Although God in the Hebrew Bible is predominantly described using masculine imagery and pronouns (especially when translated into English, which lacks any gender neutral pronouns), there are several instances where feminine imagery and pronouns are used.
After all, the concept of a feminine component to God has roots in traditional Judaism.
For those of us who works with language in a church leadership setting (songs, liturgy, preaching, etc.), there are a few ways to work with this issue, including:
1) Use female pronouns for God. While referring to God as "she" might distracting since we're not accustomed to it, that concern may be outweighed by the significant downside of using exclusively male pronouns for God.
2) Remove all pronouns for referring to God. While this may technically be the most accurate way to speak about God, it can be linguistically challenging. Nevertheless, avoiding gendered pronouns may be the best way to disentangle God, and, by extension, conceptions of authority, from destructive affiliations with a particular gender.
3) Use the singular "they." The first human is referred to as “them” in Genesis 1:27. In Genesis 1:26, God says, "let US make man in OUR image."
Yes, changing the way we speak about God can feel daunting. But these changes can be viewed as progress, moving us away from a flawed conception of God as “masculine.”
Maybe these changes can bring us closer to the fulfillment of the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below…” (Exodus 20:4).
The full article is available here
3) Use the singular "they." The first human is referred to as “them” in Genesis 1:27. In Genesis 1:26, God says, "let US make man in OUR image."
Yes, changing the way we speak about God can feel daunting. But these changes can be viewed as progress, moving us away from a flawed conception of God as “masculine.”
Maybe these changes can bring us closer to the fulfillment of the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below…” (Exodus 20:4).
The full article is available here
