The Things I Know

I started this journey over 10 years ago. In that time I have fought for a faith I can claim as my own. I wrestled with God and misogyny, and often I couldn’t tell the two apart. And I have the deep wounds to prove it.

I have clawed my way through patronizing institutional patriarchy. I’ve lost friends, lost my mind, and lost my way more than once.

This dance- it’s hard, and brutal, and beautiful, and exhausting.

There are many questions I can’t answer, and many more questions I haven’t thought to ask yet.

But, here is what I know to be true so far:
1) The Creator of the Universe, the Divine, is neither male nor female. How silly we are to think we can explain God in such a dichotomy of human category. However, God is almost always referred to in Christian circles as “He”, and “Father”. The dominant Western view of God decidedly and exclusively male.

2) This male-dominated view of God has had far-reaching, unimaginable consequences for women around the world and our earth. One of the most damaging consequences has been the undervalue and often ignored voice of women in the church. I recognize the patriarchal system of the world has benefited from the male-defined religion of Christianity (this one is a biggie).

3) When women are told every Sunday that the God they serve is male, that he sent his son to save all men, their spirituality is filtered through exclusively male terms. Their faith is never their own, it is a borrowed faith. It is the faith of their fathers, brothers and sons, but not that of their mothers or sisters. And this faith is not the same.

4) Using feminine pronouns, exalting feminine qualities of God, and empowering female followers is necessary for accurate spiritual growth in all female Christians.

So I started This Winter Woman to share my personal experience and journey with God. My intention is to write with authenticity and vulnerability- documenting my pursuit and sharing what I learn along the way.

This Winter Women will explore the experience of women in church and culture, both past and present. This will also be a place to write about my ever-expanding faith and notion of God, as well as my struggle with modern faith.

I will use words like “Absolute”, “The Divine”, “Creator”, “God”, and “Goddess”. I will refer to God with both female and male pronouns or with no gender pronouns at all. And I will not apologize for it.

Boldly feminist and earnestly seeking.

Infinitely terrifying and achingly necessary.

 

 

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