Nurturing the Nations Reclaiming the Dignity of Women for the Building of Healthy Cultures God’s Maternal Heart Transition:

Part 3 THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS 7 The Bible 8 The Trinity 9 Servanthood 10 The Transcendence of Sexuality 11 God’s Maternal Heart

Jerusalem Oh Jerusalem! O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Personal reflection Read Matthew 23:37 What does this reveal about the heart of God? Feedback

God The Father Paternal Heart Maternal Heart

Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son (1669) What do you see in this picture? Note the hands!

Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son "As soon as I recognized the difference between the two hands of the father, a new world of meaning opened up for me. The Father is not simply a great patriarch. He is mother as well as father. He touches the son with a masculine hand and a feminine hand. He holds, and she caresses. He confirms and she consoles. He is , indeed, God, in whom both manhood and womanhood, fatherhood and motherhood, are fully present. That gentle and caressing right hand echoes for me the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you. Look, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."

Metaphor or Simile Simile Metaphor A metaphor states that the whole of one thing is the same as the whole of another thing God is a mother Simile A simile compares part of one thing to another God is like a mother

God is like: A woman giving birth A nursing mother A mother hen A mother eagle To say that God is Mother is: To posit God as a female deity To see the creation as a birthing process Pantheism confusion of God and creation Many modern feminists theologians are pantheists and not theists.

John Piper “All things exist to demonstrate something about God’s infinite perfections.” What is the essence of female? It is to reveal the maternal heart of God to a watching world. A woman does not have to be a mother to do this. The maternal metaphysic of love, self-sacrifice and nurturing of every woman is a manifestation of God’s maternal heart.

The Female Body Was made for a purpose: to compassionate, to nurture and to protect. The concrete reality of the female body reveals, to all who will see, the abstract nature of God’s compassion, nurture and protection. A woman’s body is not merely functional, it also has a transcendent purpose of pointing us to the maternal heart of God.

Having A Mother At its most rudimentary level, one of the most common denominators to being a human is to have a mother.

Each Human Being Was carried inside of a woman, in a womb. Most received their first nurture at a mother’s breast. Was held in a mother’s arms.

Three Powerful Similes Womb-Love – God’s Compassion Nurturing Breasts – God’s Sufficiency Mother’s Arms (Sheltering Wings) – God’s Protection

Womb Love: God’s Compassion

God’s Name “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin….” Exodus 34:6-7 Individual Reflection / Small Group Work Read Exodus 34:5-6a. What does the name of God reveal about his nature? Feedback God is the God of compassion The cross is God’s compassionate response to our sin A world without Christ is a world without compassion.

Hebrew - racham Derived from Hebrew word meaning: to love, to love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, and have compassion. Translated Mercy 30 times Compassion 4 times Womb 4 times God’s nature is to compassion. His name is compassion. The word used for God’s name is also translated womb.

The King’s Dilemma 1 Kings 3:16-28 What is the setting? What is the dilemma that Solomon faced? How did he determine which woman was the real mother? What did this test reveal? Small Group Work Read 1 Kings 3: 16-28 Answer the questions Feedback What did the real mother have? Womb-Love. Solomon’s wisdom was not magic. He understood: God is a compassionate God He has built his compassion into women: womb-love

Womb Love The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

Nurturing Breasts: God’s Sufficiency

El Shaddai The All Sufficient The Satisfier The Almighty God is the God of NURTURE. He is: Comforting Nurturing Providing His maternal heart is manifest in The metaphysical feminine The structure of a woman’s body Most profoundly in a woman’s breasts Too often society Reduces a woman’s breasts to sex objects Ignores the metaphysical nature of the physical breasts

God is Like a Nursing Mother Read: Numbers 11:12; Isaiah 49:13-15; Isaiah 66:10-13 Questions: What do these reveal about God? What do they reveal about a woman? Small Group Work Read the passages Reflect on what these reveal about God A Woman Feedback

Hebrew – El Shaddai Name of God Shaddai is found 48 times in O.T. From root shad: breast or bosom When combined with El – God, it means: One Who Nourishes One Who Supplies One Who Satisfies God is the archetype for the human stereotype Not an anthropomorphic projection God is the all sufficient provider for His creation He has made the female breast a physical expression of His transcendent nature

Dr. R.C. Sproul “Some scholars argue that the Semitic, linguistic root of the divine title El Shaddai referred to the “multibreasted one,” the one who provides the nation with succor and nourishment.”

