Charleston: Encountering the Feminine Spirit
“There is no power men can devise that can overcome the strength, dignity and courage of women. Trying to deny the rights of women is like trying to outlaw life itself. The Spirit that stands by her sisters stands eternal. The Mother that defends her daughters never sleeps.”—Steven Charleston Daily Facebook Page.
Georges de la Tour Neworn 1645
I remember when I first encountered the feminine Spirit of the God of my understanding. It was in the 1980s. I became acutely aware of the masculine slant of the words and works of the liturgy and practices of my tradition. There was no honoring of the feminine in language or church practices. So I tried changing pronouns in the service, which worked for a while.
The altar party was made up of men. I longed to worship with other women, maybe even—heaven forbid—around an altar. So we started a group on Saturday mornings using our church facility to study and learn about feminine spirituality. We soon had a huge crowd. How comforting to know that others were hungry for this facet of the divine.
After a few years, as more women from different traditions joined the group, the words and practices became even too radical for me. Finally, I knew I had to decide: remain in my tradition and wait for changes; or join in practices now in territories too foreign for me.
I decided to stay with my tradition. Soon I saw improvements there. Our Prayer Book changed by adopting less masculine language. In addition, women were given more significant roles in the Church.
I know and believe in the feminine Spirit of God that Bishop Charleston is talking about. It is a power that visited my mind, body, and spirit when I least expected it, and for some time, I could not understand it. At the time, I lived in the masculine world of medicine. Suddenly, I saw a unique way of looking at things, working out problems, relating to others, and worshiping, honoring, and praising God.
Why this power awakened me, I do not know. It was like a Damascus Road experience. I had no choice but to pursue it. It was like experiencing another pregnancy. Perhaps this nudge came from one of my deceased grandmothers, who lived under a masculine rule, but subtly tried to accomplish something different. I know only that my job now is to treasure the gift of the feminine spirit and to pass on or model the gift to my children and grandchildren. I know it can change the world, just as it changed me.
Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/