Thursday, March 08, 2007

Taking a break

I have a kitchen tools gig tonight with a myriad of things to do before hand, but want to check in and say a word about this whole, crazy, being a Christian thing.

Today I had to admit that I probably am no longer a baby Christian. I think I might very well be a toddler now.

For one thing, I think I have been weaned from God's breast. In the early days, God's consolations were like mother's milk to me, nourishing and sustaining my relationship with him. No longer am I the fretful child squirming on his lap. Now I feel safer about exploring the world on my own, knowing all the while that if I need to, I can run right back to his arms.

I am starting to walk a little.

I have found I can take a few steps
before falling on my ass.

(Is that a swear?)

Thank you, Lord.


In my prayers this week:

My dear Fr. P who hasn't been feeling his best lately.
My Rector, Bob, who took 14 kids from Grace and traveled with them to South Africa for the World AIDS conference this week.
Fr. Rich who is holding down the fort at Grace.
M.E. whose dad has just been diagnosed with liver, back and lung cancer.
JMK's nephew, who just came back, injured, from Iraq.
And my dear husband, who continues to face economic uncertainty.

Be with all of them, Lord.

4 comments:

Jennifer Garrison Brownell said...

Great post that raises a question: I'm noticing it's a boy God, but mother's milk. Is god both masculine and feminine for you? Would love to hear a post about that sometime if you get around to it.

Rachel Nguyen said...

Hi Juniper,

In general, I think of God as male, but also think he (it) is so much bigger than anything I can comprehend that he can be anything. I am a trinitarian, so I really believe that Jesus, God and the Holy spirit are 3 in one, so usually I refer to God as he.

A couple of years ago, during meditation, I had an image of God as a mother, nursing me at her breast. At first I thought that was very strange, but when I came across the passage in psalms about my soul being like a weaned child, I realized that it wasn't so strange after all.

To me, God is the Father. But he is also the mother of our souls, nurturing us and nursing us along until it is time for us to be weaned.

Anonymous said...

link to news about GCYG

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_83377_ENG_HTM.htm

Our prayers are with them.

Rachel Nguyen said...

Big Dipper,

Thanks for the link... what a great article.

(Go read it, you guys.... it is a good one.)