Made for Relationship Maternal Infant Bonding “Latching” – skin to skin contact The eyes – soul to soul contact The very nature of God is community, relationship. The Trinity is the First Bonded Community. We were made for relationships The most basic place where is manifest in creation is in maternal –infant bonding. Drs. Klaus and Kennell describe the maternal-infant bonding as and “intense physical, emotional and spiritual bond.” Latching – skin to skin contact – research has shown Leave new born baby and mother alone Place the baby on the mother’s sternum Within 20-60 minutes the baby will find the mother’s breast and latch on. The eyes – soul to soul contact Nurse and lactation therapist Marie Davis writes, in Breastfeeding: The Lost Art: that in the womb “the baby is hearing the sounds of his mother through the uterine wall. He tastes the spices and foods mom eats as he drink amniotic fluid. He learns his mother’s smell from the smell of the amniotic fluid.” “Research is repeatedly proving that breastfeeding is more than the at of transferring milk. Breastfeeding is nurturing.” “Mature milk provides all needed nutrients for normal growth and development. Breast milk will meet all of the infant’s nutritional needs for six months.” Maternal-infant bonding takes place in the womb. The baby is learning the mother’s: Voice Sounds and music of her culture The rhythms of her heart beat Tastes in food Scent Once out of the womb, the baby wants to be on her mother’s breast, near to her HEART and the place of nourishment.

Beauty and Function Telenomy: a female breast, in beauty and function reveals something of God’s Infinite Perfection

Questions What does this reveal about women? What does this reveal about God? What are the implications of the maternal-infant bond before and after birth for the external environment for the mother? Small Group Work Have each group take one question. Discuss Feedback

Marilyn’s Story Marilyn studied for 6 months to become a lactation therapist. Most nights she would say that she did not understand how someone could study the female breast and not conclude there is a God. Research has shown Introduce a pathogen into a nursing mother Her body will produce the anti-body in the babies milk before it produces it for the mother herself. What does this reveal about: The very nature of female? The nature of God?

Mother’s Arms God’s Protection

God Is Our Refuge and Protector Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Small Group Work Read the passage What are the mental pictures that come to your mind? Shadow is a Hebrew metaphor for God’s protection against oppression. Wings are a metaphor of God’s protection

Hebrew - rachaph Meaning: to brood, to flutter, to move The concept: As a hen over her chick to warm and protect To sit over, cover and cherish To mature anything with care

The Shadow of Thy Wing SET ONE Psalm 17: 6-9 Psalm 36: 5-9 Psalm 57: 1 SET TWO Ruth 2:11-12 Ruth 3: 9 Isaiah 31: 5 Matthew 23: 37 Small Group Work Pick one set of verses and read them Answer the following questions: What does it mean for someone to be under the shadow of the wing? Who are those who provide the shelter? Feedback It is God’s nature to provide refuge and protection. This has been manifest in the wings of a mother bird and the arms of a human mother.

Stories Stories Park Ranger Young man from Guatemala Poem “Scars of Love,” a poem written by Rebekah (Holsapple) Jack for her mother beautifully captures the motherly, self-sacrificing heart of God: “If a man came to me and said, “I am your Christ,” I would ask him to show me his hands. I know my Christ by the love which defines His character–the love that gave him the strength and desire to have His life in exchange for mine.” “There is no greater love than this–that a man lay down his life for his friend.” “I have never seen Jesus, but he knew me and loved me even before I was born. He gave me life, and when my own sin threatened that life, He died on the cross to save it, and no mark was left on me. When I see Him, I will know Him by the scars that bear witness to the unfathomable magnitude of His love for me.” “I know my mother by the love which defined her character–the love that gave her strength and desire to offer her life in exchange for mine. “ “There is no greater love than this–that a man lay down his life for his Friend.” “My mother knew me and loved me even before I was born; she gave me life. When I was a baby, twelve stone steps threatened that life, but she held me so tight and close that every cut and bruise fell on her own body, and so no mark was left on me.” “So mother, if when I get to heaven I don’t recognize you, show me the scars on your arms that bear witness to the unfathomable magnitude of your love for me.”[1] [1] Given to me by Rebekah’s mom Diane(?) Holsapple

Scars of Love Rebekah Holsapple If a man came to me and said, “I am your Christ,” I would ask him to show me his hands. I know my Christ by the love which defines His character–the love that gave him the strength and desire to give His life in exchange for mine. “There is no greater love than this–that a man lay down his life for his friend.”

Scars of Love Rebekah Holsapple I have never seen Jesus, but He knew me and loved me even before I was born. He gave me life, and when my own sin threatened that life, He died on the cross to save it, and no mark was left on me. When I see Him, I will know Him by the scars that bear witness to the unfathomable magnitude of His love for me.

Scars of Love Rebekah Holsapple I know my mother by the love which defines her character–the love that gave her the strength and desire to offer her life in exchange for mine. “There is no greater love than this–that a man lay down his life for his friend.”

Scars of Love Rebekah Holsapple My mother knew me and loved me even before I was born; she gave me life. When I was a baby, twelve stone steps threatened that life, but she held me so tight and close that every cut and bruise fell on her own body, and no mark was left on me. So mother, if when I get to heaven I don’t recognize you, show me the scars on your arms that bear witness to the unfathomable magnitude of your love for me.