As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, while poking around in the basement one day I came upon a box filled with my old books -- books I haven't seen for years, that I thought were long gone. One of them was a copy of Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love. I thought I had given, or thrown, this book away during my mid-30's Christianity vacation, so I was happy to find it again.
A couple of days ago as I was flipping through the book trying to find a particular quote, something fluttered to the floor. Turns out that it was the postcard you see below -- a postcard featuring a photo of a bejeweled gold ikon cover for the famous Andrei Rublev icon of the Trinity, showing the Godhead sitting around a table, engaged in intimate conversation. I have absolutely no memory of how I obtained this postcard -- there's no writing on the back.
I had been wanting to have some representation of the Trinity for my home altar. How cool is it that this picture literally fell right in front of it? A God thing, you think?
And here's what Julian has to say about the Trinity:
I saw the blessed Trinity working. I saw that there were these three attributes: fatherhood, motherhood and lordship -- all in one God. In the almighty Father we have been sustained and blessed with regard to our created natural being from before all time. By the skill and wisdom of the Second Person we are sustained, restored and saved with regard to our sensual nature, for he is our Mother, Brother and Savior. In our good Lord the Holy Spirit we have, after our life and hardship is over, that reward and rest which surpasses for ever any and everything we could possibly desire -- such is his grace and magnificent courtesy.
What a lovely gift.
Ikon cover for Rublev's Trinity
7 comments:
I haven't see these three attributes for God listed this way before. Certainly the Bible tells many things about God that are nuturing. Lots to chew on.
Julian tends to group her thoughts into threes throughout her "shewings," or revelations. It's very interesting; it's as if she's internalized the concept of Trinity in such a way that for her the whole world is Trinitarian in nature. I think of all the famous Christian mystics, she's the most accessible -- really a pleasure to read. And she gets grace in a way that resonates with Lutherans.
It's interesting...over on Beliefnet, in the Christian Women's forum (a scary, largely fundamentalist place), I started a topic thread on "Mothering," riffing off an article in the newest issue of the WELCA's Cafe' online magazine for younger women, talking about the mothering attributes of God. I did this, frankly (she said with an impish grin), to mess with them a little, in what I hope is a therapeutic way, because these women tend to be to the right of Phyllis Schlafly and immersed in female self-loathing. And -- darn it -- why should this forum be dominated by fundamentalists? Anyway, I asked people to share the ways in which they have felt mothered by God and by other women in their lives, living or dead. So far only one woman has responded.
For more of Julian's thoughts regarding both the Trinity and the Motherhood of God, you can go here .
For more of Julian's thoughts regarding both the Trinity and the Motherhood of God, you can go here .
In general, females aren't brought up with the idea that women can have inner strength and go and DO something, so I suppose that when they hear it reinforced by the church, they just buy into it. Some of that might be neediness reinforced by lack of good parenting in their homes. I found that, as a mother, I was at my worst when my self-esteem was the lowest. And when I was stong inside, I did the best mothering. [Have you seen The Dog Whisperer on TV, National Geographic Channel? This is the same message that the dog trainer trys to convey to the dog owners. It is a show worth watching!]
Yet it is interesting that girls tend to excel in school and join and even lead more of the activities than boys do. Girls are less adventerous when they are young adults than guys are, but I've noticed that mature women are often more adventurous than the mature men, they want to go and do things.
It is interesting that in the era of the Pastor doing everything and the people just sitting in the pews on Sunday morning, the men were the only ones allowed to be the leaders in the church, church council, etc. So I suppose, men weren't encouraged to be leaders there either. *** These days, women are on the council, the president, the lectors, speakers, worship leaders, etc. [It is like we are making up for generations chomping at the bit.] When the lay people were encouraged to be visible in a church service, we had no shortage of females stepping forward. Some of my guy friends said they would get too nervous to do that. Hmmmm
But they are now doing it too. Praise God.
*** I think that a strong women's group in the church is a holdover from the days when this was the only place in the church for a woman to get anything done. My political opinion, only.
I love your ideas of stirring the pot on that forum.
Could you share the URL to the ELCA article you mention. I looked and wasn't sure which one it is.
Thank you so much. I needed to hear that (your comment on my moving to Mom's) today. You made me cry too. And what a gift you are. Blessings.
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