Our Mother in Heaven

[corinthpastorbob]

For solid biblical reasons, Christians prioritize the metaphor of God as Father. Any attempt to devalue or eliminate the fatherhood of God is a slap at Jesus himself and results in a significantly diminished theology.

But the Bible also uses, though more rarely, the metaphor of God as mother. To be God-like is to display a mother's tender heart and nurturing spirit. "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49:15).

Mothers do an amazing job of connecting with each child. Not all mothers, of course, but I would guess statistically more so than fathers. Even mothers with children numbering in double digits somehow notice their individual needs. And value each child, whether young or old, successful or not.

In my congregation of 900, I find it hard to "mother" each person. Of course, I don't have to do so personally, but ultimately I am responsible for the nurture and care of each one - the lifetime, cranky old codger and the naively enthusiastic newcomer, the out of town member I see once a year (if that often) and the overworked ecclesiastical overachiever, the babe in the faith and the godly elder, the rich and the poor. How do I make sure God's mothering instinct and skill is increasing in me? How do I nurture each sheep?

I know some of what's been tried, with varying success, at different churches - small groups, lay undershepherds, and so forth. Some of those ideas are part of our church life as well. But in the "voluntary" system that is (and probably should be) the local church, only those sheep who choose to be nurtured and loved will be most of the time.

I don't know all the answers. What I do know is that I can never become callous - blaming the sheep or the undershepherd and excusing myself. I'm not sure it's so much about a new program. It's about a shepherd's heart, a mother's heart - that none of my sheep will say, "You forgot me."