In This Issue
The Power of Language and the Language of Power
I Will
Poetry: My Sister
Call in the Midst of the Quiet
Book Review: God the What? What Our Metaphors for
God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God
The Gift and Challenge of Collegiality
The Global Scene: First Women Ordained in Mexico
Questions for our Readers
Responses from Our Readers
Power of Language and Language of Power
By Corrine Denis, Wartburg Theological Seminary, MDiv Senior and Jon Larson, Wartburg Theological Seminary, MDiv Senior
These insights were shared at Wartburg Theological Seminary’s 22nd Annual Convocation on Inclusive and Expansive Language, October 8, 2009.
Corrine Denis
Language has power—to inspire us, move us to tears, calm our hearts and minds, and deeply move us. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” Language has power to move us to action and get fired up. “I have a dream.” Language has power to label and therefore stigmatize and hurt. “That assignment is retarded. This class is so gay.” Language sets a tone, shifts our focus and even our mood.
The atmosphere in a room could shift by the words we use and how we use them. Compare the language and imagery of the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” with that of “Mothering God You Give Us Rest”. “ Perhaps the language comforted you. Perhaps you felt turned off and angered. Perhaps you felt forgotten, left out, excluded, or even pushed out by the language used. This is the power of language and language of power.
I read the book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller when I was in college. The first couple of pages impacted me significantly. “My father left my home when I was young, so when I was introduced to the concept of God as Father I imagined God as a stiff, oily man who wanted to move into our house and share a bed with my mother. I can only remember this as a frightful and threatening idea. We were a poor family who attended a wealthy church, so I imagined God as a man who had a lot of money and drove a big car. At church they told us we were children of God, but I knew God’s family was better than mine, that God had a daughter who was a cheerleader and a son who played football. I was born with a small bladder so I wet the bed till I was ten and later developed a crush on the homecoming queen who was kind to me in a political sort of way, which is something she probably learned from her father, who was the president of a bank. And so from the beginning, the chasm that separated me from God was as deep as wealth and wide as fashion” (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003, 1-2).
I honestly can’t pinpoint a specific time when my language for God began to shift. I do, however, remember a story. A young woman I met in high school admitted to having difficulty trusting God. The only words she heard for God related to being a father, or He (you know, with the capital “h”.) Her own father had been abusive and anything but trustworthy, much like Donald Miller’s story. I don’t know what has become of this woman, or where she is now, but I think of her often. Her story made me think. How does our language of God as only “He” or “Him” or man affect relationship with God? How might we expand language of God for this young woman, for Donald Miller, and for others?
I also began to notice a shift in language for God during my time as a student at Luther College. Language of a strong and mighty as well as a nurturing and mothering God opened my mind and heart to new ways of thinking about God. The use of expansive language in worship was, for me, freeing. It was as if layers upon layers were opening before me—not that I suddenly “knew” God more, but somehow I felt more fully known. I began to appreciate the wonder and mystery of God in knowing that I couldn’t possibly know all there is to know about God, that God is beyond all language that we could use to describe God. Most importantly, I realized that God could no longer be contained in a box. God is on the loose. Thanks be to God!
Words have the power to build and break relationships. As followers of Christ and leaders in the Christ’s church, we are called to engage in the action of God, the action of building relationship. Using expansive language when referring to God is one crucial form of building relationship between God and creation, especially in terms of worship. Expansive language is language for God that is not limited to a patriarchal system, but instead incorporates other images and metaphors for the Triune God. Together, we confess a diverse, expansive God when we proclaim that God is triune, a communal God. We have a chance to work together, women and men, to expand our arms, minds, and hearts in order to welcome all people.
True inclusiveness means more than changing words; it means exploring images of God based upon the experience of oppressed peoples, and the voices infrequently heard. It is a matter of both justice and mission. In our context, that means exploring the rich possibilities of feminine imagery, as well as drawing on liturgy, songs, and texts written by, and in response to oppressed people in this country and around the world.
“[Inclusive language] shows respect for all people. Scripture proclaims the world is created, redeemed, and sustained by the Word of God, and the church attests to the power of language and words, recognizing that words have the power to exploit and exclude as well as affirm and liberate” (http://www.ucc.org/worship/inclusive-language/).
Elizabeth A. Johnson, in her book She Who is, writes, “[T]he way in which a faith community shapes language about God implicitly represents what it takes to be the highest good, the profoundest truth, the most appealing beauty” (Elizabeth A. Johnson, She Who Is, Crossroad, 1992, 3-4). We are called to continue to explore the ways in which the written Word of God speaks of God; we look to the many images and metaphors in order to expand our own understandings of God, the highest good.
