Language Journal: Heavenly Parent For God
Language Journal (reflections on each term done at the end of each week):
Week 1: This week I used the phrase “Heavenly Parent” for God. Throughout my life, God has been seen as Father with all of the patriarchal trappings that go along with that (strict, strong, etc.). I utilized the non-gendered term “parent” to see how it feels.
It was difficult for me to use the term “Parent” during the first two days. I grew up in an extremely toxic household; my parents tried to do the best they could but both of them were very troubled. I found myself uncomfortable using the term because it instantly brought up feelings of abandonment and fear.
On the third day, I spent time meditating on the word “parent” during my morning quiet time. Inside …show more content…
of me, I could hear a voice telling me that this could be a time for healing. Heavenly Parent is the parent of abundant love. Heavenly Parent gives the love that we all need and deserve. By using this phrase, I might be able to see Heavenly Parent as the healer of wounds.
I did use the phrase in church on Sunday and many people came up to me and liked the non-gendered terminology.
One woman in particular told me that she would use the phrase in the future.
Week 2: This week I used the phrase “Divine One.” When I used that term, I found myself finding a distance from God but also the term added some awe to my perception of God. I would pray to the Divine One and would get an image of the universe with the millions upon millions of miles of planets and stars. The awe would bring about a touch of fear in me because I never knew what to expect. The distance was not a bad thing but my feeling was that the Divine One was worthy of unending praise.
“Divine One” brought to mind to mind images of something so large that I could not even comprehend it. When I did my daily prayers, I had an image of being connected with the universe. In fact, when I thought of God during this I found myself felling interconnected with all beings in a very different and profound …show more content…
way.
I must admit that it was hysterical to use the term in my accountable ministry site, which is a predominantly LGBT church. Many gay men came up to me after I used the term and confessed that they initially thought I was speaking of Bette Midler!
Week 3: This week, I use the term “Abba”, the Aramaic for “Father.” It is a very personal name for God, one that Jesus used in the Lord’s Prayer. Using this term was quite different than the using “Divine One.” God went from being inaccessible to a very personal, loving Daddy.
Using this term allowed me to have a nurturing relationship with God. On Wednesday I realized that I was praying more. Abba allowed accessibility to God that was instantaneous and warmly felt. I could imagine embraces of unconditional love and waves of acceptance coming over me.
During my prayers, I felt that God cared deeply about us as humans and that God wanted what was best for us. I felt a deep connection with Abba and found myself talking to him during the day. I also started to think about my own father—whom I called Daddy—who died 26 years ago. Although we had a difficult relationship, I loved him a great deal. He was an alcoholic who died from over-drinking; it took me years to forgive him for this. Using “Abba” connected my own life to that of God’s being.
Week 4: I agonized about what term to use this week, since it is Holy Week. I knew that the prayers I would be saying would have a different meaning for me, given the events of this week in Jesus’ life and death. Thus, it seemed very important to choose one that could speak to me during this solemn week.
On Sunday, I meditated for some time before coming to the term “Sustainer of All.” This term, I knew, would serve as the ideal name for God as I went through each day of Holy Week.
This week has often been difficult for me because I attempt to “be” in the sadness of Jesus’ death. I try to imagine the confusion and shock that these disciples must have felt as they realized that Jesus was coming to blows with the power structure.
“Sustainer of All” played a dual role in my mind: God sustained the disciples and Jesus during that week as well as sustained me throughout my life. All of us often forgot that the Sustainer of All was always with us but that did not make it any less true. I felt joy and serenity when I ruminated on the term, realizing that the Sustainer of All supported me at difficult times in my life.
I really enjoyed doing this activity for many reasons. One, this activity opened my brain to alternative images and words for God. As I reflect on this activity, I am noticing that my head is filled with other words/terms that I shall use for God, such as “Spirit of Life”, “Nurturer”, “Ultimate Reality”, and
others.
Most importantly, I realize that the terms I used fit my image of God much more than the traditional ones I hear in sacred space. “Heavenly Parent”, though initially difficult for me, speaks to my heart in a way that “God the Father” never did. “Lord”, while intended to bring images of respect and awe in my head, simply turns me off, while “Divine One” does make me think of the Ultimate that I must respect.
