Holy Spirit & Mothering (1/2)
0:00:00 - Intro and Atmosphere Prayer
0:39:43 - Dave’s story
0:77:10 - Zia’s story
1:15:27 - Group prayer
Resources
Genesis 3:16: “To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your grief {and} your suffering in pregnancy {and} the pangs of childbearing; with spasms of distress you will bring forth children. Yet your desire {and} craving will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
(Note: We do not espouse everything below. These resources are included because they have unique insights into the Mother Wound. Receive only what is helpful. This is not about blaming mothers, men or anyone else. The central takeaway is to see where brokenness in the church and the culture can create mother wounds.)
Gender and the Divine — YouTube slideshow talk by Dr. Irene Alexander (Theology on Tap). “What happens to your connection with God when we include the right-brain, feminine image of God?”
What is the Mother Wound — a PDF summary by Bethany Webster, a healing specialist on Mother Wounds; (a Christian-friendly author). Note: though the emphasis here is between mothers and daughters, similar wounds occur in men.
On Minimization as a Patriarchal Reflex — blog piece on permission to give and receive vulnerability by Matthew Remski (a Christian-friendly author) Note: the word “patriarchy” here is a secular connotation (not the traditional Christian denotation).
Humiliation and Its Consequences - NIH study on how the capacity to recover from humiliation/shame is made more likely if the therapist acknowledges the specificity of humiliation.
The Solution
Luke 14:26-27: “If anyone does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (Jesus first.)
Trauma-worlds and the Wisdom of Marion Woodman a free PDF by Daniela F. Sieff (a Christian-friendly author) on why body work and “being witnessed” is so important in the healing process of being re-mothered. As the temple of the Holy Spirit, your body holds original trauma, and the designed avenue God heals by us honoring the body through physical nurture.
Our Mother: The Holy Spirit - A scholarly e-book by Marianne Widmalm supporting the feminine image of God from the Old Testament, the teachings of Jesus, and the writings of early Church fathers.
Finding Holy Spirit Mother — a free, concise, informative Amazon eBook by Dr. Ally Kateusz on ways in which the Greek influence encouraged an over-emphasis of the left-brain in Christianity, especially from the 4th century.
INTIMATELY AND INFINITELY PRESENT
Your hopes and dreams, trials and troubles are also My own. I am intimately and infinitely present to you.
As deep as you sense your thoughts and feelings run, mine run deeper. Much deeper.
Yours glaze the surface, while mine are like the depths of the ocean and carry with them My divine beauty and power. As you realize how close you are to Me, not only do I bring out whatever you need for the journey, I also reveal glimpses of My eternal depths.
Just know that your prayers are always in My heart. I have already considered your situation to an infinite extent and felt what you feel beyond what you could ever know. My love and yours are intertwined when I am responding to your heart’s cry.
Nothing happens by chance or without My infinite consideration. Enticements to take control by forcing your will may prevent My loving intervention. So practice surrendering to My sovereignty.
You could spend your entire earthly life pondering just one of your problems and still not give it the same consideration I do when you cry out to My tender heart. I have known about all your concerns for millenniums and see your life fully unfolded before Me. Trust that My loving answer to you will be more than enough.
“Deep calls to deep”
Psalm 42:7