As we look at scripture we notice the expansive understanding of God. Each image relates a piece of the character of God; no one image/metaphor can hold the entirety of God. Each image is limited. Pronouns such as he/him/she/her are also limited in scope. We work together, encouraging each other to not limit the gospel, but instead to proclaim God in forms larger than exclusively masculine images and larger than simple pronouns, especially when pronouns used are exclusively masculine.
For years now, the Wartburg community has welcomed the use of inclusive and expansive language. We as students, staff, and faculty continue in presenting the gospel in an inclusive and expansive manner in order to welcome all people, breaking down barriers.
Jon Larson
You’ve heard the phrase- “Ignorance is bliss.” It sure is, isn’t it? I sometimes think it would be easier to go back to the times of my childhood, taking Jesus’ advice and having faith like a child’s. But if “faith like a child” means ignoring reality, it can actually disconnect us from the liberation at work in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think I was naive to the fact that exclusive language for persons and God causes deep harm to individuals, and it causes deep harm to the faith of individuals.
I want you to know also that I understand that this is a difficult topic because it confronts many core beliefs. But it is crucial. I was in a fairly serious dating relationship when I first came to seminary. Then this topic of inclusive language got hold of me, and it really affected my core theology. This woman was not really ever able to feel comfortable speaking to me about God because of my convictions related to the expansive use of language. It ultimately drove us apart, and that was hard.
But I kept praying and thinking. Then I took a J-term course addressing issues of domestic violence, and I realized that there are pieces of our core theologies that must be broken down in order for new life to come forth. It is so practical. Exclusive language is one of those pieces that must be broken in order that we may each welcome in our brothers and sisters who are different than us. This is particularly important for white males who have dominated Christian discourse and the ordained ministry for centuries. We, as men, have power to use to build up.
For me it came down to this: If I look into the eyes of a female colleague, a sister in Christ, and say, “I believe God is more like me than you, dear sister”…then I am falsely proclaiming who God is and whose God is. And I cannot live like that any longer, and I will not pastor like that.
I will…
by Erik Olson, Wartburg Theological Seminary, MDiv Senior
I am a white, heterosexual, Pastor-To-Be, male, and simply because of that:
I will never be referred to as “that male Pastor.”
I will not have to fight for acceptance because of my gender.
I will have my opinion heard and will not be shut down by someone.
I will not have who I am defined by the actions of another male.
I will not be labeled as a heretic because of responding to God’s call.
I will not be asked “Who are you to wear that?” in response to a clerical collar.
There are so many more things that my sisters in ministry may have to deal with in their future or current calls that I will never have to deal with. Part of me rejoices in that. But then I find myself in despair. I have so much to try to help to correct. I wish I was aware of more, wish I would be able to be better prepared to counteract and correct such language. Even 20 years or more later we still hear of the same issues and attitudes towards these who are Pastors and that gives me sadness. But I know that if I work to help others see that these issues still exist I can help. I know that I cannot look away and ignore these attitudes.
My Sister
Erik Olson, Wartburg Theological Seminary, MDiv Senior
My sister-
Whoever you may be
What do I like best about you?
Is it your laughter?
Your smile?
Your hugs?
Your dedication?
Your love of family?
Your friendship?
Your amazing faith?
I think it is just you,
all of these and so many more.
You are awesome,
inspiring, smart,
funny, loving,
caring, beautiful,
and frankly just plain great.
But mostly you are my sister,
and I could not ask for a better one.
Love you,
Your Brother,
Call in the Midst of the Quiet
By Donnita Moeller, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Tipton, Iowa
Seven years into my call as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, I began to feel restless. I was tired of the same old issues, discouraged by the same routine. I longed for a change, a challenge. I filled out the synod papers to look for a new call. I even interviewed with a couple of churches.
And then there was the snowstorm. I was driving home on interstate 80 when the snow began. I slowed a bit. Things were fine until a seven car pileup farther ahead began to cause the traffic to slow and stop. I didn't notice the slowing traffic and couldn't stop soon enough. With nowhere else to go, I headed for the ditch coming to a rough but safe stop. The traffic began to back up on both sides of the interstate for miles. There was nothing to do but sit in the car, in the ditch and wait. After all, I was only 30 miles from home. How long could this take?
