my kids are the most fascinating people in the world, so it’s easy to have a day to celebrate that relationship. But I know that Sunday is not going to be a great day for everybody. It’s hard for people who’ve lost their moms. It’s hard for those who had crummy moms — and believe me, it hasn’t escaped my notice that in our cultural glorification of motherhood, the fact that a lot of women who’ve had children have done a piss poor of raising them seems to get conveniently left out a lot. And it can also be hard for women who don’t have children, in this season of constant reminders that the best and most important “job” a woman could ever aspire to is motherhood. So to all my female friends who aren’t moms, I just want you to know that I call BS on this garbage too. . . .
FULL ARTICLE HERE
Why God Is a ‘Mother,’ Too
A professor at Princeton Theological Seminary explains why women embody God's loving care
Long before I became familiar with the academic debates concerning calling God “Mother,” debates that I am now currently a part of as a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, I was being raised in a household where I instinctively understood that the divine presence was manifest in the loving hands and arms of mothers, and most especially in the life of my grandmother who raised me. My grandmother’s kitchen was a theological laboratory where she taught me how to love people just as naturally as she taught me to make peach cobbler and buttermilk biscuits. I watched and listened as she ministered to the sick and the lost, with a Bible in one hand and a freshly baked pound cake in the other, despite having no official ministry role. . . .
FULL ARTICLE HERE
To the Women Who Aren't Mothers on Mother's Day
To all of these women, I am here to say that this year, on Mother's Day, you are not forgotten. Your struggle is felt, it is understood and is real. I don't know if one day your story will be my story. What I do know is that if I had not gone through that struggle, I don't think I would appreciate the blessings that I have now as much as I do. It was a horrible time, yes, but in an odd twist of fate, I am thankful for it. This Mother's Day, my heart and prayers are with you beautiful, strong women. May you find peace on this day and solace in knowing that you are not alone in your heartbreak.
FULL ARTICLE HERE
Sorry about Mother’s Day, my childfree girlfriends: Moms aren’t any more special (or unselfish) than you
Don't let the cult of motherhood come between us
MARY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
Mother’s Day is a relatively non-landmine-filled day for me. I have a supportive family and two loving, sweet daughters who are happy to shower me in homemade cards and cookies. I’m proud of my role as a mom, and as far as I’m concerned my kids are the most fascinating people in the world, so it’s easy to have a day to celebrate that relationship. But I know that Sunday is not going to be a great day for everybody. It’s hard for people who’ve lost their moms. It’s hard for those who had crummy moms — and believe me, it hasn’t escaped my notice that in our cultural glorification of motherhood, the fact that a lot of women who’ve had children have done a piss poor of raising them seems to get conveniently left out a lot. And it can also be hard for women who don’t have children, in this season of constant reminders that the best and most important “job” a woman could ever aspire to is motherhood. So to all my female friends who aren’t moms, I just want you to know that I call BS on this garbage too. . . .
FULL ARTICLE HERE
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