Week 1: This week I used the phrase “Heavenly Parent” for God. Throughout my life, God has been seen as Father with all of the patriarchal trappings that go along with that (strict, strong, etc.). I utilized the non-gendered term “parent” to see how it feels.
It was difficult for me to use the term “Parent” during the first two days. I grew up in an extremely toxic household; my parents tried to do the best they could but both of them were very troubled. I found myself uncomfortable using the term because it instantly brought up feelings of abandonment and fear.
On the third day, I spent time meditating on the word “parent” during my morning quiet time. Inside …show more content…
of me, I could hear a voice telling me that this could be a time for healing. Heavenly Parent is the parent of abundant love. Heavenly Parent gives the love that we all need and deserve. By using this phrase, I might be able to see Heavenly Parent as the healer of wounds.
I did use the phrase in church on Sunday and many people came up to me and liked the non-gendered terminology.
One woman in particular told me that she would use the phrase in the future.
Week 2: This week I used the phrase “Divine One.” When I used that term, I found myself finding a distance from God but also the term added some awe to my perception of God. I would pray to the Divine One and would get an image of the universe with the millions upon millions of miles of planets and stars. The awe would bring about a touch of fear in me because I never knew what to expect. The distance was not a bad thing but my feeling was that the Divine One was worthy of unending praise.
“Divine One” brought to mind to mind images of something so large that I could not even comprehend it. When I did my daily prayers, I had an image of being connected with the universe. In fact, when I thought of God during this I found myself felling interconnected with all beings in a very different and profound …show more content…
way.
I must admit that it was hysterical to use the term in my accountable ministry site, which is a predominantly LGBT church. Many gay men came up to me after I used the term and confessed that they initially thought I was speaking of Bette Midler!
Week 3: This week, I use the term “Abba”, the Aramaic for “Father.” It is a very personal name for God, one that Jesus used in the Lord’s Prayer. Using this term was quite different than the using “Divine One.” God went from being inaccessible to a very personal, loving Daddy.
Using this term allowed me to have a nurturing relationship with God. On Wednesday I realized that I was praying more. Abba allowed accessibility to God that was instantaneous and warmly felt. I could imagine embraces of unconditional love and waves of acceptance coming over me.
During my prayers, I felt that God cared deeply about us as humans and that God wanted what was best for us. I felt a deep connection with Abba and found myself talking to him during the day. I also started to think about my own father—whom I called Daddy—who died 26 years ago. Although we had a difficult relationship, I loved him a great deal. He was an alcoholic who died from over-drinking; it took me years to forgive him for this. Using “Abba” connected my own life to that of God’s being.
Week 4: I agonized about what term to use this week, since it is Holy Week. I knew that the prayers I would be saying would have a different meaning for me, given the events of this week in Jesus’ life and death. Thus, it seemed very important to choose one that could speak to me during this solemn week.
On Sunday, I meditated for some time before coming to the term “Sustainer of All.” This term, I knew, would serve as the ideal name for God as I went through each day of Holy Week.
This week has often been difficult for me because I attempt to “be” in the sadness of Jesus’ death. I try to imagine the confusion and shock that these disciples must have felt as they realized that Jesus was coming to blows with the power structure.
“Sustainer of All” played a dual role in my mind: God sustained the disciples and Jesus during that week as well as sustained me throughout my life. All of us often forgot that the Sustainer of All was always with us but that did not make it any less true. I felt joy and serenity when I ruminated on the term, realizing that the Sustainer of All supported me at difficult times in my life.
I really enjoyed doing this activity for many reasons. One, this activity opened my brain to alternative images and words for God. As I reflect on this activity, I am noticing that my head is filled with other words/terms that I shall use for God, such as “Spirit of Life”, “Nurturer”, “Ultimate Reality”, and
others.
Most importantly, I realize that the terms I used fit my image of God much more than the traditional ones I hear in sacred space. “Heavenly Parent”, though initially difficult for me, speaks to my heart in a way that “God the Father” never did. “Lord”, while intended to bring images of respect and awe in my head, simply turns me off, while “Divine One” does make me think of the Ultimate that I must respect.