The first 3 hours were cold but adventurous. I huddled in my coat, tucking my legs up underneath me to keep my feet warm. Of course I hadn't put a blanket in the car, worn boots or filled the car with gas before leaving. Since there wasn't much gas in the car, I had to turn the car off. Every 30 minutes I'd turn it back on with the heat on high for five minutes to warm up. I talked on my cell phone to family and friends, laughing at the silly predicament that I'd gotten myself into.
And then it began to get dark. And the cell phone battery was low. And the traffic on the interstate began to slowly move on without me. I was alone. Dave, a member of Trinity, and his son-in-law Paul, were in their four-wheel-drive truck coming to get me. They had been waiting for the interstate to open up, but in the meantime, the snow had made the roads a mess. A drive that usually takes less than 30 minutes took them nearly two hours.
In my situation of imposed silence, I reflected on my experiences seeking another call. I decided that this would be a good time to review the reasons for leaving and what I was looking for in another call. In that quiet darkness I suddenly had no reasons for leaving Trinity. Forced to stop all the outside distractions, I realized that I had everything that I needed right where I was. The restless feeling calmed and the opportunities for challenge at Trinity became apparent.
Not long after this Dave and Paul arrived to rescue me. They pulled up on the edge of the interstate and began looking for my car in the ditch, shining their flashlights. I could see them coming for me through the snow and cold. I felt as if they brought to life the story of the Good Shepherd. I had my own personal Good Shepherd who had found me when I was lost. A heated truck cab, heated truck seats and a cup of hot chocolate, and I was on my way home, five hours after going into the ditch. The next day I withdrew my papers from the synod office.
Four months later Dave came to my office to talk. He told me that he was going into the hospital for tests and that the doctor suspected pancreatic cancer. We talked about the circumstances that led him to the doctor's office. We wondered about the outcome. I told him that I would walk with him and his family on this journey.
For the next five months, Dave, his family and I walked a delicate path through a diagnosis, loss of weight, hospital visits, and hospice care. We talked, laughed, cried, prayed and sang. Dave, his wife and I even attended a Healing Touch clinic together. Three weeks ago, we said our good-byes. At Dave's funeral, as I walked before his casket leading the way to the gravesite, I thought of myself as his shepherd. Like he had done for me, I walked with him as he went home.
Book Review: God the What? What Our Metaphors for God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God, by Carolyn Jane Bohler, Skylight Paths, 2008
Reviewed by: Gloria Stubitsch, Wartburg Theological Seminary, MDiv Senior
As I pray the Psalms, I frequently find myself swept up in the vast range of images and metaphors I encounter. God the What? What Our Metaphors for God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God reminded me that creative imagination can be one way for individuals and communities to express praise, repentance, longing, searching, thanksgiving and faith. In the Psalms, the hymn book of the people of God, I encounter God in the Divine Warrior who will crush the enemy and bring in deliverance, in the strong and steady Rock on whom we can trust, in the Shepherd who leads wayward, stubborn sheep through the dangers of the journey, in the Knitter who stitches us together in our mother’s womb and in countless others. These seem to me to be impassioned attempts to convey the infinite God with the finitude of human language. With these metaphors, claims are made about God and the nature of God’s action in every moment of human existence. In the community of faith, we share many metaphors for God. There are images that comfort, challenge, frighten. Our metaphors are powerful. No single image can express the fullness of God, yet, in this vast bouquet, we can catch a glimpse of beauty of God.
As a preacher and teacher, I take language seriously. I know too well how language has been used to hurt, oppress and marginalize. I believe that the Word I proclaim has the power to transform, liberate and heal. I carefully consider how images can be experienced differently by those who encounter them. At times, I find my diligent attention resulting in an amorphous generality in language about God. Speaking in this way often leaves a stale taste in my mouth.
In her book God the What? What Our Metaphors for God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God, Carolyn Jane Bohler offers a powerful alternative.
Carolyn Jane Bohler is lead pastor at First United Methodist Church in Redlands, California. For a number of years, she was Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. She has served as editor of the Journal of Pastoral Theology and also authored Opening to God: Guided Imagery Meditations on Scripture and Prayer on Wings: A Search for Authentic Prayer.
