Balking

So this happens to me every once in a while. I am going along, reading my Daily Prayer (really, trying to pray it, which is different, of course). And something stirs in me and I become just a little reluctant, recalcitrant. I begin to balk, to resist. What I resist is something that, in my opinion, is a pretty enormous problem in Presbyterian circles: the relentless maleness of language for God.

I know, I know. Yawn, many will say. But even the Daily Prayer book I use, which works pretty hard to use inclusive language and avoid gender specific pronouns wherever possible, is still steeped in this language of God as "He." And some days I flow with that just fine. And some days I have to find other avenues to connect with what I believe is a much more complex, many-faceted, many hued expression of the Divine.

So this happened to me today, and something in me whispered "Meinrad Craighead." And I did a quick Google of her, and found this site. And I meditated upon "Garden" (above) and felt much better. Free-associating, I also listened for a bit to the music of Therese Schroeder-Sheker (see her website here, and find her recordings here)