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Statement From The Congregation President: Susan Solstice Message to the 2011 Faith and
Feminism, Mujerista, Womanist Conference: I am a member of Ebenezer/herchurch. I grew up in the Lutheran church and left in my early 20s because I felt there
was no place for me in the traditional church. It was an institution run by men, reflecting a male theological
framework. Women are second class citizens in much of the Christian world, as is evident in their exclusion
from ministry and church leadership in many denominations. Thirty years after leaving the church, I joined Ebenezer/herchurch because
of the core messages, which include living your life with compassion for others, helping those less fortunate, calling
for justice for the oppressed, and lifting up the divine feminine. We focus on reforming the church to
include women's spirituality, because we identify a great imbalance in traditional Christianity. Many
women and men are grappling with finding a place to worship that promotes equality and inclusion. A great book to read is
"The Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd, in which she shares her transformation from a traditional
Christian to one who is inclusive of feminine spirituality. There are many, many kinds of Christians in the world. Should we point
fingers and condemn those who have a different idea about how to be spiritual? Can anyone claim to know that the Holy One,
who created the universe, full of hundreds of billions of galaxies, really hates Christians who have a different point of
view? I see a lot of hatred expressed in the name of God. Let’s
show the world the love and compassion that Jesus asks from us.
Recently we had two visitors who had not been here for a year or so. John used to be our student
intern pastor, and Jeremy was our church musician. They both commented on how much things had changed.
The last time they were here, we had a brown linoleum floor in the sanctuary, that was about fifty years old.
I call it Lutheran linoleum because when I first walked in here, I recognized it from my childhood Lutheran church
in Seattle. We also used to have many rows of pews. They were both
beautiful and comfortable, so it was hard for some of us to give them up. But now we have a flexible space
that can be used for many purposes, such as dance performances, or the labyrinth we will do later on this weekend.
These outer changes that John and Jeremy observed are a visible
reflection of internal changes our congregation has been undergoing for several years. We are holding this
conference because of those changes. We recognize that for too long the church’s language has distorted
Christ’s teachings by the exclusive use of male language and imagery. This has led to a devaluing
of women both within the institution of the church and in secular society, as well. We at Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran have a different paradigm. We want to acknowledge
the feminine persona of the Divine. We utilize both female and male imagery for the Holy One.
Women and men are encouraged to share their talents and energy. Christ-Sophia once asked us not
to hide our light under a basket, but that is what mainstream Christianity often does when it tells women to accept a domination
structure where God is presented as male, and the church as a male-run institution. Sometimes archeologists find great treasures whose original form is obliterated by centuries
of encrustation. When the outer debris is carefully removed an object of great beauty can be brought to
light. I hope that through our dialogues and sharing this weekend, we may discover or uncover a place in
our hearts that is free to explore our spirituality in a way that is empowering. I hope we, as women and
men of faith, can scrape away some of the old obsolete ideas about the Divine and find something to treasure. Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here |
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Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran 678 Portola Dr. San Francisco, CA 94127 Call 415-731-2953
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