In God the What, Bohler invites her readers to explore the theological link between our language about God and our beliefs about how God acts in the world. She is careful to assert that our metaphors are not themselves god and that our monotheistic faith does not translate to faith dependent on any one metaphor. Bohler sparks the creative imagination of readers by exploring both familiar and new metaphors for God, naming the particular insights and limitations of them. She sees our creative use of language as one way we live out our human identity as co-creators with God. She introduces God the Compass, Sail and Wind, God the Uncountable Infinity, and God the Jazz Band Leader, among others. Drawing on the bible, sciences and both playful and moving life experiences, articulating scholarship in accessible terms, she empowers readers to explore the metaphors that convey meaning for them at this point in their journey of faith.
Personally, God the What renewed my prayer life, as I see familiar metaphors in transformed ways and find new energy in my search for meaningful metaphors that speak to this moment in my life and the lives of those with whom I journey. I discovered that by carefully developing a wide range of metaphors, we can convey both the particular, intimate presence of God and the ultimate universality in the whole scope of our human existence. This is a provocative work that would stir creative imagination in personal devotion or group conversation. I wonder how it might stir the faith of those who find the Christian faith stagnant, predictable or irrelevant.
The Gift and Challenge of Collegiality
By: Steven Wilco, Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, MDiv Senior
We hear over and over again in seminary about the need for a strong network of colleagues to help us bear the task of public ministry. But how do we develop a network that is not only supportive, but challenging to us? The closer I get to leaving seminary and entering the parish, the more I think the colleagues we most need are the ones we initially resist.
I think of my friend and colleague who in my early encounters with her (and even now) described herself as a heretic and a non-conformist who was going to speak her mind no matter what people thought. As a reserved individual who tends to conform and follow authority whenever possible, my immediate reaction was to assume that we would never get along and would be at odds for our entire seminary career. Despite some initial hesitation on both sides, it turns out we have more in common theologically that we ever thought, and she challenges me to rethink the ways I shape my ministry.
I think of the woman to whom I took an immediate disliking to because of the way she spoke her mind and asked questions based on a very different set of experiences than I had. Because of my reaction to a particular situation, I didn’t think we could repair our relationship. Turns out I ended up washing her feet during the Maundy Thursday liturgy that year. That was the beginning, at least in my mind, of a long process of healing. When we worked together on a project near and dear to both our hearts, we became friends . Now I am often surprised in our conversations by the rich way her very different experiences lend new insights to my ministry.
I think of a woman who has been a dear friend and colleague for many years. Yet, there was a point in our relationship when out of a time of confusion in my own life, I was hurtful. I didn’t think we could ever be friends and colleagues in the same way we had once been. And yet, because of her gracious forgiveness and both our commitments to friendship, she continues to be a trusted friend and colleague who knows me sometimes too well, and therefore, is able to challenge me to think outside my comfort zone about my ministry.
Now, thankfully not all my collegial relationships have been this conflictual. I cherish the many friends and colleagues with whom I generally can vent and share and receive unquestioning support. But for me it has been these more difficult relationships that have challenged me to grow most.
What would our ministry as leaders in the church be like if the Spirit allowed us to sit comfortably in our own ideas of ministry? I thank God for the gift of people who challenge me. I thank God even more for the gift of forgiveness and reconciliation that has allowed these relationships to develop beyond my own closed-mindedness and beyond my own mistakes.
I wish I had sage advice for how to skip the conflict part and jump to the point of collegiality that is challenging and fruitful. As we live and work with people who are both our personal friends and our public colleagues, I suspect that some of this struggle is probably inevitable. But now I try to remember in the midst of a difficult relationship that growth is taking place for me and hopefully for the other, and I look for the hidden gifts that the other is offering.
We are indeed broken people who need God’s promise of forgiveness in order to be able to live together as people of God. And in my experience, it is this struggle with one another, lived out in the promise of God’s grace, that creates rich and fruitful relationships.
First Women Ordained in Mexico
by Erika Uthe, Wartburg Theological Seminary, MDiv Senior
On 25 April 2009, three women were ordained to the Iglesia Luterana Mexicana (ILM) or the Mexican Lutheran Church. Mexico is the fifteenth country out of sixteen in the Lutheran World Federation membership churches of the Latin American and Caribbean region to ordain women. Rev. María Elena Ortega Mora will serve Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Rev. Sofía Deyanira Tenorio May will serve Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, and Rev. Angela del Consuelo Trejo Haager will serve at Christ Lutheran Church, along with her husband, Rev. Dr Moisés Pérez Espino.
