Wisdom by Jacqie Wallen

September 15, 2024

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

At the June Women’s Breakfast, we got to talking about artificial intelligence and I shared that I was using an artificial intelligence program, ChatGPT, to provide some ideas for parts of a mystery novel I was writing. In the process, I have become quite enamored of the app.  Later someone at the breakfast mentioned that it was about time for me to give a sermon. Someone, I don’t remember who (maybe me?) put the two together and said, “What about using Chat GPT to write a sermon.” So, I thought I would, just for fun, try doing just that. I hope you enjoy this experiment in writing a sermon with AI. There’s a lot about Wisdom (with a capital W) in today’s lectionary readings. These were my instructions to ChatGPT: “Wisdom is portrayed as a woman in the New Testament and the Hebrew scriptures. Write a sermon about this that reflects a feminist point of view and include the idea of God, Wisdom, and the Word as feminine.  Also include the idea of God as a mother.” I did a lot of editing of the AI text to make the sermon sound more like me and added some of my own reflections on mothers and the divine feminine as well as thoughts about recommitment since this is Recommitment Season, but most of the ideas in the following sermon were provided by ChatGPT.

In the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, Wisdom is often portrayed as a woman, a radiant embodiment of divine understanding, creativity, and guidance. This feminine portrayal of Wisdom invites us to challenge patriarchal interpretations that have long dominated our understanding of the divine. Today, I will talk about how Wisdom, as a feminine aspect of God, offers us a more inclusive and expansive vision of the divine—a vision that encompasses the fullness of God’s nature and transcends the limitations of gender.

In the book of Proverbs, Wisdom is depicted as a woman who cries out in the public square. This image of Wisdom as a woman standing at the crossroads, calling out to all who will listen, is both striking and profound. In a world where women’s voices have often been silenced, Wisdom’s voice is loud and clear, echoing across the ages. She speaks not from the margins but from the center of society, at the city gates where decisions are made and power is wielded. Her wisdom is not reserved for the few but offered to all who seek understanding. This portrayal challenges us to reject the traditional role of women in both sacred and secular spaces. It calls us to recognize that divine wisdom is not confined to traditional, male-dominated spheres of influence. Instead, it is a force that transcends gender, inviting all people—regardless of gender—to seek and embody it in their lives.

Many years ago, I had a dream that I was waltzing with a bear. I had such affection for the bear. In that strange way of dreams, the bear was also my mother, which was quite apt because my mother was very loving but could also sometimes be very brutal.

When I was a child my mother and I went to the Disney movie, Bear Country, and were both amused at how the mother bear could be both tender and rough at the same time. My mother was like that. In today’s reading from Proverbs, Wisdom reminds me of the mother bear of my dreams. As she urges people to turn away from foolishness and embrace understanding, her voice is both one of invitation and warning. Wisdom offers care and guidance, but she can also be fierce and unrelenting in her efforts to correct and protect. When her counsel is ignored, the consequences are dire—much like a mother bear who teaches her cubs through tough love, even at times using force to guide or discipline them for their own good. Just as a mother bear may swat her cubs to keep them from wandering into danger, Wisdom’s warnings are sometimes harsh, reminding us that neglecting divine guidance leads to destruction. Both Wisdom and the mother bear are protective and loving, yet capable of being fearsome when necessary. Their goal is not cruelty, but rather the preservation and flourishing of those in their care, even if the process involves discomfort or pain.

The Hebrew Scriptures go further, portraying Wisdom not just as a voice but as a co-creator with God. In Proverbs 8, Wisdom speaks of her role in creation:

“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be. When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water… Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in humanity.” (Proverbs 8:22-24, 30-31).

Here, Wisdom is described as being present at the very moment of creation, “before the mountains were settled, before the hills.” She is not a distant observer but an active participant, delighting in the creative process alongside God. This portrayal of Wisdom as co-creator aligns with the concept of the feminine divine—an image of God that is not only nurturing but also profoundly creative and life-giving.

In this passage, Wisdom is described as being “brought forth” and “given birth,” using language that is distinctly feminine. The image of Wisdom as a birthing force within creation challenges the often male-centered imagery of God as solely a father or king. Instead, it invites us to see God as a mother, a nurturer, and a life-giver. This feminine imagery encourages us to embrace the fullness of God’s creative power—a power that gives birth to all life and sustains it with love and care.

In the New Testament, the connection between Wisdom and the divine is deepened in the opening verses of the Gospel of John. Here, the Word—Logos in Greek—is described in ways that echo the language of Proverbs:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:1-4).

Traditionally, this passage has been understood to refer to Christ, the Word made flesh. However, if we consider the close relationship between the Word and Wisdom, we can see how the feminine aspects of divine wisdom are also present in the incarnation. Just as Wisdom was with God in the beginning, delighting in creation, so too was the Word, through whom all things were made.