Citing the priesthood of all believers, president of ILM Rev. Daniel Trejo Coria emphasized the equality of men and women in the Sacrament of Baptism, “If this is the basis of the Sacrament of Baptism, we can conclude that preaching and proclamation can be done by all people.” Clergy from the Anglican, Lutheran, and Baptist churches as well as a woman rabbi from the Jewish Messianic Community of Mexico, and other international clergy participated in the rite of ordination.
In a society where “machismo” reigns, this is an important step towards the partnership of men and women not only in ministry, but in other areas of life. The ILM is a pioneer in their country by leading the way towards an inclusive and more positive view of the value of women.
My experience in Latin America has been primarily in Guatemala and Nicaragua, though I have spent a short amount of time in Mexico. In all of these cultures Machismo is very prevalent, and women are traditionally seen as mothers and homemakers, though this is changing in the metropolitan areas. I have been travelling to Guatemala annually for six years; last year almost every acquaintance asked me why I didn’t have children yet and offered sympathy that I wasn’t yet a mother.
These three women are paving the way for generations of women after them. They will endure the slander, stares, prejudice, and other baggage that comes with being a pioneer, just as my predecessors did for me. It is a significant step towards full partnership and we can give thanks to God for the work of the Spirit in opening the minds and hearts toward a more inclusive understanding of ministry in the world.
Questions for our Readers
The Persistent Voice invites comments and contributions from our readers. Please send your response to: ncookeverist@wartburgseminary.edu
What images and metaphors for God have been meaningful for you? How did you discover them? How has this changed throughout your life?
Why has it taken so long for churches to move toward using expansive language for God? Share your experiences and those of your faith community? What are the challenges?
Where are you in developing collegial partnerships? Tell us stories of your experiences as men and women working together.
Responses from our Readers from Spring 2009
From Andrea Myers, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Albert Lea, MN, in response to her article “Women Still Wait…” from PV Spring 2009
Writing that PV piece and having it published were a real gift. I received notes of encouragement and concern from a number of people who were touched by reading it, as well as several who had not realized that I was still waiting.
My long wait is over! Grace Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, MN has called me to be their Associate Pastor! (Hallelujah!) This looks like a good fit, like a place where my gifts are well matched to the needs of their ministry.
From Beverly Jo Arnold, Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Living Christ, Florissant, Missouri, in response to the question “Where were you 20 years ago?” from PV Spring 2009
Twenty years ago, I was on internship in Anaheim, California. At that time, I served as sacristan for the 20th celebration of Women's Ordination -- what a great celebration!
I graduated in 1991 with an assignment to Pacifica Synod. The only church that read my profile did not interview me because I was a woman.
In 1992 I was called to the position of “assistant” pastor of First Lutheran Church, St. Joseph, Missouri. There were many challenges. I met those challenges, maybe to prove to myself that I was called, equipped, and empowered to proclaim the Gospel message. The church did not close; it flourished.
In 1996 I was called to serve God’s people at Lutheran Church of the Living Christ, Florissant, Missouri. This church had been an LC-MS church. Upon the vote to call me, many folks left. Living Christ “took a chance on a woman pastor”. In the 13 years I have served God’s people at Living Christ, we have seen growth and an excitement of how God is working in our church and community. These are exciting times yet challenging times to be involved in “God’s work – our hands.”
When I read the Spring Issue of Persistent Voice, many of the writers and I had crossed paths, maybe known and unknown: Juel Pierce, Christine Iverson, April Larson, Rebecca Ellenson. As the Body of Christ, we are all connected, known and unknown, and I thank God for that connection.
From Elisa Stokka, Norway
I am so happy to have received the persistent voice all the way to Norway!
From Jean Bozeman, Norfolk, Virginia
The last issue of The Persistent Voice was very good – ahhhhh 20 yrs……can it be! Great job.
From Sonja Selboe , Indianola, Washington
I always enjoy reading PV. I look forward to it on the WTS website. I am praying for a sane, hospitable outcome of the church wide assembly. I recommend the book To the Tune of a Welcoming God by David Weiss. It is beautifully written. He's serving a church in St. Paul now so hope he gets a chance to speak on the ordination issue.
From Alicia R. Anderson, Associate in Ministry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
I am still in campus ministry serving at Penn State and find I still enjoy it. I enjoy The Persistent Voice.
Phyllis Kester, Colorado Springs Colorado
For the first time, I noticed the website address & change in publishing form. So I checked out the website. My reaction: "Where have I been for these many, many years?" I felt like I was discovering a treasure chest called Wartburg Seminary for the first time.
Persistent Voice Staff
Norma Cook Everist
Gloria Stubitsch