The incarnation, then, is not just the embodiment of divine wisdom in male form but a reflection of the feminine divine as well. Jesus, in his ministry, embodied the qualities traditionally associated with Wisdom—compassion, care for the marginalized, a deep understanding of the human condition, and an unwavering commitment to justice. His actions reflected the nurturing, life-giving presence of the divine feminine. In Jesus, we see both the strength and tenderness of God, a fusion of the masculine and feminine that transcends human categories.

While the feminine aspects of God have often been overlooked or suppressed in Christian tradition, they have not been entirely lost. Throughout the history of the Church, there have been voices that have recognized and celebrated the feminine in the divine. Figures like Julian of Norwich, who spoke of Jesus as our “Mother,” and Hildegard of Bingen, who envisioned the Holy Spirit as a nurturing force, remind us that the feminine divine has always been present, even if it has not always been acknowledged.

Moreover, the image of the Church itself has often been feminized—as the Bride of Christ, as the Mother who nourishes her children, and as a community that embodies the nurturing, compassionate love of God. These images call us to a deeper appreciation of the feminine within our faith, inviting us to see the Church not just as an institution but as a living, breathing body that cares for and sustains the world.

The Bible also contains rich imagery of God as a mother. For instance, in the book of Isaiah, God says, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13). Elsewhere, God is likened to a mother eagle hovering over her young (Deuteronomy 32:11), and to a mother bear fiercely protecting her cubs (Hosea 13:8). These images emphasize God’s tenderness, care, and fierce protection, qualities often associated with motherhood.

The image of God as Mother also emphasizes the nurturing and sustaining aspects of the Divine. Like a mother who feeds, nourishes, and cares for her children, God provides for all creation. The very act of creation itself can be seen as a maternal act, bringing forth life from the depths of God’s being. This maternal imagery underscores the idea that God is intimately involved in the life of the world, caring for each creature with tender love.

In the New Testament, Jesus himself uses maternal imagery when he laments over Jerusalem, saying, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37). This powerful image conveys a God who longs to protect, shelter, and embrace, reflecting the deep love and care characteristic of a mother.

Feminist and liberation theologies have further developed the concept of God as Mother, emphasizing that the Divine encompasses both masculine and feminine qualities. These theologies challenge the exclusively male language often used for God, arguing that such language can limit our understanding of the Divine and reinforce patriarchal structures. By embracing the image of God as Mother, these theologies seek to reclaim the feminine aspects of God and affirm the dignity and worth of women, both in the church and in society.

Understanding God as Mother can profoundly impact our spiritual lives. It invites us to experience God’s love as unconditional, nurturing, and ever-present. Just as a mother loves her children not for what they do but simply because they are, so too does God love us unconditionally. This maternal love offers comfort in times of distress, encouragement in times of doubt, and strength in times of weakness.

Moreover, seeing God as Mother can lead to a more inclusive and holistic spirituality. It can help us recognize the sacredness of all life, fostering a deeper respect for the Earth and for each other. It can also challenge us to embody the nurturing, compassionate qualities of God in our own lives, caring for others as a mother cares for her children.

The image of God as Mother enriches our understanding of the Divine, offering a vision of God that is nurturing, compassionate, and life-giving. It challenges traditional patriarchal depictions and invites us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Divine. By embracing this image, we can experience God’s love in new and transformative ways, finding in it the comfort, strength, and hope that only a mother’s love can provide.

As we reflect on the portrayal of Wisdom as a woman in the Scriptures, we are challenged to expand our understanding of God. The divine is not bound by human constructs of gender but encompasses all that is good, just, and true. By embracing the feminine aspects of God—Wisdom, Word, Spirit—we open ourselves to a more complete vision of the divine, one that honors both strength and tenderness, justice and mercy, creation and nurture.

This being Recommitment Season, I can’t help but relate all of this to our Seekers Commitment Statement, in which we commit to sharing the gifts God gives us with others, to forgiving those who have hurt us, to nurturing our relationship with God, to caring for every part of creation, to being in solidarity with those in need, to working to end all war, violence, and discord, and to opening our hearts to God and all of creation. These aspirations connect us to the feminine, mothering aspect of the divine.

In our own lives, let us seek to embody the qualities of Wisdom. Let us be voices of truth in the public square, advocates for justice, and nurturers of life. Let us honor the feminine divine in our relationships, our communities, and our world, recognizing that the fullness of God’s wisdom is reflected in the diversity of all creation. May we, like Wisdom, stand at the crossroads of our world, calling out for understanding, compassion, and justice. And may we embody the divine presence in all that we do, reflecting the love and grace of the God who is both mother and father, wisdom and word, creator and nurturer.

As far as using artificial intelligence to write a sermon, I have only this to say: God’s word comes to us in many ways.

Amen.